The low-cost airline would charge passengers less on “bar stools” with seat belts around their waists.
Michael O’Leary, the chief executive, has already held talks with US plane manufacturer Boeing about designing an aircraft with standing room. He is now seeking approval from the Irish Aviation Authority before ordering a new fleet of carriers, according to The Sun.
A Ryanair spokesman told the newspaper: “If they approve it, we’ll be doing it.”
Mr O’Leary is reported to have got the idea from the Chinese airline Spring, which has put forward similar plans. It estimates space could be made for up to 50 per cent more passengers and costs could be cut by 20 per cent.
It is not the first time Ryanair has come up with a controversial proposal for cutting costs. Earlier this year Mr O’Leary suggested passengers could be charged £1 to use the on-board lavatories.
In an interview on BBC television he said that the low-cost airline was looking at the possibility of installing a coin slot on the lavatory door so that “people might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny.”
Mr O’Leary also considered introducing a “fat tax” for overweight passengers.
This makes sense, since we are treated like cattle anyway.
Proof that Capitalism, just like Religion… IS A MENTAL ILLNESS!
This O’Leary guy needs two to the head.
I guess Troublemaker prefers to fly on Aeroflot. http://bit.ly/EyvCt
I fly fairly often, and I dislike sitting in airplane seats so much that I’d PREFER a standing only option. Not for transcontinental or transoceanic flights, but a flight which is only an hour or two long couldn’t suffer much from leaning against a framework as opposed to sitting. Especially if it were cheaper.
I don’t see what the hubbub is all about.
Brandon said, on July 6th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
I don’t see what the hubbub is all about.
Only 2 airlines in the US make any profit. Jet Blue and SouthWest. The reason they make money is that they fly only domestic flights and use on one model of aircraft.
Most airlines base their business models on outmoded ideas that worked in the 60’s and 70’s, but not anymore. You either fly domestic or international but not both.
Ideas like this standing seat, are indicative of the sickness in modern America, where institutions refuse to make MAJOR changes. It’s just a feeble attempt to help prop up a broken system that is in need of far more fundamental changes than just the design of the seats.
But no, these airlines would rather go bankrupt trying to keep afloat outmoded ideas, than stay in business.
Extinction is preferable to downsizing in the diseased capitalist mind.
No wonder the country is in such a mess…
Not that I LIKE standing up, but standing for 45 min on a bus or commuter train is fairly normal. But, I couldn’t imaging being delayed and having to be in one of those.
As long as passengers have the choice before they buy a ticket, then it’s OK. If for some reason, you pay for a seat and you get a SRO plank, that would be troublesome. Also, as a guy, do proper manners require you to give up your seat for a older female SRO passenger?
Also, I have never understood why we need flight attendants. Can’t everyone bring their own food or drink. Have vending machines on the plane if you forgot something.
Dunno how relevant that Airbus illustration is: Ryanair is an all-Boeing shop, flying nothing but 737-800s. Another point is that they operate out of multiple hubs across Europe, so they’ll need to clear it with multiple authorities, not just the IAA.
It’s been years since I flew Ryanair, and I don’t see me flying with them again. Call me romantic, but I don’t travel that much, so I like it to be an Experience when I do.
I would rather see a rack of stacked tubes stretched across the width of the plane. That way I can sleep without buying one of those space-inefficient lay-down seats.
A paraphrase from the comics:
Dilbert hands the ticket agent a huge sack, saying “here is all the frequent flyer crap you have sent me this year”. “I will trade it all for a seat upgrade – right now I am assigned to an overhead bin”
How about putting people in cardboard boxes and stacking them up in the cargo area?
Of course you would have to cut ‘air holes’ on the boxes!
The step after the standing room only.
http://z.about.com/d/africanhistory/1/0/1/J/SlaveShipBrookes002.jpg
How will they ever pack 4 or 500 lbs. of cellulite in there? This also allows for a greater density of people and those passing gas would merely add to the “turdbulence.”
I really like the bar across the chest. Not claustrophobia-causing at all. Might be a good idea to strap the arms and legs down as well to avoid flailing injuries in a crash. You could pay a quid to be unlocked during flight to walk to the pay toilet.
