Where do airlines dispose of their old seats?
When I think back 20 years, across the many airlines I have flown, each and every airline cycled through different phases of seat design. Some even more than once.
For example Lufthansa’s and AA’s “angled” business class seats, British Airways original lie flat seats, United’s old business class (tight squeeze) lie flat seats…and many dozens of airlines more…WHERE are all those thousands of old defunct seats and many with surrounding shells.
Where are the many THOUSANDS of United Diamond Business seats? How often do airlines mothball seats hoping for a second life?
How about all those early, big First Class Suite-seats?
Are United’s old “rainbow” economy seat still findable in the desert? Delta’s thousands of old Business Elite seats?
Do they find a second life anywhere?
I know that airlines have sold old seats online, but that is a niche business for sure? Right?
Thanks
Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
Disposal of old First, Biz seats and shells
Last edited by VC10er on Sun Sep 04, 2022 8:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- Spiderguy252
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Re: OLD Aircraft First, Biz seats and shells
VC10er wrote:I know that airlines have sold old seats but that is a niche business for sure? Right?
I've always wondered who buys them and for what joy - aren't they effectively unhygienic and battered by that point in their lives, having sailed the skies for the better part of 1/2 decades?
Not to mention probably impractical for any living room or other home environment.
Last edited by Spiderguy252 on Sun Sep 04, 2022 8:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: OLD Aircraft First, Biz seats and shells
[threeid][/threeid]
I know of a guy in Miami that has 2 old Delta First Class seats in the foyer of his Miami high-rise apartment. I think that the airlines will sell seats that are still in very good condition and fumigated (lice and fart removal) - nobody really sits in them but they make a great conversation piece.
I have dreamt of having a pair of my all-time favorite “recliner” business class seats - but they would be an eyesore in my NYC living room!
Spiderguy252 wrote:VC10er wrote:I know that airlines have sold old seats but that is a niche business for sure? Right?
I've always wondered who buys them and for what joy - aren't they effectively unhygienic and battered by that point in their lives, having sailed the skies for the better part of 1/2 years?
Not to mention probably impractical for any living room or other home environment.
I know of a guy in Miami that has 2 old Delta First Class seats in the foyer of his Miami high-rise apartment. I think that the airlines will sell seats that are still in very good condition and fumigated (lice and fart removal) - nobody really sits in them but they make a great conversation piece.
I have dreamt of having a pair of my all-time favorite “recliner” business class seats - but they would be an eyesore in my NYC living room!
Re: OLD Aircraft First, Biz seats and shells
I presume they are recycled? I mean it’s not like they are sold off secondhand to second- and third-tier airlines, and the market for memorabilia cannot alone consume them all. So, I presume, they are sold to scrappers and recycled.
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- readytotaxi
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Re: OLD Aircraft First, Biz seats and shells
A couple of interesting videos on the subject.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVyDVG_fZSs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBzXqHEyduE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVyDVG_fZSs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBzXqHEyduE
Re: OLD Aircraft First, Biz seats and shells
WOW! Interesting! THANKS!
I noticed the old AA and GOL economy seats. I don’t recall them as being so drab and ugly!
But, still, what happened to all the tens of thousands of far more elaborate Business and First Class seats? There is so much material to them!
I’m hoping that UA would consider removing the old “Forward/Backwards” ITPE seats on their 19 high density 772’s and install the CO BusinessFirst lie flat seats? They are perhaps not quite as dense but decent seats for hub to hub, 4+ hour flights and maybe Hawaii?
I can see those being spared the desert (or elsewhere) especially the newest ones from the first 787’s.
I noticed the old AA and GOL economy seats. I don’t recall them as being so drab and ugly!
But, still, what happened to all the tens of thousands of far more elaborate Business and First Class seats? There is so much material to them!
I’m hoping that UA would consider removing the old “Forward/Backwards” ITPE seats on their 19 high density 772’s and install the CO BusinessFirst lie flat seats? They are perhaps not quite as dense but decent seats for hub to hub, 4+ hour flights and maybe Hawaii?
I can see those being spared the desert (or elsewhere) especially the newest ones from the first 787’s.
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atcsundevil
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Re: OLD Aircraft First, Biz seats and shells
Some seats are sold, but a lot are recycled. Some airlines even upcycle. Delta and Southwest are two notable examples, and they sell seat covers, seat belts, unused amenity kits, and other things to a third party who turns them into new products. Lufthansa upcycles into new products themselves and sells them in their WorldShop. I've got a great toiletry bag from them that's made from a seat cover, a seatback pocket mesh, and a safety card. They also make wallets from headrest covers, displays with old sidewalls, storage cubbies from old overhead bins, art from fan blades, and all sorts of other things.
Upcycling what can be upcycled and recycling the rest is a better use than trying to sell the seats as is, because it is a niche item. The price point is relatively high, the shipping cost is even higher, and the number of people who realistically want to buy is limited. Upcycled products are essentially new items (and they're clean!), serve a more useful purpose, and are far more affordable.
