Design: Reenchanting the in-flight experience

It was a crazy, almost surreal dream, but one that reflected the extravagance of a bygone era. In the 1970s, Playboy boss Hugh Hefner travelled the world in his private jet, a DC9. Scandinavian leather armchairs, an elliptical bed covered in Tasmanian possum skins and a shower: the cabin was more reminiscent of a bachelor pad than a businessman's private jet. Transformed into a discotheque, lit by spotlights, Playboy's "Big Bunny Jet" was in fact the mirror of its owner, its magazine and also of an era...

Also in the early seventies, but this time on intercontinental routes, the launch of the Boeing 747 unleashed a veritable hysteria among designers, catalysing the wildest concepts, reflecting a time when conviviality and pleasure were central. On the now-defunct Pan Am, for example, passengers would sit on loveseats in a veritable lounge set up for first-class passengers on the upper deck of jumbo jets. It was a place to catch up on old times over a drink, in an atmosphere reminiscent of that of the great cruise liners.

Unfortunately for travellers, soaring oil prices and the densification of air traffic have put an end to experiments of all kinds. The desire to make a profit has largely killed off the airlines' flights of fancy. Anaïs Marzo Da Costa, Marketing Manager for Cabin Fittings at Airbus, sums it up perfectly. "The passenger is certainly at the heart of our philosophy when we design our cabins, but first and foremost we take into account the wishes of the airlines."

Gone are the days of extravagance

The cabins have become wise, very wise, just like the passengers themselves. Today's passengers expect comfort above all else, and this cocooning spirit is widely expressed in high-contribution classes. Gone are the days when airlines touted their first or business classes with space statistics - 1m98, 2m05, 2m20... Today, they sell well-being and emotions through atmosphere and ergonomics. Singapore Airlines' new advertising campaign for its business and first classes illustrates the trend: it shows a stewardess, in her famous uniform, touching with a certain sensuality... a leather armchair straight from the workshops of an Italian craftsman.

With the arrival of new, lighter aircraft - the Airbus A350 and A380, and the Boeing 747-9 and 787 Dreamliner - airlines now have a certain amount of flexibility when it comes to seating arrangements. On its Boeing B787-9 and B777-300ER, ANA was the first to offer staggered Business seats. As each seat has access to the aisle, passengers are not disturbed by other passengers. At Lufthansa, the new Première - which equips Boeing B747s in particular - has been fitted with an innovative air humidification system. "It's the first of its kind and helps combat the effects of jet-lag by providing an additional sense of well-being"Jens Bishop, President of Passenger Operations for the German airline giant, described the new cabin in Berlin last year. In addition, this cabin eliminates certain sources of discomfort for passengers, with a new cabin lining that neutralises on-board noise even more, and a thicker carpet to attenuate the sound of footsteps in the cabin.

A wealth of ideas

Design is now nested in the smallest details, particularly in first class, the quintessence of absolute refinement. On Air France, for example, the stewardesses are busy transforming the seat into a real bed, installing mattresses and duvets supplied by Sofitel; a sure way of giving that feeling of well-deserved rest in a luxury room.

With airlines keen to compete in the luxury market, the return of the first-class suite is now very much in vogue. "This has become a clear sign of differentiation from business class, which now offers sleeper seats in most cases."says Anaïs Marzo Da Costa. There are still only a handful of airlines offering their first class passengers a totally private space, generally inspired by cruise ship cabins. - only a handful. They include Air France, Asiana, Emirates and Singapore Airlines, not forgetting of course Etihad, the star of ultimate luxury among scheduled carriers. In 2014, the Abu Dhabi airline launched its "Residence" concept, a real suite with lounge and bedroom, all served by a dedicated butler! "Etihad has adapted the comfort of a private business jet to a scheduled flight"The cabin design manager at Airbus. A pleasure to be experienced only between Abu Dhabi and London or New York for the time being.

Who hasn't dreamt of being able to take a shower mid-flight? Emirates was the first to experiment with this privilege in 2008, on its Airbus A380, followed by Etihad and its Residence. But these two examples are still the exception. And probably for a long time to come... Because when designing the Emirates bathroom, Frenchman Jacques Pierrejean, the pope of aircraft design, had to deal with the constraints inherent in such an in-flight service, i.e. limited water supplies and a complex electrical circuit. As a result, in one of his brochures, Jacques Pierrejean bets that in the future, rather than showers, hammams could become standard, as steam is easier to control than hectolitres of water! "Because there is a real demand for on-board bathrooms"says an Airbus manager.

