Standing Room Only
To tag onto my previous post about Pain at the Pump, look at what Airbus announced today.
Next for air travelers: Standing room only?
ORLANDO, Florida The airlines have come up with a new answer to the old question: How many passengers can be squeezed into economy class?
A lot more, it turns out, especially if an idea still in the early stage should come to pass: standing-room-only "seats."
Airbus has been quietly pitching the standing-room-only option to Asian carriers, though none has agreed to it yet. Passengers in the standing section would be propped against a padded backboard, held in place with a harness, according to seating experts who have seen a proposal.
That the airlines are even considering such things is the result of several factors. High fuel costs are making it difficult for carriers to turn a profit. The new seat technology not only allows airlines to add more places for passengers, it also reduces a seat's weight by up to 15 pounds, or 7 kilograms, limiting fuel consumption. A typical seat in economy class now weighs 74 to 82 pounds.
"There is clearly pressure on carriers to make the total passenger count as efficient as possible," said Howard Guy, a director for Design Q, a seating- design consultancy in England. "After all, the fewer seats that are put on board, the more expensive the seat price becomes. It's basic math."
Seat experts say all the publicity airlines devote to their premium seats diverts attention from what is happening in the back of the plane. In the main cabin, they say, manufacturers are under intense pressure to install more seats.
Next for air travelers: Standing room only?
ORLANDO, Florida The airlines have come up with a new answer to the old question: How many passengers can be squeezed into economy class?
A lot more, it turns out, especially if an idea still in the early stage should come to pass: standing-room-only "seats."
Airbus has been quietly pitching the standing-room-only option to Asian carriers, though none has agreed to it yet. Passengers in the standing section would be propped against a padded backboard, held in place with a harness, according to seating experts who have seen a proposal.
That the airlines are even considering such things is the result of several factors. High fuel costs are making it difficult for carriers to turn a profit. The new seat technology not only allows airlines to add more places for passengers, it also reduces a seat's weight by up to 15 pounds, or 7 kilograms, limiting fuel consumption. A typical seat in economy class now weighs 74 to 82 pounds.
"There is clearly pressure on carriers to make the total passenger count as efficient as possible," said Howard Guy, a director for Design Q, a seating- design consultancy in England. "After all, the fewer seats that are put on board, the more expensive the seat price becomes. It's basic math."
Seat experts say all the publicity airlines devote to their premium seats diverts attention from what is happening in the back of the plane. In the main cabin, they say, manufacturers are under intense pressure to install more seats.
posted by littledevilworks at 8:30 PM
2 Comments:
*gives you unsolicited advice*
argh! i saw this on the news today. it immediately made me think of airborne cattle.
please, i'm willing to pay the extra money to sit.
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