The Allplane Podcast #89 - aircraft cabin trends with Jeff O'Neill

When it comes to the passenger experience and the product most airlines offer to their passengers, Jeff O’Neill has pretty strong opinions.

Not for nothing, Jeff, who was already on this podcast back in 2020, is the founder of Zephyr Aircraft Seat and has been patiently working to bring to fruition what he sees as the future of the Premium Economy class.

The Zephyr seat is as revolutionary as it looks: a stacked seat concept that allows passengers to lay down flat to sleep without having to pay a fortune for a fancy business class seat. Now, this idea is, of course, a departure from the canon of the industry, which won’t face an easy path to become a reality.

If airlines have tended to be traditional in its approach to seating, this doesn’t discourage Jeff, as well as other creative minds in this industry from continuing to pursue what he regards as a necessary update of the passenger experience.

After years of investment by airlines in perfecting the business class cabin, has the time come for a rethink of the premium economy and economy class experiences?

We talk with Jeff about all this and he also shares some tips and insights about his favourite airline products currently in the market, both premium and economy.

So tune in for a fascinating conversation about what makes for a great airline cabin product and passenger experience!


Download this episode from:

Apple Podcasts / iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or Stitcher


Things we talk about in this episode:

  • Jeff background and his Zephyr aircraft seat project

  • How Jeff has been crowdfunding the development of the Zephyr seat

  • Why we don’t see more disruptive innovation in the airline cabin

  • What could be done to improve the passenger experience

  • Why Premium Economy is such as interesting area of the cabin right now

  • What are Jeff’s favourite airline products



Interview Transcript:

(please note that, although we strive to make it as close as possible to the original recording, the transcript may not be 100% accurate)

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