Future plane travel could look like this

Much like Harry and Ron in The Chamber of Secrets, Airbus is aiming to take a classic English vehicle into the sky. The European aviation giant this week announced a partnership with startup Chaise Lounge to explore early-stage concepts for outfitting some of its planes with double-decker seating.

A breakdown: The seats would essentially have passengers sitting directly on top or below the rows in front or behind them – the airplane version of bunk beds.

• While this arrangement would require the removal of the overhead bin, it would provide passengers with more legroom and reclining space than current standard economy seats.
• Travelers would have the option to choose their row preference upon ticket purchase, with the bottom-row seats offering passengers more space to stretch their legs.

The design, coined by Chaise Lounge CEO Alejandro Núñez Vicente, has gone viral multiple times since its first pitch. Opinions have poured in from all sides of the spectrum, but Alejandro believes that no press is bad press – and more people will get more on board as they’re exposed to the concept.

👀 Looking ahead…While it’s unlikely that double-decker seating will catch on in the near future, Airbus’ new partnership signals wider industry interest in the concept.