New plane seating plan stacks passengers on top of each other
If you thought limited legroom and screaming babies was the worst part about flying, think again.
Airbus has filed a patent for a new seating design that would effectively stack passengers on top of each other.
See also: Where is the safest seat on a plane if it crashes?
The manufacturer is trying to squeeze as many people as possible on board by adding another layer to the seating chart.
This is the proposed business class cabin in a patent the aircraft manufacturer filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office.
See also: New plane seat design: A bit more leg room, a lot more eye contact
Normally passengers are seated six across, but the new design sees the middle row alternate between floor level and elevated seating, with the bonus being that everyone can lay flat.
The seats will go where carry-on luggage bins are currently situated and you would have to climb a set of stairs or a ladder to get to your allocated space.
Airbus wrote in the patent filing: "It is very important from an economic point of view to make optimum use of the available space in a passenger cabin."
But don't panic just yet, just because they've filed a patent does not mean the new design will be in used any time soon, if at all.
But there's little doubt that there's an ongoing trend to fit more passengers in a plane. Just last year, Airbus submitted a proposal to install bicycle style seats into aircraft.
A French design company also recently suggested a new way to design plane seating that involved more legroom.
The unconventional design had passengers facing opposite directions alternately, meaning the compromise for more foot space was a lot more eye contact.
The 'Economy Class Cabin Hexagon', alternates the seats between facing forwards and backwards to give passengers increased shoulder room as well as an extra four inches of legroom.
Related articles:
Airbus reveals bicycle-style seats to fit more passengers on planes
Uncomfortable seats are the worst thing about flying, say travellers
