BUTTERFLY
The Butterfly is a flexible seating solution that allows instant transformation between premium economy class and business class flatbed suite.
Butterfly gives airlines the flexibility to adjust cabin configuration based on real time demand for each flight.
This innovative concept has won the prestigious Crystal Cabin Award, IATA's Passenger Innovation Award, and was selected into the first season of Airbus Bizlab accelerator.
Check out our subsidiary that focuses on the commercialization of the Butterfly concept.
METAMORPHOSIS
Butterfly is composed of units of double seats, with the aisle seat offset backwards. It is premium economy when both seats are used.
When used as business class, the inboard seat is simply flipped over to form a flat surface. The seating unit then becomes a private suite for one passenger, with a seat and a side couch.
For sleeping, passengers simply flip the aisle seat over as well, this, together with the side couch, forms a large sleeping surface long enough for passengers to lay flat diagonally across.
TOTAL TRANSFORMATION
Like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, the Butterfly seat transforms into a whole different animal when converted to business class.
Every passenger gets a private suite with direct aisle access, unlimited elbow room, and twice the amount of space.
The addition of soft furnishings on the side couch gives a homey, living room-like ambience to the suite, while the feature lighting in the storage rack, which was initially blocked by the seatback, builds a club-like atmosphere for the cabin.
A PREMIUM ECONOMY
The staggered arrangement of Butterfly's premium economy seats gives passengers the maximum amount of width since passenger's elbows are offset from one another.
At 8-abreast on a 777 sized cabin, the seat width is up to 21 inches between armrest, which is as wide as many business class seats in the market.
Other features include large cocktail trays, seat pockets on the side, as well as adjustable ottoman.
A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING
A large cocktail tray, rack for personal items, as well as generous under-seat storage gives passengers unparalleled convenience. In addition, the side couch is a good place for them to spread their belongings around casually as they work.
The extra PTV for the inboard seat can be used as a secondary screen to display flight information while the passenger watches other programmes.
SUITE DREAMS
The full glory of the seat is revealed when the aisle is also folded over to form one of the largest bed surfaces in the industry with up to a maximum 36” wide at hip areas, giving passenger ample space to toss and turn.
In addition, a storage compartment in the middle armrest becomes naturally locked under the bed when the seats transforms to the bed mode, essentially creating a secure locker where passengers can safely store their valuables as they sleep.
FRIENDS OR FOE
Whether privacy or intimacy, Butterfly gives passengers what they desire. While the business class seats are normally isolated from one another, when passengers want to socialize they may invite guests over on the side couch for a meal together. Alternatively, couples may convert the side couches back into seats so that they can sit close to each other even during takeoff and landing.
In premium economy, airlines may choose to activate couches for little children to let them sleep more comfortably, and thus bring tranquility to the people around.
GAME CHANGER
Butterfly's seat density compares very well with industry standards.
Butterfly is a game changer that has potential benefits to a wide range of issues in airline operations that includes fleet assignment, revenue management and aircraft reconfiguration. Airlines are no longer bounded by a fixed cabin configuration, allowing both profitability and customer satisfaction to be maximized at the same time.
