ANA 787 Dreamliners to Feature In-Flight Bidets
We have brought up the subject of Japanese toilets in the past. These marvels of modern technology are equipped with everything from lids that close and open automatically to seat warmers to MP3 players. Now Air Nippon Airlines has announced that its new fleet of 50 Boeing 787 Dreamliners will feature washlet toilets made by Toto. While these toilets lack the sophistication of their land-based counterparts in Japan, they feature a water stream to clean one’s nether-regions as well as a fairly impressive instrument panel.
All joking aside, I have been wondering what airlines are going to do to improve comfort on the new breed of jets that are now coming out. As a taller traveler, I’m always left wondering how they expect someone like me to fit in those tiny seats. This is not just a comfort matter but a health concern on longer flights as cramped conditions can lead to blood clots. On top of this you cannot even get a meal on most domestic flights anymore.
The Airbus A380 prototype with its ample space and lounges seem to provide a glimmer of hope but I was always doubtful that Airlines would configure the plane in a way other than to be able to squeeze the maximum number of passengers and cargo in one flight. Now it seems that sales of the A380 will be much lower than expected and that the plane is only viable in certain Asian routes.
The trend of cutting passenger comfort as a cost-savings measure seems to be a largely American phenomenon. According to a report in NPR, Asian airlines lead the way in passenger comfort. If ANA’s washlets and Singapore Airlines’ “sleeper pods†are any indication, this seems to be largely true. I look forward to traveling with some of these airlines and confirming this for myself. We can only hope that Airlines in this part of the world would take not and follow suit.
