“Economy Class Cabin Hexagon” Promises More Seats & More Legroom, But Will It Fly?
Jeff Edwards July 10, 2015
An unusual patent proposes an aircraft seating arrangement that designers say will allow airlines to fit more passengers on flights, while offering more comfortable space for flyers.
Is it possible to shoehorn more seats on existing planes and increase legroom and seat width as well? The brain trust behind a new aircraft cabin seating plan believe the two goals are not mutually exclusive.
Zodiac Seats, a suppliers of passenger plane seats, has received a patent for an “Economy Class Cabin Hexagon” seating plan that the company promises will offer more room for passengers while also packing more passengers on the plane.
The designs — part of the company’s HD31 or “High Density at 31-inch spacing” project — call for traditional rows of seats to be replaced with staggered, alternate facing seats. The extra room and capacity comes from allowing an overlap in seating that is not possible in conventional side by side seats.
There is at least one glaring drawback to the design, window and aisle seat passengers will find themselves nearly face-to-face with passengers in the middle across from them. This has led to a general panning of the concept cabin design and a great deal of hyperbole in media accounts of the proposed seating arrangement.
![Zodiac Aerospace HD31 seat concept (photo: zodiac aerospace]](http://www.flyertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/10seat2-231x300.jpg)
In an age when fights over reclining seatbacks and passengers taking to social media to share photos of knee wounds from too little legroom are the norm, it’s easy to believe that economy class airplane seats have reached rock bottom, but if early reaction to the economy class cabin hexagon is any indication, things can always get worse.
[Photos & Video: Zodiac Aerospace]
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Why would one support a concept that would further take away the responsibility of the airlines to provide reasonable seating in economy for all? Pretty soon, it will be only children that can fit into these so called enhanced seats. The problems that arise from passenger conflict, bruised knees etc., are the result of the airlines stuffing people into the planes like sardines. The vast majority of people travel in coach and deserve to have reasonable seating space. This space has dwindled as the average size/height for a person has increased. As already asked, how do the window and middle seat occupants get out to use the washroom, much less in an emergency? How about someone who is ill and coughing constantly. Now you are face to face with that person for an entire flight. How pleasant!
Why would one support a concept that would further take away the responsibility of the airlines to provide reasonable seating in economy for all? Pretty soon, it will be only children that can fit into these so called enhanced seats. The problems that arise from passenger conflict, bruised knees etc., are the result of the airlines stuffing people into the planes like sardines. The vast majority of people travel in coach and deserve to have reasonable seating space. This space has dwindled as the average size/height for a person has increased. As already asked, how do the window and middle seat occupants get out to use the washroom, much less in an emergency?
I think it is fairly clear that this is just another one of those crazy concepts that will, (pardon the pun) never fly. I mean, by the time they make it comfortable enough to sit in, plus safe enough to be able to evacuate safely, you will end up with fewer seats than in a current configuration. (I mean, look at it, only the aisle passenger could get out of the seat!) I guess it is nice to know that they are always looking at innovative ways to stuff more of us in without us realising, but for the foreseeable future, the most innovation I can hope for is a relatively comfortable economy seat.
I just had a bit of an epiphany: why not build in accordion-style, collapsible, translucent barriers in-between seats using a lightweight, non-flammable material and a magnetic fastener? Wide open during take-off, landing, and meal/beverage service but could be drawn closed during other periods of flight. You'd only have to make it tall enough to avoid uncomfortable eye contact with the rest of the passengers' bodies fully exposed. Sort of like a poor man's adaptation of the translucent dividers in BA Club World, only drawn horizontally instead of vertically. That would make this configuration much more tolerable!
Those belong on a city bus or subway!