A new seating design for airliners has been revealed online but it’s being met with mixed reactions.
Airlines have previously explored ways to try and cram as many passengers on flights as possible.
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Ryanair, for example, caused controversy when it said it was open to the idea of introducing standing space on flights.
This would see passengers strap in for takeoff and landing but stand for the cruising part of the flight.
But this new idea takes a totally different approach; rather than passengers standing, as many as possible are squeezed in using double-decker plane seats.
No, not a double-decker plane like the enormous Aircus A380 – the design looks more like a space-saving bed you’d find in a tiny apartment.
To access the higher row of seats you’d need to climb a couple of steps just like on a bunk bed.
The lower seats, which sit behind and partially underneath, have space for you to stretch your legs.
As snug as a bug in a rug.
As you can imagine, reactions on Reddit have been less than enthusiastic.
While some expressed safety concerns, others were quick to point out that if you were taller than 5ft 1ins, you’d probably struggle to get comfortable.
“Still have to evacuate the plane in 90 seconds so doubt these will be getting passed being a concept,” one user said.
“Struggling to understand how the overhead carryons are going to work in this scenario,” wrote another.
One person was more sarcastic, commenting “you could also fit more people on a plane by blending them into a fine slurry before boarding.”
The designer of the double-decker plane seats, Alejandro Núñez, was quick to come to its defence.
“People can talk and they always hate innovation in some ways,” he said.
“Most of the times when they show you something new, everyone hates it at first, they’re scared of change.
“But the more you show it, and the more you develop it, and the more they see it, the more they get used to it.”
Forcing people to like your creation perhaps isn’t the best approach, but you can’t dispute the commercial interest.
Airlines have actually expressed their interest in Núñez’s design, dubbed the ‘Chaise Longue’, and will be premiered at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo.
