Jaunted

Stand Up for Your Rights

4/25/2006 at 12:29 PM
Tags: Airline Analysis (all tags)

Are there plans afoot to make flying even more miserable than it already is? Beyond whatever nickel and dime policies carriers are toying with these days, a new concept for airlines could be headed to an Airbus near you: Standing room only seats, first reported in the New York Times. Passengers would be secured to a padded backboard with a harness like wearing a backpack; Airbus is pushing hard for this configuration on their new A380.

Is it safe? According to the Times, there are no legal impediments to standing room seats here in the U.S.:

The Federal Aviation Administration does not mandate that a passenger be in a sitting position for takeoffs and landings; only that the passenger be secured. Seating must comply only with the agency's rules on the width of aisles and the ability to evacuate quickly in an emergency.

The Air Transport Association, the trade association for the airline industry in the United States, does not have any seat-comfort standards. Nor does it issue any recommendations to its members regarding seating configurations.

The standing room configuration is just one solution available to airlines as they contemplate how to fit more passengers in each plane. Slimmer seats and a inch less of legroom can combine create another six seats on a 737. Presto! Instant revenue.

Given the choice between hideously cramped seats and standing, we choose standing. Is it any worse than taking the subway?

Related Stories:
·   A Place to Stand [NY Times]
·   Airbus considering SRO Seats [Today in the Sky]