Traveling Coach on U.S. Flights Has Become a Serious Pain Turns out, America's airline companies have the world's most uncomfortable seats. Yay.

By Jason Fell

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Cramped seats. Screaming babies. A sick and sneezing person sitting right next to you. Practically on top of you.

Frequent business travelers know -- perhaps all too well -- that flying coach can be a real pain in the you-know-what. Now there's some proof to back it up.

Buried within the research for the recently announced World Airline Awards, airlines from American companies fared poorly in the "best airline seat" category, The Atlantic reports. Not only did no U.S. airline make it into the top 10 for economy seating, none of them cracked the top 10 for any premium seating category -- including first class, business class or premium economy.

The top three airlines for economy seats are Saudi Arabian Airlines, Korean Air and Garuda Indonesia. The best three airlines for business class are Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines and Oman Air, according to the awards. Emirates was named the best overall airline.

Related: Why Airline Loyalty May No Longer Pay Off

"There's been a deliberate effort in recent years, especially by American carriers, to make life on an airplane as miserable as possible," The Atlantic said pointedly in the article. "The strategy of cultivating loyalty by offering free upgrades has been replaced by one that charges customers for the privilege of comfort. The passenger who gets stuck sitting between a screaming baby and a sick person is more likely to pay extra to take refuge in an aisle, an exit row or a new seating category such as 'economy plus' or 'comfort economy.'"

To complicate your business travel further, U.S. Congress recently approved a measure to increase the Transportation Security Administration fees charged on plane tickets. The fee has been $2.50 for a non-stop flight or $5 for a connecting flight. Starting today, expect to pay $5.60 for all flights. And, get this: Any connection longer than four hours will technically count as a separate flight, requiring an additional fee.

While you might argue that additional money should make our planes and airports more secure, the extra dollars raised by the fee hike will be diverted to the general fund in an effort to raise $12.6 billion to reduce the national deficit. That's right, a fee increase essentially disguised as a tax.

Happy travels.

Related: This Might Have Been the Coolest Airplane Ride (Ever?)

Wavy Line
Jason Fell

VP, Native Content

Jason Fell is the VP of Native Content, managing the Entrepreneur Partner Studio, which creates dynamic and compelling content for our partners. He previously served as Entrepreneur.com's managing editor and as the technology editor prior to that.

Editor's Pick

She's Been Coding Since Age 7 and Presented Her Life-Saving App to Tim Cook Last Year. Now 17, She's on Track to Solve Even Bigger Problems.
Lock
I Helped Grow 4 Unicorns Over 10 Years That Generated $18 Billion in Online Revenues. Here's What I've Learned.
Lock
Want to Break Bad Habits and Supercharge Your Business? Use This Technique.
Lock
Don't Have Any Clients But Need Customer Testimonials? Follow These 3 Tricks To Boost Your Rep.
Why Are Some Wines More Expensive Than Others? A Top Winemaker Gives a Full-Bodied Explanation.

Related Topics

Growing a Business

The Best Way to Run a Business Meeting

All too often, meetings run longer than they should and fail to keep attendees engaged. Here's how to run a meeting the right way.

Fundraising

Working Remote? These Are the Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Video Conferencing

As more and more businesses go remote, these are ways to be more effective and efficient on conference calls.

Growing a Business

Subscribers Exclusive Event: Discover How These 2 Founders Turned Their Side Hustle into a Million-Dollar Lifestyle Brand

Learn how you can transform your personal brand into a thriving business empire with co-founders of The Skinny Confidential

Leadership

The Real Reason Why The Return to Office Movement is Failing is Revealed in New Study

There is a vivid sign of the disconnect between employees and their workplace, a glaring indication that companies need to revise their scripts to improve their hybrid and remote work policies.

Devices

Take Your Social Media Earning Potential Sky-High With This $79.97 Quadcopter

Get this beginner-friendly drone for a great price for Father's Day.

Health & Wellness

Sleep Better, Snore Less, and Stay Cool with This Tech-Packed Pillow, Now $49.99

Let technology help you sleep better with this 8-in-1 cooling pillow.