As airlines pack more seats in the economy sections of their aircraft, they are also looking for ways to expand their premium-end offerings. We have seen some very dramatic upgrades like that with Etihad’s First Apartment and their exclusive Residence, Emirates’ new A380 Suites, and the new suites for Singapore.
A New Class of Airplane That Could be the Best in the Sky
Link: Airbus Release
There have been many other concepts that have been offered for high-end luxury on commercial airplanes (check out this ultra cool First Space concept and the Athlete Airplane concept). Some do not make it into production but the latest proposal by Airbus comes very soon after Qantas’ CEO mentioned the space that is available on airplanes that could be used for passengers – the cargo space.
Courtesy of Airbus
Airbus and Zodiac Aerospace revealed a very cool mockup on what could be installed in their A330 series of aircraft (and possibly the A350 XWB) by as soon as 2020!
Another look at the Airbus cargo class space | Courtesy of Airbus
They have created a way to install sleeping berths into the cargo space of the aircraft yet have it be movable to adjust for the need of cargo in a turnaround situation. They have also modeled the design of a child’s play area, a lounge, and a conference room. They would even have a module that could be an infirmary!
Modular Unites for the Airbus Aircraft
That’s right, these are modular units that could be used according to each airline’s specific use and need (I would imagine the US airlines may want to put seats like this in the space – 🙂 ).
This is the first reveal of something like this and I am sure that there will be more luxurious modules rolling out soon as well. Given how the Etihad Residence is actually not that popular of a product, I think it is a smart idea to go for more of a public yet private space in this area of the plane rather than something like a mini-mansion in the sky. I don’t see a module yet for a fitness center but I am sure that will come soon also… 🙂
In the meantime, I love seeing how aircraft manufacturers are experimenting with designs, especially for areas of the plane that may have been not usable space for passengers in the past or areas that were not so useful otherwise (like the space used for the Etihad Residence – a perfect use-case for an area that would not have allowed much else there besides more bathrooms).
So, what do you think?
It looks nice before you add people to it. Once that happens it will become dirty, noisy, crowded and just an overall disaster. Even if this area was only oftered to business/first passengers, we all know the drama that can take place in the normal cabin. Imagine a business person trying to work on something or conduct a meeting and someone is playing with their child in the play area. Or someone is trying to sleep, etc. etc. Adding the human element always makes concepts go down really quickly. And as far as you mentioning a workout area, please no. Some people already can’t be bother to have proper hygiene while sharing space on a plane with others, let alone letting them workout.
Lighter (less cargo room) + more sleeping space? If you’re using cargo space and looking to sleep, this seems to be geared toward long/ultra-long-haul flights. I don’t see this being a luxury product so much as a way to make longer flights more bearable. I’d take my own area with a recliner that can become a bed (current 1st or business class) over having a bunk. However if you can get 2 bunks in the space of 1 business class seat, you may have a resaonably priced (1.75x times as much space as an econony seat?) alternative to economy. The images look a bit more spacious than that, but I think this is a good direction to be looking in, and I agree its good to see aircraft manufacturers experimenting with innovative designs.
You pay by the square inch so these would all be First Class fares.