BMW Are Now Designing Futuristic Business Class Seats For An Airline You'll Never Fly

From luxury cars to a top-class airline cabin.

BMW Are Now Designing Futuristic Business Class Seats For An Airline You'll Never Fly

You thought BMW was just a car company for upwardly mobile execs? Well it’s now placing a spoke into the world of aviation, with an unlikely partner. Taiwanese airline EVA air challenged BMW subsidiary—Designworks—to create a new business class seat, complementing the brand’s heritage, whilst moving towards a more unique design. Last week Designworks responded in style, unveiling its futuristic plans for those who like to fly flat.

From privacy and service to interaction, stowage, and amenities, the design team has considered everything—to present a vision of premium travel never before seen on EVA. A muted, warm colour scheme makes you feel like you’re in your lounge at home, while the wool carpet, natural leather and rich custom textiles make you feel like you’re in an upmarket photography studio.

Showcased on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, this focus on functionality and understated good looks is typical of the luxury car brand, with the idea being that EVA will eventually be able to compete (or catch up) to competitors like Singapore Airlines. The horizontal work surfaces are a bonus, while the seats are reminiscent of Qantas’ Vantage XL-style suites (23 inches wide and 76 inches long when flat), which will have business professionals seeking a productive, relaxing trip (to chuck on the “expenses” card) queuing up to book.

Design Director Johannes Lampela from Designworks’ LA studio said in a statement, “At a time where consumer expectations continue to rise across their daily brand interactions, mobility industries must constantly adapt to rapidly changing customer needs… For the aviation industry this means balancing flexibility with a structured environment, providing privacy without isolation, as well as complete connectivity within a premium and relaxed setting.”

“We recognised that EVA business class experiences needed to focus on bringing fresh and memorable interactions to its passengers, making service, design, and brand work together.”

Whether or not it will work as well as planned remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: it looks damn good.

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