Flightglobal:

Privately-owned Chinese low-cost carrier Spring Airlines has spoken to Airbus about adding standing-seats on its Airbus A320s so it can have 40% more passengers......

Author: Leithen Francis

Date: 30 June 2009

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 40% more passengers is some increase but surely it is sacrificing the whole point of air travel, in that it is a civilised way to travel. Some would say that has already been tampered with by the Ryanair's of this world but surely removing seats would feel like cattle.

So here's the concept......I wonder if Ryanair or Easyjet would go for this

Suprise, Suprise i wondered how long it would be before Ryanair latched onto this

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary told Sky News the low-cost airline was considering ripping out the back few rows of seats on some flights.

Passengers would be able to sit on bar stools, similar to the buffet carriage on trains, or stand up for flights lasting less than an hour and a half.

"We might take out the last five or six rows and say to passengers 'Do you want to stand up? If you do you can travel for free'," Mr O'Leary said.

The company has asked Boeing to look at the possibility of converting its planes or delivering a new fleet with "vertical seating".

A Ryanair spokesman stressed the non-seating plan would have to be given the OK by the Irish Aviation Authority

But Mr O'Leary shrugged off suggestions the move was a cost-cut too far.

"Why is this any different to what happens on trains where you see thousands of people who cannot get a seat standing in the aisles, and it happens regularly on the Underground," he said.

Mr O'Leary said he got the idea from the Chinese airline Spring, which said it could squeeze 50% more passengers on board and cut costs by 20%.

Ryanair has proposed a number of headline-catching plans to save cash.

A "fat tax" - charging heavier passengers more to fly - caused anger, as did similar initiatives to cut the number of toilets on flights and charge people to spend a penny.

The company announced on Friday it had carried 5.84 million passengers in June, 13% more than a year earlier.

Low-cost airline easyJet said it carried more passengers during June than over the same period last year.

But British Airways said on Friday that it carried 5% fewer passengers in June, while its planes were 79.6% full, compared with 81.4% a year earlier.

Goose:

"Why is this any different to what happens on trains where you see thousands of people who cannot get a seat standing in the aisles, and it happens regularly on the Underground," he said.

 Because trains don't go up and down Mr O'Leary.

 It seems that if you need to back up your case, get a survey done, as Ryanair have asked their passengers about their views for standing seats. Some of the more interesting results are:

If it meant your fare was free would you stand on a one hour flight?
Yes: 66%
No: 34%

If it meant your fare was half that of a seated passenger would you stand on a one hour flight? Yes: 42%
No: 58%

Do you think passengers should have a choice of standing on short flights as they currently do on trains, buses and underground transport?
Yes: 60%
No: 40%

I guess they didn't think to ask:

Do you want a fare that contains no extra or hidden charges?

Yes or No