Convertible Seats Could Make Sofa-Beds in Economy

But there are caveats to this good news: passengers would need to book the entire row, so space and sleep is still at a premium.

Once upon a time, a good night’s rest on a long-haul flight was the preserve of premium class passengers. However, one firm’s conceptual seat design could soon see sleep coming more easily to those in economy.

Seat manufacturer Geven has designed its Piuma Sofa with these passengers in mind, creating a chair with a removable headrest that locks into the seat pan to extend the base and make a sleeper sofa. The Italian manufacturer believes that this would allow travelers to make their own bed in less than 30 seconds. To convert the sleeping area back, passengers remove the headrest and lock it back into position.

Showing off the design at last week’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, Geven pointed out that the concept doesn’t compromise under-seat storage or legroom.

While the Piuma Sofa could be a good idea for individual travelers, families and couples, the kicker is that passengers would need to book the entire row of convertible seats ahead of time or, at a push, as they board. Also, not every single row on an aircraft would be convertible and so, unsurprisingly, space and sleep would be at a premium.

In its conceptual video, the manufacturer estimates that airlines rarely exceed a load factor of 85 percent. As those who want to sleep need to book an entire row, Geven believes that its design could allow carriers to make revenue from seats that would otherwise be empty.

Marketing and sales manager Trevor Lambert, who is liaising with Geven, told airline industry website Flightglobal that, “You could sell 20 beds on a flight that’s half empty and, assuming you charge £200 for each one, that is £4,000 of extra revenue per flight.”

While similar configurations are already in use by Air New Zealand, China Airlines and Air Astana, this conceptual seat has attracted the interest of several carriers. South African Airways has already signed on as Geven’s launch customer while AirAsia X has issued a letter of intent to purchase a consignment of seats.

The manufacturer says that first deliveries of the seats will begin in October.

[Screenshot via Geven]