Quote:
Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy Slept Here
the new seats are thinner and the seat cushion actually slides forward slightly when the seat is reclined
The late great National Airlines (Miami) was the last airline I can remember having something like this. The recline, into the face of the person behind you, was very limited. Yet, your body still felt the sensation of a conventional recline. With the complaints about people having their laptops trashed I'm surprised more airlines don't use this. I'll assume cost is the issue--either the seats themselves, and/or the cost of re-fitting existing aircraft.
For those who feel the need to point it out: This type of seating was NOT fleet-wide with National. Their DC-10s were one exception.
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Cost is an issue however the newer seats are made of more lightweight composite materials. They may be more expensive initially but over time actually save money. Less weight means less fuel burned per flight. The initial cost of seat replacement does, however, need to be budgeted and scheduled to coincide with each aircraft's heavy check. It's during those checks that the plane is essentially stripped and re-built from the inside out. Another cost of doing business that the average traveler doesn't think about.
New aircraft are being delivered with these seats already installed. In some cases an older aircraft may never get the new seats because it's nearing the end of it's useful life cycle as a passenger aircraft.