Check Out These Airline Cabin Concepts Aiming To Revolutionize Air Travel

May 22, 2023

The annual Crystal Cabin Awards have announced their 21 finalists for the 2023 awards celebrating the most innovative aircraft interior concepts. Achieving comfort in the air is a never-ending conversation and the awards are the ultimate facilitator.

Designers are reviewed in several categories, including cabin concepts, cabin systems, health and safety, IFEC and digital services, material and components, passenger comfort, sustainable cabin, and university, which allows college students to present concepts and designs. Business Insider shared the four finalists whose unique seat and cabin designs stood out amongst the crowd.

Air New Zealand announced its one-of-a-kind “Skynest” in June 2022. The sleep-friendly design is a frontrunner in the “cabin concepts” category. The design is a “set of six bunk beds in economy class to give travelers more lie-flat sleep options.” The “Skynest” live model will debut on the airline’s Boeing 787 jets by September 2024 and will complement the carrier’s fan-favorite “Skycouch,” which is a row of three economy seats that converts into a bed.

The second finalist is Lufthansa’s new long-haul passenger experience called “Allegris.” The new design will allow passengers to “choose from 14 different seat types across all four travel classes — economy, premium economy.” Each seat will focus on a different personal preference, like sleep, work, enjoyment, and entertainment. The airline said there will also be options for double suites with personal heating and cooling amenities. The new seat designs will be available for business class travelers by the end of 2023. The airline shared that the new first class suites will be introduced on Airbus A350-900 aircraft in early 2024.”

The third finalist in the “cabin concepts” category tackles the crew rest area on single-aisle jets. Many U.S. and European airlines have begun flying narrowbody planes to adhere to environmental and travel guidelines. The transition from widebody to narrowbody planes for long-haul routes may have been great for finance and environmental reasons, but did away for resting and lounge areas for the crew. The most common rest areas for crew are designated plane seats with or without a curtain, lending to minimum privacy. One possible concept was introduced by Diehl Aviation. Their crew rest compartment design uses the space between the first row and the door. The compartment will include foldable beds and is multi-purpose, as it can also be used as a medical compartment or a booking option for customers.

The fourth design finalist, which is under the “passenger comfort” category, is the “Ascent Front Row Seat” created by Adient Aerospace and Boeing Encore Interiors. The presented design removes the overhead bin to create a huge living space for travelers. The spaces will include a companion seat, a library, and even a minibar for travelers in that particular class.

The winners of the 2023 Crystal Cabin Awards will be announced on June 6.

Martie Bowser is a journalist and public relations professional in Charlotte, NC. She enjoys amplifying the voices of POC and women that fill a void within their community. Her favorite things to cover include “person of interest” pieces, small business highlights, pop culture commentary, entertainment features, and everything about Beyoncé. Her bylines can be found in Blavity, Black Excellence, Signature Bride, Black Wall Street Times, and HipHop Weekly. Martie can be reached via email at [email protected].

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