An over-head structure that would descend from above each aircraft seat to provide complete isolation for passengers is one of the more "bizarre" ideas to surface during a recent Boeing-led study into idealised design for economy-class seats.
"Idealised design means that all the groups involved have to reach consensus. One we didn't get agreement on was the idea that there could be something that comes down from above that covers the head of the passenger, and this would provide the passengers their own air supply, the in-flight entertainment system and privacy from other people," says Boeing director of differentiation strategy Blake Emery.
The airlines, leasing company and Boeing managers involved in the exercise didn't reach consensus on this idea, he says, but notes that "more and more of the flying public has come to me and said, 'you know I'd really like some kind of cone I could bring over my head, cut out all the stuff and give me some nice virtual reality'. It's an interesting challenge."
What Boeing and the other participants did agree, however, is that passengers want to be able to find the right amount of lumbar support without resorting to a pillow, that sleep in a forward-leaning posture "like a massage chair" is desirable, as is support for legs and feet from the seat itself. "People don't seem to want to be manipulating something they brought on board in order to have something for their feet," says Emery.
Source: Flight Daily News
