This Convertible Airplane Seat Could Revolutionize Luxury Flying

Designers at Hong Kong-based PaperClipDesign have come up with a concept - called the "Butterfly Seat" - that affords passenger airlines an unprecedented level of flexibility in arranging the premium sections of their cabins.

Airlines in search of increased profits have been investing heavily in premium cabins at the front of the plane. First class get suites and beds. Business class gets converted lie-flat seats. Premium economy gets slightly wider coach seats with more legroom.

But due to the specialized-nature of the different seats, airlines are limited in the ways they can adjust the cabin layout on the plane. Once the seats are installed, it's extremely difficult to change them. (Regular old economy seats, due to their relatively simple design, are easier to change out.)

PaperClipDesign wants to change that with the Butterfly concept - so-named because the seats can transform.

For example, if a passenger wants to upgrade his or her business-class seat to a first-class seat, it's now possible for the airline to make that change with the press of a button. Instead of having to search for an open first-class seat, the airline can simply convert the passenger's existing business class seat to a first-class bed - and easily reap the added revenue.

Airlines can modify their mix of seating options, as well, depending on expectations of passenger preferences in different markets or on different routes.