Is Southwest Airlines about to end open seating? CEO hints at changes

Table Of Content

• The Blended Wing Solution
• More Than 30% of Flights Were Delayed on These Two Airlines in 2023
• Aeroflot’s new A320s equipped with Recaro seats
• The designer of a double-level plane seat that's dividing the internet says he's 'more sure than ever' that it will fly
• Virgin Australia unveils new 737 business, economy seats
• Factorydesign unveils hybrid all-aisle-access business seats

The double-decker bus lets you see cities, and the Double Decker taco is one of Taco Bell’s better creations. The top bunk is about four and a half feet up, and, obviously, there is no overhead bin. Stacking people vertically worked for increasing the density in cities, so why not planes? Having space to lie down would quickly make us forget about the inconvenience of climbing up and down a little ladder whenever we needed to use the restroom.

The Blended Wing Solution

It won’t stop any fights for the armrest, but at least it’s easier to avoid eye contact while doing so. Safran says it can be retrofitted onto old seats, so it’s possible for airlines to put them on the pre-existing seats. The company also has a more extensive blockade that takes up a middle seat created during the pandemic. The search for a seat that’s better for both comfort-craving fliers and space-conscious for airlines has gone on about as long as there have been airlines.

More Than 30% of Flights Were Delayed on These Two Airlines in 2023

Before this article goes any further on the seats specifications, timeline and other cool information, we have to answer the question on everyone’s mind. Founder and engineering luminary Mark Page pioneered our ultra-efficient airframe with team members Bob Liebeck and Blaine Rawdon at McDonnell-Douglas. He later co-founded DZYNE Technologies where he continued to advance the BWB design in collaboration with NASA. If we stay on this course with today’s aircraft, we’ll emit more CO2 than Germany, UK and South Korea combined by 2040.

Aeroflot’s new A320s equipped with Recaro seats

Double-decker plane seat unveiled – and it's sparking furious debate - The Independent

Double-decker plane seat unveiled – and it's sparking furious debate.

Posted: Wed, 07 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Even still, especially on overnight flights, the extra room and deeper recline compared to standard economy could be a good option for sleeping. The design features two padded wings that can fold out from the seat back, allowing passengers to lean on a cushioned surface. “I think it could be an incredibly positive thing for the airline, but I recognize that Southwest has a more-than-50-year history of being egalitarian, of having open seating and being different from other airlines,” he said. He said that if the airline could deliver a more “pleasant” boarding process, or seat selection for a fee, it would probably be attractive to travelers. The Dallas-based carrier revealed details of a new onboard product Friday, featuring a refreshed look and a new seat design. At the end of last year, Southwest completed its major upgrade of faster Wi-Fi across its fleet, which costs $8 per flight segment.

Other improvements include complimentary same-day standby for all passengers and digital bag tracking as the airline maintains its value proposition of two free checked bags. "In the lower row, the seat slides down, and you can fully stretch your legs," he said. He added that this row is ideal for taller passengers who need more legroom and for those who want to sleep through the flight.

Virgin Australia unveils new 737 business, economy seats

Other changes include new carpeting, lavatory enhancements, new sideboards and updated LED lighting. And while three people sitting on both the bottom and top rows feels a little tight, the fighting for elbow space is exactly the same in regular economy class. For now, the Chaise Longue, just like another recently unveiled airplane seating innovation, is only a prototype, but if you're curious to see what it would be like, you can check it out in the metaverse. One designer did some geometric finagaling to position people opposite ways with a plastic shield between them. Another came up with a shield that sits in the middle seat itself and can be taken off once planes finally feel safe again. These latest iterations are part of a long tradition of trying to fix something bad with something that’s been overthought, to use a generous description.

JetBlue’s new A321LR has with Airspace interior

And for Núñez Vicente and Service Soto, sacrificing their social life is worth it for the wild ride they’re enjoying in return. The couple’s friends didn’t get it at first (“You guys are crazy, this won’t happen. what are you doing, you’re wasting your time, you’re not getting a salary, you’re wasting the best years of your life,” Núñez Vicente recalls them saying). “My father has his own problems and businesses but he traveled 2,200 kilometers with me,” says Núñez Vicente. His parents are often by his side supporting him – his father helped him transport the weighty Chaise Longue prototype across Europe by van from Spain to Germany for AIX. Airlines will be able to choose different types of finishes for the padding (which has the option to be removed and washed when necessary) and can also embed speakers or other technology within the wings.

The cabins are based on what Southwest described as "extensive research" involving customers and employees and their "perceptions of color, comfort, and their aspirations for the overall onboard experience." Recaro Aircraft Seating will install two shipsets of its CL3810 economy-class seat on Qatar Airways’ Airbus A321neo fleet from the end of 2022. As for the bottom level, to me – someone who is not a fan of small spaces – it feels pretty claustrophobic, but this will be a matter of personal opinion. While having a row of seats directly in your eyeline won’t be appealing to everyone, others won’t be as bothered – particularly when there’s so much more space to stretch out your feet than in your average economy airplane seat. At AIX 2023, CNN Travel was the first to test out the newest Chaise Longue prototype.

