Economy Pitches: How Airlines Maximize Comfort in the Main Cabin
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APEX Insight: Airlines are looking past seat pitch and width to maximize comfort in tight quarters.
The growing popularity of low-cost carriers has seen legacy airlines looking at ways to maximize load factors with higher-density cabins. But as legroom decreases across the board, airlines are showing economy passengers they still care by investing in creature comforts beyond pitch and width.
“The challenge for seat vendors is to maximize living space and maintain comfort at tighter pitches,” explains Phil Hall, CEO of Mirus Aircraft Seating. Bernhardt Seiter, vice-president of Sales, EMEA, Recaro, agrees, adding, “On long-haul routes, economy-class seats are additionally supported by sleeping comfort and an extensive infotainment offer.”
“On long-haul routes, economy-class seats are additionally supported by sleeping comfort and an extensive infotainment offer.” – Bernhardt Seiter, Recaro
Hall says features like headrests are increasingly being used as product differentiators in economy. Indeed, Cathay Pacific on the Airbus A350 and, more recently, Singapore Airlines on its new A380s – which feature 471 seats, more than in previous layouts – introduced six-way adjustable headrests to give passengers more lateral support.
HAECO’s Wave headrest, an entry for this year’s Crystal Cabin Award, could soon help airlines create the illusion of privacy without the extra space to spare. The 180-degree wraparound headrest uses active noise-canceling technology and proprietary noise-dampening materials to create a quiet bubble around a passenger’s head.
Meal Time
Furnishings matter, but if the backlash British Airways (BA) received for teaming up with Marks & Spencer for a buy-on-board scheme on short haul is any indication, food does, too. The airline has taken a wildly different approach for its long-haul economy World Traveller passengers, who will receive a four-course meal, including a region-specific main course, followed by a sandwich or pizza wrap, with additional snacks, such as a nut mix or ice cream bar, depending on the duration of the flight.
The multimillion-pound menu investment boosts both quality and quantity, says Carolina Martinoli, BA’s director of Brand and Customer Experience, adding that increasing the number of snacks allows passengers to keep some for later in the flight. “Our customers tell us that when they’re taking a long-haul flight, great food and beverages make a real difference to them,” Martinoli says, “so we want to make sure we deliver a great experience.”
The Digital Experience
Seat space may be limited, but the imagination isn’t, which is why airlines are leaning on in-flight entertainment to close the comfort gap. “There is an increased focus on helping passengers stay connected, stay entertained and use their time as they would on the ground,” says Elijah Dobrusin, VP of Development and Strategy, LIFT by EnCore. Air France, for its part, has announced a partnership with SkyLights to bring immersive virtual reality headsets into economy. Meanwhile, Emirates has equipped the economy cabin on its newest Boeing 777-300ER with Panasonic’s Super Eco monitors, which feature Bluetooth technology, a high-resolution camera, 3-D multiplayer gaming and an integrated audio connector.
While airlines are looking to technology to improve the passenger experience, Hank Scott, CEO of Molon Labe, thinks comfort still comes back to the actual seat. “No matter how seamless and awesome the digital aspect of the flying experience may become, at the end of the day, a passenger is a body, sitting very close to another body, often a stranger; the greatest digital experience in the world won’t make up for being stuck between two large passengers for many, many hours.”
“Economy Pitches” was originally published in the 8.2 April/May issue of APEX Experience magazine.