The shape of future planes?

[Wizzo]

Take a look at this oddly wide plane with the three engines in back. This could be the method of air travel by the year 2030.

NASA has recently started a little pet project, cooperating with engineers from MIT to create planes that are more fuel-efficient, quieter, not to mention environmentally friendly.

Let’s hope that this “wide load” look will also make aisles wider, so you don’t have to compete with that inconvenient drink cart when you want to use the bathroom.

Who knows when this plane will roll off the assembly lines at Boeing or other major aeronautical corporation, but if this is the concept plane of 2030, this is quite a while.

If you could do one thing to improve air travel, what would it be? 

[Ian]

Re-introduce the ban on mobile phones.   

[Steven Roy]

If you could do one thing to improve air travel, what would it be?

Leave Bernie at Sao Paolo for 9 years rather than 9 hours.

[John S]

Is it just me or does that new plane look a lot like one of the Thunderbirds puppets planes, but with longer wings. They had a wide bodied jet, was it Thunderbird 2?

[Steven Roy]

The nose does look like Thunderbird 2.  It was shorter wider and hamuch smaller wings a bit like some of the flying body designs that have been tested.

[cosworth151]

If you could do one thing to improve air travel, what would it be?

Bring back free drinks!

[Ian]

Cos, you still get free drinks if you fly scheduled. 

[Scott]

Not in the U.S. or Canada (mostly)

[Ian]

Thats sad Scotty.   

[cosworth151]

Most US airlines don't even have free peanuts or soft drinks any more.

[John S]

Neither do the budget scheduled airlines in Britain and Europe

[lkjohnson1950]

How about not charging extra for your luggage?

Lonny

[Scott]

Honestly, the ones that charge for luggage, you can't really complain about.  I was looking at a fare to England this week and the ticket was essentially FREE.  I just had to pay some puny admin charge, and luggage.  Insane how they can make money anymore.  I feel guilty flying to England for $30 each way. 

[lkjohnson1950]

They aren't making money, and they don't seem to be smart enough to put in a simple pricing structure that makes them a profit.