It’s almost physically painful for me to look at pictures of the fabulous first-class amenities that many long-haul airlines offer. Picture me on my last long flight from New Zealand, spending 12 hours trying to sleep in an upright position with the elbow of a 300-lb Maori man next to me (I feel more sorry for him than myself — he could barely squeeze into the seat.) Seriously — how great would be to kick back on a cross-Pacific flight in this kind of setting?
From a design perspective, first class is even more spectacular. I’ve never really considered it before, but the color and decor on a plane can have a lot to do with your overall experience, don’t you think? You want your plane to looks bold without being too overpowering; contemporary and sleek without being uncomfortable. Methinks drab shades of grey and brown will make the passengers feel drab, bored, maybe ever trapped. That said, if I had a choice between bright colours in coach and drab ones with a chair that folded into a bed and my own private nook with a TV, I could most definitely deal with drab.
Does this mean you should pick an airline based on the colour? I guess if you’re flying first class, you can afford to.