“Farts to the face on an 8-hour flight ……” was one of the most popular reactions to a video of double-decker airplane seats posted on Reddit’s r/TikTokCringe forum on October 12. The clip shows a two-level arrangement that places one row of seats above another, leaving the upper passengers’ seatbacks close to the faces of people below. Commenters quickly imagined the consequences of spending eight hours in that position. Others focused on how passengers would climb into the elevated seats, whether people could easily reach the aisle, and what would happen during an emergency.
Newly designed airplane seats 💺
by u/Professional_Arm794 in TikTokCringe
Some viewers welcomed the prospect of additional legroom, particularly taller passengers who struggle to get comfortable on long flights. The seating arrangement has circulated online for several years, although its designer presented another version in April 2026. The latest round of reactions has revived concerns about the seating configuration, with some commenters questioning whether the extra space would offset the discomfort of sitting under another passenger.
How Would Double-Decker Airplane Seats Work?
The concept, called Chaise Longue, originated with Spanish designer Alejandro Núñez Vicente in 2020. At 6 feet 2 inches tall, he struggled with cramped economy seats and wanted to give passengers more legroom. He presented an early prototype in 2022 and has continued developing the design with business partner Clara Service Soto.
The proposed layout removes overhead bins from the center of a wide-body aircraft to create space for raised seats reached by short steps. Passengers in the lower row sit in a recessed position with room to stretch their legs beneath the seats ahead. In a 2023 prototype, CNN reported that lower-row passengers could place carry-on bags beneath the seats in front of them. Conventional economy rows would remain along the sides of the cabin.
The most recent prototype, shown at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg in April, includes greater space around the lower seats and a protective panel behind the upper row. “It was kind of claustrophobic in the beginning,” Núñez Vicente acknowledged to CNN Travel. The redesign also envisions the front row as a space for passengers with reduced mobility, although that arrangement remains a proposal. The latest mock-up also demonstrates how a lie-flat bed might work in its middle seat.
Airline feedback has shifted the project toward premium economy, where customers pay extra for additional comfort. Núñez Vicente originally hoped to improve basic economy seating, and successive prototypes have made the current design more spacious. The company also tested earlier versions with potential passengers in Madrid during 2025.
Are Airlines Actually Planning To Install These Seats?
No airline has publicly committed to putting Chaise Longue seats on a commercial flight. After the April exhibition, Núñez Vicente said representatives from at least 16 airlines visited the prototype, and some asked about installing it in existing wide-body jets. In 2025, an Airbus representative also confirmed to CNN that Chaise Longue was exploring early-stage two-level seating concepts with the aircraft manufacturer. Neither development amounts to a production order.
Certification presents another hurdle. The April prototype was built for demonstrations using materials unsuitable for flight. Manufacturers would need to meet aircraft seat crashworthiness standards and demonstrate that passengers can evacuate safely. Under Federal Aviation Administration regulations, airplanes with more than 44 passenger seats must demonstrate that all occupants can evacuate within 90 seconds under simulated emergency conditions, subject to permitted methods of showing compliance. Therefore, access to the upper row and movement out of the lower seats would require evaluation.
Núñez Vicente told CNN he hoped to have a preproduction prototype ready for the 2027 Aircraft Interiors Expo. That would still precede airline installation and regulatory approval. The project has no announced launch airline, route, ticket price, or date when passengers could book these seats.
