Joe Brancatelli, my friend who knows more about airlines than Jerry Sandusky knows about tickling, says that flying "coach" is about to get even more uncomfy than it already is. If this trend keeps up, they'll just be stuffing us into prepaid mailers and FedExing us to our destinations, second day air.
Y'know, not that my voice has any particular volume, but I wouldn't mind if the seats didn't recline much. I rarely recline mine and whatever comfort it affords is more than negated by the guy in the seat ahead of me reclining his. But for those of us who are 6'3" (and at least one of us is), losing an inch of legroom is like losing your toes.
In fact — and some of you will emphatically disagree with this — I wish airlines would charge for carry-ons and make it free to check your luggage. Ever since most instituted fees for checked baggage, people are boarding planes (even on carriers that don't charge to check) with suitcases the size of the Louisiana Purchase. Some of them fight to get on the plane early because the overhead bins always fill to capacity and then there are always delays while flight attendants rearrange those bins so as to get one more bag in there, and then have to go check the ones for which there's no room. I'd be happier in my seat if there was room overhead to put my coat (instead of holding it on my lap) and my laptop (instead of having it under the seat ahead of me, thereby constricting my footroom).
But that'll never happen, charging for carry-ons and making checked baggage free. If anything, they'll start charging for carry-ons and start charging more for checked baggage.