Sharing, we’re taught as schoolchildren, is caring.
But as anyone who’s battled for an armrest or legroom during a flight can attest, sharing on an airplane is a rather more troublesome prospect.
After finding passengers value “unshared” space above all else and, more importantly, that they’re willing to pay for it, London-based design firm Seymourpowell designed a cabin that allows first-class passengers on Airbus A380 flights to travel in “smart” boutique hotel suites.
The accommodations in the company’s First Spaces concept propose fully enclosed rooms outfitted with full-size beds, 42-inch televisions and Smart Inflight Service Systems designed to anticipate and service the needs of passengers automatically by using sensors and pre-loaded data about an individual’s travel preferences.
“We’ve long been considering ways to create aircraft interiors that can adapt more to suit the needs of passengers,” says Seymourpowell head of transport Jeremy White.
Interactions with the cabin crew, food orders and other room functions would be handled by a tablet and, by buying into the “very high-end premium service,” all First Spaces passengers would ensure they “will not be bothered, or even seen, by other passengers,” the company says.
The cabins will be showcased at the Hamburg Aircraft Interiors Expo next month, but it could be a while yet before the concept actually takes off.
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