Aircraft Cabin Design: What matters most?

Food, drinks, service, fares, seats, safety? Which matters most to you inside the plane? What elements of the aircraft cabin interior should airlines focus on to improve the overall passenger experience?

(This is an update of one of the first articles posted on FlightChic in 2013. It’s still relevant today, and I wanted to give it new life.)

I care about the design of the passenger experience because it was my career before I turned to journalism.

My insights into cabin design and passenger experience come, in part, from many miles flown over the years. Also, before I started writing about aviation, my career was working directly on aircraft interiors. I’ve spent many months in hangars, getting hands-on with the seats on your plane. I’ve also worked with cabin crew on critical safety procedures.

But being an industry insider can shade your perspective a bit. It is very hard to make any kind of change inside the plane. Once you know that, you question whether something completely different will ever work.

Still, airlines, manufacturers, and designers have surprised and impressed me over the years. The airline industry has a remarkable desire to improve the aircraft cabin.

Despite crowded seating on some airlines, this truly is the golden age of air travel. That’s because air travel is now more affordable. Engineers and regulators have made flying safer than ever. Designers and manufacturers have made giant leaps in materials and structures. Passengers can fly on a commercial airline and feel like they’re on a private jet.

The truth is that airline customers always decide what goes inside the plane. Airlines work hard to discover what passengers value most inside the plane. They study customer surveys and examine the fares customers are willing to pay.

But what matters most to you in the aircraft cabin?

I’m introducing this Airline Passenger Inflight Experience Survey to learn what is most important to you when you fly. Share what matters most to you in the aircraft cabin.  

I’m curious to understand what might make you pay more for a ticket. Or what could drive you to make different travel plans to avoid a particular airline.

Anything could happen. Your answers might confirm what the industry already considers a priority for passenger experience. Your answers might surprise us all.

Reader contributions to this survey will also drive the topics I will focus on when writing FlightChic news. I will share what I learned from the survey. We’ll look into the aircraft interior elements that you rated as most important. The articles you’ll find on FlightChic will feature insider views on aviation. We’ll review trends and new products that are in the works.

Take the FlightChic Airline Passenger Inflight Experience Survey and help make air travel better for everyone.