- 7 January 2010
- 9:00am
- Filed under
facebook, Fun, Polls, Traveller Tips
How to redesign the airplane for the modern traveler
Andy MurdockLonely Planet author
If we’ve settled one travel-related debate recently, it was this: the modern traveler overwhelmingly prefers window seats.
In a poll on the Lonely Planet Facebook page, 888 people jumped at the chance to state their airplane seating preference, and it wasn’t even close: 63% of responders preferred window seats. Lonely Planet founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler are in the majority as they both prefer window seats, which presumably makes it rather difficult for them to sit together on flights. Only one person stood up to defend the indefensible middle seat, but only because they like to sit next to their spouse who prefers the window seat.
63% of travelers polled prefer window seats, yet commercial airlines are fitted to have only 33-39% window seats, in direct opposition to consumer demand. Given the low supply to high demand ratio, airlines looking for yet another way to wring additional money out of travelers could conceivably consider charging higher prices for window seats. [Author update: Since this post was first written, airlines have started charging for both window and aisle seats. I'll try to keep my mouth shut the next time I have a potentially evil idea.] A better solution would be to give customers what they want and make flying a more enjoyable experience for everyone, but in order to do this the airplane itself will have to be redesigned to allow for additional window seats. How could this be accomplished?
Solution #1: The Donut Jet concept aircraft
One method of increasing the number of window seats per airplane is to increase the surface-to-volume ratio of the aircraft to provide more window room along the fuselage. To maintain the proportions of a standard passenger jet, a donut-shaped design could achieve this goal.
Artist’s rendering of the Donut Jet in flight
Seating chart for the Donut Jet, showing lack of middle seat
Upsides:
1. Corrects the window to aisle ratio to match consumer demand.
2. The dreaded middle seat will cease to exist.
3. The windows looking out on ‘the hole’ won’t have the best view, but they will please the indecisive and provide the benefits of both window and aisle seats as well as some independence for solo travelers.
Downsides:
1. Roughly as aerodynamic as a bread pudding and might have an annoying tendency to spin like a frisbee, but let’s hope engineers will be able to make this work.
Solution #2: The glass-bottom airplane
This is an elegant ‘outside-the-box’ solution to the window vs. aisle problem: everyone gets a window, it just happens to be on the floor. This could be done with a simple retrofit of current commercial airplanes: put the cargo upstairs, put the passengers downstairs, replace the metal hull with clear plastic.
‘This is your captain speaking: out the bottom of the aircraft you’ll see the Golden Gate Bridge.’
Upsides:
1. Breathtaking vistas on every flight.
2. In-flight bird watching.
Downsides:
1. Smudging: good luck keeping that bottom window clean.
2. Extreme vertigo and inevitable screaming/sobbing at each landing.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to desirable redesigns of the modern aircraft and doesn’t address other known problems, such as inefficient boarding procedures, leg room, sleeping comfort, and overhead bin design. How would you redesign the airplane to make it more traveler-friendly?
Andy Murdock is Lonely Planet’s US Digital Editor and prefers the window.
Hilarious! I like the glass-bottomed boat idea…think of the nausea!
pity all you would see through the glass bottom is cables and the baggage area! love the donut shaped idea though!!
(wipes coffee off the monitor)
I +like+ both the current seat arrangements and the preferences of others, because I prefer the aisle seat. As things stand there’s less competition, so I usually get one.
I always take the aisle seat on long flights… Easier to get up and walk around and get a change of scenery…
There is a solution although it doesn’t provide exactly the same experience as a window seat. Now many planes are equipped with interactive video terminals in each seat. These could have channels for viewing live video from cameras in various locations on the exterior of the aircraft.
Require that each person bring 2 pieces of carryon luggage that then slot into pop-up brackets to become their seat. No more problems trying to find space near or above seats for luggage, easier cabin cleaning between flights without seats in the way, true room to move about the cabin on the rare, not fully sold-out flight.
Two more cons for the donut:
1) it would produce too much drag to be economical; and
2) the inner passengers would have to stare at each other. Creepy.
