( CNN ) -- There is no shortage of adjectives one can apply to airline seats : uncomfortable , bulky , cramped , outdated and -- from an airline 's point of view -- overpriced . It 's no wonder then that many carriers are looking to make a change . Ditching the screens ? Dr. Mark Hiller , CEO at Recaro Aircraft Seating , notes that accommodating passengers ' personal devices has become an imperative , though one that few manufacturers have yet to address . `` Connectivity is no longer just an option , but a necessity , '' he says . At the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg , Germany last month , Recaro unveiled their newest design in economy seating , called the BL3530 . The new seat features a tablet PC holder , a `` smart pocket '' for stowing devices ( and protecting them from scratches ) and a power supply for charging . Shedding pounds . The BL3530 follows another vital trend ; at 10 kilograms per seat , it 's lighter than its predecessors . `` Fuel costs are extremely high these days -- this is just an accepted fact in the industry . As a result , every kilogram counts , '' says James Lee , director of Paperclip Design Limited , an award-winning industrial design studio . The lightest chair on the market is made by relative newcomer Expliseat , a French company that has crafted a model made from titanium and composite materials . It weights just 4 kilograms . The company estimates the weight savings could translate into $ 500,000 of fuel savings per aircraft per year . According to Benjamin Saada , Expliseat 's CEO , the CO2 savings are even more significant . `` Every aircraft we equip saves 1,200 tons of CO2 per year . That 's the equivalent of planting 45,000 trees , '' he says . `` Imagine if every airplane in the world signed on . It could completely change the global fuel emissions . '' 2022 : Cheap flights , more rail and hands-free cars . Get a convertible . One particularly awkward feature of airline seats is their lack of versatility . They recline , and that 's about as adaptive as they get . Papercilp is hoping to change that with its new Caterpillar Convertible seat , which won the premium class and VIP category at the Crystal Cabin Award this year . The Caterpillar can be configured as a roomy Premium Economy seat , or converted into a Business Class seat with a lie-flat bed and direct aisle access . `` The core aim is to allow airlines to adjust their cabin capacity based on demand , '' says Lee . `` Flights from London to New York might have a big need for Business Class , for example , but if you use the same plane to fly to Phuket , the demand for lie-flat seats could be a lot less . This design allows the airline to adapt , '' he adds . The armrest of the future ? This is not the first year Paperclip has scooped up an award for its designs . The trademark Paperclip armrest -- a dual-level version that grants both parties access -- has picked up several accolades over the years . Unfortunately , there has n't been a lot of demand for the innovation , and its potential for a more democratic approach to elbow room . `` I 've showed the design to a lot of manufactures , and they 'll say , 'oh , that 's nice , ' but there has n't been a lot of need for it . The issue is cost , '' he says . Though the concept may not catch on on planes , it could become a feature of seating on the ground . `` It 's more likely to one day see ( the armrest ) in theaters and cinemas . There are fewer regulations on the ground than in the air , so there 's less resistance to new products , '' he says . Apparently This Matters : Airplane armrest for two . Turned around . Zodiac Aerospace has also been experimenting with an alternate seating layout that could provide passengers with substantially more legroom ( a 31-inch pitch instead of the more standard 27-inch ) . The HD 31 concept would feature two forward-facing seats sandwiching a single backward-facing seat . According to Pierre-Antony Vastra , an executive vice president at Zodiac , the layout has , `` raised a lot of interest . '' `` It provides a larger space for the shoulders while enabling the airline to board the same number of passengers , '' he says .
Airlines are seeking seating innovations . Seats are becoming lighter , comfier and more versatile . Lighter seats will save airlines money , and slash carbon emissions .