Affiliations: [a] Centre for Design Innovation, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia | [b] Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands | [c] Department of Mathematics and Industrial Engineering, Polytéchnique Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: N. Ahmadpour, Centre for Design Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology, mail H31, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia. Tel.: +61 392143607; E-mail: nahmadpour@swin.edu.au.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Aircraft passenger comfort experience was previously defined based on its underlying thematic components representing passengers’ perception of the environmental elements and their link to their concerns. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to 1) identify aircraft passengers’ attitudes towards their personal and shared space in the cabin environment during the flight which are linked to their comfort experience and 2) highlight passenger concerns associated with those attitudes. METHOD: A sample involving 16 participants was conducted, collecting full accounts of their real-time flight experiences onboard commercial aircrafts, using questionnaires. RESULTS: Four types of attitudes were identified in reaction to participants’ personal and shared space during the flight. Those were described as adjust, avoid, approach, and shield. Passengers’ concerns associated with those attitudes were respectively: control, privacy, connectedness and tolerance. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that passenger comfort can be improved once the identified concerns and attitudes are addressed in the design of the aircraft seat and interior. Design recommendations are provided accordingly.
