Yahoo Lifestyle Seat arrangement in viral plane video leaves people reeling: 'Absolutely not'
The American woman was shocked by the unusual seating arrangement, and others weren't having it.
Being wedged between two people in a seat on a packed plane is likely a nightmare for many travellers, but a woman's recent flight proved there are far worse seating arrangements.
US traveller Megan Homme was on board a recent flight to an undisclosed location and found herself directly facing another row of passengers, battling it out for legroom.
The TikTok user did not specify which carrier she was on but said it was a regional airline in Sweden that appeared to have rear and front-facing seats. The American woman was sat in a rear-facing position next to another passenger, with all four sat facing one another.
"I've never seen this on a flight before," she captioned the now-viral video on TikTok which shows the unusual seating arrangement in detail. "Seats facing each other?" she questioned.
Social media shocked by unusual seating arrangement
The revelation shocked many people on social media who were completely put off by the idea, particularly because it's not that common on planes. Many trains, however, are known to have this seating option available for passengers.
"Absolutely not," commented one, seemingly reeling at the suggestion. Another said they would cry. Megan claimed the airline "didn't even let you pick your seats", suggesting she had no choice but to sit there.
"That's a hard nope from me," a third lashed out while others said it's "awkward". "I can barely stand [people] next to me," said a fifth.
While she didn't specify the airline, some reports suggest she flew Braathens Regional Airline (BRA), which apparently still offers "lounge" seating options, although Yahoo could not confirm this. While not very common, airlines such as Southwest Airlines, a US-based low-cost carrier, once offered it too.
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Why rear-facing plane seats could be a better option
According to Newsweek, a scientist once suggested rear-facing seating could actually be safer for passengers. Richard Snyder, a retired research scientist who studied crash protection and transportation safety at the University of Michigan, told the Smithsonian magazine "the basis for providing aft-facing seating impact crash protection is substantial and supported by over half a century of experience," they reported.
Meanwhile, experts at Simple Flying previously explained rear-facing seats are a better use of space on planes — and agreed they're safer.
"Studies have shown that rear-facing seating can prevent injury and support the body better," they explained. "Facing backward, one can reduce the stress on their neck, back, and head. This is particularly poignant information when it comes to the likelihood of injury during a crash."
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