CRJ900 From Norway, joined Jun 2004, 2080 posts, RR: 1 Posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 3025 times:
I get the impression that economy class seat spacing of 31 inch pitch is the most commonly used in the airline world, both for mainline and LCC airlines.
Having used the lavs on several 737NGs during the last six months, I find that the lavatories seem tighter width-wise than on older aircraft, and I know that I am not wider (body wise) now than I was five years ago...
I thought that with todays' great new materials, lavs would perhaps be wider as walls can be thinner yet still as strong as older and thicker walls.
Do manufacturerers and airlines now prefer their lav modules to be max 31 inches wide so that they can easily replace them with a row of seats or vice versa without having to alter the placement of the other seat rows?
DeltaGator From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 6341 posts, RR: 16 Reply 1, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 2998 times:
Quoting CRJ900 (Thread starter): Do manufacturerers and airlines now prefer their lav modules to be max 31 inches wide so that they can easily replace them with a row of seats or vice versa without having to alter the placement of the other seat rows?
Perhaps but I think it is to crack down on folks joining the Mile High Club. I'm by no means tiny but I think the only folks who could ever hook up in the lav are a couple of midgets. That might even be an untapped porn market...midget sex on planes. Oohh! I think I just came up with the sequel to "Snakes on a Plane" coming out soon.
Seriously though I would imagine the airlines just try to maximize their space but whether or not it is to be able to reserve the space for seats later on I don't know. If you can fit into a 17" wide seat with 31" of pitch then you can fit in the lav.
"If you can't delight in the misery of others then you don't deserve to be a college football fan."
Tod From Denmark, joined Aug 2004, 1682 posts, RR: 3 Reply 2, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 2967 times:
Quoting CRJ900 (Thread starter): Do manufacturerers and airlines now prefer their lav modules to be max 31 inches wide so that they can easily replace them with a row of seats
Haven't seen that yet.
A quick review of 747 and 777 lav installations drawings on my desk turned up lav widths varying from 36 to 56 inches.
Max999 From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 906 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 2915 times:
A lot of newer widebodies that I have been on have handicap accessible toilets. They are significantly larger than regular toilets.
I'm not sure if any single aisle planes have handicapped toilets. Would they be even possible, consider the lack of space?
All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal, or fattening.
TheSorcerer From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2005, 1047 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 2905 times:
Quoting DeltaGator (Reply 1): That might even be an untapped porn market...midget sex on planes. Oohh! I think I just came up with the sequel to "Snakes on a Plane" coming out soon.
I haven't been on a 737NG but i can say that the 732 toilets are quite big compared to the A320s toilets. That brings me to remember how challenging it was to take a piss in an A320 lav, while the A/C was climbing and going through turbulence, it took me a couple of seconds to work out a strategy, but at the end it was a job well done.
Dominic
ALITALIA,All Landings In Torino, All Luggage In Athens ;)
HPRamper From United States of America, joined May 2005, 3665 posts, RR: 8 Reply 7, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 2867 times:
Quoting TheSorcerer (Reply 5): I haven't been on a 737NG but i can say that the 732 toilets are quite big compared to the A320s toilets.
The aft lavs in our A320 and A319 aircraft are roomier than the ones up front in FC. I'm only 5'9" and I feel positively cramped trying to use the forward lav. I really have no idea why first class has a smaller one.
Geo772 From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2004, 497 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 2867 times:
On a modern aircraft the operator has an enormous amount of flexxibility over where toilets and galleys are located as well as how many of each there are.
One of the main considerations is that toilets don't earn money EVER. Galleys certainly do on LCC for food and drink and every other one for 'duty free' sales.
In terms of space within a toilet many carriers give their First class passengers a little more space, but not much, as well as different furnishings as well, even a window with an LCD blind in the case of the forward toilet on BAs 747s.
Easyjet was able to remove a standard fit toilet from their aircraft and fit an extra 3 seats, which on short flights doesn't really matter - heres hoping for their passengers that they don't branch into longhaul.
Flown on A300B4/600,A319/20/21,A332/3,A343,B727,B732/3/4/7/8,B741/2/4,B752,B762/3,B772/3,DC10,L1011-200,VC10,MD80,1-11
TheSorcerer From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2005, 1047 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 2678 times:
Quoting HPRamper (Reply 7): I really have no idea why first class has a smaller one.
The bastards up there have huge amounts of space, it's just to make them think about the poor coach pax.