While showers and lounge areas such as those found on Korean Air and Virgin Atlantic Airbus are interesting bets, the boldness of aircraft and cabin designers is really coming into its own at the rear of the aircraft. In this economy class, which is ultimately used by 90% of passengers.

How can we reconcile the rational use of space with the economic contingencies of a ticket at a tight price? Logic dictates that the economy class passenger, who pays only a fraction of the price of a business class customer, can only benefit from a fraction of the space offered in the front cabins. It's a delicate balancing act, therefore, to preserve the intangible notion of passengers' living space. Particularly as some industry experts believe that the increase in incivility, and even aggression, among some passengers is actually due to the feeling of overcrowding on board. It is therefore essential to create a calming atmosphere in the cabin.

The question of width

According to a survey carried out by Airbus on comfort criteria in economy class, the seat is at the top of passengers' list of concerns, well ahead of lighting, cabin air quality and entertainment. "The width of the seat is the most important factor in providing this well-being. This is what we offer in our new "Airspace by Airbus" cabin, where we want uncompromising comfort. This means that our seats are 18 inches [45.8 cm] wide instead of 17 inches [43.1 cm]. This difference provides a real sense of personal space." explains Anaïs Marzo Da Costa. The European aircraft manufacturer thus guarantees that its entire range of long-haul aircraft will offer this 18-inch standard in economy class. "With the fuel savings offered by our new aircraft, it is cost-effective for an airline to offer such a configuration."said an Airbus Industrie spokesman.

When it comes to seat spacing, many airlines have managed over the years to squeeze out a centimetre per row. Fortunately for passengers, the new generation of seats, which are lighter and more curved, make it possible to regain some of those lost centimetres. "On our new product, we've even managed to remove the big box for the in-car entertainment system from under the seat. So you can stretch out your legs again"says Anaïs Marzo Da Costa.

By breaking up volumes, cabin segmentation also conveys a feeling of greater intimacy. Even within economy class, there are partitions, with some airlines - and most passengers appreciate this - not hesitating to reserve part of the cabin for groups or families with children, who are generally noisier than individual travellers.

This concern for privacy goes some way to softening the decision by some airlines to densify the rear of their cabins with a 3-4-3 configuration instead of the usual 2-4-2, as is the case with several American carriers, but also Emirates. Failing to offer more physical space to their customers, carriers are going to play on a whole range of elements, in particular the innovations proposed by aircraft manufacturers. The Airbus A350, for example, gives a real sense of height, even in economy class. The deeper baggage compartments reduce the volume taken up by the compartments above the seats, giving the cabin an egg shape. The windows are also more panoramic. The Boeing 787-Dreamliner, for example, has larger 70 % windows, letting in more natural light and allowing passengers seated on the aisle side to count the clouds!

What's more, instead of the traditional plastic louvres, an electronic function is used to dim the light. Because light also plays an essential role. "We worked a lot on the lighting during the flight. We use different light palettes for take-off and landing, for meal times, for rest periods and for the waking phase, in order to get the body used to the time at the destination and to limit the effects of jet lag. Light is also our way of telling our passengers that we care about them."says Caroline Fontaine, Head of Brand and Advertising at Air France.

The choice of colours also comes into play. "At Air France, blue is of course still a defining colour, but it complements light tones. Cabin harmony is essential"says Caroline Fontaine. Gone are the dark tones: contemporary cabins are nothing more than a subtle gradation ranging from white to ecru to very light grey. In this respect, Thai Airways International is an exception in this almost immaculate world by preserving the colour mauve, which may be unusual but is the carrier's trademark.

Airlines also want to offer a local touch. A few years ago, Australia's Qantas used the colours of Australia in its in-flight bedding. South African Airways has worked on fabrics with Zulu motifs, while Air Austral has incorporated motifs from Réunion Island into its cabin design. As for Air France, the look of the cabin, the art of dining and the bedding accessories all exude an undeniably French touch. "When a passenger gets on an Air France plane, they feel that very French, very Parisian style."says Caroline Fontaine.

And what about tomorrow? The next revolution will certainly be a world in the third dimension. The onslaught of technology will create a veritable virtual universe in the cabin. Qantas recently worked with Samsung on a 3D virtual reality project in which passengers, equipped with special glasses, wandered along the Great Barrier Reef in 360° landscapes. Will the 'knowing how to fly well' of our near future be that of no longer feeling on board an aeroplane? Probably the ultimate sense of comfort!