Why Airbus Doesn't Get It
And it took a Fark Photoshop Contest for me to be sure of it...
Airbus is planning to install "shops, a casino, and rooms with double beds" on the new A380. Here's a few problems...
#1. Look at all that crap left out in the store. Remember those pesky FAA regulations that say things have to be stowed away at take off and landing? Imagine having to stock/unstock the store on every takeoff & landing. How about the idea that people that will normally buy your crap at 38,000 feet might not even be on your plane since a good chunk of them can now buy share time on a Gulfstream-V?
#2. How big is this "shop"? 30 feet x 30 feet? Hell, you could squeeze another 30 pax in there and have only a marginal increase in fuel costs. What do you think the airlines are going to do? Sell trinkets to first class passengers with a small total profit or cram 30 more seats in that space and make an extra $15,000 per flight.
I know I should just let them goin and fail. But when you see the hype for "oh look at all the space, this is the future of flight..." you know that most airlines (except for Richard Branson) are going "Screw the gift shop, I can cram another 30 pax in that spot and make my yearly bonus" and will be done with it.
Comments
You have some valid points but as a pilot who has flown B747 for more than 16 yr's let's consider a emergency evacuation with 1,000 people onboard (not going to happen). Or the first time you have to divert to another airport because of weather are they set up to handle an airplane that big, along with the passengers. How about 1000 people all trying to clear customs at the same time yeah that sounds like fun. No I think I will let the brain dead fly on that thing.
Posted by: Bruce | January 24, 2005 5:21 PM
Yeah, I hadn't thought of that... After you mentioned that, I was thinking of that Airbus with the fuel leak a few years ago that had to abort to the Canary Islands. If I recall, they barely had enough runway to make an emergency landing. Now throw in a plane twice the size and, well as you said, bad things are going to happen....
Posted by: Brian | January 25, 2005 12:26 AM
Keep up the great work on your blog. Best wishes WaltDe
Posted by: WaltDe | September 1, 2006 3:44 AM