Maybe it's my design background or maybe it's the extreme discomfort in my legs, but usually when I'm on a plane I can't help but think about redesigning the cabin interior. Of course, there are only so many options in economy when your femur doesn't fit between the seats. However, in business class, where airlines actually make their money, the options are endless.
Below is a redesign that Lufthansa just launched this spring. Co-created with Pearson Lloyd, the concept is based on three distinct travel experiences: calm, focus, and share. The idea here is that maybe you just want to sleep (calm). Maybe you just want to work (focus). Or maybe you want to work and/or hang out with someone beside you (share). And depending on what you're looking for, your seat should reflect that.
The result is 7 different seat types that are bookable depending on what "job you're looking to hire it for."
It is about consumer choice instead of one size fits all. But I'm curious:
Were they able to maintain the same number of overall seats in business class, or are they betting on higher revenue per passenger because the seats are now better?
How does booking work? What happens if I really want "calm," but the only available seat is "share"? And then what happens if my "share" neighbor is really talkative?
Has anyone looked at multi-seat arrangements in economy? Or is it a non-starter because you really need to squeeze femurs in order to make the math work?
Lufthansa, if you're reading this and you'd like me to do a thorough review of your new Allegris Business Class seating, I would be happy to accept a flight to Paris sometime this summer. Until then, you can all find more information about this new seating layout and the design process, here.
Images: Pearson Lloyd
