Agreed, the FAA should not determine comfort, the market should and consumers clearly favor smaller seats and lower fares over high fares and First Class seats. Just look at the number of coach seats versus First Class. Competition and De-regulation have kept airfares affordable for everyone, not just the wealthy. If not for market forces constantly adjusting seat sizes and pricing the airlines would be all but extinct because airfares would be so expensive that only the wealthy could afford it!
Flying the airlines is a strictly voluntary proposition and when the seats become so uncomfortable that people stop voluntarily flying then the airlines will adjust. There are plenty of alternatives, cars, trains and ships. Personally at 6', 190 I don't find the seats so uncomfortable for a three hour flight that I am willing to pay double the fare. I am buying transportation, period.
My only gripe is when I pay for a seat and the person next to me is so large they are spilling i