SEAT

How a seat change on flight KL592 has shown the cracks in the system

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We’ve been talking about it for two weeks. hantavirus in Europe and the script is getting more complicated. It is no longer just the three dead, the rejection of the president of the Canary Islands, the air evacuations to Nebraska or the French emergency decrees. Now, in the last few hours, the plane thing is added. And the Health Department of the Generalitat of Catalonia investigate a third case: a passenger on flight KL592 who did not appear in the first scan because she had changed seats during the flight. The important thing here is not the virus. It never has been: hantaviruses have been known for decadesthe Andes variant has waging war for years and the WHO itself classifies the population risk as low. The important thing is the x-ray that traces everything about our international epidemiological control system. And what a picture… The way in which this outbreak has been detected (an autopsy in Johannesburg and not through active surveillance protocols), the failures of tracing (about thirty people disembarked before there was an alert) and the heterogeneous response of the different states are drawing the first serious “stress test” for a world that said it was prepared for the post-COVID world. But it wasn’t. Although the response is being good, effective and worthy of praise, there are three big gaps that we cannot ignore: how diseases are tracked in an increasingly complex world, what happens to the international health cooperation network (when there are people actively trying to dismantle it) and how is it possible that a change of seat can be, even today, enough to lose a contact. In the end, what differentiates this outbreak from that of El Bolsón in ’96 or that of Epuyén in 2018 is that, in addition to affecting a considerable group of Westerners, it has generated an enormous trail of cases internationally. We must not forget that the first deceased from the ship died on April 11 and no one identified the cause until three weeks later. In fact, the detection has had a lot to do with chance: if it had not been for the autopsy that was performed on his wife in Johannesburg, no one would have found out until a long time later. That allowed more than thirty people to get off the ship and move around the world. And how is it that we have ‘unlearned’? The best example is the EU cross-border tracking system which, although it has many technical and legal devices, has been hibernating since 2026. But there are many more, no country had updated protocols for a virus that, let us remember, was causing problems in one of the largest (and interconnected) metropolitan areas in the southern hemisphere. And that should lead us to reflect on how we are going to prepare for a world where these types of problems They are going to be more and more common. Image | Ministry of Health In Xataka | It is not so contagious, but it is very lethal: in Argentina the hantavirus went from 17% to 33% in the blink of an eye

On its way to increasing military production, Spain already has two new candidates: Seat and Ford

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Europe rearms. The war in Ukraine and the constant pressure from the United States Government for European countries to increase their defense spending has driven a rearmament that crosses Europe and has raised blisters among the nations that invest the least in defense. One of them is Spain. But Spain, like many other European countries, is already looking for spaces to increase its weapons production. And he has an idea: car factories. What has happened? Spain is already considering using car factories to promote its military modernization programs. That’s what it says Expansiona medium that points to internal Defense sources as the voices that advance the conversations that the Government would have had with companies such as Ford and Seat. According to this medium, the conversations are part of the implementation of “the budgets and sizing of the new military modernization programs (PEM) that are going to be launched.” The objective is to define the budget to be used and where it could go, with the intention of presenting them around summer and assigning them at the end of the year. Seat and Ford? That Seat and Ford are the first to be mentioned makes a lot of sense. With its conversion towards the electric carMartorell planned to reduce staff and resize its facilities. In 2022 they estimated a surplus of almost 2,000 direct jobs and with a commitment to new technology, the El Prat plant focused on gearboxes is one of the most notable. For its part, Ford seems to be looking for a new future to its Almussafes plant or, at least, part of it. The company has significantly reduced its production and, although it has confirmed the assembly of a new modeleverything indicates that Ford does not fully trust the plant. In fact, the latest rumors suggested that The Chinese company Geely wanted to take over part of the facilities. With a view to Defense. Although there is now open talk of converting part of the plants of these two companies into spaces to produce military material, the truth is that this idea has been floating around Seat for a few weeks. Last March it already emerged that Seat negotiated with Indra to manufacture light military vehicles. The agreement, they assured in Five Dayswould have the approval of the Government, which already stated last year that the reconversion of the automobile industrial sector could involve, at least in part, supporting Defense. It also coincides with the increase in Indra’s investments in the military field. Not only in Spain. Reconditioning automobile facilities to produce war material is not an idea that was born in Spain, far from it. In Germany, there have been negotiations that one of the Volkswagen plants begins to manufacture tanks. Last year there was also talk of Renault’s turnaround, pioneer in tank productionto manufacture drones bound for Ukraine. And not just vehicles. Last March there was already talk of the possibility that Volkswagen will start producing parts for missiles at its Osnabrück plant, according to Financial Times. The intention is that trucks would leave their facilities to transport them but also basic equipment such as shuttles or electrical generators to activate them. A key moment. If governments are looking with eager eyes at European automobile plants, it is because they know that the industry is not going through its best moment. The conversion to electric cars points to massive layoffsespecially because they lack a good part of the mechanical components that are present in any combustion car. Furthermore, its simplification points to shorter assembly times, a greater presence of robots and less human capital. These massive layoffs could be saved, at least in part, with the reconversion of these plants. It must be taken into account that manufacturing in Europe is more expensive than doing so in Asia or countries with preferential trade agreements with Europe such as Morocco either Türkiye. This is moving part of European production to these countries. Especially the smaller ones that are more complicated to make profitable. Spain is of the countries that are suffering the least from the blow because, at the level of salaries and energy costs, we are more competitive than plants from Germany or France. However, both Volkswagen with Seat and Ford, Stellantis either mercedes They have dropped that they are willing to reduce their workforce and production in our country. Photo | Caesar and seat In Xataka | Ford invested 1 billion to produce electric cars in Europe. Now it will invest money in laying off 1,000 employees

If the question is how Seat has lost 100% of its profit in its best year, the answer is simple: Chinese electric car

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The electric car continues to be Seat SA’s great debt. The company that houses Seat and Cupra could be popping the champagne with record numbers, but a decision has destroyed its profit margin despite billing more than ever and selling more cars than ever. The numbers. Seat SA has presented results. The company that houses Seat and Cupra has made public its 2025 numbers with record figures that invite optimism: 15.3 billion euros in turnover (5.1% more than the previous year) 586,300 cars delivered (5.1% more than the previous year) More plug-in hybrids sold than ever, with a growth of 62.9% More electric vehicles sold than ever, with a growth of 65.9% But the figures are obscured when we talk about benefits. And the company barely retained 40.9 million euros of net profit, 92% less than the previous year. And the data on its operating profits is even more dramatic. Seat indicates a million euros with a drop of 99.8% but that figure is subject to IFRS (international financial standards). Seat reports in its results note of -93.1 million euros as a result of exploitation with Spanish financial standards, along with a cash flow of -431 million euros after investing 1,300 million euros in CAPEX and R&D, which add up to a total of 6,200 million euros invested in this item since 2020. A strategy that works. In 2022, with Wayne Griffiths at the helm of the company, Seat SA took a turn in its strategy. The then CEO said that “Cupra is not the end of Seat. Cupra gives Seat a future and the future is electric. The future is Cupra.” Three years later, Cupra has sold 328,800 units, 56.1% of Seat SA cars, with a growth of 32.5% compared to 2024. So, Seat SA had just lost more than 450 million euros in two years. The company has managed to refresh its image and move customers towards more expensive models that leave a greater profit margin. It is never good news to sell fewer cars (Seat sold 257,400 units in 2025, 17% less than the previous year) but the company has managed to compensate for this decline by selling more expensive cars. And not only that, increasing sales. The electric car. In addition, the company has achieved a substantial increase in sales in its most electrified models. However, if Seat has lost relevance in the market it is because its offer, right now, is anti-competitive where electrification is demanded. In fact, the ECO label (and in mild hybridization versions) will have to keep waiting in models like the Ibiza or the Arona. Markus Haupt, new CEO of Seat since Griffiths leftalready made it clear a few months ago that It was impossible to launch an electric car with the Seat logo right now. The problem, he pointed out, is that it was too expensive and that prevented a positioning aligned with the role that Seat is currently playing within the Volkswagen Group. From Germany they understood that that affordable electric role had to be covered by Skoda and Seat will be relegated to an access brand to the motor market, with cars that are already veterans in the market and very little electrified engines. Cars in which no money has been invested but they continue to report profits despite the fact that their sales have been declining. Looking at the volume of electric sales in Europe, it seems that it makes sense not to continue loading up on models that can be cannibalized within the Volkswagen Group. And the Tavascan. Seat SA’s commitment to electric cars was to come with the Cupra Tavascan. The car was sold as a turning point for the brand with the aim of making it clear that we were facing a new image and that Cupra was not only seen as the sports version of Seat. Cupra aimed to make itself in a journey that had already begun with the Born. The Volkswagen Group decided early that for him Cupra Tavascan was competitive it had to be taken to China. But with production already committed, The European Union imposed harsh tariffs on carssince it has the participation of SAIC. The base 10% soared by another 37.6%. That has eaten into any kind of profit generated with a car that had this as its primary objective. These tariffs have not had to be paid by the Skoda Enyaq, Audi Q4 or Volkswagen ID.5, all produced in Europe. Last February, the European Commission confirmed that had reached an agreement to withdraw tariffs on this car as an exceptional case. Cupra has promised not to lower the price and to comply with an export quota. Both figures are, however, confidential. at losses. Although Cupra has promised not to lower the price, it is highly unlikely that the company would have opted for this once the tariffs had been lifted. And it is that the Cupra Tavascan was being sold at a loss despite exceeding 40,000 euros per unit. Aware that it was impossible to sell the car at a price that would allow them to make money with such high tariffs, Cupra preferred to eat that cost and lose money with each car sold. The strategy may make sense because the production commitments in China are maintained and it has helped the company to put the car on the street, make it visible and invest in brand image. Already in 2024 the brand expected to lose 500 million euros with the sale of the Tavascan. An optimistic view. The good news for Seat is that, at last, they have managed to get their Tavascan to start generating profits for the company instead of eating them. But also that Cupra remains strong with its electrified bet. The Cupra Born has been recently renovated and the Raval will arrive in 2026, made in Martorell. The company’s goal is to achieve, by 2030, a profit margin of 6%. To do this, they say, they will focus on cost … Read more

punish those who buy a Seat Arona

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There is a way to fill your streets with electric cars. And it does not have to go through aid to those who buy it. Or, at least, it doesn’t just have to go through aid to those who buy it… In Denmark they have another idea: punish those who opt for a combustion car. And that is a slab for cheap gasoline. 65%. So far this year, 15.8% of electric cars sold in Europe are electric. In our country, although we have been growing little by little, we remain in a bare 8%. For now, the European market survives on markets that buy a very high volume of electric cars like germany and countries with a very high penetration of this type of vehicles. Germany and France, which are the countries where, by volume, the most electric cars are purchased, are on the border of 18%, slightly improving the European data. But there are countries where these figures explode. In the Netherlands and Sweden they are close to 35%. Let’s not talk about Norway, with 95%. Let’s talk, instead, about Denmark. Do you help?. Although in most of Europe we have sought success in purchasing aid, perhaps we should start to change our approach. In Spain, the system created for MOVES III Plan is cumbersome and not very transparent for the consumer. Whoever approaches the dealership for an electric car has to take advantage of a 0% loan from the company (if it advances the aid) or wait for more than a year for the money to arrive. If it reaches you. Germany now has one of the Higher electric car purchase rates in Europe and by volume it is the first market. However, it has gone through its ups and downs. At the end of 2023 they withdrew aid for electric cars and immediately afterwards crashed in the market. Manufacturers published huge discounts hoping for a return of subsidies that have never arrived. Why have the tables turned? Taxes. For attacking the market in a way similar to that of Denmark. In both countries, those who buy an electric car are rewarded but, above all, those who buy a gasoline car are punished by pushing them to opt for the cleaner option. In Germany, as in Belgiumthe State is subsidizing the purchase of electric company cars, an economic incentive that is usually common in its companies. In Denmark, anyone who opts for a combustion car is harshly punished. The registration tax is calculated taking into account the volume of emissions of each car. And that increases the cost of having a gasoline car. How does it work? In Denmark, in addition to a 25% VAT, you have to pay a progressive registration tax that varies with respect to its cost. First tranche (cars up to 65,000 DKK, about 8,700 euros): 25% the value of the car Second tranche (cars between 65,000-202,200 DKK, from 8,700 euros to 27,000 euros): 85% the value of the car Third tranche (cars over 202,200 DKK, over 27,000 euros): 150% of the car’s value But this registration tax has some asterisks. If the car is for private use and is electric, 40% of the tax is paid. But, in addition, the State subsidizes up to DKK 165,000 of this tax. That is, you only start paying when the tax exceeds more than 20,000 euros and only 40% of it. And the gasoline ones? Here is the great incentive to go electric. The gasoline car not only pays the expected registration tax. In addition, an additional surcharge must be paid for vehicle emissions. The sections are the following: 0-109 grams of CO2: 280 DKK (37.49 euros) per gram of CO2 109-139 grams of CO2: 560 DKK (74.99 euros) per gram of CO2 more than 139 grams of CO2: 1,064 DKK (142.47 euros) per gram of CO2 In Motorpassion They give the case of a Seat Arona as an example. The car will have to pay 85% of its value but, in addition, it has an extra cost of 5,211 euros. Emitting 124 grams/km of CO2 with its 95 HP 1.0 TSI engine, you will pay 30,520 DKK for the first 109 grams/km of CO2 and another 15 grams/km of Co2 at a cost of 560 DKK, which adds up to 8,400 DKK. That is, the punishment is 38,920 DKK, about 5,211 euros. hateful comparisons. Taking all of the above into account, we can think of an electric car for 50,000 euros (373,475 DKK). In that case, we will have to count on two taxes. The first is the VAT which, as we have seen, is progressive