You may need to add ‘thorough leg warm up’ to the top of your pre-flight checklist, as some of Europe’s low-cost airlines could be introducing a new standing-only seating option as early as next year.
The new seating option resembles what can only be described as a glorified bicycle saddle that would need to be perched on for the the duration of a flight. Admittedly it doesn’t sound hugely appealing. But when you take into account the fact that budget airlines could apparently be selling these seat tickets for as little as £1 – it does begin to sound a tad more tempting, hey?
The seats in question (if you can really even call them that) are named the ‘Skyrider 2.0′and were created by Italian manufacturer, Aviointeriorsback in 2018. The idea is that these standing perches could replace some of the regular economy seats for flights that are less than two hours long.
The Skyrider 2.0
Each perch is approximately half the weight of a normal seatmeaning that they would cut down on fuel burn and make room for 20% more passengers on board – as the rows can be much closer together. You’ll certainly never complain about the leg-room of a normal seat again, that’s for sure.
The Skyrider 2.0 has passed all relevant safety tests, and could be installed on selected aircrafts as soon as next year. In a 2018 statement, a Aviointeriors spokesperson said about the new seating option: “Skyrider 2.0 opens the travelling experience to a wider passenger market, creating also a useful space for the introduction of mixed classes boarded on the same aircraft. Its main feature is the original bottom that ensures an increased upright passenger position allowing installation of the seat at a reduced pitch, while maintaining an adequate comfort.”
It’s not yet clear which airlines will be getting on board with the concept, but Ryanair CEO, Michael O’Leary has previously vocalised his desire to introduce ‘standing berths’. In 2012, he said he wanted some of his aircrafts to be fitted with 10 rows of standing seats and that they could potentially cost as little as £1-£5. You know what? Consider me air-ficially intrigued…