Dominic
ALITALIA,All Landings In Torino, All Luggage In Athens ;)
ExFATboy From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 2974 posts, RR: 9 Reply 10, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 2563 times:
Quoting DeltaGator (Reply 1): Oohh! I think I just came up with the sequel to "Snakes on a Plane" coming out soon.
FlyingColours From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2003, 2315 posts, RR: 11 Reply 11, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 2380 times:
Quoting HPRamper (Reply 7): The aft lavs in our A320 and A319 aircraft are roomier than the ones up front in FC. I'm only 5'9" and I feel positively cramped trying to use the forward lav. I really have no idea why first class has a smaller one.
Perhaps its because or the curvature of the aircraft?, you know like how close the FWD toilet actually is to the front of the aircraft so the cabin is still getting wider, I hope someone understands how I put that.
Now that you mention it the FWD lavs on the A320 are cramped, but that never bothers me - I only go in there to check everything is still ok.
The 757 lavs are fairly wide but I have seen them moved around when a/c have gone for a complete refitting following change of operators.
Phil
FlyingColours
Lifes a train racing towards you, now you can either run away or grab a chair & a beer and watch it come - Phil
RoseFlyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 8754 posts, RR: 52 Reply 12, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 2298 times:
Quoting TheSorcerer (Reply 5): That brings me to remember how challenging it was to take a piss in an A320 lav, while the A/C was climbing and going through turbulence, it took me a couple of seconds to work out a strategy, but at the end it was a job well done.
Normally the seat belt sign would be on if the A/C is climbing and going through turbulence. You shouldn't be up anyway, so there is no reason for the lavatory to be designed to accomodate someone bouncing around in there.
If you have never designed an airplane part before, let the real designers do the work!
ContinentalFan From United States of America, joined Oct 2000, 355 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 2281 times:
Quoting RoseFlyer (Reply 12): Normally the seat belt sign would be on if the A/C is climbing and going through turbulence. You shouldn't be up anyway, so there is no reason for the lavatory to be designed to accomodate someone bouncing around in there.
More than once, I've gone to the lav, and then just as I'm about to do my business, ding-ding, the fasten seatbelt sign goes on. Or, sometimes, when you gotta go, you gotta go, especially on a narrowbody, when there are only so many times the food/drink cart isn't going down the aisle or people are eating/drinking.
Legoguy From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2006, 3301 posts, RR: 44 Reply 14, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 2281 times:
Sorry to ask the dumb question...but what is seat pitch? Is the the space that one seat and passenger takes up lengthwise, or is it the width of the seat?
Can you say 'Beer Can' without sounding like a Jamaican saying 'Bacon'?
DeltaGator From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 6341 posts, RR: 16 Reply 15, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 2209 times:
Seat pitch is the amount of space from a single point on a seat to the same point on the seat in front or back of the referenced seat. As an example take the front of your seat back and then measure the length to the same spot on the seatback in the row in front of you. That is seat pitch and 31" is pretty crappy.
"If you can't delight in the misery of others then you don't deserve to be a college football fan."
YYZYYT From Canada, joined Apr 2005, 853 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 2185 times:
Quoting DeltaGator (Reply 1): Seriously though I would imagine the airlines just try to maximize their space but whether or not it is to be able to reserve the space for seats later on I don't know. If you can fit into a 17" wide seat with 31" of pitch then you can fit in the lav.
try taking a 3 year old to go pee pee on a 737! not fun.
TheSorcerer From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2005, 1047 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 2015 times:
Quoting RoseFlyer (Reply 12): Normally the seat belt sign would be on if the A/C is climbing and going through turbulence.
The seat belt sign wasn't on, if it was i would have been in my seat.
Dominic
ALITALIA,All Landings In Torino, All Luggage In Athens ;)
FlyDreamliner From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 2759 posts, RR: 15 Reply 21, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 2011 times:
Quoting TheSorcerer (Reply 5): I haven't been on a 737NG but i can say that the 732 toilets are quite big compared to the A320s toilets. That brings me to remember how challenging it was to take a piss in an A320 lav, while the A/C was climbing and going through turbulence, it took me a couple of seconds to work out a strategy, but at the end it was a job well done. Big grin
What is it about the A320/319 and turbulance? I've found this too, it makes using the bathroom almost like a game.... the poor poor folks who clean those planes.
I was in the bathroom on a NW Airlink A340 from Memphis to Huntsville once when we flew through some severe thunderstorms. I kid you not when I tell you I was half convinced my pee was about to come flying up at me.
I've noticed that the old Dc-9 lavs and even 752 lavs are better than the A320/738 ones. Bad trend.
"Let the world change you, and you can change the world"
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