What’s the worst thing about flying economy? Is it the very little leg room? The bland food or chatty passengers?
Or is it sitting in the middle seat like you’re trying to avoid catching a virus?
We have all sat awkwardly sandwiched in between two people and fought – discreetly – for elbow room on a flight. Although this is not your ultimate saviour from airline pet peeves, the S1 design from the Colorado-based startup, Molon Labe Seating, will make your in-flight experience a little less miserable.
According to CNN, the new seating design features three economy seats arranged in a staggered layout as opposed to the conventional straight spread. The middle seat is placed at a lower height and slightly behind the aisle and the window seats.
Talk about ergonomic design, somebody finally heard our prayers.
Breaking down the level of discomfort on airlines middle seats:
The above problems have been solved in the new seating design.
The new middle seat has been made about three to five inches wider than the standard 18-inch seats and placed a few inches back to let passengers have more shoulder room.
And to discover whose elbow space it is, the armrests have been designed to give all three passengers space to rest their arms. The armrests are no longer built at a uniform height. The aisle and window seat passengers will have space to rest their hands at the front end of the armrest while the middle seat passenger will have the spacious lower end at a lower height.
At the moment, these seats are only intended for domestic flights flying short hours, although the company is working on a version for longer flights with more padding and larger TV screens.
The seats are likely to hit the US market in April or May 2020.
The seats were certified by the Federal Aviation Administration in June, and are being manufactured by Primus Aerospace in Colorado.
Not only will the seats be a treat to fliers, but they can also help airlines cut down on fuel costs as they are lighter than standard airline seats.