Back in 2018, Airbus unveiled a stunning first class concept that hasn’t, as yet, made it onto any planes. The Day & Night concept brings together a spacious living area, designed for sitting, dining and working, with a private, secluded sleeping space shut off from the rest of the world. Let’s take a look around.

First class lifestyle

The first class cabin is the one place on aircraft where airlines really get to go wild with their ideas. The spacious cabin commands eye-wateringly high fares, and as such, carriers like to pour their heart and soul into making a product that truly sets them apart from the competition.

Indeed, since the A380 took to the skies, we've seen products like Singapore Airlines' first class Suites, with a double bed, and Etihad's iconic Residence, which features a living room, bathroom, and bedroom. The superjumbo opened the door to some of the most creative first class cabins we will likely see in the next few years. However, there is one more concept that has been floated.

In 2018, Airbus unveiled a concept it calls ‘Day & Night’, designing the space to be more like a micro-apartment than a seat on an aircraft. The two-zone concept was created with the A380 and A350 in mind, with a goal to give travelers a more ‘at home’ experience in the first class space. Here's a video demonstrating how the seat works.

Airbus Interiors Services set out to separate daytime activities from the cozy comforts of the night. For the day, passengers can sit by the window in a spacious and comfortable seat, complete with a dining or working table and a personal screen.

Those traveling with a companion can have the partition removed from the area, creating a table for two with a window view that looks incredibly private jet-esque. Without the constraints of requiring a seat that folds into a bed, designers would be free to really go to town on the passenger seating here, although Airbus has suggested a couple of swiveling bucket-style chairs.

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Airbus day night suite
Photo: Airbus

Separated by an aisle, the night area has a full-length bed with a length of 6'6". Again, because it doesn’t need to turn into a seat for portions of the journey, the bed can have a real mattress and trump some other first class products for comfort.

Inside the night area, the walls are insulated from noise and there’s plenty of space for storage. Naturally, both areas have generous IFE screens, and plenty of additional space for airlines to really make them their own.

Airbus Day Night Suite
Photo: Airbus

In terms of space, the suite has a floor space of 3.4 sq. meters, which is actually smaller than many of the first class suites on the A380 already. Singapore Airlines' Suites are 3.3-4 sq. meters, while the Etihad Apartments are 3.6 sq. meters, meaning Airbus' solution would fit easily. What makes the design unique is the use of the aisle, which effectively becomes part of the suite as a passageway.

Overall, the suite offers a greater feeling of space and more separation between living and sleeping than most other first class products.

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When will we see this on aircraft?

When Airbus released the concept, it intended to take around 18 months to two years to bring it to market. Four years on, there is no sign of any airlines jumping at the chance to add this to their aircraft. Indeed, since then, a lot has changed, both in terms of COVID and the use of first class in general.

While the Day & Night Suite is intended for the A350 and A380 both, many airlines have opted against first class on the A350 at all. Singapore Airlines and British Airways both have chosen business class as the only premium cabin, while Emirates, arguably the best known first class operator, is also considering axing the cabin on its A350 order.

Other airlines have opted to use the first row or two of business class to offer a more luxurious business class product, such as Virgin Atlantic (on the A330neo), Malaysia Airlines, and others.

Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-941
Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying

The A380 has also seen a decline since COVID. While the type is back in the skies in 2022, airlines are clear that they don't plan on significantly investing in the superjumbo, which will be retired in the next decade. A costly first class upgrade, at a time when first class is becoming rarer, hardly seems prudent. Perhaps, in time, we’ll see renewed interest in the highest-end premium cabin, but for now, it seems Day & Night has been put on ice.