New Airline Seats Coming Soon

It happens almost every time you fly. The wheels barely leave the tarmac and the tool seated in front of you mumbles something about needing a drink and pushes the little chrome armrest button that throws his seat into your lap giving you even less legroom.

Well, at least the terminal's heavy security frisking was pleasant.

Need a little good news, frequent fliers? A contest, sponsored by AirGo, asked engineering experts to submit a new design for airline seats. We may have a winner.

Alireza Yaghoubia, a Malaysian engineering student has submitted a concept for a radically redesigned seat to the James Dyson Award competition. Alireza's "AirGo" seating system uses 16 percent more space than typical seats but increases the seat pitch to 41 inches (meaning more legroom) while reducing the impact of seat-back reclining. Bulky cushion seats have also been replaced with comfortable, thinner nylon mesh.

Sweet. Kind of like that zero-gravity chair I bring to Newton Hills!

You can also order games, apps, and reading material in that robotic-appliance-looking-thingy above the seat. You could also be connected to other passengers and play multi-player video games. Hey, you there in row 18, seat D...care for a friendly match of Wii Tennis?

If the design is indeed accepted, and I hope it is, look for them soon in an airline near you.