New Aircraft Seat Is Roomier for Middle Passenger, Ends Armrest Battles
One of the most fascinating innovations on display at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in 2017 was Molon Labe's Side Slip Seat — a seat designed to provide more width to the middle seat, eliminate armrest battles and make the boarding process faster. While there's plenty of interest in the seat, no airlines have taken the plunge to install it.
So, Molon Labe came back in 2018 with two new seating products. Nominating the original product as S3 (Side Slip Seat), the newest options are nicknamed the "S1" and "S2."
S1: Staggered Short Haul
Like the original side slip seat, the S1 is designed for short-haul aircraft like the Airbus A320 family and Boeing's 737. This seat has a lot of similarities to the original: a wider middle seat and staggered seating allowing individual shoulder and elbow space.
However, this version ditches one of the signature elements of the original: the sliding seats. Instead, the S1 seats are locked into its staggered position. This eliminates airline concerns about maintenance of the sliding and locking mechanism while also making the seat lighter.
The models on display at this year's Aircraft Interiors Expo were arranged in 31 inches of pitch and 29 inches of pitch. Of course I had to check out the 29-inch pitch option in detail. While there's a little zigzag required to get into the middle seat, the slimline-style seat provides plenty of legroom in all three seats.
Also an innovation on these seats: a "latchless table." In order to reduce maintenance costs for airlines, the table is designed to mechanically lock in place without a latch. To open it, you just have to pull up and then out.
The seatback on the model uses elastic bands to hold devices such as a phone or tablet in place. However, the seat could also be installed with an in-flight entertainment screen if an airline elected to do so.
One other change is the height of the seatback. Rather than having the awkward-looking staggered heights of the S3, the middle seat seatback on the S1 is taller so that it lines up with the aisle and window seatbacks.
S2: Staggered Long Haul
While actual S1 seats were on display at the Aircraft Interiors Expo, the S2 only presented a one-row fragile mock-up showing how it adapts the original concepts to a long-haul version.
And, there are some unique features. First, the armrests are shaped to provide a more-natural cradle for the middle seat while using colors and shaping to delineate ownership of the armrest.
Unlike the short-haul versions, these seats are designed to provide comfort and entertainment for longer flights. On the S2, the middle seat isn't just wider, but it also creates space for a larger in-flight entertainment screen. The seat can hold up to a 18.5 inch screen, which would make it the largest IFE screen available in economy.
If you want to check out what the middle seat experience looks like, Molon Labe has created a 360 rendering of the seat:
Overall, I think these new models are brilliant. The idea of slightly staggering the seats with passenger elbows and shoulders in mind is an idea that seems so obvious that it's hard to imagine that it's taken this long for it to be created. Molon Labe has design and utility patents on all three seat models and many of the unique elements.
I was curious how difficult the staggering would make climbing in and out of the window seats on the original seat. These concerns were put to rest by trying out the S1 for myself. While there is some zigzagging required for the window seat passenger to get across to the aisle, it's not difficult to do so. And with seat pitch on aircraft being arranged so tight nowadays, the middle and aisle passengers are going to have to get up to let the window seat passenger out of standard seats anyway. So, this doesn't make that aspect any more difficult.
Molon Labe CEO Hank Scott said at AIX that he was excited about the interest that the new S1 and S2 seats have already received from airlines.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.