Giddy up.

I can’t believe that Michael O’Leary from Ryan Air hasn’t jumped into the saddle on the latest seat design by Aviointeriors. Called the Skyrider, it has designs on being something between a bar stool and amusement ride seat with a half saddle to straddle as you buckle yourself in for the ride or is that the flight? Brings new meaning to riding an airplane.

Ideas to put as many people into an alloy metal tube and hurtle them from destination to destination are not new and the Skyrider one step away from standing up, is just the latest in a long line of innovations aimed at frugal airlines. I’m not sure if Aviointeriors are looking to test it in the cowboy states and hubs out of the Rockies on short rides but I’m sure the average passenger does not want to buy an extra pair of padded bike pants for comfort on the Skyrider.



I remember a couple of cowboy bars frequented in my youth with similar stool designs but it was in theme and alcohol was supplied to numb areas of pain encountered when sitting too long in the saddle. So watch out for the next cowboy airline that wants to rope you in with cheap fares that saddle you with an uncomfortable ride.

So from standing room only to saddle seats, what else are airlines dreaming up in their quest to sardine passengers?

A 2000 initiative from the global logistics company Fed Ex did not receive the attention it deserved as airlines struggled in the ensuing years after 911. The “overnight peoplepak”, a shipping envelope scientifically designed to protect “human cargo” to ship passengers for $100 a flight globally was a revelation in out of the box thinking.

The light framed envelope was like a sleeping bag concept with some ribbing protection to prevent injury from over stacking or the occasional drop by the baggage handlers. It came in 3 classes to give choice to the flyers or “packees” as they referred to themselves. The economy envelope still guaranteed next day delivery but came with no extra benefits, sound familiar? The premium economy envelope was supplied with a small heating pack and a bag of peanuts to get you through the longer flights. The business envelope had it all from a reading light, storage pouch, juice box and most importantly a porta pottie.



The head of Fed Ex at the time knew he would come up against harsh airline reactions; after all he was looking to take significant market share in passenger numbers. The FAA was sure to come around eventually as the idea had merit according to Fed Ex scientists. A few people exploding during decompression tests were just wrinkles to iron out as far as the scientists were concerned.

Jokes aside, the airlines and aviation companies won’t stop looking for ways to sardine passengers and I look forward to the next laugh in comfort and passenger innovation as they go way outside the box.

Captain Kirk had the right idea, beam me up Scotty.