You've seen the photos. They've been haunting the travel corners of the internet for a few years now—those claustrophobic-looking, tiered rows of economy chairs that look like a human Tetris puzzle. Most people see them and immediately think of a 19th-century slave ship or a budget hostel. It's an instinctive "no thanks." But here's the thing: double deck plane seats might actually be the only way we get more legroom without paying for a business class ticket.
The concept, officially known as the Chaise Longue Dual-Level Seat, isn't just a fever dream from a bored designer. It’s a real, engineered prototype by Alejandro Núñez Vicente, a young Spaniard who basically decided that the current way we pack humans into tubes is broken. He’s not wrong. We've been sitting on the same flat floor plan since the 1950s. While engines and avionics have leaped into the future, the economy cabin has just stayed... flat. And cramped. Really cramped.
The Weird Engineering of Double Deck Plane Seats
The core idea is stupidly simple. If you can’t make the plane wider or longer, you go up. By staggering the rows, the designer creates a "top" and "bottom" level. The person in the bottom row sits on the floor level, while the person behind them is elevated about 1.5 meters up.
Think about your last long-haul flight. You probably spent eight hours trying to find a place for your knees. In a dual-level setup, the lower-level passenger can actually stretch their legs straight out because there’s no seat directly in front of their shins. Instead, their feet tuck into a space under the seat above. It’s sort of like a bunk bed, but for sitting.
Alejandro Núñez Vicente debuted the prototype at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg. I've followed the coverage from industry experts like CNN Travel and Runway Girl Network, and the consensus is always the same: it looks terrifying in pictures, but it feels surprisingly spacious when you actually sit in it. Why? Because the "verticality" solves the biggest pain point of flying: the person in front of you reclining their seat into your face. In a double-deck configuration, that physical interference basically disappears.
Is it actually safe?
Safety is the giant elephant in the room. You can't just bolt a bunk bed into a Boeing 777 and call it a day. Every single component in an aircraft cabin has to pass a 16G crash test. That means the seat—and the person in it—has to be able to withstand sixteen times the force of gravity without the structure collapsing or the person becoming a projectile.
🔗 Read more: Is Barceló Whale Lagoon Maldives Actually Worth the Trip to Ari Atoll?
Critics often point to the evacuation problem. The FAA and EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) require that a full plane can be evacuated in 90 seconds or less, even with half the exits blocked. Could someone in a "top deck" seat scramble down fast enough during a cabin fire? That’s the multi-million dollar question. Núñez Vicente argues that because his design removes the overhead bins—moving luggage storage to a compartment under the seats—the aisle actually becomes wider and clearer, potentially making evacuation faster.
Why Airlines Are Salivating Over This
Let’s be real. Airlines don't care about your comfort unless it makes them money. The reason double deck plane seats are even being discussed in boardrooms is efficiency.
Most wide-body aircraft like the Airbus A350 have a lot of "dead space" near the ceiling. We use it for air vents and luggage bins, but mostly it’s just empty air. If an airline can fit 10% or 15% more people into the same cabin by utilizing that vertical space, they can lower ticket prices—or, more likely, increase their profit margins.
But there’s a catch.
Adding weight is the enemy of aviation. These tiered structures are heavier than a standard aluminum and fabric chair. More weight equals more fuel. More fuel equals higher costs. The engineering challenge right now isn't just making it comfortable; it's making it light enough that it doesn't cancel out the profit from the extra passengers.
💡 You might also like: How to Actually Book the Hangover Suite Caesars Las Vegas Without Getting Fooled
The "Cattle Class" Perception Problem
Marketing this is going to be a nightmare. Nobody wants to feel like they are in a "lower" class within economy. Imagine the TikToks. "POV: I’m in the basement of the plane."
There's also the "breathability" factor. If you’re in the lower seat, you have a seat structure just inches above your head. For people with claustrophobia, that’s a non-starter. Designers are trying to mitigate this with built-in screens, better lighting, and personalized air vents, but it’s still a tough sell.
Honestly, the most likely path forward isn't an entire plane filled with these. It’s probably a "Premium Economy Light" section. Maybe the middle row of a 3-4-3 configuration gets the double-deck treatment while the window seats stay traditional. This gives passengers a choice: do you want the window view, or do you want to be able to fully extend your legs for ten hours?
Real-World Competition: The Skynest
It's worth noting that other companies are tackling the "vertical" problem differently. Air New Zealand is already launching their Skynest—actual lie-flat bunk beds for economy passengers.
The Skynest isn't a seat you stay in for the whole flight. It’s a "pod" you rent for four hours. You get a pillow, earplugs, and a flat surface. This suggests that the industry is finally acknowledging that the human body isn't meant to sit at a 90-degree angle for fourteen hours. Whether the solution is a rental bed or a permanent double-deck seat, the "flat floor" era of aviation is clearly under threat.
📖 Related: How Far Is Tennessee To California: What Most Travelers Get Wrong
What This Means for Your Next Flight
If you're waiting for these seats to show up on your flight to London next month, don't hold your breath. The aviation industry moves at the speed of a tectonic plate. Between the initial design and the first commercial flight, there are years of:
- Stress testing for metal fatigue.
- Psychological studies on passenger comfort.
- Regulatory hurdles from the FAA.
- Negotiations with unions (flight attendants have to be able to reach these passengers to serve food and check seatbelts).
However, the pressure to reach "Net Zero" carbon emissions by 2050 might actually speed this up. If airlines can carry more people per flight, the "per-passenger" carbon footprint drops. In a world where "flight shaming" is a thing, the efficiency of double deck plane seats becomes a powerful PR tool.
Actionable Takeaways for the Modern Traveler
While we wait for the tiered revolution, you can still optimize your current economy experience. Don't just settle for whatever the airline assigns you.
- Check the "Seat Pitch": Before booking, use a site like SeatGuru or AeroLOPA. "Pitch" is the distance from a point on one seat to the same point on the seat in front of it. Anything under 30 inches is going to be painful.
- The Bulkhead Gambit: If you hate having a seat in your face, the bulkhead (the front row of a section) is your best friend. But remember, you lose under-seat storage.
- Look for the A350 or 787: These newer planes have higher cabin pressure and better humidity, which makes the "cramped" feeling much more tolerable than on an old 777.
- Monitor the Skynest: If you fly to New Zealand or Australia, look for the bunk bed options starting in late 2025 and 2026. It's the first real test of vertical sleeping for the masses.
The reality of air travel is that it’s a game of inches. Whether it's through a radical redesign like the Chaise Longue or a simple rental bunk, the future of the cabin is looking up. Literally. We just have to decide if we're willing to trade a little bit of "headspace" for the chance to finally stretch our legs.