Priestmangoode, the leading transport designers behind Moving Platforms have unveiled their latest design concept, LoungeLink.
LoungeLink focuses on the interior of trains travelling to and from airports, creating a ‘lounge’ atmosphere as seen in upper class travel on planes which has seen great development over the past 15 years.
The design agency said there ‘has been little focus on extending this experience to transit interiors to and from airports’.
The train provides a unique opportunity to ‘download emails and files’ before boarding a flight.
Business travellers, in particular, ‘often make use of this time to make final preparations ahead of meetings. Current train interiors are little suited to these activities’, Priestmangoode said.
LoungeLink is an idea to improve transit services and make the journey between airport and city centres more comfortable, practical and useful and make for a speedier journey through the airport.
LoungeLink incorporates a series of features drawn from Priestmangoode’s extensive experience in designing transport and hospitality environments including:
- A staggered layout – Business class cabins have to perform the hardest on an aircraft. Passengers are looking for privacy and comfort, while the airline needs to prioritise seat count. The designers say their experience has shown them that a staggered layout is an efficient way to utilise a small space, maximise seat numbers, provide privacy, and improve passenger comfort.
- Partitioned workstations – In order to facilitate working on transit trains, Priestmangoode propose to have single workstations with sliding partitions for optional privacy. These would provide an ergonomic working environment in which to prepare for meetings or access files before boarding a flight. Also integrated are individual work/task lamps, document and bag/briefcase storage, drink holder, and power & data ports.
Priestmangoode has been working in the airline and transport sector for over 15 years now and understand the needs of passengers. Presently, business travellers may be out of contact with their office or clients for the entire duration of their travel, from leaving the city centre until they reach their final destination.
LoungeLink would ‘provide them with an opportunity to effectively use the transit train as a moving office, downloading files and emails ahead of boarding flights and upon arriving at their destination’.
Other LoungeLink features include a flight information display and a dedicated monitor for check in. All of which enables LoungeLink to enable a speedier journey through the airport.
With increased competitiveness from other modes of transport, particularly over short haul journeys, Priestmangoode believes it’s ‘imperative that the airline industry focuses its attention on the entire passenger journey’, beyond just the Aircraft Interior.
Better connectivity with city centres and a more comfortable transit journey with significant passenger benefits ‘will be crucial to airlines’ success in the future’.
