While the industry pumps investment into premium products, manufacturers are working on more comfortable and cheaper economy seats
The major issue faced by designers in the economy cabin is straightforward: lack of real estate. "Economy class today is probably the most efficient way of packaging people within a space," says Joe Ferry, head of design at Virgin Atlantic Airways. And while carriers like Virgin are always seeking enhancements in food, in-flight entertainment and cabin ambience to improve service quality, they recognise that a comfortable seat is critical for a positive travel experience.
As today's major investments in new first- and business-class products prove, many carriers are willing to spend on improving their premium cabins despite the cost pressures they face. The challenge is to bring more comfort via innovative design into the economy space. "The next battle to be fought is in economy," says Franco Mancassola, chief executive of Italian seat manufacturer Avio Interiors. "For too long, economy seats have been neglected, even though 80% of passengers travel in this class," he adds.
Now, manufacturers and carriers are taking a long hard look at seat design and economics in both long- and short-haul cabins. The short-haul market is strongly influenced by low-fare carriers, which insist on comfortable seats, but at the lowest cost, says Hans-Dieter Abt, chairman of Recaro Aircraft Seating.
Much has been achieved by the seat makers, but airlines want more. "Airlines talk about the $1,000 seat," says Abt, which is at least 50% less than today's basic economy seats. This will require a radical design rethink, as a change in manufacturing methods alone will not produce such reductions, he says.
"The big issue is living space for passengers at low seat pitch," says Abt. There is relatively little prospect of passengers gaining wholesale increases in pitch - the seat mile economics of short-haul travel dictate maximum use of available floor space - so any improvement over today's 28in (710mm) or 29in seat pitches has to come from slimmer and lighter seats. "Recaro is developing new concepts that can gain one or two inches in living space," notes Abt.
As the manufacturers study new designs and materials, some are asking whether there are other more basic ways to gain space. For instance, some question whether low-fare carriers that do not serve food need a tray table, says Abt. In addition, he asks whether on short flights it is necessary to have a seat that reclines, or whether the magazine pocket could be removed and safety information placed on seat backs? All of these measures would create room and save cost.
Cutting costs
With its Spectrum economy seat, B/E Aerospace has tried to bring the cost of seats down. "We have proven that in the coach market a platform design is a compelling strategy, giving low cost of ownership and a reasonable element of brand differentiation," says Michael Baughan, senior vice-president, for the commercial aircraft products group at B/E. Where once airlines valued customisation, "there is a renewed interest in standardisation and simplification because there is now a direct implication for cost of ownership," he says.
B/E, which is planning to take the platform philosophy to its long-haul economy seats, is among those that believe new aircraft like the Airbus A380 and Boeing 7E7 are catalysts for interior innovation. "We hope to be able to overcome some of the problems that limit the way we use economy," says Ferry, speaking of Virgin's forthcoming A380 product. Virgin's focus is on achieving a sleeker and lighter seat that is more space efficient, says Ferry. The emphasis is not necessarily on increasing seat pitch but on gaining more volume per passenger.
It is important to pass down lessons learned from new designs in the executive cabins to economy, says Ferry, much as car manufacturers pass information and knowledge generated from their Formula One racing teams down to production cars. For its part, Virgin is already looking at how to leverage the designs it has produced for its recently relaunched Upper Class into new economy concepts.
It would once have been considered a dream that lie-flat beds could be introduced to the long-haul economy-class cabin. Once the sole preserve of first class, the ability for travellers to lie flat is now a crucial brand differentiator in business class on many transatlantic and transpacific routes.
There are those who aspire to bring such comfort into economy. Perhaps not straight economy at first, but at least into the enhanced economy products several carriers have introduced to their longer-distance flights - such as British Airways, EVA Air and Virgin Atlantic. "Recaro is looking at a seat concept for this market that will try to enable passengers to stretch out - the aim is for them to be flat," explains Abt.
Recaro's vision does not see passengers necessarily being able to lie in a horizontal position in the new seats, but to be able to stretch out straight in a seat that will be more inclined. The concepts that the company is working on offer passengers "a certain cradle function", which means they will not gradually slip down a bed-seat when it is at the maximum incline position.
"In Premium Economy, with an increased seat pitch, there does become a realistic opportunity to stretch out," says Ferry. However, making any wholesale change is a complex decision, he says, with issues relating to cabin configuration, the economic implications if any seat rows need to be lost, and the effort of designing, manufacturing and certifying a radically new product.
With the introduction of its A340-500, which will operate the 18h Singapore-Los Angeles service from February, Singapore Airlines (SIA) has thought carefully about what economy product it will offer. With such a long non-stop flight, it recognises the need to maximise passenger comfort.
Accordingly, the carrier has chosen an economy class - branded as executive economy - that offers 117 seats at 37in seat pitch, compared to the 32in pitch in standard economy on Boeing 777s or 747-400s. Seat width is a more generous 20in, compared with 17.2in on the 747-400 and 17.9in on the 777. Passengers will pay a premium for a product that SIA believes moves some way towards a typical business-class product.
However, some sound a warning note about making enhanced economy cabins too close to business class. "The question becomes: At what point does that product start cannibalising business-class?" says Klaus Brauer, Boeing's interior specialist.
On long-haul, Brauer believes there is a clear case for separate tourist and economy classes. For instance, a 777 tourist class would feature 10-abreast seating at a 31in pitch, with an economy class of nine-abreast seating at 33in pitch. The tourist seat would be 17in wide and the economy seat 18.5in wide. Boeing's research shows "you can pinch seat width for tourist class as families do not mind sitting more closely together," says Brauer.
Empty middle seats
In the economy class, it is also important to have a three-three-three seat configuration, as in a 777, or three-two-three as in the planned 7E7, to give passengers more chance of being next to an empty middle seat. "At realistic 80% load factors you have 11% more passengers next to empty seats on three-two-three than you have on a two-four-two configuration," says Brauer.
Boeing began taking a fresh look at aircraft interiors when it started working on the Sonic Cruiser, and has taken its efforts on to the 7E7. This work has led Boeing to believe that there has to be a better correspondence between airline revenue management and the physical product, says Brauer.
"There has been such a high level of yield dilution across the whole economy cabin," he says, with significant fare discounting on long-haul flights and a high degree of business travellers downgrading to economy.
Brauer argues that while there is a place for enhanced economy cabins, the major challenge is to split economy further and give a better product to people who are really paying for it. "There should be a relationship between the space you get and the price you pay," he says.
REPORT BY MARK PILLING IN LONDON
Source: Airline Business
