Backward Facing Seats ?

[phiggsbroadband]

Hi, I don't know if this is the right place to ask this question, but....

Has any thought ever been given to having passenger seats facing backwards?

This would be much the better position to be in should
the aircraft have any sort of accident.

[FRatSTN]

Probably a less efficient use of space and would it really be allowed for safety reasons?

Plus, I think I few people would have a bit of a roller coaster ride on take-off

[121decimal375]

British Airways Club World has rear facing seats, in fact in think they are better for comfort than front facing seats!

[TSR2]

Row 1 on the BA Trident fleet were rear facing seats. Travelled on them a number of times and when looking down the aisle to the rear of the aircraft on take-off, gave an impressive sight of the rate of climb.

One reason for airlines not persuing rearward facing seats I believe, is they were not popular with passengers although it was quite common, if not mandatory, for military trooping flights.

[scr1]

Some of the Loganair SAABs have a rear facing seat seat 1D

[Tableview]

Some of FlymayBe's aircraft have rearfacing front seats, or used to have, I remember doing JER-LCY once on one. Quite appropriate for an airline that doesn't know whether it's coming or going.

[goudie]

The RAF had/has rear facing seats on some of it's passenger transport aircraft

[SWBKCB]

Probably a less efficient use of space and would it really be allowed for safety reasons?

FRatSTN - how is it a less efficient use of space? less safe?

For many years all RAF transports had rear facing seats. Definitely safer but the paying public don't like it. Always makes me laugh when you get the po-faced airline spokesman saying "safety is our primary concern"

[pwalhx]

How could it be a less efficient use of space, surely it would be exactly the same, just facing back instead of forward or have I missed something?

[PAXboy]

This topic has been raised a couple of times during my time in these forums, particularly in SLF forum. So the search function might find some.

In short, it is the take off that people are said to not like. But I think a bigger problem is that - if a carrier decides to switch to rear facing for saftey reasons (which seem well founded) Pas will be asking, "Why did you not do this 30 years ago? You don't care about us do you?" and similar.

For myself, I did travel once in the Trident with rear facing during an experiment in the mid-70s and I filled in a response form saying that I thought it was fine.

I do not expect any carrier to introduce this wholesale.

[mikerawsonderby]

I believe that one of the Dan Air 727s (those were the days) had backward facing seats

[FRatSTN]

how is it a less efficient use of space? less safe?

It depends. It wouldn't be less efficient it they all faced to the rear, it would of course be the same.

But if like a train with some forward facing and some backwards, it may reduce space because there would need to be a bigger gap between facing seats for two sets of legroom.

Seats that were back-to-back, would still need the space to recline and would be naturally spaced a little anyway because the backrest is never quite vertical.

By all facing the same way, the recline or backrest angle of the seat can overlap the legroom space. With some seats facing forward and some backwards, they can't.

As for safety, that was just another suggestion as to maybe why airlines don't tend to install rear facing seats.

[groundhogbhx]

DanAir used to have rear facing seats on the B15's, the rows at the overwing exits faced each other. You had to hope you got an attractive member of the opposite sex facing you as the leg room was so small you couldn't help playing footsie, if you were both 6ft + that would be kneesie

[PAXboy]

It is said that the rear facing is safer in sudden deceleration. However, no carrier or country Air Authority has mandated it. So it must be a marginal benefit. I guess that they have looked at prangs in, say, a ten year span and seen how many pax might have benefitted from rear facing in sudden deceleration.

One must conclude - not many.

[munster]

i believe that past studies into this have determined the there would also be a weight penalty too. the seat backs would have to be stronger to withstand the extra loads on them in an accident.

[wowzz]

Having flown in rear facing BA club world seats, I never experienced any issues [although I hate rear facing seats in a train]. Take-off was somewhat strange, but more because of the novelty factor than any sensory problem.
However, I believe that most slf prefer to face the direction of travel, even if they cannot see 'where' they are going.

[cornishsimon]

DH8-300s had the first row as rear facing

[Dairyground]

40 years ago or thereabouts BEA had rear-facing seats at the front of the cabin in their Trident 2 fleet and forward-facing seats towards the back. i cannot remember where the changeover was, but I guess that it was at a door.

My main recollection is that on takeoff you felt as if you were suspended by your seatbelt, which could be a little uncomfortable. Otherwise there was no real difference of sensation between the two directions.

[macuser]

Some BUA 1-11s in the late 60s had all rear facing seats as they were used also for military contracts.

[bannercounty]

Have been on the old Ryanair BAC 1- 11's rear facing (with the small table between forward facing seats) without any issues but a few years ago on Aer Arann ATR's the sensation was awful and all I wanted to do was pee!
Club World inflight was fine but prefer forward facing for takeoff and landing.