As a former frequent flier, I can’t tell you how many battles between passengers and/or flight crew I’ve witnessed in relation to wireless devices and reclining seats (including very dramatic testimony from a breast-feeding woman who asserted the man in front of her had starved her infant). Fortunately, we appear to have moved to a better place with the advent of gate-to-gate wireless gadgetry and what looks to be an end of reclining seats… on at least a few airlines. And next up is Monarch Air. The carrier is outfitting their fleet with thinner, non-reclining seats… that conveniently provide a tablet holder where one might expect an entertainment console — which sure beats attempting to prop up your device via water bottle (as shown below), providing more stability and a better viewing angle. Not to mention if US carriers like Southwest or United follow suit, our iPads would truly replace the seat-back TV given onboard streaming options.
What about those of us that use tablets with a normal aspect ratio? Instead of the funky one Apple uses
You’ll have to fly a different airline, sorry.
“What about those of us that use tablets with a normal aspect ratio? Instead of the funky one Apple uses … You’ll have to fly a different airline, sorry.”
Incorrect. You’ll still be able to jam other tablets into the holder. Unfortunately, this will throw the off the airplane’s delicate weight balance, directly leading to a fiery plunge into terrain in 100% of cases. (Though you will still be able to watch video as the plane rapidly goes down.)
Yet another piece of evidence that putting Tom Wheeler in charge of the FAA was a bad idea.
Well my surface thankfully has built in kickstand so I can avoid the water bottle trick. However I will agree with others designing a seat back around a device that might change around another companies whims as far as size seems like a bad idea.
You can hold your tablet in your lap. I do not want to be stuck on a 3-hour+ flight without a seat that moves even a little bit. Flying is already pretty hard on the body because they give you no room to move. And now you can even stand the rear because they’re afraid you’re going to do something dangerous. I like the seat back TVs, but I hate how they eat into the space with the hot metal boxes under the seat.
Guess it depends upon your body… I’m more comfortable upright on planes (and without others encroaching by reclining into my space) and leaning down to look at a tablet or phone for hours is worse for my arthritic neck (too many years wrestling, judo, rugby, and laptop blogging). Although I agree, long flights are unpleasant in coach. We unexpectedly got exit row seating on our 5 hour flight to Vegas for Memorial Day weekend – ah the joyous leg room and I didn’t even have to save any passengers.