Squeezing more passengers onto a plane is a surefire way to sell more tickets while making travel more affordable for everyone.
Therefore, it should come as little surprise that some within the airline industry want to introduce stand-up flights or vertical seating similar to barstools.
"There are people out there right now researching whether you can fly standing up," South American budget carrier VivaColombia's founder and CEO William Shaw said via The Telegraph. "We're very interested in anything that makes travel less expensive."
While supporters have pushed for stand-up flights in the past, regulators haven't budged.
"First the airline would have to ask the manufacturer of the aircraft to fit them in, then the manufacturer would have to get those seats approved," Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesman Richard Taylor told The Telegraph.
"Unless they can make it 100 percent safe, it won't be viable."
"People have to travel like human beings," Colombia's Civil Aviation Director Alfredo Bocanegra told RCN Radio via Traveller.com.au. "Anyone who has ridden on public mass transit knows that it's not the best when you're standing."
Standing is common on buses and trains of course, but flights typically cover longer distances. Having to stand or lean for hours could turn some travelers off to the idea.
Although it doesn't help VivaColombia's case that it reported a net loss last year and has been investigated for allegedly cutting corners to slash costs in the past, Shaw is adamant that there would be demand for standing seats, especially among those who can't afford to fly under current conditions.
"Who cares if you don't have an in-flight entertainment system for a one-hour flight?" he said. "Who cares that there aren't marble floors...or that you don't get free peanuts?"
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Considering adequate legroom is already difficult to come by on most planes, there are likely many travelers who would be willing to give a stand-up flight a try if it means a cheaper trip.
Speaking of which, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) came under investigation earlier this year after more than half of a dozen passengers stood in the aisle for the duration of a three-hour flight from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia.
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