nsx

Airplanes can become unstable with too much weight in the rear and not enough in the front. First class sections carry less passenger weight per linear foot than coach sections.

Wouldn't airplanes be safer if airlines located business and first classes at the rear of the aircraft rather than at the front? To preserve boarding and exit convenience for premium passengers, the aircraft could be boarded from the rear door rather than the front.

milepig

How are you proposing to board an aircraft from the rear door when at a gate? This only works when at a remote stand. The impracticality of pulling a plane up to the gate butt first was just discussed on another thread.

Galileo787

I haven't seen any airport terminal air bridges connecting to the aft aircraft entry doors.
You would have the FC/BC passengers walk down from the air bridge, then on to the ramp, then up the portable stairs to the aft entry door?
FC and BC passengers would be safer seating in the back if there was a accident tho.
FC train passengers in India are seated in the last section of the train which makes then safer.

Cloudship

Actually this is a know issue. But not the way you think. With the development of fancier first class and business class seating, some older aircraft are being pushed beyond their weight limits and thus are not able to fly with full loads, likewise the weight and balance issue is distorted, meaning airlines need to readjust cargo and baggage. Fortunately this is being thought about in the designs for newer aircraft.

The rear of the aircraft is both noisier and subject to more movement during turbulence as well. In the old days of turboprops, first was often located in the back, as that was a quieter section.

WorldLux

I'm pretty sure, that Boeing and Airbus take into account on how the aircraft is going to be configured. Beoing/Airbus will take the usual cabin configuration into account when developping the aircraft and depending on that move the wings, wingbox and main gear either more to the front or the back. Moreover, they can move heavy equipment (e.g. air conditioning, avionics bay, Toilet tank system, etc...) to the front to balance the plane.

Over-wing jet bridges have been in use at some airports, but are generally dismissed as being to expensive and risky to operate. KL sometimes use them in AMS.

Backing in a 80x80 widebody is pretty much a no-go. It would be like parking a car while blindfolded and without assistance of anybody.

Amsterdam has over the wing jet bridges, but I haven't seen them in action that often. Furthermore they don't seem to work with every aircraft type.

CPRich

When I've had to move due to W&B issues, it's always been towards the back. So the premise that planes are tail heavy isn't true, IME.

:D!

How does this work? Do Indian trains always travel in the same direction and turn around via loops or turntables or do they swap round the carriages whenever a train needs to reverse etc?

For Virgin trains in the UK, first class is usually seated towards London.

WorldLux

Just out of curiosity: What airplane was it?

I've been moved due to W&B issues as well, but those situation occurred in my case on turboprops, that did not carry specific First/business class seats.

nux

Blocking forward rows of seats on ERJ-170, ERJ-190 and sometimes A319/A320 aircraft with low expected loads for W&B is quite common on BA for example.

trooper

Given the cargo carried Id suggest the LEAST critical factor for W&B is people and seats...

stut

Still is, on ATRs - you board from the back on those.

lhrsfo

But surely the sort of people who travel business or First want to be in front of other people. That's what status is all about.

stut

Some do, some don't. Perhaps that's why BA's herringbone layout is so popular?

ft101

Easyjet too, but they block seats towards the front so they can use only the front baggage hold for quicker loading/unloading

CPRich

Many small planes, but also those listed plus many instances of lightly-loaded AA Mad Dogs. E70/90/MD all had F cabins.

I don't think I've even seen W&B issues on widebodies, so no idea which direction they move people.