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Tagged With "seat pitch"

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Re: 12 Countries ask vouchers instead of refunds

Paul Heymont ·
In a conversation with Travel Rob last week, I set out my minimum conditions before a bailout or other relief can be discussed: 1) All boarding to be by efficiency, no priority for anyone except physical need 2) minimum one free checked bag for all flights over 250 miles (under 250, you should drive or take a train, anyway) 3) elimination of most nuisance fees 4) minimum 32" pitch with no more than 2" recline 5) 20-year cap on exec salaries...CEO to earn max 20x full-time flight attendant...
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Re: WestJet Scraps TV's on Back of Seats for New Routes to London Gatwick

DrFumblefinger ·
I'm a little surprised by this. Westjet has free back-of-seat televisions on virtually all of its planes, and people like that feature a lot. It makes me wonder if this will be their new direction -- streaming to you, instead of providing you their television. If people are prepared, and if they provide charging outlets, I think consumers won't mind about this.
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Re: The morphing airline seat. An idea whose time has come

Paul Heymont ·
I hope this is something in the near future, and not just a dream. Just did a trans-continental with 32" pitch in United economy, and it was OK...but if the folks in front had done one of those full reclines...fuhgeddaboutit!
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Re: Please Don't Squeeze the Passengers: Airbus

Travel Luver ·
If this standard were adopted, it might be the single greatest improvement in quality of travel in economy class. 17 inches is alright if no one is beside you, a rarity today. On an Transocean flight, it make sleeping very difficult indeed. I'm glad to see Airbus take this proconsumer stand.
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Re: Please Don't Squeeze the Passengers: Airbus

Mac ·
Airbus has taken a major step in passenger comfort with the introduction of the new Airbus 380, their new double-deck airliner. Just as a large cruise ship will sail choppy seas in much greater comfort due to its size and sophistication, the new 380 is so much more smooth, quiet and comfortable up in the skies. Sure seat sizes and configuration will vary between operators but certainly the overall 'environment experience' is so much nicer
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Re: Please Don't Squeeze the Passengers: Airbus

Paul Heymont ·
Interesting point, Mac. Large planes with bright decor somehow seem to me roomier, even if the seat is the same size. I think there's a balance between physical comfort and "feel" that airlines may not always recognize. On the other hand, I've been on 777s that had so little division of space that my mental image was sitting in a huge concert hall...and felt a bit uncomfortable from that!
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Re: Please Don't Squeeze the Passengers: Airbus

DrFumblefinger ·
I've never flown an A380, Mac. They still haven't caught on in North America, where Boeing clearly dominates the market. One thing that I've wonder about is with all those people to board (somewhere over 500), is the process of getting on and off the plane very slow or have they figured out how to make this move along with reasonable efficiency?
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Re: Please Don't Squeeze the Passengers: Airbus

Mac ·
It seems as if the terminals that they use have many more access ramps (fingers) to spread the loading and unloading, plus, of course, the terminal also needs to have sufficient immigration desks and baggage facilities. So far our experiences have been good but I can imagine just how it could foul up!
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Re: AA Plans to Squeeeeeze More Seats into 737s and MD80s

Former Member ·
Everyone was right the other day when they suspected that BA was charging for the seat in the restroom. BA finds new Revenue Stream ?
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Re: Paris-Barcelona Now Linked by High-Speed Train

DrFumblefinger ·
Great thing about Europe, especially for travelers, are the many options they have for getting around. Train is often the best option for those going from the heart of one city to the heart of another. I'm glad to her this route is now open to people.
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Re: Airline Seats Shrink While Passengers Expand

Travel Luver ·
Anyone who has flown for awhile knows sitting room is getting smaller and smaller. Seats are narrower and you have less legroom.
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Re: Alitalia: No money, but new uniforms

PortMoresby ·
I'd suggest that, designer duds aside, Alitalia has arrived at this point in the company history because someone, or someones, has their head you know where. I was on an Alitalia flight this past Thursday and for those hours I was unable to put my knees together, so stingy was the leg room (aka "pitch") for my steerage-class seat. I had to place my feet on either side of the seat-back pocket and there they stayed. I'm a mere 5'6" in height and I felt for the tall guy next to me who was...
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Re: Is it time to regulate airplane seats? Chris Elliott thinks so!

