I have always wondered why airplane seats have to be the way they are. You are cramped into your seat ( I fly budget class), and after some time it becomes increasingly uncomfortable. What if one part of the cabin had other options, like beds? Could be three of them on top of each other, fit young people could easily get into the upper bunks. Could it be that airlines prefer to have uncomfortable seats in order to keep you awake so they can sell you more junk? Other types of seats could be reclining at about 45 degrees, so you could have your feet all stretched out.
-- joarvat, Sep 03 2002

As the Dr says http://www.travella...Issue55/britair.htm
British Airways business class seat/beds. [namaste, Sep 03 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]

Virgin Atlantic's Seats http://www.idsa.org...1/winners/G7043.htm
Including a bar area without seats - just for stu [PeterSilly, Sep 03 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]

They keep the seats uncomfortable so they can sell you a comfy chair in first class as a premium item. Also fit more people into the same space, which beds wouldn't do.
-- dare99, Sep 03 2002


Baked - try flying first class.
-- DrCurry, Sep 03 2002


They should divide the cabin up into sections and supply passengers with a variety of pieces of foam padding and bracing struts. This would force you to negotiate with those around you and configure your living space accordingly, as bunk beds, reclined seats, stools round a central table, etc.

I guess you need seats in case of emergency landings though, so you should probably disregard this annotation.
-- pottedstu, Sep 03 2002


I suppose you could take a block of three rows @ three seats abreast and with everyone seated, rotate it backward 90 degrees (axis in the middle of the middle row) while straightening the seats to recliners (triple bunkbeds). Upon landing, emergencies and for meals, just rotate it back down.
-- FarmerJohn, Sep 03 2002


To those who suggesting travelling first class: my point is that it is possible to have beds and still get as many people in (maybe even more), therefore you should not have to pay so much.
-- joarvat, Sep 04 2002


Why dont we go the whole hog and remove all the seats? Keep a one-foot thick padding of foam carpeting all surfaces of the inside of the plane. For all the passengers, it could be a real wild party... especially when going thru turbulence!!!

Of course, eating & drinking would have to be carried out spaceman-style.
-- joker_of_the_deck, Sep 05 2002


[joker] - this way you could pack even more people into cattle-class. "Welcome to Japanese Train Airlines - please wait while our shovers squeeze another two hundred people through the door."
-- PeterSilly, Sep 05 2002


[pottedstu] I love your idea, you really should post it seperately... Nerf airlines or something?
-- madradish, Sep 06 2002



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