Teh One Who Knocks
06-20-2019, 10:27 AM
Chris McGinnis, Tim Jue - SFGate.com
https://i.imgur.com/wNhcJaF.jpg
PARIS — Airlines are squeezing as many passengers as they can onto their jets, but one seat manufacturer believes its product can help carriers push capacity to the absolute limit. And it may help push down fares.
Say goodbye to whatever personal space you had left.
At this week's Paris Air Show, lots of curious convention-goers eagerly wanted to try out Avio Interior's "SkyRider" saddle-like airplane seat, but that's probably not the reception it would get if people found it installed on their next flight. See it in the slideshow at the top of this post.
SkyRider passengers would lean on a bicycle-seat type cushion that sits higher than your traditional airline seat. Legs sort of hang off the saddle, as they would if you were riding a horse. The seat back sits straight up, forcing good posture. A knee cut-out provides another precious few inches of legroom.
You're neither sitting nor standing — you're sort of leaning.
https://i.imgur.com/D9xO6kBl.jpg
The SkyRider seat has been around for nearly a decade and has undergone several improvements. The next generation of the product will come with some built-in recline — but not much. The seat maker is also pondering an under seat "shelf" where kids and shorter passengers can rest their feet so they're not dangling for the duration of the flight.
With just 23-inches of pitch (most airlines offer around 31 inches), there's not a lot of wiggle room in front of you, and it's definitely not for the large or claustrophobic flyer.
Yet it was interesting to hear the backstory of why Avio Interiors, an Italian company with decades of experience in the airline seat business, devised something that looked so uncomfortable.
As airlines cram as many people as they can onto their jets, the SkyRider is viewed as another class of service that can help an airline reach a jet's certified maximum passenger capacity. On a Boeing 737-800, it's 189 seats.
https://i.imgur.com/vw8tRBDl.jpg
An Avio Interiors spokesperson said the saddle-seat can be installed alongside traditional first, extra-legroom economy, and standard economy seats. With a much lower price point, carriers can offer the seat to budget travelers who wouldn't mind it for the duration of a flight. Talk about basic economy!
And here's what you've been waiting for: It's important to note no airline has actually purchased the seats and installed them — Avio Interiors is still looking for its first buyer of the SkyRider, and has been for nearly 10 years. It's also unclear whether the seat would meet government safety standards for emergencies (it has not been certified by the FAA yet either.)
Then there's the question of which airlines would be brave enough to sell the seat on its planes — all it takes is one, and the rest will likely follow. And another question: Who would be willing to pay for such a seat, or how much of a discount would it take to entice passengers?
https://i.imgur.com/wNhcJaF.jpg
PARIS — Airlines are squeezing as many passengers as they can onto their jets, but one seat manufacturer believes its product can help carriers push capacity to the absolute limit. And it may help push down fares.
Say goodbye to whatever personal space you had left.
At this week's Paris Air Show, lots of curious convention-goers eagerly wanted to try out Avio Interior's "SkyRider" saddle-like airplane seat, but that's probably not the reception it would get if people found it installed on their next flight. See it in the slideshow at the top of this post.
SkyRider passengers would lean on a bicycle-seat type cushion that sits higher than your traditional airline seat. Legs sort of hang off the saddle, as they would if you were riding a horse. The seat back sits straight up, forcing good posture. A knee cut-out provides another precious few inches of legroom.
You're neither sitting nor standing — you're sort of leaning.
https://i.imgur.com/D9xO6kBl.jpg
The SkyRider seat has been around for nearly a decade and has undergone several improvements. The next generation of the product will come with some built-in recline — but not much. The seat maker is also pondering an under seat "shelf" where kids and shorter passengers can rest their feet so they're not dangling for the duration of the flight.
With just 23-inches of pitch (most airlines offer around 31 inches), there's not a lot of wiggle room in front of you, and it's definitely not for the large or claustrophobic flyer.
Yet it was interesting to hear the backstory of why Avio Interiors, an Italian company with decades of experience in the airline seat business, devised something that looked so uncomfortable.
As airlines cram as many people as they can onto their jets, the SkyRider is viewed as another class of service that can help an airline reach a jet's certified maximum passenger capacity. On a Boeing 737-800, it's 189 seats.
https://i.imgur.com/vw8tRBDl.jpg
An Avio Interiors spokesperson said the saddle-seat can be installed alongside traditional first, extra-legroom economy, and standard economy seats. With a much lower price point, carriers can offer the seat to budget travelers who wouldn't mind it for the duration of a flight. Talk about basic economy!
And here's what you've been waiting for: It's important to note no airline has actually purchased the seats and installed them — Avio Interiors is still looking for its first buyer of the SkyRider, and has been for nearly 10 years. It's also unclear whether the seat would meet government safety standards for emergencies (it has not been certified by the FAA yet either.)
Then there's the question of which airlines would be brave enough to sell the seat on its planes — all it takes is one, and the rest will likely follow. And another question: Who would be willing to pay for such a seat, or how much of a discount would it take to entice passengers?