8 Smart Ways to Make Flying Less Sucky
This year's Crystal Cabin Awards point to some exciting developments for everyone who flies, economy or otherwise.
Getty ImagesThe power to make flying economy better.
Everyone knows flying sucks. The long lines, the crappy food, the infernal fees and lousy seats and ... and.... The list goes on. Most of what we hear about the future of air travel is discouraging: [Bench seating](http://www.wired.com/2016/02/bench-seating-is-the-latest-idea-to-make-flying-even-more-horrible/). [Standing room only](http://www.wired.com/2009/07/standing-room-only-chinese-airline-plans-seatless-flights/). [Unfiltered nightmares](http://www.wired.com/2015/07/hey-look-nightmarish-idea-plane-seating-ever/). It's as if the industry is actively seeking ways of making things even more miserable. But there's hope left in the galaxy, and to glimpse it, check out the [Crystal Cabin Awards](http://www.crystal-cabin-award.com/cca-news-realeases/article/the-future-of-flight-24-concepts.html) that judges handed out during the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany. The awards celebrate truly innovative concepts and ideas for making air travel better for everyone. Here are the winners.
B/E AerospaceThings lighten up.
Viu, from B/E Aerospace, is an LED illumination system that provides a nearly limitless palette of colors to play with. That should help on long flights, and with crowd control. Passengers getting surly? Throw on a nice blue to cool things down.
MANON KÜHNENo more getting drooled on.
The key advantage to the window seat isn't the view of all the things that look like ants. It's that you can rest your head against the wall while catching Zs. Dutch student Manon Kuehne won the "university" category with a trick for extending that advantage to the middle and aisle seats. Her headrest works like a head hammock, keeping your dome—and drool—off your neighbor's shoulder.
Sekisui Polymer InnovationsAway with the gray.
The interior decor of commercial airliners is, shall we say, less than inspired. So much gray and beige and maybe a splash of color. Sekisui SPI wants to spruce things up. The Pennsylvania company won the "material and components" category by using thermoplastics to create lovely patterns and designs that will make even a RyanAir flight a little cheerier.
Lufthansa TechnikBroadband for all.
You'd think the system [Gogo designed to make WiFi suck less](http://www.wired.com/2016/01/gogo-wi-fi-antenna/) would be a lock to win "Electronic Systems," but no. The judges swooned for BoardConnect Portable from Lufthansa. The system lets flight attendants move broadband routers through the cabin, bringing the Internet to the masses.
BoeingCleaner bathrooms.
Airplanes are flying Petri dishes. You're stuck in an enclosed space with dozens of people from all over. Just thinking about it is enough to strain the immune system. As bad as it is, the lavatory is worse. Ugh. That's why Boeing spent the past year developing a prototype [restroom that uses ultraviolet light](http://www.wired.com/2016/03/boeings-self-cleaning-bathroom-nuke-germs-uv-rays/) to kill 99.99 percent of germs in just three seconds. Boeing says customers are interested, and it's moving ahead with the project.
Rebel AeroStanding room.
Everyone's done the aisle dance. You know the move. At some point, the person next to you wants to get out just as you're getting into your movie. So you grab your drink, tuck your iPad under your arm, lift the tray table, and shuffle into the aisle to let them pass. Five or 10 minutes later, you do it all over again to let the guy back in. This annoying routine prompted Rebel Aero to develop a seat that works a lot like the seats in a movie theater: When you stand, seat swings up, allowing you to stand up and let the guy pass without having to step into the aisle. It even folds in a way to let you sacrifice butt room for leg room, a nice option on a long flight.
Zodiac AerospaceThe class war ends.
This one's not gonna happen anytime soon, but that's why these awards have a "Visionary Concepts" category. Zodiac Aerospace took first in that one for a layout that ditches first class, business class, and hell ..., er, economy. Instead, the design features specific areas for specific activities, like sleeping, socializing, lounging (drinking), and sitting.
Etihad AirwaysWith compensation for the bourgeoise.
OK, this one will do bupkis for the proletariat, but the bourgeoise will love it. Etihad worked with Acumen Design to rethink first class and make it even more luxurious within the relatively narrow fuselage of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. Because, you know, things already are so cramped up there in first class. It must be miserable up there.
Alex Davies is the former editor of WIRED’s transportation section, where he specialized in covering autonomous and electric vehicles. He is also the author of Driven, a book chronicling the race to create the self-driving car. ... Read More
