Do two inches of extra pitch matter when the seat in front of you has a large pocket stuffed with magazines and airline paraphernalia sticking out of it while some sort of power strip eats into the space under the seat?

No. No they do not. Basic economy isn’t a fun fit for anyone. For now the Big 3 can play their reindeer games and try to match the ULCC’s on price and destination. But we won’t be in the hottest economy this country has seen in living memory forever.