AGATI Channels Business-Class Seating with Angled Layout for New Terminal Seat Product
Originally published on APEX
All photos via AGATI
Chicago, US-based AGATI Furniture has introduced Departures Seating, a new airport seating system that breaks from the usual straight-line layouts. With angled, modular rows, it offers users more comfort and personal space. The design aims to make waiting at the gate a more relaxing, passenger-focused experience.
Privacy, Practicality and Productivity
For decades, airport gate seating has remained essentially unchanged, featuring fixed rows of metal chairs bolted to beams. They often have limited power access and little consideration for passenger comfort. These setups were made to fit as many people as possible, not to improve the passenger experience.
Now, AGATI has designed seating based on how people actually move, feel, and act in shared spaces, which was unveiled at the 97th Annual American Association of Airport Executives Conference and Exposition in Atlanta earlier this month.
“We asked ourselves: Why do travelers need to stare at each other while they wait? The answer is they don’t,” explained Agati Furniture COO and Design Director Joe Agati Jr. “Departures Seating creates a natural, human-centric flow in the gate area. It’s about personal space, efficient footprints, movement, and clarity in a place where people are often stressed or fatigued.”
Departures Seating introduces a zigzag layout that angles each seat slightly, helping travelers avoid direct eye contact and creating a more private atmosphere. This shift improves both psychological comfort and eliminates what AGATI calls the “lost-seat” factor that often occurs with solo travelers not wanting to sit directly next to one another.
Furthermore, it has been designed with comfort in mind – each chair features a curved, hug-style backrest for lumbar support, along with softer foam for extended sitting. Additional details include personal tables with a range of finishes including stone or laminate tops; side surfaces for snacks or bags; and integrated power outlets (AC, USB-A and USB-C) to keep devices charged without searching for wall plugs.
Crumb gaps and wipeable materials make cleaning easier, while steel legs under each seat help define personal zones and improve carry-on storage. The seats, backrests and table tops are made with replaceable components to make maintenance and upgrades more convenient. These thoughtful characteristics come together in a modular system that fits a wide range of gate layouts.
AGATI does also offer a “straight seating” version of the product, which still features staggered backrests but differs because it has a shorter yet deeper footprint.
A Sense of Individual Space – New Normal for Gate Seating?
AGATI has significant experience in creating seating solutions for high-traffic public areas including not only for airports, but also libraries, courtrooms and higher education facilities. It has conducted behavioral studies that show that public seating with angled layouts, personal space and tables can lower stress and boost one’s mood. The company’s Gee Pinwheel and Orb Cluster designsinvoke the same principles and have been deployed across a range of US airports including at the FedEx Jumpseat Lounge in Memphis, Tennessee.
As airports look to improve customer satisfaction and differentiate their spaces, AGATI’s new seating system offers a cost-effective, high-impact solution. It shows that passengers can get a better experience in the gate area, not just in airport lounges.
This seating system is more than just furniture. It reflects a broader shift in airport strategy, which is moving from crowd control toward a focus on passenger care. As airports aim to build loyalty through thoughtful design and better service, AGATI’s human-centered approach is innovative and well-timed.
