This new premium economy seat design hopes to help you sleep better
Thursday night, a London crowd got a glimpse at what the future of premium economy seating may look like. Universal Movement, a spin off of the London-based creative firm New Territory, unveiled its newest "Interspace" seat concept, and I got to experience the seat first hand.
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The new seat
The most noticeable new element of the Interspace seat is the flip-able wings from both sides of the seat. Luke Miles, founder and chief creative officer of New Territory, said adjustable headrests are redundant, so they shouldn't be utilized on an aircraft.
"You don't have these on your furniture at home", Miles said. Instead, the Interspace seat features padded wings that fold out from behind the seat back.
The wings flip out from either side of the seat and can be deployed by one passenger at a time, or by two passengers seated next to each other. The idea is that a passenger can then rotate their body and rest their back on a large cushioned surface. This extra lateral support should be much more comfortable and make for better sleeping.
Another nice feature is the ability to fold out the flaps on either side of a pair of seats to create an element of privacy. A premium economy suite, perhaps, where the wings fold out from directly behind the seat.
Recline on the seats is standard for what you might expect in a premium economy cabin. Additionally, if ordered by an airline, the company would have the choice to customize the colors and the feel of the seat.
At 5'8", I'm rarely left wanting to stretch out lengthways to get comfortable — the lack of comfort for me tends to be lateral. I can get my head comfortable when resting against the aircraft fuselage or window, and I find myself contorting to wriggle into a good position.
From my five minutes playing around in the sample seat, it's impossible to tell whether this seat would allow me to sleep properly, or indeed be comfortable sitting in it for one, five or even 12 hours. That said, it definitely seems like nothing much is lost from traditional premium economy designs, but a lot is gained. The seat immediately felt comfortable, so I would welcome this kind of innovation on board to try out on a long-haul flight.
Other new seat features
Universal Movement also announced it'll look into adding additional features to set the seat apart from competition. For example, the inflight entertainment (IFE) system could come with facial recognition that would turn the screen off when you fall asleep, turn to talk to crew or go to the restroom. The company also said that it was exploring new ways of doing meal services. Instead of a built-in meal tray attached to the seat, the option would allow cabin crew to serve passengers a meal on a tray that would clip on to the seat in front. Hence, no tray table built into the seat in front.
The former sounds great, the latter a little more questionable logistically. For example, a passenger wouldn't have the option to work with their laptop on the tray table in front.
Universal Movement said that the technology of the seat allows airlines that choose to order the seat to easily retrofit their existing cabins with the features. If an airline wanted, it could choose to entirely retrofit a premium economy with the complete new seat. Or, potentially, it could opt to keep the existing seat in there, while also adding the new IFE elements and added fold-able seat features without the need to discard the entire existing product.
It could also choose to customize the order. For example, if it wanted just the flaps, it could choose that. Whereas if it wanted just the facial recognition IFE system, that would also be an option.
Bottom line
As more and more airlines are turning to premium economy to offer passengers a mid-market product between economy and business class, they've been forced with developing how to truly set the product apart. Whether that's in the form of hard product or soft product offerings, new developments in both fields will likely get a second look from potential customers.
On Thursday's unveiling, Universal Movement announced that no airlines had yet placed orders for the seat or any of its specific functions, though several airline executives were in attendance to get a glimpse of the new product.
It remains to be seen just how big of a hit — or miss — the Interspace seat concept will be or if it even makes it on board a commercial aircraft.
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Why We Chose It
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.