Which planes have sleepers? The best seats on the plane

Source: Reuters

The aircraft manufacturing concern Airbus and the Zodiac Aerospace studio have announced a revolutionary new product. Sleeping boxes will be available on planes for economy class passengers. They will be located on the lower deck of the aircraft, where cargo and passengers' suitcases are currently flying. The iz.ru portal figured out when it will be possible to stretch your legs during a long flight.

Boxes with beds

The concept of modules with passenger berths was presented recently in Hamburg at the specialized exhibition Aircraft Interiors Expo 2018. This is the world's largest platform where the airline industry presents everything that awaits us on airplanes in the distant and not very distant future.

What is the essence of the new product presented by Airbus and Zodiac Aerospace? If the fuselage passenger plane divided in half, then in the upper part there is a passenger compartment, and below there is a cargo compartment.

Cargo - and this can be anything from Russian Post parcels to gold bars - is transported in special containers. It is these that the authors of the idea propose to convert into boxes for sleeping.

Judging by the photo published on the Zodiac Aerospace website, the sleeping areas will be an ennobled econom-class train RUSSIAN RAILWAYS . The passenger descends from the passenger compartment to the lower deck, finds an empty seat, lies down on the bed, closes himself from everyone with a curtain and rests.

A video reconstruction of the new boxes was posted on Twitter by the Safran Group, which owns Zodiac Aerospace.

At the same time, the modules are made in such a way that airlines themselves can decide how many of them to install on board. If necessary, the entire compartment can be occupied by cargo containers, and the plane will take off on a flight without sleeping places, or vice versa.

Moreover, the new system will not require re-equipping the airliners - containers with beds can be loaded not only into new, but also into existing aircraft.

Jeff Pinner, head of the Airbus Cabin & Cargo Program, said that their joint development with Zodiac Aerospace is " new approach to passenger comfort." According to him, the aircraft manufacturing concern has already discussed the new product with some airline representatives, and many of them have expressed interest in installing such containers.

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One of them, for example, is Australian Qantas airline. Its chief executive, Alan Joyce, told Bloomberg that the carrier is constantly looking for ways to make its ultra-long-haul flights “more tolerable” for passengers.

In March 2018, Qantas launched the first non-stop flight between Australia and the UK: Perth-London. The plane remains in the air for more than 17 hours. According to Joyce, this flight is the first contender for a four-class cabin layout - first class, business, economy and sleeper pods.

Bedroom story

Beds in modern passenger liners Now you can surprise only those who see the plane for the first time. Almost everyone major airlines Business class seats convert into full beds.

By the way, the world civil Aviation actually started with sleeping places. For example, in the 30s of the last century, a flight from London to Singapore lasted eight days and involved more than 15 intermediate stops. Try to sit in a chair the whole time.

In the 50s, the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser model was used for long-distance flights, and it also had sleepers. In the 60s, when the era of jet airliners began, cabins were divided into classes, but beds could still be found in the Boeing 707, and even in the Soviet Tu-104 and Tu-114. Aeroflot used these aircraft, as a rule, on foreign flights. For example, the Tu-114 had separate three-bed compartments, and passengers were given pillows and blankets.

In the 70s, the so-called “golden age of aviation” ended, and flying gradually began to become commonplace. Airlines began to think about reducing costs, and aircraft manufacturing concerns began to think about how to fit more people into the cabin. Beds have disappeared from passenger airliners.

Now almost anyone can afford to buy an economy class ticket, but since the 70s, nothing fundamentally new has been introduced for economy passengers.

There are airlines where first or business class passengers can use the shower or sit at the bar. All recent developments have mainly concerned premium class passengers. The economy passenger hasn't received anything new for many years. All he gets is a chair and a monitor mounted in the back, and sometimes the Internet. Therefore, the idea with sleeping boxes is really interesting, even breakthrough. And it is not as utopian as, for example, airplanes with glass floors or something similar,” Alexey Sinitsky, editor-in-chief of the specialized publication “Air Transport Review,” told the iz.ru portal.

By the way, the idea of converting sleeping accommodations on the lower deck is not new. For example, the same Airbus A340-600 models have special rest rooms for crew members. They are reminiscent of the capsule hotels that now exist in many airports around the world. The same compartments are found in some Boeing 777 models.

Alexey Sinitsky is sure that sleeping places will not be available for the entire flight.

It will be quite problematic to quickly evacuate from such boxes, so at the time of takeoff and landing, all passengers will most likely be in their seats. But when the plane is at the level, you can go down and rest,” he suggested.

And of course, there are not enough sleeping places for all passengers. For example, the same A330 can accommodate more than 300 people - it is impossible to accommodate beds for everyone. Therefore, passengers will either have to buy a ticket for sleeping seats when booking a regular ticket, or flight attendants will be able to sell these seats during the flight.

I think many will agree that on a 12-13 hour flight they will have the opportunity to lie down for a couple of hours and stretch their legs,” Sinitsky is sure.

