You know when you think you've reached that point of being able to say, "That's it, I've seen it all?" That was me until today when I was surprised yet again with how creative some low-cost carriers can be. For, UK-based Monarch Airlines announced that they'll be tearing out their seats that recline, and replacing them with seats that deliver more legroom. How, you may ask? Well, by nature of the non-reclining seat, you'll have more legroom if someone can't impact your space by reclining. Make sense? The cabin crew seem to think so, stating that this may indeed cease all manner of discontent in-flight with grumbling passengers who get aggravated when people in front of them recline. Plus, according to the airline's research, this has been a longtime complaint for passengers across the board. In all honesty, I might agree. These new lightweight seats will also reduce fuel emissions and will come equipped with a tablet holder so tick 2 for the plus column.
Saving money though always comes at a price. You get what you pay for and I think we're all used to understanding the nuances of low-cost carriers. We know certain elements just have to be different. At the same time though, they're supremely creative and it's amusing to watch. We've got the ever entertaining Ryanair hitting the bottom of the bowl (no pun intended) by wishing to remove several toilets on various planes to make way for seats, we have airlines charging for everything from re printing a boarding pass to customer service phone calls to massive baggage fees. Let's also not forget the ever-so-deceptive "super cheap" fares that are as difficult to find as a needle in a haystack, and the lovely creative positioning of destinations on their website. Booking a flight to what one may say is Paris on their site may actually leave you in Beauvais, over an hour and 20 minutes away, leaving you paying exorbitant transfer fees at the end of the day, making you wonder if this is really a low-cost flight in any sort of shape or form. But, still, we use them, we book them and we share our stories of shock, hidden charges and all while simultaneously boasting about the low fares we snagged.
What's your take- do you like the idea of a non-reclining seat? Are you a fan of low-cost carriers and do you use them? Share your thoughts on Facebook!