Originally Posted by themicah
On a more FT-minded note... I recently read about how the 7E7 will enable much higher cabin humidity since the composite construction won't corrode as easily as today's metal planes. This was billed as a Good Thing, since the dryness of airplane air is so unpleasant. But I wonder if the increased humidity is going to lead to a serious increase in aromatically challenged passengers, since in my experience humidity seems to exacerbate BO. Maybe the 7E7's humidity won't be enough to make a difference, but I wonder if Boeing has thought about this...
It really depends. Most airlines keep the thermostat set at a fairly cool temperature. (I'd guess that it's probably because the outside temperatures at high altitudes are very low, so keeping the temperature cool reduces the amount of energy required to heat the cabin, reducing fuel usage ever so slightly.) A little added humidity at reasonably low temperatures wouldn't be bad. The problem would be excessive humidity or humidity combined with heat. Over labor day weekend I flew LAX-EWR and was soaked through my shirt before boarding because the AC was out in all of LAX. On the other hand, every single passenger on the flight was in the same boat.
-JMP