Some people will fight you for the window seat on a plane, while others crave the freedom and hassle-free bathroom access of aisle-side seating, but hardly anyone will rock, paper, scissors you for the middle seat. A new design may be about to change that.
After years of mercilessly sandwiched air travel for middle seated passengers everywhere, Colorado-based startup Molon Labe Seating finally figured out how to build a better middle seat. Turns out a little staggering goes a long way. According to CNN, the design features three economy seats, situating the middle seat slightly behind and below the aisle and window seats. Sliding the seat back just a few inches gives everyone more shoulder room, more elbow space and a lot less irritation.
“That little bit of stagger means that every single person gets to spread out a little more,” Hank Scott, the founder and CEO of Molon Labe Seating, told CNN.
Pushing the seat back also made space for Molon Labe to build the middle seat about three to five inches wider than the standard 18-inch seat, meaning the middle seat may actually become the most coveted of the trio.
The Federal Aviation Administration gave the new design an official nod of approval last month, and the seats are expected to be available on two as-yet unnamed airlines by next spring.
The new design is also lighter than standard airline seats, which could help cut down on fuel costs, making the switch “kind of a no-brainer,” for airlines, according to Scott.
The Molon Labe CEO remains realistic, however, noting that this innovation isn’t going to fix everything that’s wrong with flying.
“It’s still going to suck,” he said. “Now it’s going to suck less.”
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