Airplane seats: quest for comfort and safety
Passengers in airplane seats – Source: spm
Because it is the safest means of transport in the world, airplanes have an unprecedented infrastructure. These airline giants never leave anything to chance: to ensure the comfort and safety of travelers, everything is thought out down to the smallest detail. Fortunately, moreover, otherwise this industry might quickly run to ruin if the rate of passengers were to drop. But it took many, many years of research to painstakingly design each of the aircraft’s essential components. From the doors to the portholes, including the advanced materials, the appropriate ventilation and other specificities, everything has been surgically analyzed. And, of course, the close relationship with technological advances is very noticeable, in order to mitigate any eventuality and to perpetuate the probability of survival in the event of an accident.
Speaking of safety on board the aircraft, in addition to providing a certain comfort to passengers, the seats must of course meet various safety standards. These are technical intricacies you were probably unaware of: learn, for example, that the seats in the airplane resist 16 times the force of gravity and are made with flame-retardant fabrics that do not emit toxic fumes and whose fibers are treated to resist fire. And engineers are constantly working hard to further improve their strength and reliability. According to some rumors, they would be considering the possibility of changing the seating arrangement. Nothing is put into practice yet, but some believe that if they were placed upside down, they would be safer in the event of a crash and it would even increase the chances of survival.
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Why rows 13 and 17 do not exist in some plane?
Now let’s get to the heart of the matter and try to understand why these rows have been banned from the majority of aircraft. If you’re curious by nature, then you mightn’t have missed this mysterious omission. If you have already had access to seats 12 or 14, you have surely noticed that row 13 is non-existent in many companies. Sometimes, some deliberately choose to “zap” rows 13 and 17, like Lufthansa.
But why ? The reason given by this airline stems mainly from superstition which is very ingrained among many passengers. While 13 is a very symbolic number, which has the reputation of being unlucky in many countries, for Brazilian and Italian travelers, it is especially the number 17 that brings bad luck. ” We just don’t want to stress our customers any more“, explains a spokesperson for the Lufthansa company to the Reisereporter site. Legit, indeed. Same refrain from the side of the Turkish company Sunexpress which however took advantage of only happening in row 13, since this figure is feared in many regions of Europe. For its part, the German company Condor has chosen to keep all the rows without any omission. A somewhat risky choice, because indeed, many travelers are so superstitious that they cannot imagine being in the air and sitting in a “cursed” seat. Precisely, to spare the most sensitive and avoid causing the slightest panic unnecessarily, many companies have taken the firm decision to remove rows 13 and 17 from their planes. And, we applaud this initiative. While some already have to manage the fear of the plane itself, if in addition we have to exacerbate their anxiety… It’s hardly the best way to keep customers!
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How are seats numbered on a plane?
Airplane seats – Source: spm
The most seasoned travelers place themselves in the plane with their eyes closed. In your boarding pass, the combination of your seat on the plane is written there: the number indicates the assigned row, while the letter refers to the specific seat where you must sit. Nothing too complicated, you quickly get used to it. The advantage of commercial jets is that they place letters on individual seats so that you don’t confuse your row number with your seat number.
Noticed : When booking with any airline, you are automatically assigned a seat on the plane. But, of course, and depending on availability, you can always request a specific seat. In particular that of the porthole, the seat preferred by the majority of travellers. But, the choice of an airplane seat is not limited to deciding for the window or aisle seat. It can be over an aisle or an aisle near the toilet. So, try to visualize the interior of the plane well in order to opt for the least restrictive seat.
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