Coffee, tea… or a piggy-back out of a burning plane?

How passenger experience amenities saved lives on OZ214

The Boeing 777 saved passengers’ lives during the crash-landing of Asiana flight OZ214 at San Francisco, that much is certain. Modern safety standards aboard the seven-year-old jet meant that, despite an incredible high-speed spin of over 360°, passengers survived the impact who would not have done so aboard previous generations of aircraft.

But the same details of the passenger experience expounded on in this column and elsewhere as ‘nice to have’ travel benefits — new improved seats, high and spacious ceilings, or attentive, caring flight attendants — also contributed to the survivability of the aircraft.