New aircraft design turns passengers around

No one likes the dreaded middle seat on a long-haul coach flight, but what’s the alternative? One British company has developed a three-seat row with the middle seat facing backward. Premium Aircraft Interiors Group (PAIG) also has a four-seat row in which the middle two seats face backward.

Ten airlines are reportedly considering turning half their economy long-haul seats to face the opposite way. With this configuration, airlines could add up to 50 seats on each aircraft and increase the seat pitch by up to four inches.

But the extra room comes with a few negatives. Facing the back of the aircraft on a 15-hour flight might be daunting, and trying to avoid eye contact with seatmates facing the other way may be awkward. On the plus side, passengers in rear-facing seats would have a slightly greater chance of surviving a crash landing.

The configuration also promises to keep passengers from bumping elbows, knees and shoulders. It would also end the battle of elbows on the armrest, and those with laptops wouldn’t have anyone peering over their shoulders.

To mitigate potential discomfort about eye contact with strangers, the company added a privacy screen at eye level that is pulled out from the seat in front.