Simple Geometry = More Seats In an Airline

New submitter innerpeace writes: New airline seat arrangement looks to increase passenger capacity. A patent application by Zodiac Seats France calls for a design that puts every other passenger in a row facing backward. That means that in a row of three fliers, the seat by the window and the seat by the aisle face toward the front of the plane while the middle seat faces toward the back. The design idea could fit up to 80 more passengers in a plane, depending on the current seat layout. Whatever downsides it has, if such a design is adopted, I hope it leads to a stronger adoption of a convention that those with window seats board first.

Comments

So will stacking us vertically

[gurps_npc]

It isn't about getting more seats in a plane, it's about doing so without making people uncomfortable.

This looks like it would work fine if everyone knew each other - but would suck if you had an annoying seat mate. Who wants to be forced to look at them - or have them look at you?

This design violates current social norms for personal space. As such I dislike it.

Re:So will stacking us vertically

[Dunbal]

But do you dislike it enough to pony up for business/first class tickets? No? Then suffer, cattle.

Re:So will stacking us vertically

[Anonymous Coward]

A lot of trains and light rail transit have facing configurations. This is not a big deal.

The concept design looks like it doesn't have recline, which would be problem if both adjoining seats recline and you are facing a stranger within inches of your face. Oddly enough, the distance wouldn't be any different from a side by side configuration, but facing adjacent would present difficulties. A fabric/leather modesty panel that stretches between adjoining seats would fix that (one that fans out if the seats are reclining).

The bigger problem with this configuration is that they are optimizing width by alternating facing, which introduces more problems than it solves imo. Firstly you cannot have tandem seating, so couples are separated. This can present problems with families who have smaller children. Also it eliminates recline as previously mentioned. Thirdly, very large passengers may not fit in a single seat, but they cannot purchase double or triple to fit in this type of space. The optimized width hopefully will get passengers more lateral space to compensate, for the average person though.

However, the last one may be the biggest hurdle. The extra seats are really gained by the flip up seat style (technically an orthorgonal idea to the alternating reverse seating plan). This is all well and good, but I bet the airlines have strict rules about passengers being able to get out during an emergency or otherwise. If the aislemost or center passenger is unwilling or unable to get up off of their seat, passengers who are more window facing will be trapped. Try that during a flight where a passenger is sleeping or worse, incapacitated, and there will be chaos as people trying and climb over each other to get out. Increasing the spacing might help, but then it reduces the space saving benefits of the flip seat.

Re:So will stacking us vertically

[perotbot]

the cattling of economy class, the security theater, the inconvenience of the current airport experience has gotten me to the point that if a destination is less than 10 hrs by car, I'll drive rather than fly. Between the delays of getting to the airports 90 to 120 minutes prior to the flight, the inevitable delays, it just makes more sense to drive it rather than fly for me

Re:So will stacking us vertically

[lokedhs]

Or, you could travel with an airline which don't suck. Ever wondered why the best US airline on the top 100 airlines list is Delta at number 45?

Try flying proper airlines and you'll see the difference.

Three thoughts...

[Pollux]

#1) This will make it that much more inconvenient for passengers closest to the window to get out when they need to use the bathroom.

#2) Forward-facing seats make more sense during takeoff, as the acceleration from the plane pushes passengers into their seats, but the seats keep them secure. Passengers facing the rear will find it a bit more uncomfortable holding themselves in the seat when basic physics is pushing them out of it. (Yes, I know airline attendants have rear-facing seats. A cousin of mine served as steward on an airline for some years and always complained about them.)

#3) Are airplanes engineered to handle the additional weight of 80 more passengers and their luggage?

Re:I'm all for it

[ericloewe]

You clearly have no idea about airplane structural engineering, or you wouldn't even consider what you just suggested. The only realistic solution would require a massive weight increase and the added failure scenarios, which need to be carefully examined and worked around.
Furthermore, refueling an airplane does not take less than two minutes. That's the time you need just to plug in the fuel line.

Not to mention the absurd ground complexity. Airports would need several cabins per flight per aircraft model, plus room to store them, plus machinery to handle them...

Never, ever going to work.

Fuck all to me

[paiute]

I don't give a shit. I can only fly these days by ingesting 15 mg valium while boarding and 5 mg every two hours until the flight is over.

The sad thing is that I used to like flying. They just kept squeezing us closer and closer until one day I had a panic attack at 30000 feet and that was the end of my ability to relax on a flight.