Will full recline beds ever be feasible for economy class?

[ric_melb]

I think larger and more toilets, especially on single aisle planes, should have more priority, than lie flat beds in economy. But of course this may not bring an airline more income.

 

[equus]

I would complain. No mattress and hard as hell. Couldn't sleep

There does need to be some differentiation maintained, otherwise sales of J and F would drop. Full recline was all that was asked for, nothing about actual comfort or utility - needs to maintain that Economy ambiance.

 

[CaptJCool]

There’s a mindset shift necessary for Y to get lie flat capsules

Given the internal cabin space any design that used the current unused space above the seats line would need a configuration to manage PAX height & weight

And then there’s the logistics of executing the infrastructure build of the configuration and the post use maintenance and cleaning
As well as the loading up of the plane by “new boarding groups”

Would all the 200 cm pax please board from
The rear of the plane ….

 

[Forg]

I’d be mega-stoked if they drugged me in the departure lounge for 15hrs, wrapped me in shrink-wrap & shoved me onboard in a pile of drugged bodies … then I woke up in the arrivals lounge. Even if it was with a drug-induced headache & drymouth, as that’s still better than sitting in a Y seat for 15hrs.

 

[elanshin]

In theory yes but airlines are too greedy to improve whY.

As they put it, the customers don't want it. They want the cheapest fares most of the time for Y.

Every time a cheaper (less features option) gets introduced, theres more uptake.

So i do think if there is a halfway measure it'll be in Premium economy.

 

[CaptJCool]

As they put it, the customers don't want it. They want the cheapest fares most of the time for Y.

Every time a cheaper (less features option) gets introduced, theres more uptake.

So i do think if there is a halfway measure it'll be in Premium economy.

We could have

“motorbike economy” fares
Jokes
Then we could ‘Scoot’ about
LMAO

 

[Melburnian1]

LH once had a design made, but nothing came of it.

 

[Forg]

LH once had a design made, but nothing came of it.

Googling beds in economy class aircraft the other day popped-up a pikky of what I suspect you’re talking about, from the 70’s I think?

*time passes*
I lie, it was 1960’s and KLM. Probably from when flying was such an expensive novelty that there wasn’t really an “economy” class & all passengers paid probably the equivalent of 5x the cost of F now.

 

[Bjet]

Not sure… if you are lucky that there are no pax sitting next to you, or move to another seats if they are not full, then you can recline the armrests, then you can have three seats all by yourself.

 

[Human]

In theory yes but airlines are too greedy to improve whY.

As they put it, the customers don't want it. They want the cheapest fares most of the time for Y.

Interesting article in OMAAT overnight which might be relevant to this discussion, about the failed attempt by American Airlines to give passengers more legroom in Economy. Customers in Economy want comfort, but they don't necessarily want to pay for it.

American's "More Room Throughout Coach" Era: What Does It Teach Us?

In the early 2000s, American Airlines offered "More Room Throughout Coach." Here's why this didn't end so well for the airline.

onemileatatime.com

 

[CaptJCool]

Back around the GFC

I FLEW 747 from Auckland to LAX

There were 10 PAX in Y

We all had a 4 seat bed !

 

[Forg]

Back around the GFC

I FLEW 747 from Auckland to LAX

There were 10 PAX in Y

We all had a 4 seat bed !

Yeah my wife had a J AC flight SYD-YUL a few years back, due to her employer’s gross incompetence she had to come back to SYD from ICN on an unlinked ticket then wait 3hrs then fly out … meaning no ability to check-in early, and meaning that when AC replaced the aircraft (due to birdstrike) with something that had fewer J seats she was one of the last to check in & was punted to Y. To part-compensate they blocked-out a row of 4 that she could sleep across … fortunately she didn’t need to fend-off other pax looking for a seat next to nobody else, before she lay across the 4 herself. Very lumpy “bed” though.