Window seat, aisle or back-to-front?
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Window seat, aisle or back-to-front?
Interesting, at least if I can sit with my back to my girlfriend I don't have to listen to her nag!! 
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle1637270.ece
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle1637270.ece
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Watching you neighbour.
What a daft idea from someone trying to prove how clever they are. I suppose for a very short flight it might be OK but hey ho for the first vomit in turbulence. Imagine having to sit and watch someone puking into a paper bag. Great. Next thing they'll be turning the flight deck seats around so that one of the crew would survive an impact. I've never heard such rubbish.
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To be honest the safety aspect in the article was rather downplayed compared to the benefits of squeezing a few extra seats in. If it really does offer benefits such as increased seat pitch, privacy screens and no fight over elbow space then I would be happy to see it installed however I really dont see it happening that way!
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I remember being on a Southwest flight in the US about 8 years ago, some of the seat rows were in that configuration - no big deal. I reckon a lot of people would put up with it on long haul as I am tired of people complaining to me that they have their knees up around their ears for hours in economy.
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You don't need loads of research to show it is safer to sit in a seat facing the rear. Is it better to have your whole bodyweight thrown against a seat and seatback rather than across one lap belt? Not a question that needs 12 engineers. The RAF did it post-war on the strength of their wartime experiences and there is no statistical evidence because there have not been any RAF personnel transports of this type to have crashed since 1945.
As for the flying projectiles, true. You couldn't have a significant number of rear-facing seats without doing something about the bins. Mind you, a few pax were killed at Kegworth by objects flying out of the bins and striking them in the back of the head (not a single one remained attached). Bins in general are unsatisfactory. They are not tested dynamically, and with RF seats you would have to find somewhere else to put the wheelie bag.
Anyway, as the article makes clear, this has been done solely to get more sardines into the can. Why don't they try out the slave-ship configuration?
As for the flying projectiles, true. You couldn't have a significant number of rear-facing seats without doing something about the bins. Mind you, a few pax were killed at Kegworth by objects flying out of the bins and striking them in the back of the head (not a single one remained attached). Bins in general are unsatisfactory. They are not tested dynamically, and with RF seats you would have to find somewhere else to put the wheelie bag.
Anyway, as the article makes clear, this has been done solely to get more sardines into the can. Why don't they try out the slave-ship configuration?
More bang for your buck
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Eerrrrrrr, trains have had this seating arrangement for years, some sort of statistic should be available as to the saftey aspect of rear facing seats from train crashes (but I can't find any). Also didn't the Trident (2?) have some seats in that configuration?
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There is a picture of this seating arrangement on Flight. Looks horrendous, they drone on about shoulder room being overlapped to fit in additional seats but seem to forget people also have elbows.
The only way it would work is if passengers were sat bolt upright and blindfolded. Expect to see them fitted on Ryanair within months
The only way it would work is if passengers were sat bolt upright and blindfolded. Expect to see them fitted on Ryanair within months
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The club seats on Southwest at the front of the cabin were always popular with families, and the ones at the exit row sucked. I'd rather look at the back of someone's head than their face, particularly given my ability to be seated next to unattractive people.
The Mythbuster episode here in the states that I saw on air carrier safety was to test the claim that one has a better chance of being killed in the brace position in an accident than sitting normally in your seat, and that the airlines adopt this practice to limit the payouts in the event of an accident. The latter part of the theory proved intriguing, but through their experiments they showed that the brace position was indeed safer. Interesting episode, but not nearly as funny as the one where they tested the theory that driving while talking on a cell phone was as big of an impairment as driving while just below the legal limits of intoxication. (They couldn't reach that limit, or legally, they would not be able to do the test).
The Mythbuster episode here in the states that I saw on air carrier safety was to test the claim that one has a better chance of being killed in the brace position in an accident than sitting normally in your seat, and that the airlines adopt this practice to limit the payouts in the event of an accident. The latter part of the theory proved intriguing, but through their experiments they showed that the brace position was indeed safer. Interesting episode, but not nearly as funny as the one where they tested the theory that driving while talking on a cell phone was as big of an impairment as driving while just below the legal limits of intoxication. (They couldn't reach that limit, or legally, they would not be able to do the test).
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I'm sure they could configure the seats to only a part of the aircraft to start with (and maybe reduce the fares on those seats) that way pax would have the choice and would get the benefit of the money they would save the airline.
I'd give it a go.
I'd give it a go.
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Originally Posted by bear11
I remember being on a Southwest flight in the US about 8 years ago, some of the seat rows were in that configuration
That Southwest configuarion was only on the -200s. All gone now.
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Also didn't the Trident (2?) have some seats in that configuration?
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Couple of points......
A little bit off topic, but in response to some of the posts;
Bulkheads - on my employers a/c (UK charter), depending on which a/c and location are not necessarily stressed, therefore potentionally offer no forward movement protection.
Brace position..
Being tall there is NO way on a (UK) charter aircraft I can adopt this position (my head stops at the seat infront headrest). On an airline with a bit more legroom (schedule - say 2" more?) I can 'brace', but surely the forward movement in an impact would break my neck?
Often thought about this during the safety demo...perhaps I should get a job that doesn't require flying?
Brgds
OH
A little bit off topic, but in response to some of the posts;
Bulkheads - on my employers a/c (UK charter), depending on which a/c and location are not necessarily stressed, therefore potentionally offer no forward movement protection.
Brace position..
Being tall there is NO way on a (UK) charter aircraft I can adopt this position (my head stops at the seat infront headrest). On an airline with a bit more legroom (schedule - say 2" more?) I can 'brace', but surely the forward movement in an impact would break my neck?
Often thought about this during the safety demo...perhaps I should get a job that doesn't require flying?
Brgds
OH
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Rear facing seats
Back in 1999 (I think) I flew from Palma to Stansted on a British World BAC
1-11 and had the misfortune to be allocated a rear facing seat. It was directly opposite the people facing forwards, either side of the central emergency exit, so that we were fighting for the space on the floor for our feet. Very uncomfortable, but fortunately only a short flight.
I can't remember if there was a forward facing safety demo for the backward facing passengers but I do remember that no mention was made of adopting a different brace position. As far as I could see we would have smashed our heads against each other in the event of an accident.
1-11 and had the misfortune to be allocated a rear facing seat. It was directly opposite the people facing forwards, either side of the central emergency exit, so that we were fighting for the space on the floor for our feet. Very uncomfortable, but fortunately only a short flight.
I can't remember if there was a forward facing safety demo for the backward facing passengers but I do remember that no mention was made of adopting a different brace position. As far as I could see we would have smashed our heads against each other in the event of an accident.
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Front row in our de Havilland (aaah !) Dash-7s were rear-facing too.
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In the 80s several charter airlines crammed 119 seats on their BAC 111-500s with aft facing seats around the overwing exits. I once had the misfortune of travelling in these seats. I remember my knees brushing those of the passenger opposite; I am only 5'4!
I happened to be travelling with a companion so the eye contact issue was irrelevant; had I been travelling alone, as I frequently do, I would have have this arrangement most disconcerting
I happened to be travelling with a companion so the eye contact issue was irrelevant; had I been travelling alone, as I frequently do, I would have have this arrangement most disconcerting