Coming to an Airbus jet in your future travels!
 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...ne-seats-ever/

I kid you not!

It's crazy, but that's what the customers want, based on the common practice of buying by price alone. And honestly, if I can save $100 per ticket when flying my family of 4 somewhere, it seems like semi standing for an hour or two might be OK.

Plus, when I fly, those tiny seats are really uncomfortable and I look for any excuse to stand up anyway. I'd like to try those semi standing seats before I immediately assume they are less comfortable.

My body takes up the same volume of space no mater the position it's in. I may as well be in the most comfortable position. Bunk beds would be even nicer. Although I wouldn't want a stranger to be crawling over me to get out to go to the bathroom.

You won't be seeing those seats around here.
36% of the 20 year Airbus sales forecast is for Asia-Pacific. Places like China and India where cities can be far apart, separated by major geographic obstacles, domestic flights are the most practical way to travel. The market for smaller, cheap to operate aircraft is huge. If you can crack that market today, you'll have an in when they upgrade, because the supply chain and trained maintenance people are in place.

Airbus says, today 32% of the world can be classified as middle-class. I guess that's compared to Europe. Forecasts suggest 62% will be middle-class by 2032, with 400% growth in Asia-Pacific region.

They look like those seats they put up at bus stops in the city!

Personally I can't see how they would pass a safety test for landing or takeoff as you have so little back support.

A couple of years ago Michael O'Leary the Chief Executive of Ryanair, suggested similar arrangements for his company's B737 aircraft.

Not surprisingly, the proposals were given short shrift by one of the regulatory bodies although it was not revealed which one.

The refusal prompted the usual splenetic response from O'Leary who gives every indication of being a thoroughly disagreeable individual.

Under current standards. Never underestimate the power of Airbus+Boeing+airlines. ;)

...better be some damn smooth landings.

If not, that bicycle seat is going places. Dark, uncomfortable places.

Insert part #16 into slot #2.

I don't know about the seating arrangements on the Airbus A350, but five of them in formation would have been a sight worth seeing.



Wings made by British Aerospace, Broughton, Wales and engines by Rolls-Royce, Derby, England.

I think that the French also made some bits of it. :p:

That's it; I'm done. If I have to perch on a bicycle saddle for 3 hours in order to see my daughter in CO, I'll gladly take an extra day or two and drive out. By the time I pay for gas and parking at the airport, the ticket, meals while I wait for an hours-late connection, and then a rental car, I'm miles ahead just driving my own vehicle there. And I'll probably arrive before the flight ever would.

I predict that bicycle-seat Airbus flights will jump-start the renaissance of surface travel. Did I mention that I LOVE trains?