Why, when we see these patent applications from aircraft manufacturers, are they never for designs that would make flying economy better?
The latest horrific, dystopian aircraft seating design comes from Airbus: The patent application shows mezzanine seating within the cabin which makes for a kind of stacked passengers effect.
Aircraft manufacturers like to assuage traveler anxiety by saying these designs are not necessarily going to be implemented, and that a company like Airbus files for hundreds -- or even thousands -- of patents each year.
“This does not mean they are necessarily going to be adopted into an aircraft design," an Airbus spokesperson told the Telegraph. "This preserves the innovation and idea.”
But preserving the idea means that you would like the option to use it later. If they really want us all to calm down, they should start filing patents for in-cabin jacuzzis and economy-class massage chairs.
Back to this mezzanine thing.
There are, of course, planes now in operation that have more than one level in the cabin. But they're usually entire floors, not weird half-levels that just make it look like a shipping container -- or a can of sardines.
"In modern means of transport, in particular in aircraft, it is very important from an economic point of view to make optimum use of the available space in a passenger cabin," Airbus wrote in the patent application -- an opening line they've been using on patents for years.
We can agree that it should be "optimum," but maybe aircraft manufacturers and travelers should have a chat about what that word really means.