[updated:LAST EDITED ON 24-10-02 AT 01:59Â PM (GMT)]Remember the UK Big Bro last summer when Jade announced that she had been to the toilet downstairs on a plane. Before big brother she wasnt the kind of person who flew First Class so this rules out a Boeing 747. Then I found this today which did surpirse me:
“Airtours International has the first A330’s in the world to feature downstairs toilets. Five of the seven on board are situated on a downstairs deck, accessed via a stairway at the centre of the aircraft. Putting these toilets downstairs makes the main cabin a more pleasant environment”
I never knew there was an aircraft used in the UK which had downstairs toilets when the aircraft had only one level!
By: wysiwyg - 25th October 2002 at 12:08
RE: Jade from Big Brother
AFAIK, the CAA impose a requirement that there must be a cabin attendant available in the downstairs toilet area so the crew number must be increased by 1 if you take up this option. This person is theoretically not available for cabin service so most airlines see it as an expensive option.
By: Ren Frew - 25th October 2002 at 10:36
RE: Jade from Big Brother
I used the downstairs toilets on an Airtours A330 last January enroute to Gran Canaria. The toilet block is contained within an optional module fitted by Airbus. This module can also be configured as a crew rest area, a bar or a shop amongst other things. It does take up some cargo space, but helps to give the impression of being on a larger, less claustrophobic plane. The spiral staircase going down to the module also offers an alternative to the normal up and down the aisle’s thrombosis defeating strolls we’ve become accustomed to.
By: andrewm - 25th October 2002 at 10:04
RE: Jade from Big Brother
I would have thought that since you need stairs to get down that would take up more seat space than good for airlines. Do only charter airlines like Airoturs have this or have any major airlines?
By: Ja Worsley - 25th October 2002 at 07:55
RE: Jade from Big Brother
If memory serves, all Airliners have two levels, one which we know has passengers, the lower of which is for cargo and bagage, by putting the dunnies down stairs cuts the cargo capasity porportionatly down, still I can see how it would make the cabin much nicer.
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By: wysiwyg - 25th October 2002 at 07:40
RE: Jade from Big Brother
A330 operators who want to carry cargo would probably buy the 777 instead. That’s why the A330 is so often used as a charter plane these days.
By: T5 - 24th October 2002 at 20:44
RE: Jade from Big Brother
When this topic came up a couple of months back, I mentioned scanning in a layout of the below deck toilet. I’ll get it posted on Sunday when I’m back from Wales(!!). It’s quite an impressive layout. Although I didn’t actually use the toilet during the 10 hour flight, there was a map in our seat pockets and Airtours bragged at how they were the first to do so. I think there are four or five toilets, a bit of floor space in the middle and a row of seats for people to sit down; mainly for turbulence.
Airtours/MyTravel probably use this would-be cargo space because they don’t specialise in carrying cargo.. even if they do, they can’t carry much of it.
By: Carl - 24th October 2002 at 14:32
RE: Jade from Big Brother
Airbus offer downstairs loos as a standard option on the A330/340 family but few operators take this up – cargo space being more valuable.
By: T5 - 24th October 2002 at 14:15
RE: Jade from Big Brother
Fantastic aircraft! 😛
By: Bhoy - 24th October 2002 at 14:03
RE: Jade from Big Brother
there were a couple of guys who said at the time that AIrtours A330’s had downstairs toilets…
ANyway, it needn’t have been a case of flying First class on jumbo, BA has Business class seating upstairs, not first.
And KLM has Economy upstairs, as did the former B-Cal 747’s that BA used to use.
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October 24, 2002 at 1:55 pm