Double-decker seats in airplane cabins: Can it become a reality?
We may all witness the introduction of double-decker seats on flights. And it may happen in the near future.
The inspiration behind the prototype is 23-year-old Alejandro Nuñez Vicente, who believes that double-decker seating is the future of environmentally friendly and economical flights. The prototype of the double-decker seats was presented at the Aircraft Cabin Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany. This was reported by NewsBytes.
The design was originally a student project
Vicente first designed the airplane lounge chair as a college project in 2021. That same year, he was nominated for the Crystal Cabin Awards, which attracted a lot of attention. Encouraged by the positive feedback, Vicente fully devoted his time, money, and energy to bringing his design to life. As a result, he temporarily suspended his master's degree programme.
How are the seats arranged?
Explaining the features, Vicente says that there are four rows: two upper and two lower.
"It's much easier for flight attendants to help (passengers with disabilities) get into their seats by having such a complex seat design," Vicente told USA Today. In his prototype, the bottom cushion on each seat in the lower level folds down to facilitate access.
Features of flights with double seats
New design offers additional legroom and deeper seat recline Chaise Lounge seats are currently designed for wide-body aircraft. They can be adapted by removing the centre overhead baskets and reducing the storage space in the cabin. According to Vicente, passengers may be willing to sacrifice cabin space for more legroom. These seats provide additional legroom and a deeper recline than conventional economy seats, making them suitable for comfortable sleeping on long-haul flights.
How the project was received on social media
Netizens responded with funny comments as soon as the post about the prototype went viral.
"Now I can spill my drink on myself and the stranger below me!" commented one user.
"I can't wait for someone to fart in my face", "I can't wait until airlines start charging extra for fart protection," others wrote.
When asked what would happen if the passenger above him farted, Vicente said that there was a stopper in the partition behind the upper level of the seats.
Vicente is in talks with airlines to launch the seats
Vicente is supported by sponsors, has partnerships and often interacts with "the biggest players in the industry." However, the 23-year-old says that his company has not yet partnered with any airline and hopes to announce it after the show.
Travel Wise previously wrote about how to save money on flights, including flexible scheduling, monitoring services, and additional costs.