26 replies to this topic

[Bownsy105]

I read on a post proposing more classes rather than just FYC when creating airline cabins. However I believe a system which ditches this separation of classes altogether could work.

 

Instead of more classes it may be better to instead add a selection of seat types. This way an airline could create as many classes as there were seat types and airlines could differentiate themselves based on this. for example, a budget carrier could opt for cheap thin seats to allow for a high capacity, where as a full service carrier may opt for more expensive, and thicker seats. This would allow airlines to better diversify and tailor there operations to allow better differentiation between business models.

Another bonus to this system is that it would be modular, so more seat types could be added as there suggested.

 

Each seat could have a set of criteria:

- Comfort           (effects airline reputation)

- Size/pitch         (to determine how many of a seat type could fit on an aircraft)

- cost                 (self explanatory)

- expectations    (this would mean that passengers in say flat bed seats would expect a higher level of service than those in standard seats)

 

Here is a list of seat types I can think of:

 

Extra thin = Allows for high capacity

Standard = Current economy seats

Economy plus = More comfortable and larger than economy

Business = Next up from Economy plus

First class = Current first class

Flat bed seats = Very large and very conformable

Suits = like on the Emirates A380

 

I think this could be a viable replacement for the current cabin configuration system.

[Will101]

Something, something AE4? Something, been suggested before. 

[KJS607]

This will be part of AE4.

 

 

#kaibabyreaches1800

[Hawai'ian]

If AE4 ever comes out, that is.

[Yuxi]

Seat types (slimline, recliner, angled bed, lie-flat bed, enclosed suite, etc) and their corresponding comfort/width/pitch/weight differneces will definitely be in AE 4, and passengers will be more responsive to the differences in comfort provided by each type of seat and the pitch/width selected than they are to the current AE's comically simplistic legroom ratings.

 

I've also been thinking about having custom service classes instead of predefined International First, International Business, Domestic First, Premium Economy, and Economy. After all, real-life service quality is a continuous spectrum, and one airline's "economy" can often be better than another airline's "premium economy." Using custom classes can allow airlines to brand their service classes as they see fit (World Traveler, Super Comfy Club Class, or whatever), while passengers would make decisions based on actual seats and pitch/width/IFE instead of the name of the class. The tradeoff here would be additional complexity, because we're working with completely arbitrary service classes rather than a few predefined categories that can be compared across the board.

[iquit]

Not sure about how your custom service classes are like; but from code coverage point of view, having 3 or 4 different fix classes are definitely more bug prone than having only a single generic class which varies by pitch, etc.

[KJS607]

Yes, but this would be far more realistic and would give airlines a better choice of seating options.

[Hake.]

I do like the idea of comparing all these. My Economy would kill a spamline's Executive First class

[duboka909]

a new suggestion could be that you can choose the seat pitch and width and not the amount of seats, so you have to get the dimensions of the cabin. this makes it in my point of view more realistic, because in reality no airline will fly for example the b736 with 149 pax, or normally the a345 and 77l are carrying about the same amount of pax and about the same confort...

[Yuxi]

a new suggestion could be that you can choose the seat pitch and width and not the amount of seats, so you have to get the dimensions of the cabin. this makes it in my point of view more realistic, because in reality no airline will fly for example the b736 with 149 pax, or normally the a345 and 77l are carrying about the same amount of pax and about the same confort...

This is being implemented in AE 4 right now, actually. Except you specify the seat pitch and row type (3-3-3, 3-4-3, etc), and seat width is calculated by the cabin width and a fixed aisle width for simplicity.

[Ongots Khaan]

Don't forget the saddle seat.

[duboka909]

This is being implemented in AE 4 right now, actually. Except you specify the seat pitch and row type (3-3-3, 3-4-3, etc), and seat width is calculated by the cabin width and a fixed aisle width for simplicity.

if I get you right, it's my point^^

so to get you right: you choose the seat with and AE says it's 3-3-3 and than you choose the seat pitch and AE says that this totals in x seats to this confort...

[ar157]

if I get you right, it's my point^^

so to get you right: you choose the seat with and AE says it's 3-3-3 and than you choose the seat pitch and AE says that this totals in x seats to this confort...

You choose the seat pitch and how many seats abreast. The game then calculates a seat width and subsequent comfort rating with the prior information.

e.g. I choose 32" seat @ 3-3-3 on a 777-300ER. The game then calculates that seat width is 18.5" and provides a rating of 80. 

[duboka909]

You choose the seat pitch and how many seats abreast. The game then calculates a seat width and subsequent comfort rating with the prior information.

e.g. I choose 32" seat @ 3-3-3 on a 777-300ER. The game then calculates that seat width is 18.5" and provides a rating of 80. 

 

nice. and I hope the same will happen with the seatpitch!?

[LazyNoNos]

By the way. when is AE4 coming

[Brando]

Some people haven't learned its a death wish to ask that question

[Hawai'ian]

AE4

[bcrath]

If you made economy with lie-flat 

Doubt it.