DrFumblefinger ·
I'm not sure if "mandating" certain seat sizes would do anything but raise prices, but it might be nice if they introduced a simple grading system. "A" for business/first class, "F" for the sardine can seating in the most cramped airlines. If I was less than 5 ft tall and weighed less than 100 lbs the current seating system would work fine for me. For most folks it's much too crowded, especially on long flights. All the worse if you have to have your bag under the seat in front of you. Let's...
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Re: Is it time to regulate airplane seats? Chris Elliott thinks so!

Paul Heymont ·
I'm not sure it's the case that mandating a decent space would raise fares...in the past, we've certainly seen that fares have a resistance point, and airlines have backed down from increases at times. Also worth noting that fares seem largely based on competition rather than actual expense involved; that's why it's often cheaper to fly NY to LA than NY to Kansas City! And, as Chris Elliott points out, having people fighting over seat space has led to expensive consequences, too...
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Re: Is it time to regulate airplane seats? Chris Elliott thinks so!

DrFumblefinger ·
The trouble with a mandate is that it has deadlines and airlines who fly to the US would have to go through an expensive seat replacement program. That cost is one we share, or that puts the airlines in the red and in jeopardy. Makes sense to pressure them to improve, but that's just my opinion. But I do like the idea of "grading" seats. Helps me know what I'm buying. For example, Canadian airlines definitely have larger seats that American carriers. I'll preferentially fly Air Canada to...
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Re: Is it time to regulate airplane seats? Chris Elliott thinks so!

GarryRF ·
This debate seems to accept that the profit margins of Trans-Atlantic Flights are squeezed by costs outside the carriers control. The only solution they have is squeeze more seats in to control income. Last month I paid £759 ($1245) for 1 seat UK to Philadelphia - Return - with an American Airline. 7 hours in the sky. Each way. My £759 will also get me a flight to the Caribbean from the UK. 10 hours in the sky. 14 nights in a hotel. Food and drink included. And flight back. The Caribbean...
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo? (#71)

Steve ·
There are a lot of similarities between this station and Atlanta's Brookwood Amtrak Station at 1688 Peachtree St NW, as viewed from the south, including tracks too close together, narrow platforms, long steep stairs, iron fence, the pitch of the roof (which at one time was red spanish clay tile), the brackets supporting the roof, the windows overlooking the track, the weeds, the general condition, the congested neighborhood, and of course the lack of parking.
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Re: What if the exit row weren't a row?

PortMoresby ·
Maybe the overhead bins have, as they say, been binned. Back to the days when it was considered a luxury to let someone else handle one's luggage. I still think it is.
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Re: What if the exit row weren't a row?

DrFumblefinger ·
I think that seating arrangement would work well in zero gravity. Think of the PanAm space cruises in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Unless planes will be designed in a flying saucer shape, I can't envision what the Europeans are planning.
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Re: Seat Wars break out in the air...

Travel Rob ·
The Daily Telegraph conducted a poll after the first 2 incidents on "Should Reclining Seats be Banned" and 70% of the respondents said yes. The lack of leg space is a big issue and I hope airlines enact more reasonable legroom space for coach. If the reported stories are true though, some passengers weren't acting mature or reasonable at all and really should face stiff penalties for their actions http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tra...seats-be-banned.html
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Re: Seat Wars break out in the air...

DrFumblefinger ·
I think on short domestic flights (let's say 3 hours or less), we could do away with the reclining seats. For longer duration flights, more legroom would be a great addition and keep the reclining seats. But I can't see the airlines going this route. Space is so tight I can't even see the screen of my netbook if the traveler in front of me reclines their seat.
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Re: Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member

Paul Heymont ·
While business travelers are important to those brands, Marriott and the others make a big pitch to fill those rooms with vacationing and weekending families and couples, too—and I'm sure you've seen a lot of them there. As you point out, the cost of WiFi for business travelers is usually absorbed by the company, so it's hard to see why this new benefit would be attractive to them, since it's already essentially free for them. So it seems obvious that the benefit is, in fact, aimed at the...
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Re: Coming soon: Adjustable-width airline seats?

