A new airplane seat model is causing an uproar on social media.
While travelers have been griping for years about airlines that squeeze people in, the idea of double decker planes is hitting nerves on a whole new level.
It all started with an article from CNN. At the 2022 Aircraft Interiors Expo in Germany, London-based producer Francesca Street had a chance to test the Chaise Longue Airplane Seat.
Designed by recent university graduate Alejandro Núñez Vicente, the double-decker airplane seat is still at the prototype level but already being proposed to ultra-budget airlines as a way to make use of every last inch of available cabin space.
How Tight Can You Go?
The prototype shows a very tight sitting space in which one’s legs extend underneath what serves as a ladder for the passengers who sit above.
Approximately 1.5 meters from the top of the plane, the second deck is elevated and, just a few inches from the back passenger’s face, creates a tiny cubicle that is significantly tighter than a traditional seat.
This way, the overhead space is maximized with an additional row of seats.
There is no overhead cabin or leg room in the traditional sense.
“Because the other level of seats are directly above me and in my eyeline, it feels pretty claustrophobic,” Street wrote. “But if you don’t mind tight spaces, and you’re planning simply to sleep all flight, it could be an effective solution.”
Would You Travel Like This?
Twitter (TWTR) – Get Twitter Inc. Report was very quick to point out the problems with squeezing passengers in so tightly.
“I’ll be back to comment on this once my claustrophobia lets me breathe again,” writes Twitter user @kazweida.
Passengers have long been complaining about airlines that try to cut costs at the expense of the passengers in economy classes.
Attempts to charge for baggage, decrease seat sizes, or cut back on leg room are always met by an outcry from the public.
Now, however, the question is becoming even more salient as airline prices rise — according to the latest data from Adobe Analytics (ADBE) – Get Adobe Inc. Report, domestic flight prices are up 30% since 2019 and a whopping 47% since January 2022 amid increased demand and inflation.
“As with everything this will not lead to lower prices,” wrote screenwriter BenDavid Grabinski. “Just bigger profits.”
But despite social media outcry about treating passengers “like cargo,” this type of seat concept could start appearing in low-budget flights.
What Is Happening To The Airlines?
Nuñez Vicente, who was able to build out the prototype after receiving investor funding, has already been in talks with airlines. He foresees it being used in some Boeing 747 or Airbus A330 models.
The 22-year-old told CNN Travel that he’s open to seeing how the design can be improved but the need for budget travel is very much there.
With fuel prices making travel increasingly unaffordable for many, it looks like a lower price may override claustrophobia for some.
“I grow more from listening to the critics and listening to the bad comments, than from listening to the good comments and the flowers that they throw me,” Nuñez Vicente said.
