People on the top row won’t be able to stand up or get out.
Flying economy can be rough at the best of times, and is often a necessary chore in order to get to that exciting holiday destination.
But it turns out it could be worse. Much worse.
A prototype at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, has showcased how double-decker-style aeroplane seats could be introduced, cramming even more people on board.
The horrific concept would see overhead luggage storage scrapped in favour of an elevated area between each row.
This would leave those on the top row with just 4.92 feet of space between the seats and the top of the plane, meaning they wouldn’t be able to stand up or get out.
And it doesn’t get much better for those on the lower tier, who would be strapping themselves in for a claustrophobia-inducing journey.
The concept was designed by Alejandro Núñez Vicente, who argues that the design wouldn’t be that much different to current economy as travelers already have to crouch with the current seat design.
CNN reports that the design earned Núñez Vicente a nomination at the 2021 Crystal Cabin Awards, and that he has since paused his master’s degree to pursue the project.
Núñez Vicente is apparently in talks with a number of big-name airlines and seat manufacturers and has been granted investment for the project.
Unsurprisingly, the hellish concept hasn’t been met with a great reception online.
https://twitter.com/kazweida/status/1536734736625721345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1536734736625721345%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thestreet.com%2Finvesting%2Fairplane-double-decker-seats-travel
Fresh hell just dropped https://t.co/mHDmdXeYGy
— Amber Sparks (@ambernoelle) June 15, 2022
"double-decker seating planes"
as if being on a plane isn't miserable enough already pic.twitter.com/3EWr0YiDJX— DnD Sesame Tweet (@DnDSesame) June 14, 2022
The design was met with a similar reaction on Reddit, with one user writing: “I would spend the entire flight with the unshakeable image of being crushed by a fallen row of seats.”
Another added: “New claustrophobia scenario unlocked.”
And a third worried about what the consequences on the bottom tier would be if the person directly above you farted.
But Núñez Vicente insists he sees it as the “future of economy class”, adding: “My purpose here is to change the economy class seats for the better of humanity, or for all the people that cannot afford to pay for more expensive tickets.”
If this ever gets introduced, the staycation could suddenly become a lot more appealing.
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