Summary
- Southwest Airlines is partnering with Tangerine for a cabin redesign, taking into consideration customer and worker preferences for comfort and color.
- The updated cabins will feature deep blue tones, sky blue accents, and Southwest’s iconic heart design woven into the carpet.
- The carrier may even introduce latest seats by RECARO that maximize seat width, provide enhanced head and neck support, and have the Southwest heart design on the headrests.
Changes are coming to Southwest Airlines. The carrier today announced a fresh latest cabin redesign for its interiors with updated seats, alongside a revised uniform for Southwest employees.
A fresh latest cabin
For its cabin overhaul, Southwest Airlines partnered with design company Tangerine, which focuses on transportation. The resulting design was influenced by “extensive” research into how Southwest’s customers and employees perceive color and luxury and what they’re in search of by way of overall onboard experience.
The updated cabins will debut on latest aircraft deliveries starting next 12 months. The refreshed design invokes Southwest’s iconography with deep blue tones, sky blue accents, and a nod to the Southwest Heart woven throughout the carpet. Matt Round, Chief Creative Officer at Tangerine, noted how crucial Southwest’s employees and customers were to creating the ultimate product:
“We’re delighted to be a part of Southwest’s historic journey and next phase of their modernization plan. We have listened to Southwest’s Customers and Employees and responded by creating a particular latest cabin interior that meets and exceeds their desires.
“By working closely with Southwest and all suppliers involved, we were in a position to make sure the design intent was executed within the cabin to the best possible quality. The stunning result’s a testament to what might be achieved through a collaborative spirit from all those involved.”
Other improvements coming to the fleet include onboard USB A and USB C power ports and bigger overhead bins. These upgrades will come on all latest Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft delivered to Southwest and can be retrofitted to the carrier’s existing MAX 8 and 737-800 aircraft “over the following several years.”
Stepping up the seating
Recent passenger seats are also on the horizon for the carrier. Southwest selected RECARO for the project following a phase of customer research and product testing. The brand new seats are designed to maximise seat width due to redesigned armrests and increase overall support with features similar to a multi-adjustable headrest cushion for enhanced head and neck support.
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The seats are designed to enhance the brand new cabin interior and its calm blue color palette. The long-lasting Southwest Heart can be debossed on the headrests, while the seats themselves will feature the brand’s sunray pattern. Mark Hiller, CEO of RECARO Aircraft Seating and RECARO Holding, expressed his excitement to work with Southwest Airlines on the project:
“RECARO is proud to collaborate on expanding our footprint within the Americas, especially when working with a neighborhood partner like Southwest who began their story concurrently us. Our latest seat can be an ideal addition to the Southwest Customer Experience, as its durable design and luxury features will serve Passengers well.”
Other seat upgrades include a private electronic device holder allowing customers to access inflight entertainment easily. The airline accomplished upgrades of WiFi equipment to supply an enhanced inflight web browsing experience with more bandwidth and faster data across its fleet at the top of 2023.
Updated uniforms are on the way in which.
The airline created a “Uniform Inspiration Team” comprised of 75 Southwest employees, alongside current apparel vendor Design Collective by Cintas and fashion stylist Bonnie Markel, to create the brand new design. Once accomplished, the brand new look will roll out to some 53,000 Southwest Employees nationwide, including those in Inflight Operations, Ground Operations, Cargo, and Technical Operations.
said Abby Groshek, Apparel Designer with Design Collective by Cintas.
Photo: Denver International Airport
No timeline was provided for the brand new uniforms, which follows similar announcements from the likes of Brussels Airlines, Air India, and Air Recent Zealand’s collaboration with Emilia Wickstead.