Love flying? You won't if this new seat design gets the nod

Zodiac Seats France's new set up will make travelling by air supremely uncomfortable


Web Desk July 10, 2015
PHOTO: THE VERGE

If you thought plane seats were uncomfortable and could not get any worse, think again. Zodiac Seats France, the airline seat manufacturer, has patented with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) the “Economy Class Cabin Hexagon,” which is being hailed as the worst airline seating arrangement to date.

Zodiac Seats France has decided to turn around the middle seat 180 degrees so as to maximise space but this arrangement means uncomfortable eye contact with your neighbour while you are watching your in-flight infotainment screen.

The patent also has some illustrations. Here is figure 1:

PHOTO: THE VERGE

Read: Turkish Airlines flight diverted to Delhi after 'bomb threat'

This new set up would make travelling by air supremely uncomfortable. Have a look at the figure below and imagine how awkward it would be to try and get up to go to the bathroom and not to mention what would happen in time of turbulence.

Figure 2:

PHOTO: THE VERGE

Zodiac Seats France may have gotten the patent but that does not necessarily mean that they will make this seating arrangement a reality.

Read: No survivors: 9 dead in Alaska sightseeing plane crash

However, it does mean that some ingenious fellow or group of people got this idea, the company decided to go ahead with it and then approached an international organisation to get it patented, all because someday they thought they might want to create such an arrangement.

This article originally appeared on The Verge

COMMENTS (8)

Bruce Mead | 8 years ago | Reply Lets wait till we see it. If you ever had a middle seat between two 300lb people, a little eye contact may not be that bad. Just saying.
Vova Drob | 8 years ago | Reply Hello all & think about price. I bet if the price per ticket will decrease by 30%, all of you will be facing backwards on your next airplane flight and be buying tickets 1 year in advance! So, cheap and smart "individuals" - face the reality of the future. Here is another thought, if you "face" your son, daughter or spouse on the same flight? Is it really that bad?
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