How much would you pay to stand from Sydney to Melbourne?

How much would you pay to stand from Sydney to Melbourne? Maybe the question is how little you'd you pay, as Tiger Australia considers introducing the controversial ‘vertical seats’ for short-haul domestic flights.

“You are not talking about things that would be uncomfortable” says Tiger Australia managing director Crawford Rix. “You are talking about something that would be reasonable for an hour or hour and a half flight... On shorter flights in Australia, I think, it would be OK.”

Speaking with The Australian, Rix said he would consider introducing standing-room spots at the very rear of the plane if they were made available by aircraft manufacturers.
However, Boeing has already slapped down the ‘vertical seat’ concept as put forward by Ryanair earlier this year, which the cut-price carrier hoped to sell  for about £5 ($A8).

“As far as I am concerned, we would look at any options that reduce our costs … people have said they would travel if the price was low enough.”

Which begs the question: what cost is fair to stand for, say, the 90-odd minutes of a flight between Sydney and Melbourne? Or would you refuse to stand for it (pardon the pun) even if the flight was free?

[The Australian]

David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.