Hasta La Ideas

When it comes to layout, the typical airplane interior is no different than the earliest movie theaters: Unimaginative, mindless rows of seats. It’s hardly an efficient use of space, and does anyone you know actually enjoy flying?

Inventor Emil Jacob is proposing a radical shake-up for airplane interiors with his new system of using the vertical as well as the horizontal space of an airplane cabin. Whether in Business or Economy class, Jacob’s designs stagger passengers vertically, providing more legroom and privacy.

His Flex-Seat design, which “can increase the density of a conventional Business Class by up to 50%” provides benefits even while packing more bodies in: each passenger has more room and privacy, and luggage is stored under movable stairs, reducing loading time (no more standing in the aisles while accessing overhead compartments). The amount of luggage storage space is also vastly increased, designed to encourage passengers to carry everything on-board, eliminating the baggage claim hassle at the end of the flight altogether. And the flex seats don’t require reclining mechanisms; when it’s time to stretch out, the seats have beds attached to them at 90 degrees.

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