Travel Tips The real reason airplane interiors are blue By Lindsey Campbell Lindsey Campbell Instagram Twitter Lindsey Campbell is a travel editor and social media specialist based in Brooklyn. She has worked on the social media teams at Tripadvisor, The Points Guy, and Travel + Leisure. Lindsey started her editorial career in 2013 at Hearst, where she interned for Elle Décor, Veranda, and House Beautiful, before progressing to the role of assistant social editor for all three publications. She joined Travel + Leisure in 2015 and worked on the social media team for two years, eventually becoming the senior audience engagement editor. In 2018, she moved to The Points Guy, serving as the social media director for more than a year. Lindsey recently completed a social media contract with Tripadvisor. When she isn't crafting the perfect Instagram caption, she can often be found hiking, writing, and spending time with her husband and daughter. * 7+ years of experience working on social media teams at top publications * Received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Stony Brook University Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 20, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto There's a lot the average passenger doesn't know about airplanes. And there's a lot that goes into the design of each aircraft that even frequent fliers don't realize. Did you know there's a secret button that will relieve aisle seat passengers of their confining armrest? There is. That airplane windows are round for a reason? What about why your seat doesn't line up with windows? Or why the majority of airplane interiors are blue. Designers of airplane consider the passenger above all else when designing the interior of an airplane, according to Boeing. But we're not just talking about the shape of your seat, or the amount of legroom you have. We're talking about real design elements: the colors, patterns, and shape of the actual interior of the plane, including the seats, carpets, trays and ceilings — even the shade of cabin lights. Their main goal? Maximize the sense of comfort passengers feel onboard. So it comes as no surprise that the majority of interiors feature mainly blue-based patterns, seat covers and carpets. Not only is blue a calming color, but it represents competence, dependability and intelligence — all attributes you'll want your airplane, and crew, to have. Among different cultures, blue and green are also almost unanimously associated with peace, according to Boeing. "Colors also can influence a person's perception of humidity, temperature and aroma," said Virginia Tripp, a designer at Teague who worked with Boeing. From this aspect, blue represents cleanliness and freshness. A lot of this may not seem like it has an effect on your mood or outlook for the flight but it really can make a difference. Since flying can be a high-stress situation for many travelers, blue seems like as good as choice as any to start your vacation off on the right foot. Is it really working? Some say yes, but we know you've been seeing a lot of airplane fight videos lately. Perhaps they need to be more attentive to their surroundings? Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit