Do you ache all over after flying in a coach seat? That could be by design. Airlines have lots of choices when they order seats for their airplanes. Those selections go a long way to determining how comfortable—or uncomfortable—their customers will be. (See The Wall Street Journal (July 19, 2018) and (July 25, 2018).)
The seat bottom is one of the most crucial elements in seat comfort, and one of the most carefully studied. Longer is better: You get more support under your thighs. Most U.S. airlines go with an average of about 18 inches. Singapore Airlines designed a Zodiac brand seat for its premium economy cabins on long-range Airbus A350s that has a 19-inch seat bottom. Those seats also have leg rests, which can take strain off muscles and increase blood flow.
Another airline choice that affects your comfort: how high the seat is off the floor. About 18 inches is standard, but some European airlines with generally tall clientele want seats constructed higher, so long legs rest more naturally. Some Asian airlines order seats at 17 inches cushion height. Airlines have their long-held prejudices on seats. Some prefer a firm cushion. Others want softer. Even when manufacturers suggest one particular firmness that they think provides ideal support and comfort for most passengers, some airlines insist on modifications.
Manufacturers say they can achieve greater comfort when the support materials and padding distribute weight so that as little as possible falls on a pair of bones on the bottom of the pelvis. To test designs, manufacturers typically recruit lots of volunteers to sit in seats for hours, recording both data and comments on how uncomfortable they are. Zodiac offers a 2-hour seat, a 2-to-6 hour seat and a seat for flights 8 hours or longer.
Classroom discussion questions:
- Why is an ergonomic chair an OM issue?
- Compare the seats at various airlines. How do they relate to corporate strategies?