Are no-frills airlines about to lose the plot?

[JAS]

This news item about budget airline Ryanair has just appeared. I know a while back there was talk of airlines looking into passengers on shorthaul flights standing up and being secured to something like an upright backboard. But stools????

I'll stand corrected but I believe the only requirement on an aircraft is that passengers can be secured for there own safety ie the seatbelt and the seatback to stop you smacking into others during turbulence, heavy landing and even a crash...so how on earth would you secure someone on a stool

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090706/tu ... 23e80.html

Budget airline Ryanair has come up with a possible new cost-cutting measure in the form of stools rather than seats on flights.

The Irish no-frills carrier is looking at the possibility of increasing capacity on flights by getting some passengers to squat on stools.

These passengers would pay less than those in "normal" seats or possibly fly for free.

Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara said that the airline's chief executive Michael O'Leary had already been in touch with aircraft manufacturer Boeing to see if such a scheme was feasible.

Mr McNamara said: "If it's possible, if we can get the IAA (Irish Aviation Authority) to approve it and if it can reduce fares even further we will be doing it."

Mr O'Leary told Sky News that he got the idea from the Chinese airline Spring, which said it could squeeze 50% more passengers on board and cut costs by 20%.

Guess the news outlets are bored with Jacko now...here comes the summer slow news silly season

Regards
JAS

[Squawk]

Ryan Air and many other airlines are already stools in many ways - carrying more stools will hardly be noticed - after all, the same guy was going to charge for leaving stools behind during a flight!

[Dirko]

No reason not to approve it, after all sitting facing forward on a aircraft, is the best way to injure/kill yourself in the advent of a crash.

They should do what most Military aircraft do, and that's face the seats to the rear. A lot safer if you crash.

[JAS]

No reason not to approve it, after all sitting facing forward on a aircraft, is the best way to injure/kill yourself in the advent of a crash.

They should do what most Military aircraft do, and that's face the seats to the rear. A lot safer if you crash.

No military aircraft I've ever been in had rearward facing seats. Tri-star's and VC10's were always confirgured the same as their civilian equivs with forward facing...Hercules' and helicopters all had the seats sideways to the fuselage.

Regards
JAS

[Dirko]

Most probably should have read a few.

I've had dealings with the RAAF & US Forces, and the aircraft in which we've dealt with had rearward facing seats.....

[JK]

I thought this thread said "Lose the Pilot" when I first saw it ... Definitely no frills there

[JAS]

Most probably should have read a few.

I've had dealings with the RAAF & US Forces, and the aircraft in which we've dealt with had rearward facing seats.....

That'll be it then, your mob and the Yanks...cos after nearly 23 years working in Supply and Movements only rear-facing ones I saw were the occasional crew seats.

I thought this thread said "Lose the Pilot" when I first saw it ... Definitely no frills there

Haha...the ultimate in low-cost travel...I think it's called walking...and they'd make you pay for it...gotta love Ryanair as long as I don't have to fly with them...ever.

Regards
JAS

[therisingblues]

No reason not to approve it, after all sitting facing forward on a aircraft, is the best way to injure/kill yourself in the advent of a crash.

They should do what most Military aircraft do, and that's face the seats to the rear. A lot safer if you crash.

Unless you get rear-ended by another airplane. Then the rear facing seats would give you a pretty bad whip lash. I guess you just gotta hope that the plane behind you is counting "One Mississippi, two Mississippi each time a cloud goes past, except in wet weather he needs to be counting to three Mississippi because it takes longer to stop.

[JAS]

I think this Ryanair thing has prompted people to email their flying stories in to BBC Radio2. They had one with an Aussie connecton that tickled me...

Emailer alledgedly on a plane awaiting it's turn to land in terrible weather conditions. Aussie captain's voice comes over the intercom to say...

"Ladies and gentleman this is your captain...we have just been given clearance to land by airtraffic control...don't fancy it myself but we'll give it a go"


Regards
JAS

[therisingblues]

I like it JAS!

Reminds me of that Far Side cartoon, where the captain of the plane is saying "OH MY GOD! The red light's on, we've lost power! We are all going to die!........ Oh wait, it's just the intercom light, everything's alright."