A premium cabin is more than a collection of seats. It is a carefully orchestrated narrative that spans Economy, Business, and First Class, with each segment offering a distinct promise to the passenger. With CGI, airlines can preview, refine, and market these class-by-class experiences in harmony long before the first seat is installed.
Seeing the full story, class by class
In Economy, the challenge is always to balance density with comfort. CGI enables airlines to visualise how every inch of space works in practice, allowing designers to test layouts, legroom, lighting schemes, and material palettes in detail before any build begins. Recent projects such as the Saudia Eco Class Cabin and British Airways Euro Traveller demonstrate how these visualisations bring functionality and design together in a way that feels tangible.
Business Class provides an entirely different canvas. Here, the emphasis shifts to privacy, refinement, and brand identity. CGI offers a means to capture those qualities with clarity, ensuring the airline’s story is expressed not just through seat design but through mood, lighting, and atmosphere. The ANA THE Room FX suite is a striking example of this minimalist precision, while our blog on designing Business Class cabins for brand identity explores how different airlines use interiors to reflect their cultural values.
At the top of the hierarchy, First Class is about exclusivity and craftsmanship. CGI allows every surface, finish, and detail to be presented as if it were already flying. The British Airways First Class launch visuals captured this beautifully, showcasing rich materials, carefully controlled lighting, and subtle details that speak to understated luxury.
Narrating the journey: seamless transitions in CGI
What makes CGI especially powerful is its ability to show how one class transitions to another. Moving from the pragmatic simplicity of Economy, through the calm privacy of Business, and into the indulgence of First, CGI creates a cinematic journey that emphasises both the differences and the cohesion across cabins.
Etihad’s work on its narrowbody interiors illustrates this perfectly. By using CGI to capture the widebody experience in a smaller cabin, the airline was able to highlight how spatial design, materials, and atmosphere evolve across the cabin, and how that narrative remains consistent with its premium brand values.
Why CGI matters for cabin class segmentation
CGI provides design teams with a precision tool, enabling them to fine-tune finishes, lighting, and space long before prototypes are built. It also creates a marketing advantage, allowing airlines to generate anticipation and communicate value across press, investor decks, and digital campaigns well ahead of delivery. Just as importantly, it ensures brand consistency, so the airline’s identity is felt in every class, across every route.
For passengers, this clarity builds expectation and trust. For airlines, it builds loyalty and distinction. By visualising Economy, Business, and First through the same lens, CGI ensures the full cabin story can be told before it even exists.
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We produce bespoke CGI for product launches, investor decks, design development and marketing campaigns — all with brand expression at the core.
