726: Seat Selection

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Seat Selection

Title text: Don't click on the wing.

Explanation

Many airlines give passengers the opportunity to select a preferred seat when booking a flight. In this case, Megan appears to be checking in at a self-check-in at the airport, where she is given the opportunity to select her seat. Rather than selecting a seat on the diagram, Megan clicks on the pilot seat (which is of course not an actual option for online seating reservations)^{[citation needed]}. In the last frame, we see that, because she chose the pilot seat, she is now actually sitting in the captain’s seat, flying the plane while whooping. A worried-looking pilot sits behind her at the back of the cockpit, holding both hands in front of his mouth. While she is flying in a presumably fully-enclosed cockpit, her scarf rises behind her as if being pushed by a great wind. This is likely to show that she is piloting the aircraft recklessly compared to a normal pilot.

The title text says to not click on the wing. The implication is that if you did click on the wing you would, similarly, end up sitting outside on the wing. Even if you were able to hold on, this would put you above the Death Zone, which is at 7 km (See the what if? article Rising Steadily). Standard cruising altitude is 10 km (30,000-39,000 ft.). It would be an unpleasant death, as the air is so thin that you actually lose oxygen to the air (as explained in the mentioned what if?). 2862: Typical Seating Chart lists such wing seats as seating space opportunities that are wasted by some companies and two wing seats at the extemities of the wings, for "lookout" purposes.

This kind of event could lead to situations as the one depicted in 1660: Captain Speaking. For this reason, 2862: Typical Seating Chart requests that non-pilots do not select the pilot seat(s).

Transcript

[A seat selection diagram to book your seat on a plane is displayed on a gray background. It shows the front end of a plane to just behind the wings. The outline of the plane is in a darker gray color, while the seating section is light gray with black seats. The cockpit windows are shown as well as the entrance section in the front of the plane where two arrows point out of the two possible exits one on each side. The first class section with only four seats for each of the 3 rows are clearly separated from the rest of the seats. The six seats for each row is labeled with letters A to F and the rows are labeled for every third seat starting at 9 and ending after two numbers behind the wings at 27. Below, going over the wing pointing down is a frame with light gray background and the following text:]

Select desired seat

by clicking on the above chart

F

E

D

C

B

A

9 12 15 18 21 24 27

[Megan, in a scarf with two suitcases behind her, is standing in an airport, contemplating her choice at the self-check-in, looking at the display from the first panel. Behind her is a manned check-in counter with Cueball and Ponytail in the distance, sitting behind three screens at the counter. Above them is a big sign with an arrow to the right:]

Gates

[Back to the seat selection diagram where a hand shaped cursor indicates that Megan has chosen the cockpit of the plane.]

*Click*

Select desired seat

by clicking on the above chart

F

E

D

C

B

A

9 12 15 18 21 24 27

[Close up of Megan seen through the front window in the cockpit of the plane, holding the yoke, her scarf hanging behind her into the next windows frame, like if she was riding a motorcycle, because she makes the plane rise enough for it to fall behind her. A pilot sitting behind her seen in the third window, is wearing a cap and sunglasses. He looks at her with both his hands held in front of his mouth.]

Megan: WOOOOOOO

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Discussion

Can someone please fix the date of the comic??? 172.68.27.84 14:17, 11 May 2018 (UTC)

Could the part about the wing also refer to Nightmare at 20,000 Feet? -- mwburden 99.129.248.32 12:27, 12 December 2012 (UTC)

For sure it has nothing to do with this. There is nothing about gremlins here! Deleted from explanation --Kynde (talk) 14:55, 31 March 2016 (UTC)

Randall should add a bonus if you click on the wing in the image. 03:44, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

Pilot: You've killed the rest of the crew! Plot twist: Megan's flying American, on a plane inherited from TWA. Here, it's pilot/co-pilot/flight engineer/navigator. This was back when airlines held off on fleet upgrades to cut costs. 108.162.221.8 04:22, 20 February 2014 (UTC)

This is one of my favorite xkcds 172.71.150.254 (talk) 17:01, 5 October 2024 (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

Wrong date on comic header

It reads April 21, 2010, but this comic wasn't posted on that date. 198.41.230.226 17:15, 28 March 2018 (UTC)