Fat Tax

[mechanic]

Ryanair passengers could soon fly for free - if they want to stand for their journey.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.

source: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090706/tbs-ryanair-fly-for-free-if-you-stand-up-327c223.html



It looks almost like a practical joke... Even for short range flights they must encounter some bumpy air. What about a bad landing or worse an emergency off road landing? The fat tax is a nice touch though, i lol'ed.

[Die Hard]

They have a point about it not being much different than standing on a bus or train. Risky no matter what moving vehicle you're standing on.

[68Wooley]

What I don't understand about flying is the need, once the plane has landed, to continue to wear seatbelt whilst we taxi at 20 mph, only for the plane to park off-stand and for all the passengers to get piled into a bus that has a driver of questionable education driving us at 40mph with nothing to hold on to????

[mechanic]

 

[DREDIOCK]

What I don't understand about flying is the need, once the plane has landed, to continue to wear seatbelt whilst we taxi at 20 mph, only for the plane to park off-stand and for all the passengers to get piled into a bus that has a driver of questionable education driving us at 40mph with nothing to hold on to????

I dont understand the seatbet on taxing aircraft either.
the reason why you dont have to wear a seatbelt on a bus is that buses usually easily win most vehicle vs vehicle confrontations.

Least thats the way it was explained to me

[Russian]

What I don't understand about flying is the need, once the plane has landed, to continue to wear seatbelt whilst we taxi at 20 mph, only for the plane to park off-stand and for all the passengers to get piled into a bus that has a driver of questionable education driving us at 40mph with nothing to hold on to????

Runway incursions do kill....and it's most likely to happen during taxi.

[CAP1]

They have a point about it not being much different than standing on a bus or train. Risky no matter what moving vehicle you're standing on.

ya, 'cause that bus you;re on is so likely to hit an air pocket, and suddenly drop 1k too.........

[JB88]

ya, 'cause that bus you;re on is so likely to hit an air pocket, and suddenly drop 1k too.........

obviously you've never been on the 147 express bus in chicago.

[Die Hard]

ya, 'cause that bus you;re on is so likely to hit an air pocket, and suddenly drop 1k too.........

If the flight attendants can walk around in the plane...

[CAP1]

obviously you've never been on the 147 express bus in chicago.

lol.......nope. the only trains i've ever been on are the patco hi speed line, the "L" and part of the philly subway......and the amtrack to Connecticut......

[Fulmar]

If the flight attendants can walk around in the plane...

There's enough stupid people that fly on airplanes.  The more time they spend being in their seat, the happy I am.

[CAP1]

If the flight attendants can walk around in the plane...

they do, but seat themselves when there's nothing for them to be doing.

they also spend much more time in the air, than 90% of the passengers.......

[mechanic]

spending more time in the air doesnt really give them the power to defy gravity when the plane hits a bump....but they do have seats and belts for landing or turbulence. Having nothing but a railing or 'bar stool' to secure yourself would definitely be a high risk situation in any kind of problem.

[CAP1]

spending more time in the air doesnt really give them the power to defy gravity when the plane hits a bump....but they do have seats and belts for landing or turbulence. Having nothing but a railing or 'bar stool' to secure yourself would definitely be a high risk situation in any kind of problem.

no, it doesn't, but it gives them the airborn equilivent of "sea legs" to a point though.......where as the average land lubber will fall off balance.....especially with some of the clumsy peeps these days......

[Stoney]

I dont understand the seatbet on taxing aircraft either.

Simple, its a Federal Aviation Regulation that seatbelts are worn during takeoff, landing and taxi.  Doesn't matter if you're in a Cesna 172 or 737.

If the flight attendants can walk around in the plane...

Number 1 type of in-flight injury:  Flight Attendents as a result of negative G's incurred during turbulence--specifically sprained ankles and other bumps and bruises.