and we would pay the following: First tranche: 25% of DKK 65,000, which is DKK 16,250 Second tranche: 85% from 65,000 DKK to 202,200 DKK, which is 116,620 DKK. Third tranche: 150% from 202,200 to 373,475, which is 256,912 DKK In total, 389,782 DKK (about 52,193 euros). From that money we must subtract 165,000 DKK that the State puts out of its own pocket, which leaves us with 234,782 DKK. But, in addition, electric ones have a 40% reduction. That is, another 93,891 DKK. The fee is therefore reduced to 140,837 DKK (18,850 euros tax) It is also free from the penalty of the emissions tax. A gasoline car with a base price of 25,000 euros, a bracket similar to that found in a Seat Arona, will have to pay the tax equivalent to 186,708 DKK. That is, the 16,250 DKK of the first tranche and 85% of 121,708 DKK of the second tranche. That is, 103,452 DKK. The total is therefore 119,702 DKK. Or, what is the same, just over 16,000 euros. In this case, however, the State does not cover any of the registration tax and the CO2 penalty must be added, which amounts to another 38,920 DKK. That is, 5,211 euros more to make a total of more than 21,000 euros for registering a Seat Arona, almost the same as the cost of the vehicle. … Read more

“It is impossible to make an electric car with SEAT if we want to earn money”

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The current interim CEO of the brand has put a brake on any short and medium term electrification plan for SEAT, focusing the entire electricity bet of the group in Cupra. In fact, it has been in the Munich Motor Show where some of the coupra models that will mark the future of the brand have been seen. An electric SEAT that does not arrive. “Today it is impossible to make an electric car with SEAT if we want An interview With the media. The shadow of An electric volkswagen for 20,000 euroswhich would materialize according to the company in 2027, unbalance all SEAT electrification plans. “If Volkswagen sells at that price, how much should Seat sell?” Haupt continued. The Raval Cupra makes an appearance at the IAA Mobility. Image: Cupra A two brand strategy. The decision to keep Seat out of the electrification responds to a clear commercial logic that HAUPT himself explains: “Seat today is an ideal complement to coupra, because they are in different segments, aimed at different customers.” While Cupra is positioned right now as the premium and sports brand that can assume electrification costs, Seat will remain in the field of combustion and hybridization. To this strategy is added the launch next month of The new versions of Ibiza and the Aronademonstrating that the company wants to continue betting on renewing its range of supervent vehicles. Cupra takes the electrical prominence. The group’s electric future is concentrated exclusively in Cupra, which next year will launch the ravalits entrance model from 25,000 euros with up to 450 kilometers of autonomy. This vehicle will occur in Martorell next to the Volkswagen Id.polowith an estimated capacity of 300,000 units annually between both models. HAUPT has also presented in Munich the Cupra Tindayaa concept car that will reach production “at the beginning of the next decade” and that marks the new brand design language. Of figures goes the thing. In the first semester, Seat and Cupra barely reached an operational benefit of 38 million eurosand Haupt It has been clear on the need to “reduce our cost structure.” Tariffs to the coupra tavascan manufactured in China have negatively impacted these results, although the manager is optimistic about a resolution before the end of the year after negotiations with Brussels. The future is still electric, but not for everyone. Despite how resounding his words have been with Seat, Haupt maintains that “the day will come where I suppose that the amount of electric cars will exceed combustion. That will allow us to improve component prices and make the electric car more affordable for the consumer and cheaper for us.” Meanwhile, the group continues to make the decision to play with Cupra and Seat to satisfy its entire audience. Cover image | SEAT In Xataka | Volkswagen presents the ID. Cross concept and the least is the car: the buttons return and forget the rare names

