Airlines short on legroom

By CATHY ARONSON

Some long-haul airliners coming to New Zealand do not have the legroom recommended by a British judge in a deep vein thrombosis compensation case.

Judge Gareth Edwards, QC, last week told JMC, one of Britain's largest tour operators, that its treatment of passengers by forcing them to sit in a space of 73cm during an eight hour flight was "intolerable".

He said the seat "pitch" - the distance between a seatback rest to the back of the seat in front of it - should be at least 86cm.

He awarded compensation to businessman Brian Horan for having to sit in a "straitjacket" seat.

Horan, 57, had tests for DVT after complaining of pain in his legs when he flew to Manchester from Canada on a JMC Boeing 767 last April.

He won compensation of £500 ($1618) plus costs of £3160.

All international airlines meet the recommended 86cm in their business and first class sections but some do not meet the mark in economy class.

Air New Zealand meets the 86cm legroom in economy seats but Cathay Pacific and Qantas do not.

Legroom in Cathay Pacific's economy class is 81cm on its 747-400s and A340-300s. Qantas has between 79-81cm on its 747s.

But the airlines say the distances comply with industry standards.

Cathay Pacific spokeswoman Pauline Ray said the airline agreed with Britain's House of Lords that there was no connection between the class of travel and DVT.

"The likeliest cause of DVT when travelling is prolonged immobility adding to pre-existing congenital and acquired risk factors."

Qantas spokeswoman Melissa Thomson said the airline provided information on DVT in a range of airline material.

* New Zealand medical researchers last week disputed the long-held belief that aspirin wards off DVT.

Dr Rodney Hughes, head of the Medical Research Institute study into travellers' thrombosis, said the evidence from 1000 long-distance travellers showed aspirin was at best of dubious benefit in preventing the condition.

nzherald.co.nz/health