Bunk beds in the cargo hold....
 

Not for me! Being horizontal is the number one thing I like about business class

Cargo holds carry revenue cargo, often at higher utilisation factors than the passenger cabin above. One of the key downsides of the A380, with two passenger decks and all their baggage in the hold, has been insufficient cargo space, the proportions are wrong. Airlines started using all their space, both ways, long ago (both ways because unlike passengers cargo invariably goes one way only, you need to find a different source of cargo for the return). Although you may see some freighters, and the big package express companies, the considerable majority of air freight goes by underfloor hold.

Only slightly more likely than stand-up seating, another aircraft "innovation" that regularly pops up, IMHO.

If they could make the hold area similar to what they were showing in the first graphic (basically berths or capsule hotels) then that'd work. You'd just need someone to make sure that people are fastened down during takeoff and landings... The only big issue would be keeping them clean...

Sounds interesting as the 350ULR have to have 1 to 2 cargo positions deactivated due to weight issues.

I would love a capsule hotel type bed , but it will not be cheap !

Wasn't there another option about utilizing unused overhead space?

I would love the option to bunk down while flying economy. You could even do it so that the bunks are only accessible after take off, and before landing, and have a system in economy where, for example, you seat everyone, and when those who book a bunk go downstairs, the other economy passenger could convert the seats to a sky couch arrangement (not every row, but some of them).

Yes, I believe it was promoted by The Onion. Because there's always unused overhead space ... :rolleyes:;):D

I'll have to search - it's not the overhead carry-on bins. It's in the space above the cabin where the crew rest areas are currently located. I think the crew areas are only a small portion of the length of the fuselage.

Although when you look at photos of old train cars, the overhead bin space is exactly where they would store sleepers. They actually looked like the angled bins on 777's - at night they would pull down into a bunk and then the lower seats would be converted.

The idea is that you have a seat for takeoff and landing - in this case potentially tighter as you are in it for only short periods of time - and then move down to the beds once in the air. Obviously this is for real long haul flights. The idea has been around for a long time- I think it was technically offered at one point, but could be wrong. They already make them - they are used for crew rests, look them up on google images. The big issue is the evacuation requirements, but that is probably easily overcome.

As for the overhead space - that was a Boeing idea for the 747. If you look at the cross section of a wide-body airliner there is a lot of space above the bins because the fuselage is a circle more or less. Again it already exists on A330s for crew rests.

Seems like The Telegraph is about a year late with this story. (Plus, they need an editor because they misspell the word "business" in the first sentence.) If you search "airline bunk beds" in your favorite search engine, you'll likely find a bunch of articles from April 2018 about this concept. They use the exact same images, too.

That's how it's explained in this article:

Airbus says they’ll be aimed at economy-class passengers, who would still have to spend takeoff and landing in a regular seat—the sort that's been through extensive crash testing. But during a flight, fliers could rent a bunk, presumably for less than the price of a lie-flat business-class seat, and get some proper rest.
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/airbus-beds-cargo-hold/

These passenger compartments can theoretically get swapped in/out depending upon needs of the airline according to the design firm (Zodiac):

What is clear is that airlines may swap the modules in and out depending on where a particular plane is headed. “The new passenger modules will be easily interchangeable with regular cargo containers during a typical turnaround,” Zodiac said in a statement, meaning the beds could be removed for short trips and installed for longer flights.
Source: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/air...the-cargo-hold

Why do they write these stories? Yes, I am sure the airlines will stop carrying cargo and instead will create berths belowdecks that while nicer than the sleeping arrangements offered in first class, will be priced the same as economy tickets. That totally sounds like a thing that will happen *eyeroll*

Along with the kiddies playgrounds and bar or conference rooms...lol

I've never seen stacks of beds proposed for economy but in aircraft with a center section of 4, airlines could have capsule beds stacked, no overhead luggage space. The capsules would be stacked 3 high and be 27" high (very low head clearance), 76" long, and 20" wide. If there are 7 of these (from front to back of the cabin), that would be about 150" or the loss of 5 seat rows. Since they would be 3 stacked on each other, that would be 21 economy beds for sale and a loss of 20 seats. They could then be sold for double the economy ticket price, which also includes a regular seat.

There have been patents for upright seating, sort of a bicycle seat. If they can have these and sell a "bicycle seat" + capsule bed, then perhaps those 21 bicycle seats could be fit as well as about 6 seats instead of 21 economy class seats.

SUMMARY
scenario 1: 21 economy beds, loss of 20 economy seats. Ticket for economy seat+economy bed is double the price of an economy seat.

scenario 2: 21 economy beds, loss of 20 economy seats, 21 economy seats replaced with 21 bicycle/half standing seats + 6 economy seats. Then the economy bed+bicycle seat might be sold at 175% of an economy seat.

Those beds look comfier than a converted business/first seat.

I'm waiting for the article about a swimming pool onboard!:p

While I prefer to fly in F, or J, and a nice suite at a luxury hotel (I realize both aren't always feasible), I would definitely try this at least once for the experience.
I've slept in micro-hotels (one of which wasn't much larger than a prison cell), sleep pods, hostels, and traveled around on a eurorail pass, so I don't imagine this would be terribly unbearable.
I'd just prefer my first experience to be on a shorter flight before committing to signing up for this for long haul.

Yep. Right alongside the spas, shopping arcades, gyms, and casinos that were going to go on the lower deck of the A380.

I also don't get the notion that those spaces would be offered to economy-class passengers, even as an add-on. They look to provide far more room than most first/business class lay-flat seats. If anything happens with such a product, I would think it would be in terms of something above first class, such as EY's apartments.

It came up again because the concept was on display again at Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg. The event is the largest trade show in the world focused on seats, IFE systems and more. Every year vendors use it to generate hype about concepts in hopes that airlines will be interested enough to commit to purchases. I wrote about it last year as well, highlighting a couple of the challenges. I didn't write it again this year because it isn't new and there wasn't enough of an update to justify my time to create a story about something that will almost certainly never fly.

There are several conceptual problems with the belly bunk beds idea and losing potential cargo revenue is pretty low on the list. The modules are supposed to be flexible and portable, able to be removed easily so a plane could swap them out depending on the specific flight needs. With that approach head space seems to be a challenge. That said, putting lavs below decks on the A330 (Thomas Cook) and A340 (Lufthansa) is a thing so with a more permanent installation this can work.

Another concern came about with respect to safety and flight attendant staffing of the area. Airbus and Safran (now owns Zodiac) indicated at this year's show that the design would not require a flight attendant to be stationed in the space but merely to check every 30 minutes.

The return of this story is, IMO, akin to the repeated stories about the now decade old SkyRider saddle seat concept. The vendor keeps putting it back on the show floor and it generates all sorts of headlines and clicks but it'll never fly. It detracts from the other developments in the industry that probably should get more coverage as they're real things. Like a 28" pitched seat that still has knee room for a passenger over 6 feet tall.

https://paxex.aero/wp-content/upload...9-1024x768.jpg

I love the pic in the OP's story. Because nothing says flight safety like a couple of heavy books held down by a crystal mouse loosely laid on a surface. :D :D :D