The airlines have come up with a new answer to an old question: How many passengers can be squeezed into economy class?

A lot more, it turns out, especially if an idea still in the early stage should catch on: standing-room-only “seats.”

Airbus has been quietly pitching the standing-room-only option to Asian carriers, though none have agreed to it yet. Passengers in the standing section would be propped against a padded backboard, held in place with a harness, according to experts who have seen a proposal.

If I hadn’t just read that in the New York Times, I would SWEAR it was one of those ridiculous email forwards the elders of my family keep spreading around. And how many new passengers can they cram into economy class using this “great” new idea? Twelve on a 757 and six on a 737. Wow. :roll: