In-flight Space and Service Design
Air New Zealand needed their new Boeing 787 fleet to feel different from every other long-haul cabin. I led the space and service design, from passenger research and crew co-design through prototyping.
Facing more competition on long-haul routes, Air New Zealand asked IDEO to rethink the space and services on their new Boeing 787s. We interviewed passengers mid-flight, worked alongside crew, watched how food and luggage actually moved through the cabin, and ran workshops with flight teams.
The insight that mattered most: passengers want opposite things on the same flight. A business traveler wants to disappear into their own space. A family wants to stay close and connected. The seating needed to flex between both, not pick one.
That thinking became the Skycouch: economy seats whose footrests lift to turn a row into a couch. A family lies down together. A solo traveler still just has a normal seat. Same hardware, different flight.
Customer and crew insights led to the design of new roles and services, including a specialized flight attendant who acts as a travel guide. We also created services that activate unused spaces — such as using the galley for a wine tasting hour spotlighting New Zealand wineries.
We prototyped constantly rather than presenting concepts cold: mockups of seating in a warehouse, walk-throughs with actual crew, a galley reimagined as a wine-tasting bar spotlighting New Zealand wineries. Seeing and touching it is what gave the client the confidence to invest.
Skycouch launched on Air New Zealand's 787 fleet and was later licensed to United as "Relax Row," carrying the idea well beyond the airline it was built for.
