Future or fantasy? Touchless lavs, pandemic-fighting seat dividers and other airplane cabin designs
Due to the coronavirus, the end-to-end travel experience will look a lot different for quite some time.
Airlines have doubled down on safety enhancements, such as modified boarding procedures, mask requirements and seat blocking. Plus, in an effort to convince flyers that it's once again safe to take to the skies, cleaning procedures have been upgraded and many service touchpoints have been eliminated.
Aside from installing plexiglass around check-in counters and gate podiums, airlines haven't really modified the "hard product" to reduce the spread of pathogens.
But if the Japanese flag carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA) has its way, that's about to change.
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ANA recently introduced a new method of entering the airplane lavatory in mid-June. Instead of sliding a doorknob with your hand, the new concept features a lever that allows you to open the door with your elbow.
Then, you push the door open with your elbow, instead of turning a lever or doorknob. This new touchless prototype designed by JAMCO is already on display for flyers at one of the carrier's lounges at Tokyo's Haneda Airport (HND).
The airline is soliciting user feedback for this new design before deciding whether to introduce this small-but-mighty innovation fleetwide. For now, ANA states it's in the "development stage" for the prototype.
Even if ANA decides to go ahead with the project, it'll likely be one of the few carriers to make the investment in a touchless elbow-use doorknob. These decisions are costly, and flyers can easily just use a paper towel or apply extra hand sanitizer with the existing lavatory doorknobs.
Plus, if you're flying on some of the newest jets like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, chances are that most of the lavatory functions like flushing and sink water dispensers are already touchless.
ANA's move to introduce a completely touchless lavatory is part of a much larger trend.
Enterprising airline cabin designers are always mocking up the latest cabin and seat concepts. Over the past few months, that energy has been spent on designs that prevent the spread of pathogens.
And while these mockups make for catchy headlines and viral social media posts, the reality is that few — if any — are going to happen. Aircraft seat manufacturers are constantly rolling out new designs, some practical and others more outlandish concept pieces unlikely to be seriously considered by airlines.
Recently, Italian firm Aviointeriors unveiled the "Janus" seat. The concept features forward-facing window and aisle seats with rear-facing middle seats. The middle seats are flanked by a wraparound clear shield that separates them from their two neighboring seats.
Related: The hidden costs of saying goodbye to the middle seat
Aviointeriors also introduced a simpler design called “Glassafe,” which is a more typical three-abreast coach-class layout that features a transparent shield separating the upper torsos and heads of the passengers.
Priestman Goode, another desinger, also gained traction recently with its own new seat concept. The firm promised it, promising its "Pure Skies" seats would help "alleviate passenger anxiety about hygiene during boarding," among other things.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDMpqU7pQFW/
Such plans from designers may look good on paper, but you'll likely never get a chance to experience them firsthand.
For one, retrofitting a fleet with new seats is an incredibly costly undertaking. Aside from taking planes out of service for weeks at a time, seats themselves are also expensive. With the pandemic taking a toll on airlines' bottom line, there's little, if any, discretionary spending available to invest in new cabins. In addition, gaining regulatory approval for the new seats could take months if not longer.
Related: New airplane seats for the coronavirus era?
Look no further than United Airlines. The Chicago-based carrier has indefinitely halted its Polaris and Premium Plus retrofit program due to the pandemic. Like other airlines, UA needs to focus on maintaining enough cash to cover fixed costs like staff, aircraft rent and debt payments. Delta has also paused its multi-year program installing Delta One suites on its long-haul wide-body aircraft.
While they may look good on your social media feed, these concept plans will likely never make it past an airline boardroom. And even if ANA goes ahead with installing the touchless lavatory doorknob, don't expect to see it pop up in lavatories across the sky.
Additional reporting by Ben Mutzabaugh.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.