“Yes” or “No” to SRO?: Airline Seating

In an effort to make economy airline seats even more uncomfortable, Airbus is talking about adding standing room only seating to Asian carriers. Yep, you read that right. Luckily, none of them have yet agreed.

The very unlucky passengers would “sit” in standing section seats propped against a back panel that’s padded and held in place with a harness. The result could be a few more seats with 25″ legroom instead of the 30 – 31″ legroom that’s now the norm.
“To call it a seat would be misleading,” said Volker Mellert, an German physics professor from Oldenburg University. He’s done research on airline seat comfort.

It’s a numbers game for airlines as they try to squeeze out profits in times of increasingly higher costs and jet fuel. Every seat they can add — through thinner seatbacks, reduced leg room or even standing room — is an asset to their bottom line. But if passengers have to suffer even more indignities, is it all worth it???

Read the NY Times article.