From no-frills to luxury, from sensible to chic, the evolution of air travel is one of the most dramatic and fascinating reflections of our changing culture.
Imagine a level of comfort never experienced before in air travel. Unparalleled range of in-flight entertainment options that range from massages to live shows. Specially trained staff to serve you just the way you like. Introducing the future of air travel, an exclusive flight you won’t forget. Service is due to start on: never!
I just finished my bachelor graduation project with a group of fantastic teammates, working on a cool aircraft design. It was a lot of fun actually, until I found out some disturbing facts about the airline industry! Well, disturbing airplane news to some people could mean less safety or expensive airfares. But to me, disturbing news means that the personal space you will get from now on on your flights is only getting smaller. I mean the toilets are tighter, and the seats are narrower. The tendency of airlines lately, and especially low cost airlines, is to reduce personal space onboard to gain a seat or two. While this makes good business sense, it promises passengers they will be cramped like a can of sardines to your destination.
The girls reading this might think, ‘Oh no, I’ll be sweaty and not looking fresh at my destination’, while many guys are probably thinking, ’there goes my chance of joining the mile high club!’
For the ones out there not familiar with the term, joining the club requires imagination, creativity and a hell lot of courage. Once you fit these requirements, then you have to think if you’re capable of doing it with people close by. Finally, you need to be a risk taker because apparently you can go to jail just for having sex in an airplane, while in the air!!
It’s actually surprising how many people are club members, given the small space and awkward positions needed. It usually starts with a few drinks, which have double effects in high altitudes. Whether you have your lady with you, or already acquired a target onboard, the action starts with a pre-game show involving the giggling and cuddling in the seat, hopefully with the blanket somewhere close by. Later on, a clever but sleazy move should lead to the back lavatory, probably one at a time, for a long awaited rendezvous where the grand finale takes place. This better be as silent as possible, but no matter how low key you are, the walk of shame to your seats is inevitable. I just advise you to keep your eyes on the floor all the way!
Guys are not the only ones fantasizing about that all the time though; believe it or not, women are often in the mood for a quick fix instead of a long, drawn-out, mushy love fest. And this fix could also be on their minds in flight, just as much as it can be on ours. Of course I’m not suggesting you molest the next girl sitting beside you on a flight – all I’m saying is that they too could have that little itch to hook up with someone on the plane. So if you’re not a member yet, this broadens the horizon a bit more, where the list is not limited only to the stewardesses. And let’s face it: there isn’t any sane guy among us who did not check out the hostess before your own seat number on almost every flight. But hey, it’s ok, just a funny part of male physiology, and we should laugh about it too. They know you’re looking, so unless you stare at the older one who is having a very bad day, generally stewardesses will only add an extra twist to their walk. On the other hand, the painful fact is that it will take a lot of smooth talking and charm to get a stewardess to consider you, simply because they have seen many guys like you over the years, so the competition is fierce.
But back to the main point: personal spaces on the airplane are getting scarcer, and there is no pity among the airline managers to give you more room, unless you pay for every extra inch. The only good news I can tell you is that at least you’ll keep flying cheap, if not comfortable!
Tarek Ghobar is from Lebanon. The next ‘Tarek’s Diary’ will be published in Delta 24. He can be emailed at: t.ghobar@tudelft.nl
From no-frills to luxury, from sensible to chic, the evolution of air travel is one of the most dramatic and fascinating reflections of our changing culture. Imagine a level of comfort never experienced before in air travel. Unparalleled range of in-flight entertainment options that range from massages to live shows. Specially trained staff to serve you just the way you like. Introducing the future of air travel, an exclusive flight you won’t forget. Service is due to start on: never!
I just finished my bachelor graduation project with a group of fantastic teammates, working on a cool aircraft design. It was a lot of fun actually, until I found out some disturbing facts about the airline industry! Well, disturbing airplane news to some people could mean less safety or expensive airfares. But to me, disturbing news means that the personal space you will get from now on on your flights is only getting smaller. I mean the toilets are tighter, and the seats are narrower. The tendency of airlines lately, and especially low cost airlines, is to reduce personal space onboard to gain a seat or two. While this makes good business sense, it promises passengers they will be cramped like a can of sardines to your destination.
The girls reading this might think, ‘Oh no, I’ll be sweaty and not looking fresh at my destination’, while many guys are probably thinking, ’there goes my chance of joining the mile high club!’
For the ones out there not familiar with the term, joining the club requires imagination, creativity and a hell lot of courage. Once you fit these requirements, then you have to think if you’re capable of doing it with people close by. Finally, you need to be a risk taker because apparently you can go to jail just for having sex in an airplane, while in the air!!
It’s actually surprising how many people are club members, given the small space and awkward positions needed. It usually starts with a few drinks, which have double effects in high altitudes. Whether you have your lady with you, or already acquired a target onboard, the action starts with a pre-game show involving the giggling and cuddling in the seat, hopefully with the blanket somewhere close by. Later on, a clever but sleazy move should lead to the back lavatory, probably one at a time, for a long awaited rendezvous where the grand finale takes place. This better be as silent as possible, but no matter how low key you are, the walk of shame to your seats is inevitable. I just advise you to keep your eyes on the floor all the way!
Guys are not the only ones fantasizing about that all the time though; believe it or not, women are often in the mood for a quick fix instead of a long, drawn-out, mushy love fest. And this fix could also be on their minds in flight, just as much as it can be on ours. Of course I’m not suggesting you molest the next girl sitting beside you on a flight – all I’m saying is that they too could have that little itch to hook up with someone on the plane. So if you’re not a member yet, this broadens the horizon a bit more, where the list is not limited only to the stewardesses. And let’s face it: there isn’t any sane guy among us who did not check out the hostess before your own seat number on almost every flight. But hey, it’s ok, just a funny part of male physiology, and we should laugh about it too. They know you’re looking, so unless you stare at the older one who is having a very bad day, generally stewardesses will only add an extra twist to their walk. On the other hand, the painful fact is that it will take a lot of smooth talking and charm to get a stewardess to consider you, simply because they have seen many guys like you over the years, so the competition is fierce.
But back to the main point: personal spaces on the airplane are getting scarcer, and there is no pity among the airline managers to give you more room, unless you pay for every extra inch. The only good news I can tell you is that at least you’ll keep flying cheap, if not comfortable!
Tarek Ghobar is from Lebanon. The next ‘Tarek’s Diary’ will be published in Delta 24. He can be emailed at: t.ghobar@tudelft.nl

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