Posted on 17th Nov 2011 @ 3:55 AM

In recent years, the field of ergonomics has taken the world by storm. First, ergonomic chairs and office accessories arrived in our workplaces. Then, we took ergonomics home with us and completely changed our furniture, storage areas, and living spaces. We even put ergonomics in our cars to help make our commutes more efficient and pleasant.

And now, ergonomics is leaving terra firma and taking to the skies to tackle a very uncomfortable issue: airline seating. 

This is how everyone feels in an airline seat. (The man, not the woman.)

Finally, there's an ergonomic airline seat which may represent the future of air travel. These new seats are made by Recaro, a German company which has been producing airline seats for over four decades, and are being installed in all Lufthansa aircraft flying in continental Europe (and some Air France planes flying domestic routes).

Vive le Air France!

The most impressive aspect of these innovative seats is that they provide ergonomic benefits for both the passenger and the airline. Travelers report that the new seat is comfortable enough for flights lasting as long as three or four hours. They also rave about the additional legroom and overall space they have while seated in the aircraft. In addition, airlines will appreciate the fact that each seat is actually two inches less deep than the average plane seat; meaning that the carriers can add more rows of seats and ferry more fare-paying passengers. Plus, the lightweight nature of the seats will reduce the total flying weight of each plane, which will, in turn, decrease fuel costs per flight.

In short, these new ergonomic seats are a win-win for airlines and passengers. So does that mean we'll be seeing them in U.S. commercial aircraft soon?

Perhaps not. 

Which means we'll be seeing more passengers who look like this after flying San Diego-to-Boston nonstop in coach.

There are two reasons for this. The more obvious explanation is the sluggish economy, which is discouraging capital outlays for equipment refurbishment in all types of industries. Because airlines are more worried about their bottom lines these days, they may be less enthusiastic about allocating funds toward a major interior overhaul of their aircraft.

The other issue concerns the current business model for many U.S. carriers. Many of them are devoting their efforts toward smaller regional jets and higher-profit "business class" seating, and not necessarily focusing on traditional economy class travelers. Therefore, a switch to ergonomic seating is not a big priority in the minds of airline executives right now.

More likely, the proliferation of ergonomic seating will emerge in other European airlines who are competing for high-end travelers. So while the chances are good for U.S. airlines to eventually install ergonomic seats in their planes, American fliers may have to resign themselves to either paying a premium for preferred seating or accepting the cramped "cattle car" experience of traveling across the country for the near future.

Image credits: kansangirlchronicles.blogspot.com, businesstraveler.com, sagetherapycenter.com.