Airlines are said to be considering using some seats that face backwards, alternating with forward-facing seats. The proposal aims to both fit in more fare-paying booties, and provide more leg room.
— BEN POPKEN
Looking backward: Airlines considering alternating forward and rear-facing seats [Upgrade: Travel Better]
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Just give me the privacy screen. It looks like it could keep snoring strangers from drooling on your shoulder while they sleep.
This would be horrible. There may be more leg room but then you have to battle someone else for it. What if you get 2 tall people facing each other? Personally I would be very uncomfortable with this set up. This option would get rid of the personal video screens (on some planes) for watching whatever movie you want instead of everyone having to watch the same crappy kids movie.
Wow, I have to buy 3 seats for my wife and I to feel confortable in a plane. No way I’m flying like that (altough I like facing backward for some odd reason). And I don’t see how they increase legroom, from what I understand, all the seats in one row are facing the same direction and they alternate on every row. So you still get the same distance to the seat in front of you and still the same problem when people recline.
I used to love flying, with smaller and smaller seats and less and less legroom I rather take the risk and time of driving when I can.
@lestat730:
I don’t think people are facing each other
@squikysquiken:
Hum, sorry about that, the interface got funky on me. I meant to say: I don’t think people are facing each other within a row. The people right in front of and behind you are still facing the same direction.
“What About Airlines Using Backwards Seats?”
They are already some of the most backwards companies, so why not?
There is a safety problem with rear-facing seats: in a rapid deceleration the passenger would be forced upright, facing any flying debris in the cabin. How much force would a one-pound PSP exert, travelling the length of the cabin at 150MPH?
I would pay extra for sleeping tubes. Perhaps up to 50% extra. Hey airlines, get onto it.
What about putting a small bag under the seat in front of you? “Excuse me miss, would you please spread your legs? I need to get some fresh batteries.”
You know how we look at things done at items used on mental hospital patients up into the 1960s, like movement-restricting cages, and wonder how could anyone think that was a good idea? People from the future are going to look at our airplane seating design and wonder the same thing.
A recent post on Consumerist.com asked readers to comment on a plan to install rear-facing seats on airplanes.
Sitting backwards may be safer, but imagine taking off and landing backwards. I’m a frequent flyer but I’ll say that for some reason the thought of taking off/landing backwards makes me sick.