Seat has the Seat León and Byd has the “Sealion”. So there is already a legal dispute open due to the similarity of the name

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What should be an unimportant procedure has become a small controversy. Seat has challenged the Registration of several byd vehicles in the Intellectual Property Office of the European Union (EUIPO) to understand that both names can be confused with models of their brand. Specifically, Seat has filed an appeal against the record of the name of the Byd Seal, Seal U and Sealion, which are already sold in our country. But also of the Byd Seal and and Seal S, names that still do not have a vehicle awarded but that the Chinese company would be trying to register well to block the name or because in the future new models will arrive that will use these denominations. A procedure that has been complicated What Seat maintains in your resource is that any of these names can lead to confusion with their own denominations and, therefore, induce an unfair advantage or damage to your reputation. At least, that’s what It reads in any of the motivations of its resources. Obviously, the possibility of inducing an error is much higher when we jump from Spanish to English or we see both options written. The most obvious is that Seal and Seat are only differentiated by a letter. Secondly, Seat León and Sealion have a very similar pronunciation in English. For our part, we have contacted the Seat Communication Department, who claim not to give importance to the matter. They assure that it is “a usual process” when any brand seeks to register a new vehicle and that, obviously, “it can be dismissed or admitted” but that for them “is an issue that is not very important.” At the moment, what is certain is that Byd will continue to sell its vehicles under this denomination unless it receives the refusal from the relevant institutions. It would be necessary to see if, in case of winning the appeal, the Chinese company scale or not to the courts this dispute since three of those names are already awarded to cars that are in the market. In fact, in what we have been, Byd has enrolled more than 12,000 units In our country, of which half correspond to the Byd Seal U (6,161 units registered). The SUV is fighting with the Toyota C-HR for being the best-selling hybrid in our country at the moment. And, now, Byd is fighting to make the leap to new European markets, once its situation in the initial European markets, such as Spain, has settled. Photo | Byd and Seat In Xataka | Byd has shown us that the 400 kilometers load in five minutes is very real. And they have managed to change their minds

A driver has been arrested for overloading his Seat León with 700 kg. The traffic fine is the slightest of its problems

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The punishment for breaching one of the sections of the Traffic Law in its article number 76 is clear: 200 euros of fine. It is what corresponds to someone who circulates with “vehicles with the poorly conditioned or with a danger of falling.” The relative to article number 77 of the Traffic Lawin which it is stated that “circular with a vehicle that breaches the technical conditions that seriously affect road safety” is a very serious infraction, punishes drivers with 500 euros of a fine. Any of these two articles, we believe, can be applied to those who drive a car loaded with 700 kg of luggage The problem is that this luggage is stolen cable. Or that the car is not even yours. In that case, you are before the youngest of your problems. When you have a much more serious problem than a traffic fine Because this way the driver of a Seat León circulated, arrested by the Civil Guard in Pilas (Sevilla), as he collects ABC. The detainee was intercepted by the Civil Guard by spotting a very loaded vehicle. When they wanted to stop him, the driver fled on foot to try to mislead the agents who finally ended up stopping it. And the driver knew perfectly that the youngest of his problems was overweight inside his car. The car intercepted, the agents discovered that distributed in the trunk and the rear seats carried 700 kg of stolen cable. Obviously, the intention was to resell copper. But, in addition, the car appeared in the records In the name of a deceased personwhich clearly demonstrated the intention of going unnoticed. The subtraction of the telephone wiring was located between Jabugo and Castaño del Robledo (Huelva) so the driver managed to cover a part of his escape. In total, it is estimated that the detainee stole 1,250 meters of telephone wiring that would have tried to move inside the vehicle. To know how much weight we can carry in our car, we must go to the technical file. In it we will find the data of the maximum authorized mass (MMA), which is forbidden to overcome because we will be putting our safety and the performance of our vehicle at risk. There is no concrete figure of how many kg we can load in a car but, yes, the maximum figure that we can find in a MMA is 3,500 kg because above this weight we could not circulate with a driver’s bnea B that this license is designed exclusively for cars. Photo | Civil Guard In Xataka | How to take the luggage without receiving the 200 euros of the DGT fine

