Lufthansa has deliberately opted for a relatively simple cabin interior on its Airbus A380s, shunning extravagant fittings in favour of offering its passengers more functional comfort.
The carrier surveyed its first-class passengers before outfitting the aircraft, and says it was informed that passengers wanted forward-facing seats, rather than a herringbone layout. The seats fold into a flat bed and simple elevating screens provide an optional degree of privacy.
While it entertained some more extreme ideas for the forward space above the cockpit - including a library and showers - the airline concluded that the best option for the section was to design a spacious bathroom area.
"Our customers told us that they didn't want to get up, two hours before landing, to take a shower," said Lufthansa manager for product management and innovation Boris Krahl, speaking to ATI on board the A380's delivery flight to Frankfurt.
"What they said was that they'd like a really luxurious bathroom," he says, pointing out that passengers found the lavatory areas too small a space in which to change.
Each passenger is allocated a personal individual closet space at the rear of the cabin.
Less obvious touches of comfort include a special curtain which screens off the eight-seat first-class cabin from the 98-seat business-class cabin which occupies the remainder of the upper deck. Krahl points out that the curtain is designed as a sound damper, to blocking noise from the business-class section.
Krahl adds that the first-class area, with the fewest occupants, typically has a drier atmosphere, and the airline has fitted humidifiers in the cabin to increase the moisture content in the air.
Lufthansa executive vice-president for marketing and sales Thierry Antinori explains that the cabin also has acoustic damping in the floor to reduce noise, and gave further details on the thinking behind the cabin design after the A380's arrival at Frankfurt Main.
Source: Flight International
