Core77

Airline Seat "Improvements"

By Rain Noe - April 16, 2007

in Object Culture

Just when you think flying can't get any worse: The Premium Aircraft Interior Group has come up with a seating proposal called the "Freedom" concept, where they can squeeze another column of seats into each plane by reversing every other seat.

This configuration allows people's shoulders to overlap, meaning the seats can be closer. Because on airplanes, what prevents us from getting closer to the person next to us is not revulsion, repulsion or a desire to occupy our own cubic foot of personal space, it's our shoulders. Eliminate the shoulders and problem solved.

Great job, guys. Maybe you can do the same with the toilets in the lavatories.

[Via Gizmodo]

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JM Designs

16 years ago

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Better reason to take a corporate Jet!
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Robert G

16 years ago

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I disagree. Sitting in a flying backwards position for me just does not Fly. Watch people get into a train! The first seats taken are those that face the direction you are traveling.
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Graeme

17 years ago

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An interesting idea, but terrible in reality. As for facing backwards, I'd happily do that and I have done in a number of planes. The acceleration at take off is no problem and in the (incredibly unlikely) event of a crash landing you don't have to adopt the "kiss your ass goodbye" position; just sit upright and let the seat back restrain you.
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Greg B

17 years ago

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How about they design a way for planes to just give us more room? How about designing a way for everyone to afford comfortable air travel? Lazy and small-minded.
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minhloc

17 years ago

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looks like that potential users have been forgotten...
my guess is that companies adopting such a seat configuration
would lose customers...
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Ken J

17 years ago

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Great! So now that we solved the shoulder problem, where do you put the arms attached to them?
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nonya

17 years ago

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The rear facing seats might be more survivable in a crash... but the chaos of getting out of this plane in an emergency might be worse...
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David

17 years ago

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This might be one of the worst ideas ever. That's just what I want for my next 5 hour flight, to be staring down two other people or having them watch me attempt to sleep in coach.
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jens

17 years ago

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What a nightmare. Imagine the thrust forces when you take off.
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manav

17 years ago

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brilliant solution
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alex

17 years ago

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http://www.funnyhub.com/pictures/img/poor-bathroom-design.jpg

they beat you to it!
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nick

17 years ago

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this is an example of pure evil design. Actually, drop the design bit, its just pure evil.

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O

17 years ago

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what about sitting next to my girlfriend, and the interaction of her sleeping next to me
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chris s

17 years ago

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I will never, never, ever fly on a plane with seats like that. ever.
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cal

17 years ago

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This might work if the average American's ass wasn't 50" wide. So the real problem is eliminating the American ASS. Good luck
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ashley

17 years ago

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with the obesity problem in the u.s. today, i hardly think the shoulders are our widest point. look around, designers. we're not all built like hulk hogan. :)

p.s. i love the little blinders on the headrests, so you don't have to stare into the eyes of the passenger with whom you're now overlapping.
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Ben_Lewis

17 years ago

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so much for sitting next to people you know - even if you did, could you talk to them?
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Dave

17 years ago

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Umm, bad design. Dumbest thing I've seen in awhile. I guess make the blinders bigger so I don't have to stare at the people's faces next to me and charge me a "premium" to face forward. What's next, eliminate seatbacks? We straddle each other like on a rollercoaster?
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