Towards the back of this issue on page 49, you’ll find an interesting article on the Stelia Aerospace Opera Essential seat, which is designed to be more than a business class seat by being less of a business class seat. Let me explain.

The product is based around the idea that what a premium seat customer values most of all is comfort and space. This might seem obvious, but it is easy for us in the industry ‘bubble’ to get excited about all the ways that airlines try to outdo each other, while forgetting that the customer doesn’t really care whether the movement that turns the chair into a bed is powered by an electronic brain powering multiple stepper motors, or just by a simple mechanical lock spring.