Beds on planes
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Beds on planes
Enjoy this, on Lockheed Constellation! This is how a plane could and should be equipped!
http://www.mcguinnessonline.com/burt/images/paa9z.jpg
This is on a scheduled, ticketed airliner.
Note that while I cannot find actual images of two adults sharing this kind of bed, it has been tried and said to be perfectly comfortable.
DC-6 has beds, too:
http://www.ovi.ch/b377/articles/SuperLiners/
Looking down, the beds are 102 cm wide.
Already the DC-3 was designed as Douglas Sleeper Transport. The lower beds were 91 cm wide, the upper berths 76 cm.
Observe that while Boeing 377 or DC-6 or Constellation were called big at the time, their size is not all that impressive. DC-3 is smaller than CRJ.
Show a scheduled CRJ ticket for an 91 cm wide bed!
Constellation, DC-6, DC-7 and Boeing 377 were slightly bigger, but still small. Maximum of 5 seats abreast in Economy... about the width of DC-9, much smaller than Boeing 737.
The longhaul jets are wider. Even on the smallest widebody 767 there is a plenty of width for, say, two aisles and 4 90-cm-wide beds... 4 abreast, every seat with aisle access, is not uncommon on First Class, whether A340 or B777 or rear of B747 nosecone.
But the First Class seats are usually advertised as having 50...60 cm seat width.
Help! Where does the space go? Why cannot a modern plane have beds with 90...100+ cm mattress width comfortable for two?
http://www.mcguinnessonline.com/burt/images/paa9z.jpg
This is on a scheduled, ticketed airliner.
Note that while I cannot find actual images of two adults sharing this kind of bed, it has been tried and said to be perfectly comfortable.
DC-6 has beds, too:
http://www.ovi.ch/b377/articles/SuperLiners/
Looking down, the beds are 102 cm wide.
Already the DC-3 was designed as Douglas Sleeper Transport. The lower beds were 91 cm wide, the upper berths 76 cm.
Observe that while Boeing 377 or DC-6 or Constellation were called big at the time, their size is not all that impressive. DC-3 is smaller than CRJ.
Show a scheduled CRJ ticket for an 91 cm wide bed!
Constellation, DC-6, DC-7 and Boeing 377 were slightly bigger, but still small. Maximum of 5 seats abreast in Economy... about the width of DC-9, much smaller than Boeing 737.
The longhaul jets are wider. Even on the smallest widebody 767 there is a plenty of width for, say, two aisles and 4 90-cm-wide beds... 4 abreast, every seat with aisle access, is not uncommon on First Class, whether A340 or B777 or rear of B747 nosecone.
But the First Class seats are usually advertised as having 50...60 cm seat width.
Help! Where does the space go? Why cannot a modern plane have beds with 90...100+ cm mattress width comfortable for two?
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The only modern airline I have heard of doing a 'double bed' is Virgin Atlantic, on their 747's
See this link; http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb...provements.jsp
Two upper class suite beds together,with the partitions removed. 56cm each, making 112 cm wide double bed over 208cm in length. Never tried it, don't know anyone who has. Think it was on a trial basis, so not sure if it is still available.
See this link; http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb...provements.jsp
Two upper class suite beds together,with the partitions removed. 56cm each, making 112 cm wide double bed over 208cm in length. Never tried it, don't know anyone who has. Think it was on a trial basis, so not sure if it is still available.
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I often wondered about that, and what the cc might do, if anyone got 'intimate' - now I know.
Are Boeing not talking about the opportunity to put bed cabins in the new supersized 747 due in a few years? They seem to be able to get more space above the main deck, behind the upper deck (wonder where they got that idea?), and have come up with all kinds of wild ideas for what it could be used for. They call it the skyloft.
See; http://www.boeing.com/commercial/747...ackground.html
Are Boeing not talking about the opportunity to put bed cabins in the new supersized 747 due in a few years? They seem to be able to get more space above the main deck, behind the upper deck (wonder where they got that idea?), and have come up with all kinds of wild ideas for what it could be used for. They call it the skyloft.
See; http://www.boeing.com/commercial/747...ackground.html
Paxing All Over The World
10secondsurvey
No doubt - just as they have been since the 747 was introduced some 35 years ago!
When the A380 visited LHR about a month ago, I saw one TV 'news' item that had the bloke walking around a cabin mock-up and talking about the possibility of gaming tables, gymnasium and showers etc.
