The internet is going crazy over the “Cheek Splitter 9000” which looks like a new frontier in how airlines make passengers uncomfortable onboard. But it’s not – instead, it’s a long-standing quirk of aviation safety.
Everyone is always a little bit shocked by row 15 on the Japan Airlines Boeing 737-800 operating domestic flights. It’s a row for two people instead of three.
I’ve been on a lot of planes around the world but this was a first.
by
u/themoldyone in
aviation
Often you might see seats taken out of service, but this one is permanently out of service with a wedge in the middle so nobody sits there – it’s a custom seat blocker cushion meant to permanently deactive the seat, not to mark it as unusable for a specific flight.
On these domestic 737-800s, row 15 is the first row of economy. For the aisle seat there’s no proper bulkhead or seat in front. And that’s treated as a safet hazard for any passenger that might be seated there. And you can’t just remove the seat, or else you’d recreate the same problem for the passenger in that seat in the row behind. So they keep the seat there (effectively as a bulkhead) deactivate it.
- Tape or a placard might be ignored. Nobody is going to sit on this.
- A permanent cushion is less of a hassle tha constantly checking, replacing tape.
- This is clearly deliberate rather than signaling deferred maintenance
Most people seem to think this is a seat awaiting repair. And I like people calling this the “
A premium airline like Delta Air Lines could offer this as a discounted seat for accommodating two three-year-old children.
I really hope that the airline knows enough not to sell that seat.
Does it… uh… you know…