Standing For Airfare Discounts?
Two airlines are exploring something called "vertical seating." Stated more plainly, they would tear out the back four rows of seats on certain planes and make the area a sort of standing-room-only section. Passengers there might have a stool or railing to lean on, but no seat. In exchange, they'd receive a greatly reduced airfare.
Don't expect to see this on a major airline anytime soon, but China's Spring Air and, not too surprisingly, Ireland's Ryanair have asked Airbus and Boeing respectively to consider the possibility.
Always ready for a media event, Ryanair's corporate honchos are asking why airplanes should be different than trains, buses and subway cars. A poll on Ryanair's Web site asks if you'd stand in exchange for a free one-hour flight or if you'd take half-fare for standing on such a trip.
My question here: would you be at all interested in this? Register your thoughts!
Comments
Hmmm … methinks Ryanair should be considered a “major airline” …
How about “horizontal” seating where passengers can be stacked like cord wood.
A few times in recent years, knowing that the airlines have at least a time or two reduced legroom and seat widths, I’ve wondered when they might get around to giving each passengeer a sleeping pill and then sliding them horizontally into a sort of filing cabinet. As for the standing while flying proposal, I would like to think the FAA would consider that definitely unsafe…especially since they require the flight attendants to act like gestapo to make sure we are all seated and buckled up with seat backs upright and tray tables in place for take-offs and landings. But then, we’ve already seen that the FAA will give in to the airlines when the airlines want to do something to increase their profits.
This is not a good idea. What if there is a problem at the airport and the plane is not allowed to land? It may take several hour circulating around. Can anyone stand that long?
A good thought, George. Knowing how “creative” the airlines are, they’d probably make an announcement offering seated passengers a free drink or a $25 discount coupon (good for a future flight on their airline) if they would give up their seats to any standing passengers who want to sit down for the rest of the flight.
I could really see the FAA or a foreign equivelant of the FAA approving that! What would the “standing customer” ( I hate that term “customer”! I am a “passenger” on an airplane and a “customer” at Walmart)do when the pilot brakes hard becuase of he has to abort a take off, or there is turbulance? This is so stupid ! As an airline pilot of 31 years, I would not recommend it. If it did happen I would suggest thst we pay the passengers at the aisle seats to be prepared to catch the “standindg customer” as they go flying by in an emergency. What some people will do for a buck !
Thanks for all the comments so far. I’m especially interested in Dick’s comments, given his many years as a pilot. If you look at the Ryanair Web site, there is some sort of restraint system they propose using, but you’re still standing up the entire flight.
I’m wondering how much extra money this would actually earn for the airline(s). If they have to deeply discount these spaces, they’d need to get at least twice as many people in as would have been seated just to break even.
Perhaps these spaces would be easier to sell on flights that frequently leave the gate with empty seats.
Would not be interested in standing, but the horizontal stacking and laying down sounds better to me.
As to the question of restraints – I’d hazard a guess that those used in theme park rides could cope. We are not talking about “standing passengers” as in the aisle of a bus here …
Actually the idea in itself is quite old, the NY Times reported on it as early as April 2006.
I think this is yet another Ryanair publicity stunt (remember their “fat tax” poll?). The safety issues are just too overwhelming. Some passengers are just too tall to stand in the rear of a plane for an hour – do you discriminate against them? How do you keep small children who are standing safe? How do you install enough oxygen masks?
Perhaps someone should ask one of the passengers on yesterday’s Southwest flight – the one with the hole in the fuselage – if standees would have done well in an emergency landing.
I am a retired aircraft Accident Investigator. The requirement for passengers to use seatbelts, and occasionally for flight attendents to be seated and belted during takeoff, landing, and during inflight turbulence or otherwise is justified and real. Passengrs standing during those conditions are at high risk for injury, as the pilot’s comments note, are are not justifiable. Some passengers must be protected from their own stupidity, and some airlines limited from greed.
Vertical Seating? It more like “virtual seating,” especially since you are not seated.
The horizontal stacking like cord wood idea made me laugh out loud – thanks!
