We guess anything is an improvement.
Design Q is a British firm with an impressive track record in aircraft interior design. The company was responsible for Virgin Atlantic’s much-vaunted Upper Class suite and, more recently, it was involved in the overhaul of all three classes for Cathay Pacific. Now, Design Q is spruiking the benefits of what it is calling the MaxCabin, a radical configuration mirroring the face-to-face seating used on military planes. Basically, Design Q has replaced conventional seat rows with inward-facing seats on either side of the aircraft, plus two back-to-back rows down the middle. While the look may take some getting used to, there are plenty of examples of this configuration working, says Design Q’s founder and chief designer, Howard Guy. “Seating sideways is common on other types of transport, buses, trains and even VIP jets,” he says. – From Sydney Morning Herald