Wider airline seats

The Morph seat can be adjusted to give bigger passengers more space by sliding the armrests laterally. (Seymour Powell Ltd. / November 16, 2013)

A British company believes it has solve the common problem that comes up when extra-stout passengers try to squeeze into a seat made for an average flier.

The answer is a seat called “Morph,” which can be widened or reduced in width, depending on the space the passengers need. Here’s how it works: A row of three seats are built as one, like a sofa, with armrest dividers that can be moved laterally to increase the width of one or two seats while reducing the space of the other.

A video that demonstrates the concept can be found on Youtube.com.

One of the advantages, according to the design company, Seymourpowell, is that airlines can charge big passengers more for the extra space, while other fliers, such as children, can pay less to sit in a smaller seat.

A drawback: The seats don’t recline.

Don’t expect to see the seat on your next flight. So far, Seymourpowell is putting out the seat as a concept for the industry to consider.

“We wanted to challenge the current economy seating structure,” said Erin Smith, a spokeswoman for the company. “We wanted to show that it doesn't all need to be about ramming in more and more people into the economy class. Rather, we can make it about choice and develop architecture that blurs the boundaries between classes on a seat-by-seat basis.”


Southwest Airlines joins TSA PreCheck screening process

Merger of American Airlines and US Airways cleared for takeoff

FAA to let air travelers go the distance with electronic gadgets