Boxes with beds

What is the essence of the new product presented by Airbus and Zodiac Aerospace? If the fuselage of a passenger aircraft is divided in half, then in the upper part there is a passenger compartment, and in the lower part there is a cargo compartment. Cargo - and this can be anything from Russian Post parcels to gold bars - is transported in special containers. It is these that the authors of the idea propose to convert into boxes for sleeping.

Even if you have never flown long distances, you don’t need to have extreme imagination to imagine how terrible long-hour flights are. If you don't have a business class ticket, then most likely you will have to huddle in a tiny seat for the entire flight, surrounded by the same poor souls as you. Finding ourselves in such a situation, we only think about how bad and uncomfortable we are, and what about the crew of the plane, because they are in almost the same conditions as you.

As it turns out, many of the commercial jets, such as the Boeing 777 and 787, have secret crew rooms on board where flight attendants and pilots can relax during flights. long flights.

Many Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft have a hidden spiral staircase leading to a small room located above the passenger cabin, where they can take a break from the endless walking back and forth and requests from passengers

This is what the spiral staircase looks like

Don't think you can climb the stairs while pretending to look for the toilet. These staircases are hidden behind a door that in most cases doesn't even look like a door, and usually requires either a key or a passcode to open them

Some planes, such as the Boeing 773, have hatches in their luggage storage areas that lead to secret rooms. In this case, a spiral staircase is not required

This is what a secret room looks like on board a Boeing 787, which usually contains 7-8 beds

The secret room of the Boeing 777 contains 6-10 bunks and space for storing personal belongings

If you are a pilot, then things are even better for you. Pilots have multiple berths in business class, which some airlines also include wardrobes, a sink and a toilet in.

Pilot beds on board the Boeing 777

In airlines, a rule that sounds like “one pilot per berth” is strictly observed, i.e. while one pilot is sleeping or just resting, the other must be at the controls at this time

The bunks are equipped with lamps, hooks, mirrors, pillows, blankets and even pajamas

Some of them even have entertainment systems. Typically this applies to secret rooms on Boeing 787 aircraft.

The secret rooms of the Boeing 773 have low ceilings and private bunks with curtains, reminiscent of seats in a reserved seat carriage.

Sleeping accommodations for the crew on an Airbus A380 aircraft of a Malaysian airline

Suites for pilots on the same plane look much nicer

During long flights, you don’t have to worry about the crew. You'd better be worried about the little rascal sitting behind you who loves to kick the chairs in front of him.

Airbus will offer customers a flight with an increased level of comfort. The world-famous aircraft designer is equipping long-haul aircraft with mobile berths. The company plans to create sleeping areas in cargo compartment its boards by 2020. Currently, only a limited line of Boeing aircraft can boast of personal sleeping cabins. “360” found out whether Airbus sleepers will be in demand among Russian carriers.

Photo source: Airbus official website

Aircraft holding Airbus and Zodiac Aerospace Corporation have begun joint development of mobile sleepers for the A330 and A350 airliners, Airbus said in an official press release. The designers are going to place modules with two-level single beds in the cargo compartment. In this case, the sleeping modules will be designed in such a way that, if necessary, they can be replaced by cargo containers. Also, in place of the cargo compartment, an area for active rest passengers, bar or children's playground.

Meanwhile, the “redesign” of the aircraft will not affect the level of flight safety, Airbus promises. The load and rupture pressure of the aircraft fuselage and loading system will not be affected. The passenger module will be located directly on the loading system.

It is expected that sleepers on Airbus A330 aircraft may appear as early as 2020. In addition, the company is exploring the possibility of placing such seats above the luggage compartment on the A350 XWB aircraft.

A similar arrangement of seats on airliners may be of interest major carriers with a wide network of flights, noted independent aviation expert Dmitry Adamidov in an interview with 360. According to him, such aircraft can be bought by airlines that want to attract new customers with an unusual service.

If Airbus designers manage to find a way to retrofit existing aircraft, then many companies will take advantage of this offer, as this will attract those customers who are willing to pay for increased comfort. Now the Airbus A330 is in the fleet of many companies. For example, Aeroflot flies these aircraft on the domestic market.
Dmitry Adamidov.

So far, no airline has applied for the modified aircraft. As Nordavia told 360, the airlines do not plan to purchase such aircraft, since their entire fleet consists only of Boeing aircraft.

Keeping an eye on competitors

The first airplanes equipped with sleepers appeared on international flights back in the mid-2000s. Thus, in 2005, the Boeing aircraft manufacturing concern released a new long-range aircraft, the Boeing Dreamliner 787. The airliner is a wide-body twin-engine jet passenger aircraft that can fly a distance of up to 12 thousand kilometers and carry from 290 to 330 people, depending on its configuration. Estimated cost such an aircraft costs 250 - 300 million dollars.

