In attempt to make passengers more comfortable, American Airlines is retrofitting one lavatory door on its Boeing 737 MAX.
Currently, the lavatories on AA’s Boeing 737 MAX have “slab doors” just outside the rear galley. Those doors open into the aisles and can bang against each other when opened at once. This has led passengers to congregate in the rear galley in order to avoid being hit or trapped between the doors.
Boeing has created a fix in the form of a bi-fold door similar to what we already see on many aircraft. It will open inwards, avoiding any potential collision with the door across the aisle. The second door, by the way, will not be retrofitted. In an internal memo to employees, Jill Surdek, AA’s Vice President of Flight Service, noted that the slab door allows easier access for larger passengers and those with disabilities.
AA’s existing 737 MAX aircraft will be retrofitted with the new lavatory door throughout 2019. Future deliveries will include the bi-fold door.
CONCLUSION
Let me clear, I give American Airlines credit for trying. But a new door will not make a tiny restroom any roomier. It is still putting lipstick on a pig. In fact, while it solves the aisle protrusion issue, it arguably makes the lavatory even more compact.
Perhaps an AA flight attendant sums it up best:
Truthfully, I believe many hold it until they land because they know they can’t fit.
Hmmmm……
Do small lavatories bother you?
image: AA
The AA737 Max is not as uncomfortable as its 10 across 777s – and those flights are usually much longer.
The bi-fold doors open inward so they won’t bang into each other as passengers exit the rear lavs at the same time. However that squeezes passengers who are in the lavs even more when they’re getting out… the fundamental problem with the lavs isn’t the door it’s the size. Blade doors were meant to help offset the small lavs in the first place, rather than just being a poorly thought through design.
I’ll spare you the story an AA FA told me of pax voiding in the rear galley. It’s just a matter of time before pax discover new uses for empty water bottles and soda cans.
Minor problem…. Fat people in seats next to me… Big problem.
The (Porter Airlines) Q400 lavatory requires one to think carefully about the next step / turn / twist etc.
I don’t think that problem is unique to Porter on the Q400!
Small minded @aa executives bother me more!
Many years ago I flew in an SAS Caravelle, that was tight. The lavatory door had a purely cosmetic purpose. An average person could not use the toilet with the door shut. On the other hand it only flew short legs; you did not want to stay took long in such a noisy aircraft.