Airplanes to include "standing seats"?

Please, say it ain't so! According to The New York Times, some airplane designers are shopping around the idea of including "standing seats" to cram in more passengers per jet. From the article:

Airbus has been quietly pitching the standing-room-only option to Asian carriers, though none have agreed to it yet. Passengers in the standing section would be propped against a padded backboard, held in place with a harness, according to experts who have seen a proposal.

It also talks about the thinner seats airlines have been installing, some to provide more leg room, others to add in more seats. Of course, this is all about coach—first and business class seats keep getting more comfy.

Update: Airbus has denied the standing seats thing.