Airbus plans A380 bunk beds
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Getting a comfortable night’s sleep on a long-haul flight may no longer be a problem, after Airbus unveiled a series of ideas designed to fit fully flat beds into the Premium Economy cabin of its A380s.
The Times of London has reported that one concept involves tiered units that convert from upright seats at take-off and landing, to flat beds during the flight. Another envisages beds stacked three high around the edges of the fuselage, with another row running down the centre.
“It’s been the Holy Grail to find a way of allowing premium passengers to sleep horizontally, but space and best use of it is always an issue,” Airbus’ Head of Aircraft Interiors Marketing, Robert Lange, was reported saying.
The problem, according to The Times, will be in reconfiguring the convertible seat for the economy cabin and keeping it cost-effective.
“Safety regulations will not allow passengers to take off and land while lying in bed,” explained Howard Guy of Design Q, the company behind the Virgin flatbed, “so beds will have to convert to seats – and that’s when it becomes expensive.”
“Economy is economy, and it’s still a tight space,” Guy added. “The bunk-bed idea is not dissimilar to the old-fashioned sleeper trains.”
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