They are not your imaginations, the seat of airplanes is increasingly uncomfortable. He began to shrink in 1978 and since then he has not stopped

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The scene It is familiar For any passenger of a commercial flight in “tourist” class: backpack between the legs, knees embedded against the frontal back and a failed attempt to reach the floor of the cabin without hitting the forehead. What was previously an experience of discovery or luxury has degenerated, for the majority, in An uncomfortable struggle for the most elementary physical space. It happens that this transformation is not fortuitous, and began in the United States. The free market. Before 1978, airlines in the United States functioned as regulated public services. Basic rates, routes and standards (including the space between seats and customer treatment) were supervised by the federal government. The tickets were more expensive than today, but included services such as billed luggage, food and seats with dimensions Chords to the human body half. The problem? That the frame changed drastically with THE AIR AUTLINE ACTlegislation that opened the sector to the competition on behalf of the free market. The promise was that The rates would fall and the service would improve. In practice, after a brief explosion of new companies, the market was rapidly consolidated to the Current oligopoly: four airlines (American, Delta, United and Southwest) They control 80 % of the US market. In that new competitive environment, operational efficiency was imposed as an absolute priority, and the reduction of passenger space became one of the most effective tools for Increase margins Without raising prices. My seat diminishes. Evolution has been progressive but constant. In the eighties, traditional airlines offered an average of 90 cm space between seats (the called pitch), while today an average of 80 cm is reached in regular airlines, and only 70 cm in low-cost companies such as Spirit or Wizz Air. By the way, the seat width has also fallen around 5 cm. This reduction has reached a critical point: studies They point out that more than half of the passengers already They do not fit comfortably In standard seats. The effect is especially dramatic for overweight people, the elderly or those who travel with young children, groups that have also been Excluded from the tests Evacuation officers that FAA has used to justify the current regulations. It is not an illusion, this way it was traveling in economy class in bread in the 70s The reduction in Europe. In Europe, the “to the worst” change for passengers, that is, the progressive loss of space, services and comfort on board, began a little later, in the 1990s, although its regulatory trigger is located a few years earlier, with the European air liberalization which developed in three phases between 1987 and 1997. The clearest inflection point was the call Third Liberalization Package (1992-1997), which culminated in the creation of the Unique European skyallowing any EU airline to operate freely within the community space without restrictions on routes or rates. From there, several effects were triggered, mainly: the massive entry of Low-Cost airlines (Ryanair, Easyjet or Wozz), standardization down and the indirect deregulation (The EU maintained certain standards, but did not impose minimum seat dimensions). We are bigger. Over the years the problem has been aggravated by a purely “natural” issue. The reduction of space coincides with a demographic transformation and, above all, physiological and very human: our body has evolved “more”. A fact: According to the CDCsince the 1990s the average weight of American adults has increased In more than 7 kg. Today’s women weigh the same as the men of three decades ago, and although height growth has stabilized, body size has increased. Despite this, the dimensions of air furniture have not only grown up, but They have diminishedchallenging the tendency of other sectors such as car or entertainment, where the seats have adapted to the new size of the public. In the words of Flyersrights, Paul Hudson, The airlines “They have gone in the opposite direction to the human body.” The business of making. In the background, the Progressive compression of space responds to A clear logic: Sell more tickets by plane and segment the offer to the maximum. Basic tickets are announced with prices artificially lowbut once in the purchase process, passengers are forced To pay supplements For additional space under labels such as “Economy Plus” or “Comfort”. This has created the closest to a system of Aerial casteswhere a minority of frequent or business travelers accesses acceptable conditions, while the rest must choose between supporting claustrophobic conditions or paying more for something that was previously standard. According to William McGeeexpert in economic freedoms, this logic generates “A kind of torture against a moderately human class.” This duality not only affects comfort, but it raises ethical questions on air service equity. Health risks. He problem transcends The scope of comfort. Prolonged immobility in small spaces (especially in long -term flights) increases risk of deep venous thrombosis, a condition that can lead to potentially fatal pulmonary embolisms. The CDC recommends moving Every two or three hoursbut this is impracticable in flights with turbulence or in overalls. In addition, overcrowding seriously complicates the possibility Evacuate a plane In 90 seconds, the limit that FAA demands. Tests carried out by the agency concluded that the seat size It does not influence significantly, but experts who observed the experiment point multiple deficiencies: It was carried out in a parking lot, not in a real aircraft, and children, adults and people with disabilities were excluded. In addition, the test group was composed of just 60 people, well below the real capacity of a commercial flight. How to survive. Before institutional inaction, responsibility falls, of course, In passengers. Experts recommend (if the budget allows) to acquire seats with more space for long flights. Some travelers even acquire two contiguous seats (although be careful, because airlines can reassign them without prior notice). It is also suggested, the time, get up and walk Every time the opportunity arises, and, in high risk cases, Take anticoagulants Light under medical supervision. These strategies are mere palliative in … Read more

In the eyes of the DGT, a Seat Ibiza contaminates more than a Lamborghini. The government wants to end it

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The environmental label system It is broken Practically since he was born. The labels Zero, echo, c and b They try to order from least to greater the environmental impact of the different vehicles that circulate in Spain. The problem? It is quite imprecise and leaves both manufacturers and drivers to make certain traps (never loading a PHEV, supercar with small gigantic batteries and engines, etc.). Almost ten years after its implementation, the Government of Spain will make a Tag system review. It does not rule out making deep changes in it and changing the assignment of environmental badges. Why now. Through a transactional amendment of Sumar, ERC, Bildu and BNG, included in the Sustainable Mobility Law, the Government has pledged to make a study and review of the current environmental labeling system. A period of twelve months is given for the Executive to present said study, including the proposal to review the badges. Although they have not transcended details about the modifications, which must still be studied, there are several suspects under the focus. Zero and Eco Tags . Manufacturers have been taking advantage of the necessary requirements to obtain the ECO and zero label. The first protect all vehicles hybrids with more than 40km of electrical autonomy and those vehicles that work with gas (LPG either CNG). The second to all electric and hybrids with electric autonomy of less than 40km. Many of these vehicles They don’t even rechargeand end up always working with fuel. Others directly have ridiculous autonomies in electrical mode and gigantic motors. This is the case of some Manufacturers Supercars such as Lamborghini. Huge engines with unbroken powers and minimal autonomies in electric mode. CO2 criteria. Another of the biggest problems of the distinctive system has to do with real carbon dioxide emissions. It is a criterion that is not measured directly, the system is based on euro regulations (which already reflect emissions) putting the focus on the age of the vehicle and not in how much it really pollutes. How will it be done. The Government will review the environmental label system, use CO2 emissions as an additional criteria, and focus on those polluting vehicles with ECO label. To achieve this, a joint work will be done with the Ministries of Interior, Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Industry and Commerce and Business, among others. Similarly, consultations will be made to the different autonomous communities. The changes will not be retroactive, they will only affect new registration vehicles. This new classification will only be effective in vehicles recently taken from the concessionaire, which are already in circulation will not see their label modified. The chaos with the zbe. The measure will not solve the current chaos with Las Zbe in Spain. In Granada they are mocking her by changing the registerMadrid continues to discuss their impact after The Varapalo of the Superior Court of Justiceand while Spain is still committed to this system a good part of the public transport system It was renewed with diesel fleets. With a maximum period of 12 months, the government faces one of the most complex reviews in the automobile industry. Changes will deeply affect The sale of certain cars in Spainand the criteria for considering that a vehicle is or not polluting are now in the air. Image | DGT In Xataka | Guide to know if your car can circulate through the Zbe of Madrid in 2024: labels, registered and areas

The reclining seat is the great battle among plane passengers. A Neozylandesa airline believes to have the solution