#5:”Ideas like this standing seat, are indicative of the sickness in modern America, where institutions refuse to make MAJOR changes. It’s just a feeble attempt to help prop up a broken system that is in need of far more fundamental changes than just the design of the seats.”
You fail at your anti-American trolling. Ryanair is an IRISH company that flies cheap-as-fuck flights throughout Europe. 99 times out of 100, when you hear about an airline fucking its customers to reduce the cost of a seat, it’s these guys.
They should start charging for tickets PER WEIGHT OF PASSENGER. I fly often, and I see that 1/3 to 1/2 of the passengers range from overweight to ugly obese fat human-alike slobs (including women).
All the “regular” and skinny passenger are constantly chipping in to these fat bastard’s tickets. Not to mention the horrible “experience” of having one of them next seat to you.
If the 250lbs human gorilla passenger can have same 50lbs luggage as 180lbs passenger, there is obviously something wrong with this system.
Either the normal people should be allowed same “total boarding weight” (passenger + luggage weight) or the Fat Bastards should pay more, or the Regular Weight passengers should get huge discounts.
#18: What annoys me is that the seats aren’t wide enough. My shoulders stick out 4 inches on either side. Which, if there’s no one, or someone incredibly small next to me, is fine. But anyone else and I end up contorting into a hunched/leaning position just to fit.
How about we re-regulate the airlines?
Then we could pay the pilots for safe training and professionalism. And the government can ensure that flights are once more not overbooked, cramped, ‘proper’ meals served by smiling stewardesses… er… flight attendants.
On the other hand, that $99 flight will go back to the $400 to $500 it used to be and be out of reach for many Americans again.
If the 250lbs human gorilla passenger can have same 50lbs luggage as 180lbs passenger, there is obviously something wrong with this system.
Well I’m 250lb but I’m also 6ft 4. It isn’t my fault that you have inferior genetics and aren’t full sized. I wouldn’t mind if they charged by weight if they also gave out seats based on weight and smaller people got stuck in the back while I was in first class where I wouldn’t even up with sore knees from banging them on the seat in front of me the whole flight.
Standing up in a plane would be ok except that at my height I’ve been on lots of planes where I couldn’t stand all the way up. I say let the little people stand since they can actually stand up on the planes.
I’m skeptical. The whole thing sounds like a story from the Onion.
FU Calhoun. I’m 6’6″, and trying to stay around 200 lbs (down from 255 lbs). You are overweight, and your attempt to make people shorter than us feel inferior is disgusting as your fucking fat body. Fuck you for bringing disrespect to the other people who are taller than you. Asshole.
The good thing about a huge hard disk is that you lose a lot more data when it crashes. Likewise, a more packed plane kills a lot more people when it crashes.
The good thing about a huge hard disk is that you lose a lot more data when it crashes. Likewise, a more packed plane kills more people when it crashes.
AND..
If they have a problem..MORE people to SUCK UP OXYGEN in the next 6-10 hours..
Ref: #16 /Dvorak
Also demonstrating the oxygen mask?
J/P=?
I’m 6′6″, and trying to stay around 200 lbs
you are a stick then. There is no way I could get down to 200lbs without looking like someone with anorexia.
either that or you are full of crap and just fell like calling me out for some random reason.
FU Calhoun. I was 6’4″ at 15 years of age. By 18 I had stopped growing, reaching 6’6.25″. My weight at 22 was 185 lbs (I was very fit considering I’m not athletic). I’m 42 now, and made it down to maybe 195 lbs by controlling my eating (staying away from sugar, butter, and generally bad food) and a little walking. I’m back up to maybe 205-210 lbs, but trying to keep my eye on the goal.
You are a moron, a bastard, and a disgrace to tall people everywhere.
what is your point? Why are you so upset that I weigh more than you that you are calling me names? At 42 you should be too old for name calling.
mindless drivel now
Telling people shorter than you they deserve to sit at the (paraphrasing) back of the bus, and have (quoting) “inferior genetics”.
FU, you fat, stupid, bastard.