A New Design for Economy Class Seats That Lets Passengers Pay for Space

Imagine if economy class seats could be custom fit to individual flyers. And airlines could charge flyers for a few inches of wiggle room instead of business class upgrades.

British design firm Seymourpowell has created a new concept in seat design that gives flyers and airlines the flexibility to adjust how much room each person takes up in a row.

The Morph economy class seats are designed to give passengers more comfort and choice, and to give airlines yet another revenue stream. Traditional airline seats were designed to fit the average flyer, but the design has become outdated as passengers grow and seats shrink.

How It Works

The seat rows would be a standard product fit for every aircraft, but the individual seats could be adapted to individual flyers' needs.

A single piece of fabric would stretch across the seat base and the seat backs. The fabric would then be separated into three sections using clamps as the arm and head rests.

This would allow flyers to pay for more space in economy class, or distribute row space between friends and family.

Flyers would be able to recline without bothering the passenger behind them. They could lean into the space created by the fabric without moving the seat back. Passengers would also be able to adjust the height and length of their seat base.

Watch the video below and click through the slideshow above for design visuals: