Jaunted

One way to meet these new requirements is with airbags, and there are already airbags that fit within the webbing of airline seat belts. These airbags are pricey at about $1,250 per piece, but are a better option than ripping out older seats to meet this new government mandate.

Right now the airline airbag company that developed the Seatbelt Airbag, AmSafe, reports that their product is already used on about 25,000 seats on airlines like US Airways, Delta, and American Airlines. There’s another airline, which they won’t name, that’s planning on using the airbags on all their planes—even the old ones that don’t need them.

Of course this is just another cost of doing business, and while the price of these devices probably won’t be directly passed onto travelers, it’s just one more thing that helps inch flight prices up.

For now, keep your eyes on your airplane seatbelt. We can’t remember seeing anything special in our seatbelts—we’re usually focused on in-flight fashion—but let us know if you’ve seen this extra safety in the sky.

Related Stories:
·Airbags For Airliners: What Will They Cost You? [USA Today]
·AmSafe Commercial Airline Airbags [Official Site]
·Airlines Getting Creative With Pre-Flight Safety Videos [Jaunted]
·Airline News coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Amsafe]