The designers speak of allowing up to 21 more seats on a 777 using this design. Moreover there is talk of ten airlines looking seriously at these seats. This is not a grand idea. It only looks pretty from an airline view.
Notice how complicated it will be for a window seat passenger to get to the aisle. He would have to stand, turn and navigate his neighbors seat and then clamber over the next person facing forward. Using Airbus' great line of the "double excuse me", you might agree that this is more complex than the current system where everyone faces the same way. The designers clearly are more concerned for the airline than the passenger.
Which kind of brings us back to that story once doing the rounds about the stand up seats. If Ryanair flies across the Atlantic that idea might make a comeback – sitting costs $12 while standing costs $7?