Upcycling what can be upcycled and recycling the rest is a better use than trying to sell the seats as is, because it is a niche item. The price point is relatively high, the shipping cost is even higher, and the number of people who realistically want to buy is limited. Upcycled products are essentially new items (and they're clean!), serve a more useful purpose, and are far more affordable.
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- TheEuphorian
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Re: OLD Aircraft First, Biz seats and shells
IIRC in TG's case, they usually put some of them into storage and recently auctioned them off, while the rest usually gets sold for scrap.
Re: OLD Aircraft First, Biz seats and shells
VC10er wrote:[threeid][/threeid]Spiderguy252 wrote:VC10er wrote:I know that airlines have sold old seats but that is a niche business for sure? Right?
I've always wondered who buys them and for what joy - aren't they effectively unhygienic and battered by that point in their lives, having sailed the skies for the better part of 1/2 years?
Not to mention probably impractical for any living room or other home environment.
I know of a guy in Miami that has 2 old Delta First Class seats in the foyer of his Miami high-rise apartment. I think that the airlines will sell seats that are still in very good condition and fumigated (lice and fart removal) - nobody really sits in them but they make a great conversation piece.
I have dreamt of having a pair of my all-time favorite “recliner” business class seats - but they would be an eyesore in my NYC living room!
As the decades pass, older seats become very valuable collectors items. I am fortunate enough to have a 3-seat set of brown Argentinian leather Halston-designed coach seats that flew aboard a Braniff DC-8-62 in my living room. Unbelievably, I got these for free from a friend. But I am saving up to bid on some TWA Convair 880 seats with the 1971 Ambassador service color scheme. Last time I looked a 2-seat first class set was running at over $3000 U.S. dollars.
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- readytotaxi
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Re: Disposal of old First, Biz seats and shells
And then there is the shipping cost 
Re: Disposal of old First, Biz seats and shells
Sell them to undertakers? Some do look (and feel) like coffins.
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- WkndWanderer
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Re: Disposal of old First, Biz seats and shells
I've seen a home theater room that uses Virgin America recliners.
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- Gulfstream500
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Re: Disposal of old First, Biz seats and shells
I’ve seen some for sale on eBay and Etsy. I think (?) Delta sells them in the Delta Museum yard sales in Atlanta as well.
Re: OLD Aircraft First, Biz seats and shells
VC10er wrote:
But, still, what happened to all the tens of thousands of far more elaborate Business and First Class seats? There is so much material to them!
The pod style seats are a multiple piece unit. Those seats have to be disassembled in order to get them in/out of the airplane doorway. The seat assembly, the base plate and walls are what make up the seat. I have seen the IFE equipment and seat assembly get salvaged and then the rest tossed in the trash.
Those seats are not practical for resale since they are mostly electrically operated (400hz 115vac) and mechanical recline is not easily accomplished without removing the seat cushion.
You can see all the Delta One seat shells in this photo:
From: https://www.traveller.com.au/content/da ... 067823.jpg
Last edited by DL_Mech on Mon Sep 05, 2022 3:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Disposal of old First, Biz seats and shells
Lots of movie sets use the United rainbow pattern
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- uadc8contrail
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Re: Disposal of old First, Biz seats and shells
I had 2 pair of AA first class seats that came out of a dc10 in my family room that i put the first pair on the floor...then built a 7' x 4" platform 20" high and placed the 2nd pair on that....it worked great...until a neighbor saw it and begged to buy a pair which i did sell him.....i bought mine from a aerospace recycler in Guthrie OK
Re: Disposal of old First, Biz seats and shells
I think up-cycling is a great idea. I happen to own a lot of aircraft salvage. I have a PanAm 707 fuselage with window hanging up in my living room. I have a Lufthansa leather seatbelt belt and 2 great under-seat bags made from United Polaris giant fabric ads.
I think that up-cycling helps to locate “some” seats being salvaged, but when I think about the the Lufthansa angled seat (when they should have just gone straight to beds) Lufty out fitted those clearly expensive angled flat seats across their WB fleet and had to remove them after only a few years because they were dated the day they were born!!!
Where did LH put thousands of these dreadful seats?
Perhaps the plastic (hard surfaces) of the shell and counters etc can be melted down and remolded?
But I’m a total sucker for airline salvage that gets up-cycled - if any of you know a good website for repurposed salvage, please share!
I will soon post a link to the one place I know.
Thanks
I think that up-cycling helps to locate “some” seats being salvaged, but when I think about the the Lufthansa angled seat (when they should have just gone straight to beds) Lufty out fitted those clearly expensive angled flat seats across their WB fleet and had to remove them after only a few years because they were dated the day they were born!!!
Where did LH put thousands of these dreadful seats?
Perhaps the plastic (hard surfaces) of the shell and counters etc can be melted down and remolded?
But I’m a total sucker for airline salvage that gets up-cycled - if any of you know a good website for repurposed salvage, please share!
I will soon post a link to the one place I know.
Thanks
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- readytotaxi
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- FlyingHonu001
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Re: Disposal of old First, Biz seats and shells
What about repurposing the old angleflats as Premium Economy seats? Thats the new major wannahave for airlines these days isnt it....Slap on some new upholstery, bucket of new paint here and there, voila!
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