When the 741 entered service, most carriers used the upper deck as a small smoking room, with lounge seats. I seem to recall one carrier advertising that each first class pax had two seats, due to the number of loung seats. Before long, they took out the lounge seats and put in regular seats. Over the next decades, the seat has got larger and flatter and is considerably better than it was then but NO carrier has put in the fanciful stuff. I confidently predict that no one will!
There was a feature article about the lower deck staff rest area that could be used as ... a gymnasium and a casino and a special prayer room for muslims. But I don't think that anyone has done anything other than use it for staff rest.
If it don't make money - it won't happen and folks that have lie flat beds are not going to pay more for just a bit more. If they can afford a lot more, then they will go private. The adverts are for pax to build brand awareness, not for the carriers!
Are Boeing not talking about the opportunity to put bed cabins in the new supersized 747 due in a few years?
When the A380 visited LHR about a month ago, I saw one TV 'news' item that had the bloke walking around a cabin mock-up and talking about the possibility of gaming tables, gymnasium and showers etc.
When the 741 entered service, most carriers used the upper deck as a small smoking room, with lounge seats. I seem to recall one carrier advertising that each first class pax had two seats, due to the number of loung seats. Before long, they took out the lounge seats and put in regular seats. Over the next decades, the seat has got larger and flatter and is considerably better than it was then but NO carrier has put in the fanciful stuff. I confidently predict that no one will!
There was a feature article about the lower deck staff rest area that could be used as ... a gymnasium and a casino and a special prayer room for muslims. But I don't think that anyone has done anything other than use it for staff rest.
If it don't make money - it won't happen and folks that have lie flat beds are not going to pay more for just a bit more. If they can afford a lot more, then they will go private. The adverts are for pax to build brand awareness, not for the carriers!
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Originally Posted by 10secondsurvey
Are Boeing not talking about the opportunity to put bed cabins in the new supersized 747 due in a few years? They seem to be able to get more space above the main deck, behind the upper deck (wonder where they got that idea?)
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1031335/L/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1013894/L/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0816541/L/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0255515/L/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0230256/L/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0208378/L/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0057294/L/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0019156/L/
Presumably they could use more.
Paxing All Over The World
I think that one of the big problems for full beds is that Pax have to be sitting in a seat for departure/landing. This doubles the amount of space for each pax and thus the cost. If they provided beds, they would not want to provide them one-for-one for First/Upper pax and so there would have to be a lottery for them on check-in. On one rotation there would not be enough for demand and on the next, half of them would be empty. The current trend for multi-function beds that alter to many angles is probably the best compromise.
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Originally Posted by PAXboy
When the 741 entered service, most carriers used the upper deck as a small smoking room, with lounge seats.
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Originally Posted by PAXboy
I think that one of the big problems for full beds is that Pax have to be sitting in a seat for departure/landing. This doubles the amount of space for each pax and thus the cost.
Also, it is possible to have beds which can be turned into seats for takeoff/landing:
http://www.ovi.ch/b377/articles/statuscruiser/
Originally Posted by PAXboy
If they provided beds, they would not want to provide them one-for-one for First/Upper pax and so there would have to be a lottery for them on check-in. On one rotation there would not be enough for demand and on the next, half of them would be empty.
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Originally Posted by chornedsnorkack
Also, it is possible to have beds which can be turned into seats for takeoff/landing:
http://www.ovi.ch/b377/articles/statuscruiser/
http://www.ovi.ch/b377/articles/statuscruiser/
N4790P
Originally Posted by Mycroft
I believe (but confirmation from crew would help) that early 747s were not permitted to use the upper deck for take-off/landing due to evacuation difficulties. This area was then available for in-flight luxuries (including bar with piano). Later models had escape chute long enough an thus the area became available for revenue. The same would be true for the lowest (non-PAX) deck of the A380
The first charter 747s came along by early 1973 (Wardair and World Airways) and they were fully Y-seated on both decks.
Regarding beds on aircraft, these go way back in time. The DC-3 was originally designed as a sleeper aircraft, the Douglas Sleeper Transport, as described above. As soon as night flying became practical then beds, for what was still very much a "first class" clientele, were felt to be required. Prior to this long routes such as the Imperial Airways flying boats from Britain to Africa/Australia would stop overnight en-route and the passengers were put up in hotels each night.
Regarding beds on aircraft, these go way back in time. The DC-3 was originally designed as a sleeper aircraft, the Douglas Sleeper Transport, as described above. As soon as night flying became practical then beds, for what was still very much a "first class" clientele, were felt to be required. Prior to this long routes such as the Imperial Airways flying boats from Britain to Africa/Australia would stop overnight en-route and the passengers were put up in hotels each night.
