Airline Usability Testing


  • ♿ (Parody)

    Air New Zealand has created Cuddle Class:

    @WSJ said:

    "Cuddle class" is an innovative seat design that has given coach passengers the first real opportunity to lie flat for sleep on long flights. To create the extra space, three seats in a row have fold-away armrests and a padded foot-rest panel that flips up and locks into place. Two passengers take up three seats and pay an average of half the cost of the third seat, typically an extra $500 to $800 for an overnight flight.

    What I found interesting, and relevant to a lot of the discussions around here, was the testing process they used to figure it all out:

    @WSJ said:

    "Everybody says, 'Oh, it's so simple. Why wasn't that thought of before?' " said Mr. Reeves. "You had to go through the whole process to get there."

    The article talks about the different configurations they tried and some of the reactions from test passengers.



  •  

    The airline thought staggered seats would be a hit because people got more space, but customers hated them. Some said it felt like sitting in the middle of a room with everyone watching you.

    And this is why you usability-test. Because of the "Oh. I didn't think of that at all." effect.


  • Garbage Person

     This is the most awesome thing ever to happen to aviation. EVERY airline must license this IMMEDIATELY. This has the added knock-on of making the seats wider when used as regular coach seating, which as a man with a properly-sized ass (I *JUST* barely fit in the widest coach seat on the market - JetBlue at 18.5 inches), I wholly endorse this action.



  • @Weng said:

     This is the most awesome thing ever to happen to aviation. EVERY airline must license this IMMEDIATELY. This has the added knock-on of making the seats wider when used as regular coach seating, which as a man with a big ass (I *JUST* barely fit in the widest coach seat on the market - JetBlue at 18.5 inches), I wholly endorse this action.

    FTFY

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