As if the “flying doughnut” and bicycle-esque seat weren’t bad enough, a new airplane seating arrangement threatens to eliminate every last ounce of air travelers’ dignity by forcing them to stare at one another for the duration of a flight.
It’s called the “economy class cabin hexagon” and it looks as awful as it sounds.
Patent documents filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization by Zodiac Seats France, an industry supplier, propose arranging airline seats side-by-side but facing opposite directions, putting passengers at real risk of making dreaded eye contact.
The patent application said the aim of the new configuration is to increase cabin density ” while also creating seat units that increase the space available at the shoulder and arm area by creating an overlap in the shoulder areas of adjacent seats.
But really, who needs shoulder space? We’d guessing that passengers would rather have their arms totally immobilized instead of having to sit inches away from strangers, while positioned face-to-face.