Class Concepts: Social Class
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New ideas from Teague, Zodiac Aerospace, Airbus, Virgin and more are leaving traditional cabin configurations in the dust. In “Class Concepts,” a multi-part feature originally published in the March/April issue of APEX Experience magazine, APEX Media examines this new wave of concepts that promises a total overhaul of aircraft interiors. Read the full feature here.
Swanky 1970s-era lounges like those seen on Pan Am’s 747s are making a comeback. From the bar lounge on the upper deck of A380s flown by Qatar, Emirates, Etihad and Qantas to the upper-class parlor area on Virgin Atlantic’s Dreamliner fleet, airframers and airliners are raising the bar on aircraft lounges across the board.
As a general rule, socializing in transit is frowned upon. So says Judith Martin, better known as Miss Manners, who advises not to “shout or speak loudly on airplanes.” And when airlines mulled over the recent allowance of voice calls in the cabin, the court of public opinion in the US largely ruled against it. But designated spaces in the cabin for socializing, especially for those passengers with the gift of gab, are an option many airlines, airframers and manufacturers are considering. Beyond the Light Lounge in Zodiac’s Desire Lines cabin concept, these blended-space areas would bridge the gap between classes, with seating configurations ranging from booths to bookable bars and chef’s tables. “In the aircraft today, there are very few flat surfaces that people can use, such as [those] that can be used to lay newspapers on, or for food and drinks – or just for people to linger around,” notes Zodiac’s Eaton. A table-centered seating area is also part of Thomson Airways’ remodeling plan, launched in 2014 and timed for the arrival of its 737 MAX aircraft in 2020. Within it, family booths allow parents and their children to face each other across a table – a space where games can be played or meals can be shared.
Duo-seating would solve the third-wheel problem for romantic honeymooners, by replacing the middle seat with a table equipped for champagne and hand-holding, and with enough privacy so that whispered sweet nothings shouldn’t bother
anyone. In the airline’s Dreamliner cabins, the idea of a Beach Snack Bar would also provide a destination for more-elevated water-cooler-type conversations.