Queen guitarist Brian May was not happy with his first-class seating arrangements on a recent British Airways flight to Los Angeles. The musician even took to his blog to voice his complaints about the layout of the first-class compartment of the BA Airbus 380, NME reports.
In the post, he discusses how much he loves to take photographs of "clouds, glaciers, mountains, cities, canyons and volcanoes" through airplane windows while he flies. Just a look at his Instagram proves that to be true. But May notes that the configuration of the windows in British Airways' first-class cabin makes this virtually impossible. "As I fly today with British Airways - I wonder if I am the only person left in the world who likes to relax in a comfortable seat and dreamily turn my head to the window and get lost in the ever-changing wonders of the planet, as they drift by?" he asks.
Instagram content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
"I wonder this because I'm not aware of anyone except me complaining about the new way the seats are configured in BA First Class," he continues. "I hate it. It costs an arm and a leg to travel this way and I feel that we no longer get our money's worth. In the old days you sat right next to the window and the view was wide and spectacular. Now they sit you about three feet from the window and so low down all you can see from your seat is a small patch of sky." A one-way, first-class ticket to Los Angeles costs around $13,000 year round on British Airways, or, you know, "an arm and a leg."
"Even if you make an effort to clamber closer to the window to get a better view you're totally thwarted," he gripes, "they've put all sorts of junk between the seat and the window - a table, a ledge, an annoying cubbyhole which holds almost nothing - and finally - a massive inner screen containing the blinds which stops you getting any closer than nine inches to the actual window. It completely sucks!!""
He shared two photos, one of a stunning aerial view from a previous flight and another of the "cramped" windows in British Airways' first class.
"Who designs this stuff? Did they lose their mind?" he wonders.
Brian May's complaint, while valid, seems trivial compared to what passengers at the back of the plane are forced to deal with on a typical flight. Especially since, soon, British Airway's legroom will be smaller than Ryanair's—for those in coach, that is. So, as frustrating as cramped first-class windows may be, does it compare to spending $50 to check a bag and being withheld a meal on a cross-country flight? You decide.