Why can’t Cathay and other airlines make economy class less cramped?

I first started taking the plane in the early 1990s. Compared to the crowded trains with hard seats that I usually took, flying was not only faster but also more pleasant.

Stewardesses served tasty meals and drinks, free of charge. There wasn’t much in-flight entertainment, but a variety of newspapers were offered, and they were also free. Seats could recline without causing complaints from people behind, with enough room in front to stretch the legs.

What caused me to reminisce about the good old days was a recent row that erupted on a Cathay Pacific flight, after a young woman reclined her seat.

After she put her seat back, a Cantonese-speaking couple behind her complained that she was obstructing their view of the in-flight entertainment. After realising she was from mainland China, they started jostling her seat, kicking her arm, giving her the middle finger and making discriminatory remarks.

The couple’s behaviour was unacceptable. They might have thought the woman was an easy target because she was younger, from the mainland, and therefore, in their view, inferior. If it had been a man or a Westerner sitting in front, things might have been different.