The British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Short Sandringham passenger flying boat, a demilitarized conversion of the Short Sunderland military flying boat, taxiing for its maiden flight from the Short Brothers facility in Rochester, England on November 28, 1945. The 17-hour trip was flown at a blistering cruise speed of 125 mph, while passengers tolerated the thunder of four 1,600-hp Wright Cyclone radial piston engines.
The 25 passengers per flight headed from San Francisco to Honolulu were pampered by four pursers on the luxurious lower deck of the Clipper. (Want to bring back that idea of not stuffing planes to the gills, airlines? We're all for it.) It could carry as many as 74 passengers, but was configured for 40 or fewer for overnight flights. In service from 1939 to 1948 - and drafted into the US military during the war - the 314 had a cabin almost as wide as a 747’s. Oh, the romance of the Pan American Clippers, captured in exotic settings on the gorgeous travel posters of the 1930s! They were the archetype of the seaplanes that dominated long-haul air travel before and immediately after World War II.īoeing’s Model 314 flying boat was the ultimate in pre-World War II intercontinental travel. TPG climbed into the dusty hangar of aviation history to find out about two-floor aircraft: Some that pioneered international air travel, some that were one-of-a-kind and some you still can fly today. But if you don’t mind tight spaces, and you’re planning simply to sleep all flight, it could be an effective solution.” Yes, it’s a great seat…if you’re planning on being unconscious for the duration of the flight! A ringing endorsement.Toulouse, March 20, 2019: Delivering to the customer a beautiful animal from a dying breed (Photo by Nicky Kelvin / The Points Guy)ĭouble-decker aircraft aren't limited to those two icons, however. She described the lower level seating, writing “Still, because the other level of seats are directly above me and in my eyeline, it feels pretty claustrophobic. CNN’s Francesca Street tried out the seating model at the 2022 Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX). And at least in coffin, you can lay down. Seems terrible! Núñez Vicente said, “My purpose here is to change the economy class seats for the better of humanity, or for all the people that cannot afford to pay for more expensive tickets.” I don’t know man, but it seems like these seats are akin to riding in a coffin. Those riding on the lower deck are now ensconced in a cubicle-like arrangement, their faces directly below the butts of those sitting above.
After all, it works on busses, right? But the double decker concept takes an already cramped seating situation and ladles on a heavy scoop of claustrophobia. The idea is simple: double decker seats for economy class. One wonder how air travel could get worse, but designer Alejandro Núñez Vicente has found a way thanks to his Chaise Longue Airplane Seat concept. And little has been done to improve the air travel experience: planes are old, seats are cramped, and any perks are reserved purely for the business and first class passengers. Seat selection, penalty-free cancellations, checked bags, carry-on bags even, are now subject to extra fees that can easily add $100 to an already pricey fare.
While the system was never ideal, rising prices have seen airlines charge for services that were once free. But air travel has truly taken a nosedive (no pun intended) in recent years. Lots of things have gotten worse in the past several years: politics, human behavior, the environment.
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