New Airline Seating Patent Promises True Sardine Experience

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

The quest to achieve the highest passenger density ratio per square inch might be one step closer with the patent application of the Economy Class Cabin Hexagon.

Zodiac Seats France believes this design will allow for better storage of cabin passengers while providing low-fare cargo more “space available at the shoulder and arm area.”

The kicker? You have the opportunity for two passengers staring at you the entire flight.

The seating arrangement is such that middle passengers face rearward toward their opponents in the same row; hence providing the greater amount of shoulder room due to the arms being higher than the legs. This provides an efficient use of space as the knees together compliments the adjacent width of the opposing cargo’s pelvis.

In an ideal sardine can, every other row juxtaposes the fish where the wider head meets the other’s tail section; thus achieving efficient packing. Zodiac Seats’ solution provides this benefit to the airlines. Stacking passengers vertically is unfortunately prohibited by regulators. Yet, it might be a possibility in future Virgin Galactic flights due to the absence of gravity.

Maybe this new invention will spark interest in developing passenger service for UPS, Hanjin, and Norfolk Southern.

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