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

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

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