I have no idea whether this is accurate. The report is from MSNBC News and sounds bizarre:

How can an airline pack 40 percent more passengers onto a plane, trim costs by 20 percent and lower airfares for its customers?

By offering “standing” seats.

Seriously.

China’s Spring Airlines, in an effort to handle a growing number of passengers, is considering selling standing-room tickets. A spokesperson said the carrier has been mulling the idea since the beginning of the year.

“The process of plane making is really long,” spokesman Zhang Wuan told CCTV. “We already ordered 14 new jets. But some of them will only be delivered next year. And you have to wait for at least 5 years to lease a plane, and it is also very expensive.”

“It’s just like bar stools,” he added. “The safety belt is the the most important thing. It will still be fastened around the waist.”

Spring could submit its plan to aviation regulators by the year’s end.

The private airline operates just 13 planes — not enough to cope with growing demand.

On the other hand, I’ve heard crazier ideas pushed in the name of efficiency. I’ve flown China Eastern (and many U.S. airlines) many times, so my standards are certainly not high. That being said, I think I would skip flying in a glorified cattle car.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 at 3:00 pm and is filed under China Business & Economy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.