At the same time, in the first class of the airliner, Boeing designers can install personal sleeping cabins upon request of the airline. They are a space enclosed by flexible shutters, inside which there is a wide chair. If the passenger wishes, it can be transformed into a two-meter bed. IN this moment most of them aircraft has a national airline, United United Arab Emirates Etihad. True, the cost of such a comfortable flight is several times higher than the price of a standard flight. For a ticket on the route Melbourne (Australia) - Abu Dhabi (UAE) in an individual cabin you will have to pay about 12 thousand dirhams, which in dollar terms is more than three thousand “green”. For comparison, a flight to the same destination in economy class will cost only one thousand dirhams ($366).

Kazakh airline Air Astana also provides passengers with sleeping berths, but in the economy class cabin. In 2015, the airlines launched such flights from Astana to London, Paris and Frankfurt. An economy bedroom “Kazakh style” consists of three chairs paired in one line and a set that includes a mattress, pillows and a business class duvet.

Photo source: Air Astana official website

Despite the high cost of flights, it is not always profitable for airlines to have aircraft with an additional sleeping compartment, the head of the analytical service told 360 information portal“Airport” Oleg Panteleev. According to him, companies earn more profit from the total number of passengers, and not from the price range of tickets.

The fact is that now one of the key trends in the global aviation market is to reduce the cost per passenger kilometer. To achieve this, companies are increasing the number of seats on board, and passenger comfort is ensured by special flexible seats. Therefore, liners with sleeping cabins are used only on long scheduled flights, where cabin occupancy is not critical for the airline.
Oleg Panteleev.

In the near future, passengers will be able to approach the choice of economy or business class more rationally, because it will be possible to fly not only sitting, but lying down or even standing. For details - "Bulletin ATOR".

WE FLY LYING UP

Who among us, especially on long-distance flights of many hours, has not dreamed of stretching out and sleeping comfortably, but the dimensions of the passenger seat in a regular cabin do not allow such luxury. Airlines are constantly trying to solve this problem, not only because of the desire to provide greater comfort to their customers, but also to create new services on board to sell.

It seems that the “golden mean” has been found. AIrbus, with the participation of specialists from Zodiac Aerospace, will design sleeping compartments in the cargo holds of its airliners, where it will be installed bunk beds, as well as spaces for passengers to relax, including children's rooms.

Replaceable modules, as representatives of the aviation concern note, “offer new opportunities for passengers and allow airlines to differentiate and increase the value of their commercial operations.” According to the developers, modules - sleeping, conference room, sports (simulators), children's play or relaxation (soft relaxing sofas and armchairs) can be interchangeable: airlines will be able to install them independently, depending on the flight, audience and passenger demand.

“On a long-haul flight, the airline could potentially rent out each of these seats to multiple passengers at different time slots during the flight. Thus, the economy class offer could potentially be complemented by a sleeper bed,” says Airbus.

Similar solutions, most notably sleeper compartments, will be introduced in the Airbus catalog in 2020 for the A220 model, and the company is studying whether they should also be offered on the A250 and A330.

Please note that initially passengers will not be able to buy a ticket for a “lying” seat. In addition, access to the cargo area will be closed during takeoff or landing.

However, the aircraft manufacturer refutes the claim that the cargo hold will be very cold. As Airbus explains, the pressure in the hold is the same as in the cabin, except that it’s “fresher.”

“The conditioned air is directed out of the cabin, so by the time it reaches the cargo areas, it has cooled down a bit. In the case of regular cargo, the temperature in the luggage compartment is about +7C, but in the compartment where animals are transported, the air can heat up above 18°C. Controlling the desired temperature is not a problem,” Airbus emphasizes.

WE FLY STANDING

There are more budget options: The idea of standing seats on board an airplane has been discussed for years. The Italian Aviointeriors decided to play up the “standing format” in its own way, using the rider’s saddle (Skyrider) as a basis.

A row of “half-seats” will be secured by vertical posts; soft upholstery will be located at hip level, which will allow the passenger not to experience discomfort. However, it will be impossible to sit in such a chair: you can only stand with your elbows on the armrests. New seats, which are two times lighter than standard seats, can increase the passenger capacity of the aircraft by 20%, and therefore sell more tickets for the flight. In this case, the width between the rows of seats will not be 28 inches, as is practiced today among low-cost airlines (about 70 cm), but already 23 inches (about 60 cm). According to ICAO rules, in economy class it is recommended to set the seat pitch to 30 inches (76 cm).

The Skyrider idea was not liked by potential passengers and pilots, who are vigorously discussing the new product online. In their opinion, such chairs are not suitable for those traveling with small children, or for obese people, and in general for travelers of “non-standard sizes”. “These seats look like blood clot machines,” one user succinctly noted.

Other users of the foreign segment of the network, introducing themselves as airline employees, loudly say that such new products are of the “hype” category, but in real practice they simply will not work due to the requirements aviation security and will not be able to be used by airlines under the existing international regulations and regulatory framework.

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