AnimaWings Abolishes Seat Fees by Welding All Passengers Into Single Communal Bench
Faced with over 60% of bookings made by groups, Romanian airline AnimaWings has removed seat selection fees by replacing all aircraft seating with one continuous welded bench, forcing passengers to sit together in a single, unbreakable row.
AnimaWings has eliminated all fees for adjacent seats by removing every individual seat from its fleet and welding a single continuous bench along the entire length of each cabin, a company spokesman confirmed Tuesday. The bench, forged from recycled aircraft aluminum and bolted directly to the floor, now carries every passenger from Bucharest to Antalya in one unbroken row.
«The internal analysis showed that over 60% of our bookings are for two or more people, so we asked ourselves why we were charging families to sit together when they could simply never be apart,» said operations director Mihai Popescu, gesturing at the 40-meter communal bench during a demonstration flight. «Now a mother, her child, and three strangers from the window seat are one unit, like a single organism with six carry-on bags.»
Passengers boarding the airline’s A320s now shuffle sideways along the bench, stepping over knees and cooler bags to reach their spot, which is no longer assigned. The airline has installed handrails along the aisle so travelers can pull themselves forward, and flight attendants now distribute earplugs and complimentary sedative tea before takeoff to ease the transition. «We have also removed the lavatory doors to save space,» Popescu added, «so the entire cabin can share the experience of a mid-flight refreshment.»
Families with children, who make up half of summer travelers, have reportedly embraced the change, with one father noting that his toddler now naps directly on the lap of a retired accountant from Cluj. The airline plans to extend the bench concept to its check-in counters next month, where all passengers will queue in a single file line regardless of destination.
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