PortMoresby ·
Looking at the picture, it appears to me that the business class option is a far cry from the direction upper class has been going of late, more and more comfort. Does this mean it will be more comfortable than currently is the case for economy passengers or less comfortable for business class? Maybe the arc has peaked for upper class comfort and this indicates the start of a slide down the other side.
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Re: Coming soon: Adjustable-width airline seats?

DrFumblefinger ·
I would presume the wider seat arrangement would more likely be "Economy Plus" rather than business class. Say two large people buying a 3 row seat and the third seat would get squeeze down by the wider adjustment of the above. International business class nowadays is almost universally lie flat bed seats. To not have these would mean a loss of this lucrative market for the airlines.
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Re: Coming soon: Adjustable-width airline seats?

PortMoresby ·
Maybe the trend will be to 3, rather than 4 classes, with econ+ going by the wayside and the flat bed option called first. Who knows. Business started out looking something like econ+ does now. Four options seems like about 1 too many to me.
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Re: Coming soon: Adjustable-width airline seats?

Paul Heymont ·
Keep in mind that the picture is the patent model...tricked out with real upholstery it may look very different. Other than fitting big people better, I think this may mainly be used on smaller airliners that fly as one- or two-class, as British Air does on a lot of European flights....business class there is pretty much just empty middle. This would allow flexibility. Be my guess...
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Re: Boeing's 'Cuddle Seat' tackles the economy snooze

DrFumblefinger ·
Not sure how comfortable it would be, but I'd be willing to give it a try. Might especially be good for people who usually sleep on their stomach.
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Re: Boeing's 'Cuddle Seat' tackles the economy snooze

Travel Rob ·
I can think up a few problems but maybe the've factored for those. it looks like,instead of getting your knees hit by a reclining seat, it could be your face. And I could imagine getting all twisted up in the straps by the time I wake up.
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Re: Boeing's 'Cuddle Seat' tackles the economy snooze

Paul Heymont ·
It looks to me as if any impact by the seat in front would be on the edge of your face pillow rather than your face. And since the straps go one over each shoulder, you'd have to perform an amazing contortion to turn yourself over and twist the straps. I've got a different concern: could I really sleep facing forward and down? Where do my arms go?
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Re: Boeing's 'Cuddle Seat' tackles the economy snooze

GarryRF ·
I just love an air travel video that presumes passengers in economy have so much leg room. Maybe - with that much leg room - reclining the backs of our current seats wouldn't be such a disaster. Resting your head on the guy sitting behind you !
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Re: Budget airlines pushing seat squeeze on new planes

DrFumblefinger ·
I flew on Spanish budget carrier, Vueling, this past spring. It was a pleasant enough flight, but the aircraft had the tightest pitch of any airline I've ever been on. The pocket in the seat in front of you, where magazines and the air sickness bag are stored, was removed to allow for crowding of rows and even my knees were wedged in tightly to the seat back in front of me (seats couldn't be reclined, for obvious reason). I'm not sure how a seriously tall person could ever fit in.
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Re: Boeing's next seat squeeze...in the lavatory!

DrFumblefinger ·
I'm not sure a person with movement disabilities or who is very obese will be able to get around in that limited space anymore....
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Re: Discounts top all in passenger perks survey

DrFumblefinger ·
Everything has relative value -- a hungry person would pick the free meal, for instance -- but at some point people pay for comfort. Many already pay a little extra for legroom by sitting in the exit row (or use points to do so). There comes a point where, especially on longer flights, you want to be comfortable and are willing to pay a little more to achieve that. I definitely consider the pitch and width of airline seats when making purchases, especially overseas purchases. I'll pay a...
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Re: Airbus designs a seat with storage but with less legroom

Paul Heymont ·
I love the idea of better storage space, but I'm not ready to put my legs in the overhead! I'm sure this design would work well with 40" pitch, but not with 30-32" as we mostly get. But perhaps if they made the bins about half the depth shown in the design, there might be footroom and storage.
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Re: Airbus designs a seat with storage but with less legroom

DrFumblefinger ·
As Paul says, without adequate pitch between the rows, this would be painful. Might be useful on planes that only fly one or two hours, but it would kill you on a long haul.
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Re: Airbus designs a seat with storage but with less legroom

Travel Rob ·
People forget things on planes now. Imagine if their bags were truly out of sight.
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Re: Watch those search engines: the big ones are not always best!

Travel Luver ·
Wow! I wouldn't have thought there would be such great variability. I'm still fairly new at this, and it sounds kind of complicated. Are there any flight search engines you'd recommend routinely using?
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Re: Bayfront Stadium, Pensacola: As Good as it Gets

Paul Heymont ·
Nice touch, having a chance to catch a ball while swimming! Seriously, maybe the best thing about the revival of minor-league ball (besides the training opportunities for future big-leaguers) is the affordability that makes it possible for families to enjoy and learn the game now that most major league tickets (and concessions) are out of range! There's no way you can really understand baseball from TV watching, where you don't really see the game, only the camera angle chosen at that...
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What if the exit row weren't a row?

Paul Heymont ·
That's the kind of question that comes to mind at first glance at an idea Airbus has asked a patent for...a circular seating arrangement, in tiers. OK, that's a little hard to grasp, so here's a drawing submitted with the patent application.  ...
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Watch those search engines: the big ones are not always best!

Former Member ·
I was just booking a one-way trip from Barcelona to Marseille for next summer hoping to use some points sitting on a bank-based (but not airline-affiliated) card. Imagine my shock when the ticket (which I knew should cost about $89) showed up as...
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Airline Seats Shrink While Passengers Expand

Paul Heymont ·
Airlines have recently begun replacing many of their seats with lighter, slimmer seats that allow them to either offer more legroom or...surprise!...jam in more seats. As this article from the Sydney Morning Herald points out, it's not just that space...
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Please Don't Squeeze the Passengers: Airbus

Paul Heymont ·
Airbus, the big European planebuilder has urged airlines to go with 18"-wide seats, up from the standard 17" in use now. Their studies indicate that the extra width makes a BIG difference in passengers' ability to sleep on long flights (which are...
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Visiting Western Greenland. Part II – Western Greenland on Foot!

Racing_snake ·
Part I covered three Greenlandic towns I have visited but my real passion is being out in West Greenland’s wilderness.  So this part is about what it has to offer those willing to get out there on foot and under canvas!    I...
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SQUEEEZE, Please! United pushes in more seats

Paul Heymont ·
United Airlines has almost completed its installation of new seats throughout its fleet; the new slimline seats are also set closer together (as close as 30" pitch in some planes) and give United the equivalent of 14 more planes worth of space,...
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Where in the World is TravelGumbo? (#87)

Paul Heymont ·
Gumbo's last teaser taught us all the difference between a gargoyle and a grotesque...but if these leonine fellas aren't a little grotesque, then what is? That's what Gumbo wondered when he wandered there...but your task is to divine Where is there......
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Boeing's 'Cuddle Seat' tackles the economy snooze

Paul Heymont ·
A new Boeing patent promises a better sleep situation for economy passengers.   For those who can't afford the lie-flat seats in business or first, sleep is often an issue. It's not easy finding a position in which you can lean or curl or contort...
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British Air looks to unusual seating plans

Paul Heymont ·
If British Airways' recent design patents are any indication, there's a lot of change ahead for travelers. Skift, the travel industry news site, reports that BA has submitted a number of patents recently.   Among them, pairs of seats (one facing...
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Budget airlines pushing seat squeeze on new planes

Paul Heymont ·
Think your airline seat is tight now? Wait for the next generation of planes being bought by  Ryanair and other budget/short-haul carriers. They're adding seats, and the space for them has to come from somewhere...   And, for the Airbus...
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Crowded planes a safety hazard? Witnesses say so...

Paul Heymont ·
Flight attendants, at a Federal hearing, pointed to "legroom wars" and increased air rage. A safety expert pointed out that the FAA's evacuation tests use planes with more legroom than you're likely to get, and Charlie Leocha of Consumer Traveler...
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Can 'smart' seats make crowding bearable?

Paul Heymont ·
That's sort of the idea behind some new design initiatives for airline seating. Panasonic, and some others, are betting that by designing all the elements of a seat together (seat, inflight entertainment screen, power outlets and more) the elements...
 
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