# The Future of Airline Seating? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 8, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752 "2009-11-08T02:06:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kdeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b487fb/32.png) [@kdeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kdeus)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752/21 "2009-11-08T10:39:59Z")
I’d be surprised to see sideways seating. Sitting sideways, especially with limited outside visibility & less than personalized climate control, contributes to motion sickness. Yes, the military does it, but their primary passengers are healthy adults with no choice in airlines. And some of whom are planning on jumping out halfway through the flight!😃 And I love how the pictures show 2/3rds empty planes. I understand that you need to show the seats, but the “sideways seating” shot doesn’t even have the middle row installed! “Here’s a plane with increased capacity, and look: when operating at 33% of that increased capacity, it seems really roomy!” ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752/22 "2009-11-08T12:04:34Z")
> [@Epimetheus](#): > > In a circus more than likely. You got me with that one. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752/23 "2009-11-08T12:16:15Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > Why on earth would you need to lie down on a 90-minute flight? > > Also, I’m happy to bring my own. Just don’t make me buy it once I get past security. Heretic! Why do you hate the Coca-cola Company? ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752/24 "2009-11-08T12:23:21Z")
What troubles me is that eventually they will introduce it to long haul flights. It is bad enough getting to the Northern Hemisphere from Australia as it is. Well getting anywhere really for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752/25 "2009-11-08T12:46:56Z")
Re the double decker design: currently, if there’s an emergency, let’s say the plane catching on fire, I have the option of climbing over my seat should the person in the aisle seat move too slowly. I don’t want to lose that option. (Sorry, Grandma.) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752/26 "2009-11-08T14:49:51Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > I think an equally valid question is “Why would you bother with Business Class for a 90 minute flight?” I doubt I’ve ever known a Chinese-Thai businessman who did not feel anything less than first class was beneath him, no matter what. > [@PunditLisa](#): > > Re the double decker design: currently, if there’s an emergency, let’s say the plane catching on fire, I have the option of climbing over my seat should the person in the aisle seat move too slowly. I don’t want to lose that option. (Sorry, Grandma.) Maybe they can put a hatch in the roof for the folks in the top row. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752/27 "2009-11-08T20:37:32Z")
The double decker design isn’t for the same planes as the sideways design. The sideways design is from the [Design Q](http://www.designq.co.uk/) company. Specifically for short flights with minimal business class space. The double decker business class style is from [Jacob Innovations](http://jacob-innovations.com/) company. Totally different companies, solving a similar problem. The slide shows even mention “Jacob’s designs” and “Design Q” for the different slides. Close reading will reveal that these are different companies and different designs. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752/28 "2009-11-08T20:46:41Z")
A typical office chair with headrest is in the 47-55" range (4-4.6ft). Having measured my husband sitting on a couch, I went with a foot-to-top-of-head height of 53", no headroom. To have two such seats stacked one above the other would require a floor-to-ceiling cabin height of at least 8 feet, probably 9. The following is a list of max cabin heights for various aircraft. Keep in mind that these heights are at the centre of the aircraft’s cross-section; the ceiling height naturally decreases as you go away from the centre line towards the windows, since planes are somewhat circular/ovoid/significantly curved! One should also take into account the overhead bins, which on the CRJ900, for example, are 12" high. A380: 2.41m =7.9ft A320: 2.22m = 7.3ft A330/340: 2.54m = 8.33ft B737: 2.20m = 7.2ft B757: 2.13m = 6.99ft B747: 2.54m = 8.33ft B767: 2.87m = 9.4ft B777: 2.125m = 6.97ft A350XWB and B787: numbers not readily available via Google CRJ100/200/700 less than 1.89m, the max interior height of the CRJ900/1000 DASH8: 1.95m (I think for all versions; 100, 200, 300 and 400) I suppose the double-decker arrangement could work for a B767, and very uncomfortably in a B747, for seats located at the centre line only. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752/29 "2009-11-08T20:49:37Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > I liked the sleeper bunks from the spacecraft to the cruise planet in The Fifth Element. The “mattress” was a series of cushioned rollers, so you just slid right in. Then the crew did the smart thing and put everyone into a sleep mode. Since we don’t have this yet, how about good free booze or a few bong hits and some cookies. Pot cookies are a quite enjoyable way to forget that the seats are uncomfortable. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752/30 "2009-11-09T03:11:25Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > The double decker design isn’t for the same planes as the sideways design. > > The sideways design is from the [Design Q](http://www.designq.co.uk/) company. Specifically for short flights with minimal business class space. > > The double decker business class style is from [Jacob Innovations](http://jacob-innovations.com/) company. > > Totally different companies, solving a similar problem. The slide shows even mention “Jacob’s designs” and “Design Q” for the different slides. Close reading will reveal that these are different companies and different designs. > > Duh. Yes, my mistake. Jacob’s has come up with the double-decker design and Design Q the face-to-face one. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752/31 "2009-11-09T03:58:23Z")
Some have said the face-to-face seating would eliminate the beverage cart, but I wonder if they couldn’t rig something to run on tracks above the heads of the middle passengers. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752/32 "2009-11-09T04:39:03Z")
Re: face-to-face seating. Oh \*hell \*no! It’s awkward enough on crowded subways when you don’t want to stare at someone for 10 minutes, and everyone ends up looking off to the side. No way would I want to be stuck face-to-face with a stranger for several hours! ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752/33 "2009-11-09T04:46:49Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Pot cookies are a quite enjoyable way to forget that the seats are uncomfortable. If I were stoned, I would just notice the discomfort more, and it would bug me to a greater degree. A pot high makes me more aware - of everything - rather than causing me to forget about it. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752/34 "2009-11-09T05:22:42Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > And where will they put my partner, who is 6’10"? Power forward, if he’s got a decent midrange jumper. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752/35 "2009-11-09T18:14:58Z")
> [@zagloba](#): > > Don’t forget the Airbus [standing room concept](http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2006/04/25/business/20060425_SEATS_GRAPHIC.html) The article in this link is titled **“For Airlines, a Delicate Balance Between Economics and Comfort”**. I find that somewhat laughable, in that it’s clear economics will \*always \*win out… as evidenced by the following: > [@New York Times](#): > > With new materials and modern designs, manufacturers are creating seats with an increasingly smaller profile to provide more legroom. Airlines, however, are using the additional space to squeeze in more rows. When any more innovations come along that will allow for either increased passenger comfort or more paying customers, there’s going to be little drama regarding which way that’ll go. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-future-of-airline-seating/516752.md?page=1)