Designing an airline seat involves numerous competing factors that complicate the process from start to finish.
While one might assume that creating a seat for aircraft is similar to designing a piece of furniture, the reality is far more complex. Engineers need to balance passenger comfort, cost-effectiveness, and practicality to produce something that meets diverse airline requirements.
Unravelling the Complexities of Seat Design
Creating a coach airline seat is nowhere near as straightforward as making furniture for a house. It involves numerous intricate factors like weight and cost while ensuring comfort. The production process reflects a balancing act, maintaining the delicate equilibrium between functionality and passenger comfort.
Lift by EnCore decided to go for simplicity rather than revolutionising the sector with groundbreaking innovations. With airlines generally inclined toward stability, this approach effectively meets expectations while still catering to the varying demands of the market, particularly discount carriers.
Working with Airline Giants
Boeing recently selected Lift to shape its preferred seat for the new 737 aircraft. These seats are aimed at enhancing Boeing’s signature ‘Sky Interior’, featuring ambient blue LED lighting. Elijah Dobrusin, Lift’s VP for Development, highlights Boeing’s need for seating options that seamlessly integrate with its focus on in-flight comfort by saying, ‘The seat is such a big part of passenger experience.’
Although Lift is new, it has other significant clients like India’s SpiceJet and two unnamed European carriers. Its production center in Huntington Beach is already active, crafting seats that promise timely completion and adherence to budget constraints, crucial aspects for both Boeing and its airline clients.
Design Innovations and Passenger Comfort
Today’s seats are designed to maximise space efficiency but disrupting this approach has its challenges. Lift’s director of design, Tom Eaton, explains how small tweaks can enhance passenger comfort without adding excess weight, emphasising that, ‘We found a really good ratio to weight, to cost, and to comfort.’
Lift incorporates mobile device holders to offer passengers comfort while using personal devices. The armrest has also been redesigned from a typical two-inch width to 1.6 inches, reallocating space to slightly widen the seat. This change is designed to make travellers feel a difference, potentially equalising the comfort between Airbus and Boeing aircraft.
Eaton shares how armrests were reinvented to accommodate passengers more appropriately, noting the importance of maintaining personal space. ‘The idea is that it can never be shared; it’s only one person’s armrest,’ he says. These changes might appear minor, yet they substantially alter how comfort is perceived during flights.
Designing for Every Passengers
Aircraft seats must suit a wide range of body sizes, a key factor distinguishing them from domestic furniture or car seats. Lift addresses these challenges, accommodating travellers from 4-foot-10 inches to 6-foot-7 inches. Adjustments in seat height, tray table locations, and entertainment screen placements all contribute to passenger satisfaction.
Although adding adjustable features could solve comfort issues, Lift prefers simplicity. Increasing complexity adds weight and cost, possibly leading to quicker wear. Elijah Dobrusin remarks, ‘All this stuff could be solved with more mechanisms… but that adds cost and pretty much everything that moves is going to break.’
Real-World Testing and Feedback
To gather realistic feedback, Lift employs a hands-on approach by inviting people to test its seats. This exercise revealed critical insights—particularly from taller passengers—prompting adjustments to better cater to everyone. It is these gradual changes that can significantly enhance perceived comfort.
Lift conducted tests using tall individuals to simulate a variety of real-world scenarios. These sessions offered direct observation opportunities, highlighting areas needing modifications, such as tray tables. The involvement of real users in testing helps identify unanticipated issues, ensuring the final product meets diverse customer needs.
Eaton explains that even minor modifications can change perceptions swiftly, stating, ‘The space is the space, and that’s it, but starting to make minor adjustments… can change somebody’s perception of comfort really quickly.’ Such adjustments are pivotal in advancing airline seating design.
Durability Against Passenger Use and Misuse
The resilience of airline seats is continuously tested by frequent use and occasional misuse by passengers. As Dobrusin notes, some people act on the belief that payment allows them to mistreat seats, sometimes even removing parts. This calls for the creation of seats that can endure a range of behaviours.
Designers must anticipate and fortify against intentional and accidental damage, sometimes requiring ingenious solutions.Ensuring longevity is crucial for maintaining quality and reducing replacement costs, which are significant considerations for airlines and manufacturers alike.
Exploring New Frontiers in Seat Design
Airlines increasingly prefer thinner seats to maximise passenger capacity. This trend doesn’t necessarily reduce comfort, however. With a more ergonomic approach, Lift aims to ensure seats provide adequate support without excessive cushioning. Seats of yesteryear, though softer initially, may fall short over time as Eaton observes.
Referring to modern office furniture, Eaton illustrates how seats, though appearing thin, offer proper support for extended periods. This ergonomic shift indicates airlines’ dedication to preserving comfort without sacrificing capacity. Such advancements in seating design underline the necessity for continual evolution to meet evolving passenger expectations.
Lift remains focused on micro improvements rather than adopting radical seating configurations. Though some designs promise additional personal space, passengers may still perceive them as crowding. Eaton acknowledges this, explaining the focus on incremental gains that enhance comfort without drastic changes to seating layout.
Designing airline seats from scratch is a complex but critical venture that plays an essential role in the passenger experience.
By understanding the nuances of this intricate process, airlines can ensure a balance between passenger comfort, space utilisation, and operational efficiency, ultimately enhancing travel satisfaction.