And you think Southwest is bad

[mgilmer]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...t-design-plans-seat-passengers-face-face.html

I hope this does not come to fruition in my flying lifetime, but if it does, I will DEFINITELY be driving everywhere.

 

[Disney Ella]

I don't think I could stand even an hour in those seats. My back would kill me. There's no back support and it looks like little or no cushioning.

 

[bicker]

The shape of things to come.

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Those seats are just terrible, but what about the ones where the person is practically standing?!? How could that even be safe?

 

[bicker]

The standing ones seem a lot safer than the ones without seat backs.

 

[mr&mrslightyear]

Thats soo funny i hope they dont doo it for the 9hr england to disney flights!!

 

[boettj]

When I first read face-to-face, all I could think of was the old SouthWest seats that faced each other. And those seats were awful for tall people like myself. The configuration shown could work, but takeoffs would not be fun. I am sure that the seat configuration would need to change as well. In the end, we are no different than sardines. Just pack them in for every extra buck.


One last note, the comment was that the seats would be cheaper. That will be the day. Airlines other than SouthWest would continue to charge current rates. It's what they do.

 

[DisneyWalker44]

Just as an aside...

I don't think Southwest is bad. I think they are great. Seats as spacious comfortable - if not more so - than legacy airlines. And the best customer service in the industry.

 

[bicker]

One last note, the comment was that the seats would be cheaper. That will be the day. Airlines other than SouthWest would continue to charge current rates. It's what they do.

Actually, the way it would work out would be just like what happened when Disney changed the structure of its admission ticketing a few years ago: The prices would actually go down a bit, but of course you're "getting" a lot less.

If prices didn't reflect the service difference, then folks would stick with traditional seating. So they'll provide just enough motivation to go with the economy seating, and then as consumers maniacally focus more and more on the lowest possible fare, we'll see the more traditional seating become less and less common.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

Just as an aside...

I don't think Southwest is bad. I think they are great. Seats as spacious comfortable - if not more so - than legacy airlines. And the best customer service in the industry.

DITTO !!!

 

[onelilspark]

What I find interesting is that they're for "short" flights, 30-60 mintues. Where do you see those?

 

[bicker]

I dunno, but I remember actually flying from Hobby to Houston International once.

 

[DVC Sadie]

I had to lol when I saw the pictures of the people flying face to face.

It reminds me of when I was in the Air Force and I caught a hop to Hawaii from the Philippines, the seats also faced one another. If I would have had to pay for the flight I would have chosen a different airline.

 

[TheWog]

What I find interesting is that they're for "short" flights, 30-60 mintues. Where do you see those?

There are lots of flights daily from Boston to NYC and back. Boston to Philly and back. NYC to Philly and back.

 

[crashbb]

There are lots of flights daily from Boston to NYC and back. Boston to Philly and back. NYC to Philly and back.

New York to Toronto (well, not including all the padding for ATC in New York); Toronto to Ottawa/Montreal; Ottawa to Montreal; Miami to Orlando; London to Manchester/Leeds

And those are just flights I've been on (within the last 5 years). I've probably forgotten some (and some I'm not totally sure about - like Vancouver to Calgary).

 

[onelilspark]

Ok...I stand corrected

I guess even the quick connections from ROC to JFK for Jet Blue. And Philly to Pittsburgh on USAir.

There are some I suppose. I wouldn't mind it for those quick flights. But I wouldn't do it for longer. But even now, those flights are those little puddle jumper planes. (Where it's like 15 rows of 2.) Why bring in new planes?

 

[crashbb]

Ok...I stand corrected

I guess even the quick connections from ROC to JFK for Jet Blue. And Philly to Pittsburgh on USAir.

There are some I suppose. I wouldn't mind it for those quick flights. But I wouldn't do it for longer. But even now, those flights are those little puddle jumper planes. (Where it's like 15 rows of 2.) Why bring in new planes?

Actually, most of the flights I listed are not little puddle jumpers. The flight I just took from NYC to Toronto was 84 seats in economy and 9 in first (completely full).

And my Toronto to Montreal flight was 307 in economy and 42 in first. And it was all but full.

Now, I don't see that airline bringing in the planes depicted in the article, just pointing out that some/many of these shorts flights are on full sized planes. The plane used on the Toronto to Montreal flight is also used on Toronto to Asia flights and Vancouver to Sydney flights (all non-stop).

If (and I don't really see it happening) an airline were to bring in these planes, I suspect that it a "renovation" could be done, without getting an entirely new plane (Air Canada recently overhauled the insides of almost its entire fleet) and/or it will be done at a time where the old planes needed to be refurbished/replaced anyway.

 

[TheWog]

Ok...I stand corrected

I guess even the quick connections from ROC to JFK for Jet Blue. And Philly to Pittsburgh on USAir.

There are some I suppose. I wouldn't mind it for those quick flights. But I wouldn't do it for longer. But even now, those flights are those little puddle jumper planes. (Where it's like 15 rows of 2.) Why bring in new planes?

Sorry, didn't mean to come across any way except for citing some examples. I haven't opened the link, but as soon as I saw no seatbacks I would have no interest in those planes. I think it would be ridiculous.

 

[crashbb]

Okay, maybe I'm just looking at the picture wrong/optical illusion, but it looks like the tray things that come out of the wall would be jabbing the back of those sitting against the wall.

Or do they come in between the seats? If so, how useful are they when one is sitting perpendicular (rather than towards) them?

 

[Lewisc]

"Alternate" seat configuration will probably work best with flights to (and between) islands. Flights from Miami to many Caribbean Islands. Flights between Hawaiian Islands.

Many potential passengers would drive rather then take a 1-2 hour flight.