Room to Fly

Forget cosmetic changes like increased seat width — in the quest for more in-flight space, why not do away with three-quarters of the passengers altogether? That seems to be the philosophy of Eos Airlines (eosairlines.com), the latest carrier on the North Atlantic route.

Departing from London Stansted Airport, Eos' converted Boeing 757 aircraft carry just 48 passengers on the flight to New York City's JFK airport (standard 757s hold over 200) for an introductory fare of $5,000 round-trip. These pampered few will dine on nouvelle cuisine and watch first-run movies on personal DVD players, while recumbent on fully flat, almost 2-m-long beds.

The bed is the centerpiece of the positively decadent 1.95 sq m of space allocated to each passenger, which also features a companion seat and a retractable table for tête-à-têtes. The benefits aren't just limited to the air. With so few passengers to process, boarding, disembarking and baggage retrieval should be a breeze.