The reason blended body aircraft haven’t come into commercial use is the window issue. Despite the superior econimical benefits (higher lift/drag ratio, lower fuel consumtpion), people want to see out the windows. Proposals have even included creating a “movie screen” on the walls with projected outside images for people to “see” out.
oh man, that glass bottomed plane just made my stomach turnover! That would be an awesome flight. nice renderings :) I prefer a window seat unless it is a long flight as well. I like to get up to move about and hate having to make the aisle person get up or crawl over them if they are asleep!
Nice one guys, putting ideas where there probably weren’t any … some clever airline exec is going to read this and think, “hmmm, charge more for window seats, now there’s a thought”.
Interesting to see the statistics though as I am definitely a window seat traveler, especially on long haul.
I like the glass bottom airplane idea as I am one of the few who would rather sit on the aisle. I like the freedom of stretching my legs when no one is running about in the cabin, I also like the freedom of getting up and down without climbing over someone.
I am an aisle seat fan. I’m tall and need the room, plus you can get up and have a wander around. maybe they have better seats up in business, btu I can’t afford them.
Has anybody thought how would the glass-bottom plane take off with all the cargo being up the top? I am afraid that stability and safety would come at risk. As for the Doughnut Jet, the middle wouldn’t have much of a view…
Why not to convert the existing designs into a double-decker jets with the cargo in the middle of the whole thing? There would be only 1 or 2 seat rows on each side of the plane. However, I assume that smaller Boeing 737 or Airbus 320 versions would have to have maybe just 1 seat rows on the lower deck.
Still, it would need a lot of planning, research, calculations etc. Although, I love the window seats. :)
The doughnut design and and glass bottom design are interestting ideas. Rather than these interesting designs, I would say few high resolution cameras mounted strategically, to get the outside view will do the trick. The video from this can be readily broadcast on a dedicated channel and everyone in the plane has an outside view, irrespective of their seat position. Infact, even those with window seats donot have strain their necks looking outside.
Another thing that the plane manfucturers should work on is the roof the plane in the passenger sitting area. should look like the sky. so cameras mounted on top of the plane should capture the sky on top of the plane and convert it to the same way inside the plane.
My two cents :-)
I love to seat in first class because the confortable, and there are lot of enjoyment there.
The Glass-Bottom Place is incredibly frightening! I’m a scaredy cat on planes and always get an aisle seat because of it. The above ideas about displaying outside views on monitors are much better. Makes me wonder why they don’t already have this? Would be way cool.
This is how I would redesign it:
http://airbornehotel.blogspot.com/
With this system, each and every passenger can have a fully reclining seat-bed, without airlines losing pax capacity in their aircraft, so airfares can remain similar; plus, aisle seats are increased by as much as 80%. As far as window seats are concerned, the answer is easy: if each passenger has a video monitor in front of them, live video from the flight can be seen in each monitor, like a virtual window. This virtual window idea is already out there, but it can also be improved; maybe have several channels to see different views, and even have a member of the flight crew in charge of controlling the cameras in order to focus on special views.
Just get rid of all the windows, and replace them with external cameras, which feed into the TV screens. That way everybody can have whatever view they want.
I don’t understand why anyone would want to be wedged into a window seat. Give me an aisle seat every time.
I love sitting by the window! I very seldom need to get up (though I appreciate the difficulties of this maneouvre). Somehow, unless the cameras were VERY good indeed, it just wouldn’t be the same to me as watching the clouds go by “with my own eyes”. I love the dizzying idea of the glass floored cabin, but apart from those with fear of heights being stark terrified, I must admit I find the idea of there only being glass, and no “bufferzone” of luggage, between me and the ground/sea should the plane have to crash land slightly uncomfortable…
I would be up for transparent sides though, then even people sitting by the aisle would be able to sneak a peek!
Come to think of it, one of my friends has really bad flying-phobia, partly because he’s also a bit scared of heights, but mainly because of claustrophobia/lack of control. I wonder whether a transparent shell would help people like him, or only make things worse!?!
I’m a window seater for the extra leg and arm room, plus you can lean on the side for sleeping. I love looking out the at the land and sea below and spend hours doing it if it’s not the dreaded never-ending night flight from London to Melbourne. I hardly get out of my seat and there’s nothing worse than being asked to get up every couple of hours. If possible I book my seat weeks in advance using Seat Guru for reference, or I make sure I’m at the airport in plenty of time to be given a choice.
Middle seat would have to be the worst -how do people manange. It must be like being in a strait-jacket?
I like window seat. But sometime, aisle seat will be more free space.
These are really creative ideas!
I really like window seats but recently had a pleasant experience sitting in an aisle seat that made me think that they’re not that bad after all.
Feel free to go to http://www.ourtravelations.com to read about my aisle seat experience if you’d like.
Cheers!
I’d always sit in aisle seats because I do need to get up a lot, but my husband likes windows, so we try to find planes with only two seats on the sides. Used to be when planes were not so full that we could choose window and aisle and no one would take the center, but now that doesn’t work. Like the AbH concept though.
Make 2 storey planes, ,means for single traveller only 1 seat at a time, second floor 2 seats in a row, and put the Baggage (cargo) in the middle,stairs in front and back, I really think this could work.
For me personally a middle seat in terrible, I prefer aisle, if i want to look out of the window i can get up and look out of the rear door window. only time i like window is when its a short island hopping flight in a new area.
I like window seats, but for long flights an aisle seat – noone stepping over me or me over them.
You can keep your doughnut thanks, but wha about the “hole”?
Glass bottomed planes? Imagione if just one tiny piece of glass cracked…….”kingdom come” would be a-coming a lot sooner. Glss bottomed boats, yes. Planes – no. Although a glass roofed plane would be idea.
I don’t know about anyone else, but when I choose the window seat, the main reason is because it’s better sleeping – something to lean against. Sometimes the views are nice, but in general, I’ve flown enough that I know what it’s going to look like. I’m not on the plane for sights – just getting from one place to another.
I’ve been travelling regularly by air for over 30 years, averaging around 40 flights a year and I can count on 2 hands the times there was ANYTHING worthwhile or memorable to see out of an aircraft window… Sleeping? – go for a Neck Pillow…
I say go skinnier and taller, so there are two narrower levels instead of one wide one.
how about windows like in a new model train long and large so that not only do you have a great view you also have some sort of window view fron the medle aisle too, think about it.
Michael Keil.
Melbourne Aust.
Many planes DO have front and below camera views as an option in the inflight entertainment system – Emirates for instance. But the picture is fuzzy and only really nice for take-offs and landings. Otherwise window views are much better.
I’m the type of passenger that takes binoculars in hand luggage to look at the towns and villages below.
I much prefer the window seat. As kemiller says, it’s something to lean against when sleeping.
As for a glass bottom plane. Super. Anyone on the ground will see my stream of wee as a result of being able to see straight down. Scary.
Over time I’ve mutated from being a window seater to an aisle seater. Flying these days is so less enjoyable with all the hassle to get to onto the plane. I travel by plane regularly for shorter flights and my main aim is to get as quickly off as possible, so preferably I choose an aisle seat in the first rows of the aircraft. Now, having appeared as the snooty frequent flier, I want to add that I love slow travel, in particular on trains, where looking out of the window is still a great experience.
Brilliant! Both ideas should be introduced without delay!!
For long trips – NZ to USA or UK – we prefer aisle seats as near to the front or forward of the wings-less engine noise but not too close to the toilets. Trick is to book early, find out what kind of plane you’ll be in and request seats pronto – most carriers have seating plans for their planes. We ask for and usually get, seats across the aisle from each other. We can still talk, can get in and out whenever we please, get the attention of passing cabin crew quickly, have less likelihood of getting your food tray tipped over and have one less ‘arm’ to deal with. We also seem to be able to stretch out a little more – an inch or two is immense in cattle class. I prefer a window seat for shorter, over land trips. What’s annoying now is that with some carriers, especially between NZ and Oz, the cabins are divided into full service, half service and seat only areas which limits your choice somewhat. Travel only once or twice a year, so like to be picky!