Out with the old and in with the new: Double-decker seats might be coming to an airplane near you

The air travel experience can be nightmarish as is, but a new seating concept might take things to a whole new level.

Twenty-three-year-old industrial designer Alejandro Núñez Vicente has proposed the idea of double-decker airplane seats. Yes, double-decker airplane seats. As odd as the idea might sound, Núñez Vicente is invested in the vision and has been working on it for a few years. The concept initially started out as a college project that he submitted to the 2021 Crystal Cabin Awards. The idea, which was only a rendering at the time of submission, went viral.

According to Thrillist, Núñez Vicente finally brought the idea to fruition after working on the project over the past year. He will debut the prototype at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany for airline industry professionals to engage with the concept themselves.

Despite its potential appeal to airlines, Núñez Vicente says that his idea was created with passengers in mind.

“My goal as a designer is to make the economy class better for all those travelers that can’t afford more expensive tickets,” Núñez Vicente said in an Instagram post.

Núñez Vicente also doesn’t intend for planes to solely be equipped with double-decker seats just yet. Instead, his concept would be confined to what he calls the “Chaise Lounge,” which would be located in the middle of an aircraft and surrounded by two rows of regular airplane seats on its sides. The combination of both seating arrangements would make for comfortable seating options for passengers who like the double-decker concept and those who don’t.

Other benefits of the Chaise Lounge, according to Núñez Vicente, include more legroom and the ability to seat more people comfortably. Airlines would also be able to sell more seats.

Although the idea is definitely different, Núñez Vicente is willing to wait for travelers to catch on.

“Most of the times when they show you something new, everyone hates it at first, they’re scared of change,” he told CNN. “But the more you show it, and the more you develop it, and the more they see it, the more they get used to it.”

Roshae Hemmings is an arts and culture magazine journalist from St. Louis, MO. A graduate from the Missouri School of Journalism, Roshae has bylines in the Columbia Missourian, Vox Magazine and 5280 Magazine discussing topics ranging from pop culture, social justice and eat and drink. She is a foodie at heart and enjoys eating food as much as learning about the story behind it. You can reach Roshae via email at roshaehemmings@detourxp.com.