Global aviation companies gathered at the annual Aircraft Interiors Expo in Germany last week to showcase their latest aircraft seating designs, focusing on squeezing more comfort into limited space.
Two standout concepts aim to do just that: SkyNook, a semi-private "retreat" pod from RTX's Collins Aerospace, and Comfort Class, a double-decker layout with extra space and recline from the Spanish startup Chaise Lounge.
Chaise Lounge is proposing dual-level coach seating with rows set at different heights — freeing up space for passengers to stretch out and generously recline, almost like they're in a living room lounger.
The seat — which started as a 2020 college project — previously went viral for its unconventional, if intriguing, prototype. Company founder and designer Alejandro Núñez Vicente told Business Insider that the latest display "mimics the enclosed, private feel of business class pods."
Collins, a major US seatmaker that supplies cabins to dozens of global airlines, thinks the last row of widebody aircraft could be transformed into a "semi-private retreat" with a privacy partition and a table in the typically unused space between the seat and sidewall.
The SkyNook placed first in the Passenger Comfort category at this year's Crystal Cabin Awards, an annual industry program announced at AIX that recognizes the best innovations in aircraft cabin design. Chaise Lounge was a 2021 nominee.
A Collins spokesperson told Business Insider that the SkyNook will be certified in a few months and will be flying with its undisclosed launch customer by the end of the year.
Núñez Vicente said his idea, which isn't certified, has "received significant interest from multiple airlines" because it offers a "highly distinct, improved passenger experience."
Pushing the envelope in cabin design is particularly tricky. Seatmakers are working in tight, fixed footprints where every inch of real estate ties directly to an airline's bottom line. They also have to meet strict safety and efficiency requirements.
Here's what the Comfort Cabin and the SkyNook look like.
Chaise Lounge leans on stacked seating.
The seat is closer to premium economy than regular coach.
Chaise Lounge
Instead of aligned rows, Chaise Lounge removed the overhead bins and set the seats at different heights. The alternating sequence elegantly creates usable legroom for the lower level, allowing passengers to nearly fully recline.
Núñez Vicente emphasized, however, that the design "does not increase cabin density or 'stack' passengers on top of each other," but instead "uses vertical space to give everyone more room."
He said the distance between rows is "identical" to the spacing in today's standard premium economy.
The lower level transforms into a reclining lounger.
The seat adjusts to be like a living room armchair.
Chaise Lounge
The leg space — which stretches under the raised seat ahead — is narrow, but it still provides a footrest for flyers "to stretch out fully and find multiple relaxing, ergonomic postures" during long flights.
The upper level doesn't have a footrest, but Núñez Vicente said it still has "ample" recline and knee and foot room, and there's no one in front to recline into the space.
The cabin also features charging ports, a tray table, and seatback screens. Given airlines' focus on premium options, the Comfort Cabin could be an attractive way to further monetize economy.
Núñez Vicente said the Comfort Cabin would occupy only roughly one-third of the cabin, giving passengers more choice.
It has received criticism for being potentially claustrophobic.
The prototype shows that stairs will be the primary means of reaching the upper level, which Chaise Lounge said has been optimized for evacuations.
Chaise Lounge
Common concerns among AIX visitors and social media users included feeling claustrophobic, getting in and out of the upper level, and the lack of storage due to the removal of the overhead bins. There is bag stowage, but many would likely need to be checked.
Núñez Vicente said it's "completely understandable that a new seating configuration might raise questions about cabin space," but added that the design is "specifically designed to optimize personal space, not restrict it."
He added that during testing, a "vast majority" of people liked the separation from other travelers and that the alternating heights provide a business-class-like privacy feel.
The SkyNook is near the lavatory but has more space.
The SkyNook would cocoon travelers away from the lavatory line.
Collins Aerospace
Collins designed the last-row SkyNook primarily for Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 widebody aircraft. The back row has historically been disliked by customers because of the limited recline due to the bulkhead and the lack of privacy when lines form at the lavatory.
Collins' solution is a sliding partition that turns the space into a small pod. To sweeten it further, Collins said it repurposed the space by the wall with a small table that can stow bulky items.
It targets families and pet owners.
The table can hold bulky items that flyers may not want to check.
Collins Aerospace
Collins displayed a baby car seat on the table to illustrate how families could benefit from the pod. The spokesperson said the table has a seatbelt that can secure a car seat or bassinet "during all phases of flight, including during taxi, takeoff, and landing."
Collins also said pet owners or those with service animals could also find uses for the roomier space and privacy.
"We've been demonstrating this solution with customers more discreetly for a couple of years, incorporating their feedback and iterating the design to get to this point," a spokesperson said.