The modular design of the economy class seat allows for maximum freedom in layout configuration and keeps operation costs low. Recaro Aircraft Seating signed an extension contract with Airbus for the delivery of SWIFT economy class seats for its Airbus A320 family aircraft with predefined economy class seats BL3530. Recaro offers predefined and pre-certified versions of its BL3530, BL3710 and CL4710 seats, and provides various dual-class cabin configurations of the SWIFT family of seats. Optional seat features range from comfort packages and in-seat power solutions to tablet holders and ELeather colors. The SL3710 is the lightest seat in the market and is slated to join the Airbus SFE catalogue soon.

Admittedly, it would take some getting used to and would likely take a little longer for the plane to deboard, so airlines might have some qualms. The seat consists of a hard-shell recliner seat that provides a cocoon-like feel with divider screens for maximum privacy, while the 15.6-inch 4K Ultra-HD personal TV screens offer an incredible inflight entertainment experience. Meanwhile, the Economy Class seats feature 11.6-inch 4K personal TV screens along with a generous recline, comfortable seat cushions and new adjustable headrests. Cathay Pacific has already taken delivery of four A321neos, and will receive a further two during the second half of 2021. The aircraft has a total of 202 seats, including 12 in Business Class and 190 in Economy Class. Austrian Airlines is increasing the size of its premium economy cabin on its Boeing 767 fleet from 18 to 30 seats per aircraft.

The company said Ascent can be configured with optional doors to enhance passenger separation & privacy and with a generous set of customizable features to meet a wide range of customer needs. HAECO Cabin Solutions obtained FAA Technical Standard Order (TSO) certification for Vector Light, the newest member of its Vector seating line for single-aisle aircraft. All Nippon Airways (ANA) revamped the seating on its Boeing aircraft with enhanced Safran premium and economy seats, including personal screen monitors (expanded to 13.3 in. for economy class), for domestic passengers. Still, Núñez Vicente thinks the double-level structure could ultimately be adapted to any airplane cabin class. He’s just released renderings of a premium economy version of the Chaise Longue – more or less the same concept, just without the lower middle seat.

Your seat area can be converted to a lie-flat one from Economy seating in just minutes. Spending hours stuffed into a row of cramped seats can be devastatingly uncomfortable, making minutes feel like days. Núñez Vicente is also acutely aware airlines generally aren’t interested in investing in economy class. There are exceptions – like Air New Zealand’s new economy SkyNest – but usually business and first class are where the innovation happens. Núñez Vicente has also added a beam above the top level seats, to indicate ceiling height. I’m 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 meters) and for me it feels like decent space – although it’s still tricky to know what it would actually feel like to be closer to the cabin ceiling than the floor.

My first impression is that it’s a little more “real” than last year’s proof of concept. “We had a lot of surveys about what our customers wanted to experience, especially on a long-haul flight,” explains Kim Cisek, American’s Vice President of Customer Experience. Apparently, one of the major requests was a different type of amenity kit, not a standard one featuring one brand that remains in place for years.

Following a CNN Travel exclusive last year, Núñez Vicente’s concept went viral – igniting furious debate and prompting a flurry of reactions from would-be passengers – some outraged, some bemused, some intrigued, some all of the above. Downstairs, the seats have more legroom with a footrest that extends well under the upper seats. There’s plenty of storage, but the upper-level partition does feel a little close at eye level.

None of them are certified but nevertheless, they represent something out of the norm. According to O’Neill, his seating will require a two-four-two configuration, which he claims will allow most airlines to maintain their passenger numbers without sacrificing passenger comfort. Jamco Corp. has launched its newest Venture Pristine clean solution for the aircraft interior. Venture Pristine is Jamco’s latest option for its Venture business-class seat for commercial aircraft, which incorporates the latest antimicrobial and antiviral material finish solutions. According to Jamco,every aspect of the Venture Pristine trim and finish option helps to maximize cleanliness during flight while also allowing sanitizing the seat after use both easier and more effective.

A total of 146 shipsets will be delivered to the Hungary-based airline through 2027. “Not only are these seats comfortable and durable, but due to their lightweight design they support Wizz Air’s goal to reduce its emissions by 25% withing the decade,” Wizz Air EVP & group COO Michael Delehant said. AVIC Cabin Solutions and Singapore Airlines are partnering on a Business Class product for the carrier’s latest Boeing aircraft, which includes Thompson Aero Seating’s Vantage seating and AIM Altitude’s front row monuments. The unique layout of the Vantage Business Class seats features alternating rows of double and single seats that recline directly into fully flat beds in a forward-facing configuration. This design maximizes utilization of the aircraft real estate while offering a spacious feel to the cabin and higher levels of comfort. The seat has the ability to have two business class, or nice premium economy class seats, on short flights where demand is high and the price premium for business is class is limited.