Airbus plans bunk beds on the A380
An affordable long-haul slumber
Getting a comfortable night’s sleep on a long-haul flight will no longer be a luxury for the rich, under new plans revealed by Airbus to fit flatbed seats in the premium-economy cabin of its A380 superjumbo.
“It’s been the holy grail to find a way of allowing premium passengers to sleep horizontally, but space and best use of it is always an issue,” says Robert Lange, head of aircraft interiors marketing at Airbus. The answer, he says, is the “overlapping layout”, which in plain language means troopship-style bunk beds.
One concept comprises tiered units that convert from upright seats at take-off and landing, to flat beds during the flight. Another envisages beds stacked three high, in a herringbone configuration around the edges of the fuselage, with another row running down the centre. Passengers expecting upper-class-style luxury, however, might be disappointed.
“Economy is economy, and it’s still a tight space,” says Howard Guy of the aircraft-interior specialist Design Q. “The bunk-bed idea is not dissimilar to the old-fashioned sleeper trains. If you remember Some Like It Hot, that’s a good example.”
The problem will be in reconfiguring the convertible seat for the economy cabin and keeping it cost-effective. “Safety regulations will not allow passengers to take off and land while lying in bed,” Guy explains, “so beds will have to convert to seats - and that’s when it becomes expensive.”
For the next few years at least, it seems we might have to stick with the 3inch recline and the loud tut from the passenger behind.
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
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