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If you fly, it is likely that it has happened to you more than once. You are comfortably sitting in your seat, buckled belt, headphones in the ears and a good book in the hands, and suddenly (plas!) The back of the passenger in front It is about you. Your vital space is smiling. You no longer move with the same comfort. And the worst thing is that little you can do to solve it. After all, the seats are designed for that: recline. In New Zealand there is an airline that has had An idea to avoid that kind of situations. Its proposal is still limited (it applies in the premium class), but it provides at least one solution to a problem that is usually a source of infinite discussions (and even fights) on the planes. THE WAR OF THE SEATS. A year Heather Poole, a hostess of an American airline and author of A book in which he speaks of his 15 years of experience with “crazy passengers at 35,000 feet high,” he published on the CNN website An article loaded with irony about one of the big problems with which the cabin staff fought during flights: the fights triggered by the reclining seats. “In addition to the lack of Wi -Fi or a damaged entertainment system, flight assistants listen to more complaints about the reclined seats than about anything else,” Poole explains Before recounting the case of a passenger who came to threaten to punch if the traveler in front of him continued to lower his seat. “A reclining armchair can be reclined, and no one can do anything about it”, Warns the flight attendant. “If you get it or threats to hit someone you will be you who ends up expelled.” And Air New Zealand arrived. The New Zealand flag airline, Air New Zealand, has decided to take advantage of the modernization of part of its fleet to try a way to end the fights for reclining seats. The company, based in Auckland, has taken advantage of the first “reconditioning” of an aircraft 787-9 Dreamliner to replant the design of the cabins, including among other issues new seats. The aircraft includes the Business Premier, Business Premier Luxe, Premium Economy and Economy Business category. Each has its peculiarities but if we talk about the subject that worries Poole (and the rest of the world’s hostess) the interesting is the Economy Premium. In addition to adding some lateral “wings” to the seat to offer greater privacy to the passengers and expand the storage space, the New Zealand company has sought ways to ensure that if a traveler wants to bow his neck, he does not finish a few centimeters from the passenger’s chest behind him. “All seats have a fixed exterior housing, which means that their reclines does not affect the person behind,” duck. Is it the definitive solution? It is of course an interesting idea for a problem that, although it may seem anecdotal, alters the flight experience to many passengers and forces intervene often to cabin staff. The concept of reclining seat with an exterior housing that prevents the backrest from going backwards It is not new (at least in trains) and Air New Zealand limits it to its Premium Economy class. The tourist class seats of its adapted 787-9 are simpler and the company does not specify that they incorporate any novelty related to the inclination. With all the bet is interesting because the airline wants to continue modernizing its 787-9. The first of its reconditioned aircraft will be released on an Auckland-Brisbane flight on May 19, but the company is already working on a second ship in Singapore and hopes to have seven units ready for the end of the year. “The 14 Boeing 787-9 of the Air New Zealand fleet will be updated to the new cabin configuration by the end of 2026,” They clarify From the company. How serious is the problem? “The main problem is that airlines are piling too many seats in a small space. Do you remember the leg space?” Ironiza Poole. Your comment slips a key idea: optimization does not respond only to a matter of comfort, it is also (and above all) an economic issue. Airplanes have a limited capacity and conditioned by the manufacturer, but to the extent that their squares are redesigned by airlines can earn space, travelers … and money. The issue is so relevant that there are airlines that have op reduce degrees of inclination of your seats or limit Its rotation. In the sector even The idea is handled to directly install immobile seats that prevent any degree of adjustment. That without even more radical ideas, such as that of the Spanish entrepreneur Alejandro Núñez and his two height seator the places for passengers They fly standingraised by some Low Cost. Goodbye to the fights? That is the goal. And one of the advantages that a priori offer the seats of the new Air New Zealand aircraft. They are not the only ones who have sought ways to put some “peace” among the people who have to share flight hours in a limited space. There are companies that have come to design Kits that allows the front seat to be tilted and It is not so much Tiktok circulated a trick more than questionable to prevent the passenger from front to incline our lap: activate the air conditioning and guide it towards it. Images | Air New Zealand In Xataka | We have been binding to the suitcases to identify them at the airport for years. Your employees warn that it is a bad idea

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