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The Business of Passenger Experience

Collins Launches Seating Refresh Options for Pinnacle

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A trio of options from Collins Aerospace allow Pinnacle seating customers to upcycle their existing seats into a more modern offering, while significantly reducing waste
A trio of options from Collins Aerospace allow Pinnacle seating customers to upcycle their existing seats into a more modern offering, while significantly reducing waste

Putting a new dress cover on aircraft seats helps them look better, but rarely changes the comfort or amenities on offer. Collins Aerospace introduced a new option for airlines at Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg this week, bringing upgrades to older Pinnacle seats and improving the passenger experience well beyond just new fabric.

Collins’ charter has always been to provide innovative solutions to our customers’ most challenging problems, designing with passenger comfort, airline efficiency and technological integration top of mind. Our large seating install base and global aftermarket support structure provides a unique opportunity to present our customers swift and elegant cabin modernization options.

– Sean Lyons, vice president of business development, Interiors Services and Support for Collins Aerospace

The Pinnacle program dates back to 2010 and spans scores of airlines around the globe. This makes for a large market where Collins can secure continued business, albeit at a discount to selling new seats to those airlines.

Many of those airlines are buying new seats today, often in the Collins’s Aspire line, which first flew in 2018. One benefit of the upgrade program is that it allows the airlines to deliver a consistent experience on board, without a full replacement of the older seats. That saves on cost and waste.

At the more basic level there are two key pathways:

  • Pinnacle to Pinnacle Aspire – Arm caps, cushions and seat covers are all replaced. Additional options, including 10-inch and 11.5-inch inflight entertainment (IFE) screens, tablet holders, and more allow for additional airline customization. This program reuses approximately 80-90% of the existing seat components through the refresh.
  • Pinnacle to Pinnacle Aspire+ – In addition to the Pinnacle Aspire options airlines can choose from a range of premium amenities for the seats. These include an enhanced IFE screen, USB charging capabilities, bi-fold tray tables, and literature pocket options. This program reuses approximately 65-75% of the existing seat components through the refresh.

For airlines reconsidering their premium offering on board, a third option is available. Rather than buying a new built-to-purpose premium economy seat or settling for the blocked middle seat tray, Collins is introducing the option to convert a legacy Pinnacle seat to the Pinnacle MiQ premium economy offering.

This third option is more of a concept today, but it offers airlines flexibility to keep the core components of the economy class Pinnacle program while boosting the premium experience for passengers on board.

“What we’re really trying to do is give life and a longevity to all of the assets that might be on an aircraft,” explains Cynthia Muklevicz, vice president of customer and business development for Collins Aerospace. To facilitate that the company’s post-sales support team “has assembled its own engineering, its own purchasing, its own program management, and they’re self sufficient to be able to bring the upgrade solutions to customers.”

The company declined to discuss pricing specifics for the programs, noting that is reserved for customers. And while there is some engineering and certification work required, the savings compared to a fully new deployment are expected to be significant.

More news from Aircraft Interiors Expo 2025

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About Seth Miller

Seth Miller has over a decade of experience covering the airline industry. With a strong focus on passenger experience, Seth also has deep knowledge of inflight connectivity and loyalty programs. He is widely respected as an unbiased commentator on the aviation industry.

He is frequently consulted on innovations in passenger experience by airlines and technology providers.

You can connect with Seth via email, on Bluesky, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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