New airplane seat design could make economy class more comfortable

UK firm, New Territory, has launched a new airplane seat with a design that is aimed at making travelling in economy class more comfortable. The product is the brainchild of Universal Movement, a spin-off company of New Territory.

Known as Interspace, the new seat is an avant-garde solution to an enduring inflight issue. For those who have been the consistently uncomfortable flying economy, left without sleep on long-haul flights, this invention is intended to make the experience more pleasant.

The seat features two padded wings which can be folded out from the back of the seat. This allows travellers to comfortably rest their heads against a softer surface and will give additional lateral support. Providing an extra platform on which to redistribute body weight is the main goal of the new seat.

An additional upside, is that the passenger will have the option to use only one wing – on whichever side they choose – to create a sense of privacy which will make it easier and more comfortable to sleep.

Luke Miles, founder and chief creative officer at New Territory, says they are currently in conversation with carriers who have expressed an interest in fitting the wings onto existing seats.

He also said that additional techonolgical features are being considered. One such feature includes a detector in the wing which is able to identify that the passenger has fallen asleep. This will automatically stop a movie from playing, for example.