what about the children? Are they going to stand on top of each other?
Don't give them any ideas, Beth!

I think you're missing some rather sinister element to this guys.
Remember the 'War on Fat People' La Schlussel joined with a bunch of other bigots? Well, how many of you could lean on a bar stool(which is what this kind of sounds like) or against a wall? If you're standing how much room are they going to allow for you(remember, they tend to assume an 'avg size' and design from there. In this case they'll likely use a cylinder of about 40in in diameter).
I'm only liking this for something like the commuter flights from some sattelite airport to a main one of no more than 45 min duration.
I know airlines think they'll make more money by packing people in like sardines,but they might want to look at premiums for GIVING PEOPLE MORE ROOM.
Of course, I hate most peoples carryon luggage so the fact that there's nowhere to put it doesn't bother me. If it ain't made of porcelain put it in the belly of the bird.

This could actually be a good thing.

Airbus will spend millions, if not billions, developing this bird. Some airline will spend millions to buy one (or more).

If, at that point, they then find that essentially no one will pay to fly on it... well, that's the good thing. ;)

In this case they'll likely use a cylinder of about 40in in diameter

It wouldn't fit. The illustration shows only 25" between seats...um, rests.

It looks like the kind of idea that people who travel in private jets would come up with to keep "their" runways from being clogged. Squeezing the more of "little people" (literally in this case) into fewer planes would make for less time waiting to take off or land.

Sedation, Beth. Then they stack 'em up like cordwood. Actually, I've been on some flights where I'd've preferred it.

Gosh, this makes me feel so old. I remember being a little kid and only riding in airplanes to go to funerals, because, well, air travel was risky and expensive. Very conflicting emotions, there, the death-trip ones against the "oh cool I get to fly" ones. Yes, I remember when airports smelled like gasoline, not kerosene. I remember riding in the "smoker" section of old Delta Douglas DC-6Bs, with the door to the flight deck open at all times, and being invited up forrard there to look at the gauges and blinkenlights. Sigh. I hate living in a Doodah Police State.

(I could maybe put up with a *serious* Police State.)

Umm, when I wrote *serious* above, I meant "non-silly" and "rational". I'm afraid that our masters are more and more silly and irrational. Anarcho-tyranny, I believe Dr. Pournelle calls it.