A new design for economy class airline seating is drawing criticism for being totally, objectively horrible.
The designs by Airbus, drawn up for a patent application, are reminiscent of bicycle seats.
The idea is almost barbaric:
The seat -- if you can even call it that -- is essentially just a rotating tray, with a small space to lean on mere inches from your fellow passengers. There is no entertainment system, no cushions, no armest. You just sit there and hang, like a sad piece of human cargo, and wait for either death or your destination.
The patent, which has been universally excoriated, are designed explicitly to maximise profits -- and cope with overweight passengers.
The patent description states:
"[To maximize financial returns on aircraft for low-cost airlines], the number of seats in a cabin must be increased, to the detriment of the comfort of the passengers. However, this reduced comfort is tolerable for passengers in as much as the flight lasts one or a few hours."
Airbus has since told the LA Times that the seats might never appear in a real aircraft.
Might.