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In recent years, one of the main trends in the development of new concepts for seating on board commercial aircraft has been the growing discourse surrounding double-decker seats. Headed by Alejandro Nuñez Vicente, Spanish start-up Chaise Longue is at the forefront of this movement, and believes that it can offer economy class passengers the ability to lie back like their business class counterparts by layering seats atop each other.
For companies like Chaise Longue, the 2026 Aircraft Interiors Expo, which is being held this week in the German city of Hamburg, represents an ideal opportunity to showcase products and concepts to major industry stakeholders. As far as the Spanish start-up is concerned, its primary business in Hamburg this week centers around showcasing its new ‘Comfort Class’ prototype, which it is aiming at the latest widebodies like the A350 and 777X.
New Features On The Upper Level
Chaise Longue will be a name that many in the airline industry are familiar with, having made waves in recent years with its radical double-decker seating proposals. The idea behind this design is that passengers on the lower level are able to lie back and stretch their legs, thanks to the next seat being above them rather than in front of them. This radical concept has, as Chaise Longue notes, “secured interest from many major global airlines.”
Now, the firm has refined its design, and is presenting its latest ‘Comfort Class’ prototype at AIX this week. On the upper row, Chaise Longue has added six inches of pitch, with the new design now also boasting 12 inches of recline on this level. Meanwhile, the steps have been “optimised and extended to a tread of 25cm to aid with ingress and egress, as well as emergency evacuation procedures.” Chaise Longue went on to explain that:
“For the first time, the Spanish start-up has its own booth at the show, in which it is showcasing the seat concept with versions for the Boeing 777X and Airbus A350.”
How Does It Look Down Below?
Needless to say, the upper level of Chaise Longue’s Comfort Class prototype offers considerable comfort. As far as recline is concerned, the firm notes that its 12-inch offering is 50% greater than the average recline of eight inches that not economy class but premium economy cabins offer. However, the lower level of this seating concept is where Chaise Longue’s novel engineering solutions really begin to stand out from the crowd.
As seen in the picture above, passengers sitting down below are able to fully stretch their legs out thanks to the space left by moving the seat in front of them upwards. The total pitch, Chaise Longue explains, is close to two meters, which the firm notes is “outstanding for premium economy and even for some business class seats.” These seats also feature a deeper recline than any premium economy seat, and a sliding footrest mechanism.
While double-decker seating concepts may have their doubters, they are certainly being taken seriously by major stakeholders in the commercial aviation industry. Last year Simple Flying reported that Airbus was exploring Chaise Longue’s concept. You can learn more about the ongoing discourse in our coverage below!
Double-Decker Airline Seats: Are They A Realistic Prospect?
Double decked seats have been a hot topic of debate in the industry for many years. But are they feasible?
Market Research
Chaise Longue has conducted extensive market research in order to inform its decision-making processes when it comes to finalizing the concept for its new double-decker aircraft seats. Most recently, in March of 2026, the firm “conducted passenger testing on a varied sample group in Madrid to gather feedback on the latest design and ergonomic features,” with 150 participants involved. This process shed light on passenger preferences.
Those involved tested both the lower and upper rows of Chaise Longue’s latest concept, and determined that, while the lower row offers the better seat, both were better than economy class and even premium economy. Some even said that the lower row was closer to a business class product. Such was its popularity that over 90% said they’d pay twice as much as an economy fare to choose the lower row on a long-haul flight.
