I have flown on a United (or was it TED) 767 that came from Europe that had these retractable LCD monitors that hang under the hand luggage compartment.

Not just a United issue, so I am moving this to TravelBuzz! for others to contribute.

iluv2fly
Moderator, UA

Not against, no. There are plenty of planes (UA's A320/319s come to mind) with LCD screens. The problem is that you're changing on-board electronic equipment, and therefore the plane needs to be recertified to fly safely with that new equipment (that it doesn't cause harmful interference with avionics, isn't a passenger safety hazard, isn't a fire hazard, etc.). That takes a lot of time, a lot of paperwork, and consequently, a lot of money. At some point, the money/time/paperwork will be worth it given the weight savings. Presumably, UA is simply waiting until they have to overhaul the cabin anyway (e.g. for the new C/F cabins, as I believe that includes a "refreshing" of the Y cabins, including replacement of the CRTs in favor of LCDs, though I could be totally wrong on that).

Easy. Reduce the number of passengers you carry on board the flight. Savings in luggage weight, body weight, all the service items, the number of flight attendants needed, seat weight, IFE weight, etc. You can get faster turn around times and go through service quicker, and board through smaller gate areas and not need as many waiting room seats.

I totally disagree here. You try flying a longhaul or even a transcon with only 2 restrooms! As for me, NO, THANK YOU! :td: Sometimes there are long lines for restrooms as is, even on a 737.

The air being so dry inside the plane, it's important to be well hydrated. That means drinking water and later of course, using a restroom.

I think less pax are a better idea. Make the seats bigger, accomodate less pax and save on fuel. Also, park some really old planes and get newer, more efficient ones. Get rid of CRJ100 and 200s. Etc. LEAVE THE RESTROOMS!!!

I've been on a couple of 737s that have had very long "blended winglets". These must have some weight attached. Chopping them off would reduce that weight.

Er, yeah, except that winglets increase fuel efficiency that more than offsets their additional weight. I'm guessing you already knew that and your post was tongue-in-cheek, but just in case it wasn't......

No thanks. Those armrests keep the obese seatmate in their own seat and not overflowing onto other pax.

Oh well, it was a thought.

How about engines? I was told that the Saab 340 could fly on only one engine, yet it has two. Surely you could reduce the weight by taking one of the engines off. And big aeroplanes have lots of engines. I'm sure they don't need them all.

Why stop there. Airlines could learn from the techniques of hypermileage drivers and learn to turn engines off completely for intervals once cruising altitude is reached. And we all know that jackrabbit starts are a huge gas waste - so we elongate runways a bit and make much more gentle climbs. Pilots can be encouraged to save fuel by receiving cash equivalent to a percentage of jet fuel savings. And passengers can also receive cash back by weighing less, baggage and all - this would, of course, be a voluntary program - pax not wishing to be weighed would pay full fare. ;)

What about cutting down on napkins? I don't need 3 napkins with my drink. 1 will do. If the cup is clean I don't even need 1.

US hands 1 when they take your order, 1 when they are about to give you the drink, and 1 with the drink itself.

No napkins with pretzels either. If you make a mess with pretzels that requires a napkin you have other issues...If i got a napkin with my drink I don't need another with the pretzels too adding to a total of 4.

You could probably dispense with the life jackets that are stowed underneath your seat in longhaul flights - I heard somewhere that not a single life has ever been saved by a lifejacket on a longhaul plane.

They should change all seat cusions from foam to plastic bags filled with Helium. They should also give each passenger a helium baloon as a "welcome on board" gift.

^

Given US is getting rid of pretzels this will no longer be a problem :D