"...crams more people on flights: It’s what Canadians want" 
This is also true of Americans and British. 
The evidence is clear: customers willingly exchange a portion of their dignity for a cheaper price. 
The alternative is to take fewer but better, more costly flights. The author's behavioural economics background tells him that we most certainly will not! We're quantity-over-quality people, every time. It shows in other aspects of life: food, housing, clothing, vehicles, etc.