I thought the ” horizontal ” loading sounds ok but really , April Fools Day was months ago . Cheers
I’m disabled, would riding in my wheelchair count for the discount?
How about sling swings so you can rest your legs and be restraind at the same time. Or,how about stacked bunks. I could lay down for an hour or two strapped down like I’m having an MRI! But better throw in that sleeping pill.
I would never use such an airline who is selling seats for standing. And even less accept myself standing there.
I answered NO to Ryanairs poll (I am using their planes a lot and I am very satisfied), but I do believe it was just to lift Ryanair up to discussions, it works as commercial. Do you remember their idea to charge for people using the toilet?
IS THIS A JOKE?? It can be real.
Ryanair a “major airline”? Ryanair is a major joke!!
On a recent flight to Europe, there was so much turbulance due to thunderstorms that the seat belt signs were on virtually all the time. I could barely drink a cup of tea without spilling it. The ride did not become smooth until we reached the coast of France.
On another flight during a landing, the landing was so hard that a tremendous number of dishes fell over in the back of the plane and the flight attendant lost her balance and fell into the passengers causing quite a clamor.
This is NOT a good idea!!!
If it was a 60- to 90-minute flight, I’d do it. But how would we fasten our seatbelts for landing?
In answer to George’s question as to whether someone could stand that long. As a chef who has often worked 12 hour shifts on my feet. Yes they could. The question is not whether they can but whether they should. That is a no. This idea shows how totally bankrupt the airlines have become as far as customer service goes. Not that they really give much service anymore anyway.
And this saves the air line money how????
cheaper but is it safe?
I used to fly in a 12 seater puddle-jumper from Boston to a tiny little postage stamp sized airport on top of a small mountain in New Hampshire twice a year. Only 45 minutes, but over the mountains the air currents made the plane drop dramatically several times each way. Like being on a ferris wheel ride. Yeah, I’m going to stand in a plane like that…NOT!!! They had better have removable floor padding for all the toileting accidents they will have there in back.
Not a chance in H***. As a private pilot, I would never put a price tag on safety. I once flew my small plane across the desert of New Mexico. During the entire flight my head regularly hit the headliner of my cockpit due to “moderate” turbulence! I don’t get airsick, but I was glad to land in Santa Fe after only one hour. Imagine what I might have felt like if I had not been buckled into my harness and belt. NO THANKS. (really STUPID IDEA!!!)
I’ve seen flight attendants go crazy when landing because people were getting up to get their carry-on bags. How are they going to solve this?
Those who have seats will have to be buckled up and those who don’t…….what? Give me a break!!!!!!!!!
i would if it was like a pod style with tilt to it and you could strap into and yes it would make more space for more passengers ,if the idea behind all this hoopla is that the air lines are trying to make more money from each person per flight…
I can just envision the number of lawsuits. As a JD student, this is a no brainer. For the standing passengers they know what they are signing up and would very likely lose their case. Now in the case of an injured seated passenger or flight attendant injured by a standing passenger, the airline would be negligent. I can’t imagine an airline wanting to take on this liability. Have they considered the increase in insurance premiums and negative publicity? Insurance and any lawsuits will cost them more in the long run. I suspect this is a joke and it’s the airline’s attempt at stirring up controversy/publicity/free advertising.
This is definitely a bad idea. Air travel is generally uncomfortable enough the way it is, but this will make it even more uncomfortable for those passengers standing up.
The Ryanair people are correct when they point out that people stand on buses, trains, and subways, but people on buses and subways are usually on for a short trip, maybe across town. People won’t take a cross-country bus trip and stand the whole way. The same goes for a cross-country train trip.
It’s not only a matter of comfort though. There’s also safety concerns. Planes fly at high altitudes, so there’s always the possibility of falling 35,000 ft. Being seated in such a situation doesn’t guarantee that you’ll survive, but somebody standing up would be more as risk of serious injury or death if you ask me.
How about a velcro wall? LOL
I love the velcro idea! Some sort of harness backed with major heavy duty velcro that attaches to velcro mounted around the plane’s interior. Remove all the window seats so the standers have all the wall space. Heck – a velcro body suit that attaches to the until now unused ceiling space – even more money for the airlines!