The only international award for aircraft interior innovations, the Crystal Cabin Award could generally be considered something of a niche accolade, but a shortlisted proposal for a significantly altered premium-class plane cabin has this year generated exceptional interest, British newspaper Telegraph reports in the following article:
Conceived by Atlanta-based Formation Design, the proposed hybrid first- and business-class cabin offers many of the features top-tier passengers would expect on long-haul flights, such as advanced electronic systems, but would also include a second level of lie-flat suites in addition to lie-flat seats. They would stand above a proportion of the regular passenger seats in a bunk bed-like formation.
Speaking to John Walton of Runwaygirlnetwork.com, Formation Design explained that “the bed of the suite deploys slightly higher than typical (approximately armrest height) while the standard seats convert to the bed position at a slightly lower height. This allows the suite’s bed to overlap the foot wells of the standard beds.”
Extra capacity
The extra capacity provided by this layout would enable airlines to accommodate more passengers in their lucrative premium cabins, but Formation Design claims customer comfort wouldn’t be compromised. In addition to providing more seats and suites, the modified layout would allow developers to build broader beds, and would enable a wider selection of seats to have direct aisle access. Renderings show that this would be the case, for example, on an Airbus A330 or A340 that adopted the company’s seat design. The elevated seats would, however, necessitate the removal of overhead lockers from that section of the aircraft.
A number of airlines (such as Abu Dhabi-based carrier Etihad, Dubai’s Emirates and Singapore Airlines) already provide their first-class passengers with seating within suites – private compartments with sliding doors.
More generally, designers have been avidly reconsidering the best way to configure premium-class cabins since the successful launch of The Residence by Etihad. Billed as a “better than first-class” cabin, this three-room cabin includes a small bedroom, toilet with shower and dedicated butler service, and was launched to huge acclaim in late 2014. One-way fares between London and Abu Dhabi cost from $20,000.
As yet, Format Design’s proposal remains just that. However, the winners of this year’s Crystal Cabin Awards will be announced at a gala ceremony in the Hotel Atlantic Kempinski in Hamburg on April 5, and should their innovation triumph on the night it will provide their concept with a stamp of credibility that will be recognised by their peers across the aviation industry.
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