The Challenges of Aircraft Seat Manufacturers while Designing New Seats

12 Oct 2015
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In case you are in a long flight, the coach seat may be the chair of torture. It does not take much to ruin a good ride of airplane. However, things are expected to get heated. The changes are taking place right now. The carriers are now looking on how to add to their profits but reducing or adding the number of the coach seats, cutting or increasing the distance that exist between rows and others. This is known as aeronautical chair’s game that can affect the passenger comfort, cost and convenience.

Now the experts from the aircraft seat manufacturers talk about the reasons that may be behind such discomfort and anger. They true is that the seats get smaller, passenger get bigger and also closer. What has been found out is that the seat has become too narrow and there are no place where to use the arms or shoulders. However, the challenge is that the seats are the basic of the revenue that the company gets. Some aircraft has 3 seats on each side but to achieve the maximum comfort, at least 2 seats have to be found on every side so that the seats may be somehow wider. However, this will reduce the head count which means reduced revenue and this will not work out.

Another problem is that while measuring the seat, the manufacturers used the hips of men and they were thinking that it will still accommodate that of women but they did not consider that it is not possible for larger women. This is why the airlines seats are at least 5 inches narrow. The first concern about the comfort of the seat is how it is easy to move in the seat. People want to readjust their posture as many times as they can in order to stay comfortable. When this is not the case, the passengers are at risk of suffering deep vein thrombosis, which is a serious health problem that affects the people who suffer blood clots. When the patients seat on the place for a long period, it may lead to the clotting of the veins. The clots may break loose and they may travel within the bloodstream and they may lodge in lungs while blocking the flow of the blood.

Even the aircraft seat manufacturers are now working on reconfiguring the seat of the airplanes, the width may not change. It is also possible that the seat will start to move closer together. The pitch is known as the distance from one seat to the same point for another found behind it. The typical seat pitch coach is 31 to 35 but with the new pitch configuration, the rows will move closer. However, with the new seat design, the passengers are looking to get extra inch for the legroom. Many passengers agree that they can pay more to have more leg room.

The latest magic word with the aircraft seat manufacturers is the articulating seat pan. Articulating seat pan is how the airlines tend to move seats row closer together but without affecting the legroom. With the traditional reclining airline seat, the seat back alone moves, however, with the articulating seat pan, the back of the rear moves while the seat pan may move forward. The back of a seat will not be moving like the traditional seat did. However, there is a feeling that it gets even further. Since seat will not need too much room when it comes to the reclining, it will save space to offer more seats. The back of the seat is also thinner and this saves more space.

According to the aircraft seat manufacturers, the coach seats are not expected to get bigger sooner. This is because the concern of the consumers is not about having bigger seat but having low fare and this is what the airlines are offering. The manufacturers of the seat are ready to make wide seat but still they have to do what their customers who are the airlines ask them to do. The airlines also want to give their passengers what they are looking. If the customers complain about the width of their seats, they are the ones who can drive the change. By now, the seats are meant to offer a comfortable seating but at the same time balancing with the affordable fare.