The future of air travel? Startup reveals a DOUBLE-DECKER plane seat – and claims it gives passengers more legroom than standard chairs
- Alejandro Núñez Vicente, 23, has launched a new game-changing plane seat
- Backrests reach an angle of 125° and passengers can store luggage under seats
- It has caught the attention of big players such as the president of Emirates
When you’re squished into a tight plane seat, a five-hour journey to paradise can feel like forever.
But one 23-year-old may be on the path to changing this, having designed a double-decker plane seat with a surprising amount of legroom.
Alejandro Núñez Vicente, from Madrid, has big ambitions of upgrading long-haul travel with his new Chaise Longue Economy Seat fit for any middle aisle.
Fully stretching out your legs and reclining to a 125° angle will both be possible in this 6ft 2″ chair, allowing users to almost ‘lie down’.
Worrying about the etiquette of reclining these will also be a thing of the past, with no one directly behind to complain about it.
Alejandro Núñez Vicente (top left), from Madrid, has big ambitions of upgrading long-haul travel with his new Chaise Longue Economy Seat fit for any middle aisle.
KEY FEATURES OF THE CHAISE LONGUE ECONOMY SEAT
- 6ft 2in seat allows you to ‘lie down’
- Backrest reaches 125° angle
- More privacy
- More legroom
- Storage under seat for those in lower row
‘On one hand, the lower row is perfect for individuals with reduced mobility or for resting on long flights,’ the firm claims.
‘The seat pan hides all the way into the structure for easier ingress and egress, and the backrest reaches an angle of 125 degrees (15 degrees more than the current economy class).
‘Most importantly, the passengers can fully stretch out their legs, and support them, similar to a lie down position.
‘On the other hand, to access the upper row you will have to go up two steps. Providing the same 125 degree recline angle, this row gives passengers better leg room and more privacy.’
Mr Vicente started building his first plane seat prototype by hand in 2021, using just a ‘bunch of planks’.
Since then, big players in the aeronautical industry have stopped to hear about his concept, including Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates.
His ideas have even launched in the Metaverse, with seat models available for anyone to view at anytime.
‘I can firmly say that I am proud of what I have achieved, but I am even prouder of all the people that has been helping and pushing me in any way, because only thanks to them I stand where I stand today,’ Mr Vicente wrote in an Instagram post last June.
Backrests reach an angle of 125° and passengers in the bottom row can store luggage beneath their seats
Big players in the aeronautical industry have stopped to hear about his concept, including Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates
His ideas have even launched in the Metaverse (pictured), with seat models available for anyone to view at anytime
‘For all of those that believe that “I work for the airline industry” or that “I just want to make worse your experience in the economy class to pack more people in”, I just can say, that my goal as a designer is to make the economy class better for all those travellers that can’t afford more expensive tickets.’
While its main focus is passenger comfort, the game-changing seats can also provide more space for more passengers on a plane, according to CNN.
They could be adapted to fit any passenger class, with premium designs already drawn up to exclude the lower middle seat.
‘We have had people coming to try it, famous people that saw the article, and they were like, “I want to go and try it”‘, he told the publication.
‘At the end of the day, by having a double decker, you optimize the space, you take advantage of the space that otherwise is just air.’
MailOnline has approached Mr Vicente for further information on how much the seat will cost, and when and where it will be rolled out.
READ MORE: Seat by seat, scientists reveal your risk of dying on an airplane if it crashes
The odds of dying in a plane crash are about one in 11 million, but the chances of surviving depend on your seating choice.
An aviation expert reveals a 44 percent fatality rate for travelers sitting in the aisle seats in the middle of the craft, compared with 28 percent for central rear seats.
Doug Drury, a professor at Central Queensland University, said because the aisle seats do not offer a buffer on one side, the passenger will likely be struck with crash properties.
Travelers unable to secure the safest seats may have better luck surviving in the middle and window seats of the middle part of the plane.
However, the chances of dying in an aircraft accident have less to do with where you sit and more with the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Scientists reveal the worst and best seats on an airplane in the event of a crash
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