The Strange Explanation For Airplane Seats Almost Always Being Blue

Well, it turns out there’s much more to it than that. Most airlines opt to use blue seats in their planes for very solid reasons. It isn’t just a random choice on the part of decision-makers, then, but one that takes us into the realms of business planning, practicality, and human psychology.

It’s worth noting some of the exceptions before proceeding here, though. After all, there are some pretty notable ones. Let’s take Virgin Atlantic, for instance. Passengers sit on red fabric aboard those planes, while on Aer Lingus the seats are green — the color of the airline’s home nation of Ireland.

Still, the vast majority of plane seating tends to be blue, at least when it comes to economy class. American Airlines? Blue. United Airlines? Blue. Southwest Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Delta Air Lines? Blue, blue, and blue. But why? It can’t just be an aesthetic decision on the part of airline execs, so what gives?

Everything about the interior of a plane’s carefully considered. So it isn’t just the shade of the upholstery that needs to be taken into account. The types of materials used, the positions of the seats in relation to the windows — all of it needs to be planned out with meticulous precision.

We don’t tend to think about this but airplane seating has a long history of ups and downs. If we go back to the beginning — to the early 20th century — the age of commercial air travel was kicked off by the Model 14 Benoist airboat. So what was the seating like aboard that machine?

Well, as you might’ve guessed, the seating was rather primitive back in those early days. And the aircraft could only carry two people: a pilot and a passenger. They both sat beside one another, shoulder to shoulder, and their backsides rested on a hard, wooden bench. It can’t have been particularly comfortable.

It wasn’t too long before the first innovation in aircraft seating came along, though. Within the ten years that followed the Model 14 Benoist’s maiden commercial flight, a new sort of seat was installed aboard planes. And while it wasn’t much comfier than the wooden bench, it was at least a start.

It was wicker chairs that were now being used by passengers on board aircraft. Now, these things weren’t softened with cushions — and they didn’t come equipped with seatbelts — but it was a slight improvement all the same. The wicker seating didn’t last very long, though, because soon a new innovation came into play.

These newer seats were made out of aluminum but they also came with soft, foamy cushions to cover the hard surfaces. And they kind of looked like the ones we see today. Plus, even more important than the comfort they provided was the fact they weren’t nearly as combustible as wicker.

By 1936 the airline industry as we know it was beginning to take shape. The Douglas DC-3 aircraft was up and running, becoming the first plane to turn a profit by carrying passengers alone. Between 20 and 30 individuals could be transported on this aircraft, with their seats measuring something like 18 inches wide.

By the time we reach the 1950s, we’re entering a period widely considered to be flying’s Golden Age. Now, this isn’t to suggest it was safer than it is today — it wasn’t. The term’s just a reflection of the level of luxury passengers could expect to find on board.

Seats in economy class during the Golden Age looked more like what we’d expect to see today in business or first class. The space between them was absolutely immense! Instead of being squished together as much as possible, each one was at least 34 inches from its neighbor — even those in the same row as each other!

The Golden Age came to a close during the 1960s. From then on into the 1970s, airplane interiors became more and more functional. Armrests, for one thing, were now adjustable. The back of the chairs became taller, which was safer for passengers but meant it was difficult to see the rest of the plane in front of you.

By the following decade, we were beginning to see new technologies show up on planes. Facilities such as video screens and even telephones were installed. Flights became ever cheaper but seat sizes declined along with prices. Amazingly, smoking had once been permitted aboard planes, though by the 1990s that was beginning to change. Seats were no longer equipped with ashtrays.

In the wake of September 2001, the airline industry changed dramatically. The growth in passenger numbers seen in previous years slowed and further changes were made to aircraft seating. In order to cut down on weight aboard planes, seats were stripped of certain features and adorned in lighter materials.

That just about takes us to today, a time when airline companies are still trying to innovate. Carbon fiber’s been identified as a potentially useful material to utilize in seating, as it’s so lightweight. But in many cases nowadays the space between airline seats is really, really limited. The Golden Age was a long time ago.

Airplane seating has changed so much over the course of commercial flying’s history and it’ll surely continue to morph and evolve down the line. But will all the seats be blue in the planes of the future? Well, we can’t know that for sure — but it’s worth learning why so many are that color today.

It turns out that there are several reasons why blue’s the perfect color to use on plane seats. From keeping passengers feeling relaxed and chilled to being a handy shade to stay looking fresh, there are lots of things going for blue. So, let’s take a dive into them all.

Flying’s a stressful experience for pretty much everyone. Even those who don’t suffer from a related phobia can feel their anxiety levels shoot up because of all the waiting around and the cramped conditions. So, airlines need to try to address this by decorating in colors that supposedly keep people feeling relaxed. And blue, apparently, is the very best choice.

Rishi Kapoor’s the head of travel agency Nanak Flights and he spoke to Reader’s Digest about why blue’s a good color to use on planes. He said, “Even though traveling by plane is statistically the safest way to travel, many passengers are still prone to stress while traveling on an airplane. It might seem like an insignificant detail but it’s one that helps make flying the best way to travel.”

Boeing’s among the biggest and most well-known manufacturers of airplanes in the world. Given that, its designers have obviously given the question of how to color an aircraft a great deal of thought. And a statement issued by the company has essentially backed up Kapoor’s views on the matter, claiming that blue’s almost universally tied to the idea of peace.

In a similar vein, Boeing also makes sure to design the interior walls of an aircraft with great care. The company often uses shapes and patterns reflective of those we might see in the natural world. As design expert Virginia Tripp told Reader’s Digest, “These designs help create the relaxing environment that people find in the outdoors.”

Another issue plane designers have to grapple with is the temperature on board. Given all those people cooped up in such a small space, airplanes are prone to getting really, really warm. That’s why the A/C’s often blasted so much, though air conditioning isn’t the only solution at airlines’ disposal.

Tripp revealed the part that interior coloring plays in counteracting the effects of warm temperatures. As she put it, “Colors also can influence a person’s perception of humidity, temperature, and aroma.” So not only does a blue hue ensure people feel a little less warm, but the shade can also communicate the idea of freshness.

On that last point, blue might psychologically transmit the notion of cleanliness to people. Plus, in practical terms it’s also literally easier to maintain and spruce up than other colors. Planes can easily get dirty but the crew often doesn’t have much time to deal with this issue. And blue upholstery can be really useful here.

As Rishi Kapoor sees it, stains don’t stand out so much when they soak into blue fabrics. Compared to some other shades, at least. And if airplane seats aren’t covered in stains, that means airlines don’t need to spend lots of money replacing the upholstery all the time.

The reasons for blue seats on planes have, so far, been fairly practical. There are real psychological and practical benefits to choosing them — but sometimes the rationale is a little less functional. It might simply be a matter of branding. In America, lots of airline companies use the colors of the U.S. flag — and blue’s a big part of that.

And blue might also have psychological effects that extend beyond tying a company to the idea of the United States. According to digital marketer John Frigo, blue’s a shade that imbues a sense of trust in people. For that reason, you’ll often see it employed in dental clinics and corporate HQs.

On top of that, a paper showed up in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science during 2011 that pointed towards another message blue imparts. According to the study, it’s a shade we think expresses competence. And that’s a quality we definitely want from an airplane, carrying us thousands of feet up in the sky.