The fight for budget and leisure travel continues with Monarch Airways of the United Kingdom trying out a new idea.
Monarch Airways Airbus A321 taxing off the main runway at Birmingham Airport – Image GhettoIFE.
Monarch Airways are to launch new seat for their planes…. and there’s a few things that you know about them. First up are the pictures…
The cabin and seating – facing toward the cockpit, – Image, Monarch Airways
The new seats in situ – Image, Monarch Airways
The seats with tray tables deployed – Image, Monarch Airways
Monarch’s new seats backs with tablet mounted – Image, Monarch Airways
So, what do we have here? Well, slimseats lightweight again are the order of the day… with an added feature that some airlines might be watching – they’re non-reclining. Considering some of the mission these planes fly (eg London Luton to Sharm El Sheikh, this could be a long time sitting on a non-reclinable seat
Slimline seats are always a firm favourite of airlines, as they are lower weight than the traditional seats installed in aircraft. This in turn means lower fuel costs per trip.
In addition, extra rows of seats can be installed to provide more capacity – or legroom can be increased due to the lack of seat padding.
Maybe the most interesting feature about these seats is the top of the passenger seat that can hold a phone or a tablet in it. Whilst there’s no way to charge it, it is a boon for those who wish to bring their own devices.
Monarch talks about these new seats in glowing term, stating:
“The new non-reclining design gives our customers far more “living space” than traditional seats, without the fear of the person in front impinging on their personal space.”
“We noted from customer feedback that seat storage is particularly important. The new seats offer more flexibility than traditional ‘pockets,’ using the concept of the bungee cord the storage area can now comfortably fit water bottles, jackets and even kids’ toys. The innovative tablet holder also enables our customers to create their own personal in-flight entertainment system.”
Monarch Airlines are primarily a leisure orientated airline operating from London Luton, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds-Bradford and East Midlands to destinations in Southern Europe (Spain, The Canary Islands, Italy, Greece) as well as seasonal operation to Germany and Austria, and Egypt.
Monarch’s network map.
The new seats do look reasonable in themselves, but I can’t help but think other low-cost airline are looking very closely at this development carefully, and examining how to integrate these low-weight seats into their business models. Certainly when it comes to shaving costs, airlines are looking to save every penny in terms of fuel and by having more passengers on board – and slimline seats fit the bill nicely in this space.
Me? Whilst slimline seats promise more seat legroom, I hate the lack of seat padding. On shorthaul legs – this isn’t so important, but on longer haul legs, that padding does feel thin and bench like after more than a couple of hours.
The seat backs look really modern, but I feel that the non reclining seats will be a problem, especially on longer flights because some people, like me, fall asleep more easily when deep reclined. It’s understandable if the seat doesn’t recline because it’s in front of an emergency exit, but when the seat doesn’t recline on a really long flight it could cause back problems for the passenger.