These days no airline can afford to rest on its laurels when it comes to providing clients with the ultimate in comfort and service; this is especially true of business class facilities.
Continental Airlines, determined not to be left in the lurch, hired B/E Aerospace to design a business class seat that will consolidate its reputation as one of the world’s great carriers. The brief was simple – deceptively simple: create a seat that converts into a flat bed without using any more space than that occupied by the old-fashioned recliners.
This might have sounded like an impossible task, but B/E Aerospace was more than equal to the job, solving the problem by altering the configuration. Instead of the classic side-by-side scenario, the design team has staggered the seating, enabling them to install as many flatbeds as there were recliners.
The Diamond is less a chair, more a temporary living space for travellers with five-star tastes. As a seat, the Diamond measures 65cm across and, when converted to a bed, is under two metres long. These dimensions are made possible by the staggered configuration, the bed slotting into the space between the two seats in front. However, because the Diamond has a wraparound shell, each passenger will be cocooned in an entirely private and protected environment.
From the autumn, Continental Airlines’ business class passengers flying in Boeing 787, 777 and 757 aircraft will be able to enjoy this latest example of ergonomic invention.
See http://www.wired.com/cars/futuretransport/magazine/17-06/pl_motor
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