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Surprising Science — August 4, 2014

Coming in 2018: A Coach Experience that Isn’t Soul-Destroying

The design company behind Turkish Air and Lufthansa’s rebranding is working to create a new airplane interior that will save space, economize fuel use, and make your travel experience more comfortable.

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What’s the Latest?

The design company behind Turkish Air and Lufthansa’s rebranding is working to create a new airplane interior that will save space, economize fuel use, and make your travel experience more comfortable. Enigmatically called Priestmangoode, one of the company’s main innovations is the creation of slimmer seats that can be used in both coach and first-class. That means more room for passengers as well as carry-on luggage. Slimmer seats will also reduce the weight of the aircraft, requiring less fuel use. Better luggage storage is also on the way, with a sliding design that is integrated into the ceiling of the aircraft and doors that flip up when you open them so carry-ons don’t fall out. The new compartments will be 40% larger than ones currently used.

What’s the Big Idea?

Fundamental airplane technology has advanced very little since commercial airliners became available to the public, and actually retreated when the Concorde was retired. So what gives? As part of our Future in Motion series, Richard Schaden explains to Big Think why airplane innovation seems stuck:

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