Today saw the official arrival of the British Airways A350. The aircraft which was meant to arrive on Friday was delayed due to the air traffic control and weather issues at Heathrow. However, today saw no sign of either of those. Under perfectly blue skies, British Airways wheeled out the new aircraft which in reality arrived…
Read MoreBritish Airways New Business Class Suite Product Leaves Us Feeling Mixed Emotions
Unless you have been living under a rock today you will already have seen the new business class product for British Airways, dubbed the ‘Club Suite.’ The new suite brings a range of improvements to the passenger experience including all-aisle access, more storage, larger IFE screens and even doors, offering even more privacy, similar to…
Read MoreBritish Airways continues roll out of new Club Suite and enhanced First Class across older 777 fleet
British Airways is continuing with the roll out of its newest business class seat, the ‘Club Suite’, as it continues to retrofit the seat across its Boeing 777 fleet, with the speedy roll out expected to be completed by the end of 2022. The airline has already retrofitted a handful of its Boeing 777 aircraft…
Read MoreInnovation is great, but it needs to have purpose. Don’t forget your passengers. Introducing Virgin’s ‘Booth’.
Virgin Atlantic has just revealed its latest social space found on the final five A350’s that will be delivered for the carrier. Instead of ‘The Loft’ – the social space found on its first wave of A350’s – the last few Airbus aircraft to be delivered have been configured for the carrier’s leisure routes. This…
Read MoreSpecial Trip Report: Etihad’s New A350 proposition breathes fresh life into the carrier
Etihad has always been a challenger brand in the Middle East, even if it’s not the youngest of the carriers. Often shadowed by its much larger, blingier cousin Emirates, and self-styled luxury carrier Qatar Airways, Etihad has had a bigger hill to climb, either winning market share, or the hearts and wallets of this lucrative…
Read MoreAirline cabins and hotels that are giving us wanderlust right now
While the team are doing their bit to help fight this pandemic and staying indoors, it’s also making us a little stir crazy as our wings have been clipped, at least for the coming weeks or months. Like many others out there, we’ve been finding ourselves going through our archives, going online and longing for…
Read MoreAir France takes its brand to new heights
Today saw Air France reveal a brand new Business Class product that will start to grace its 777-300ERs. It also revealed an exciting new ‘brand video’ to impart the new Air France brand to its global audience. At the heart of this regeneration lies its new business class seat, which is entirely new, although it…
Read More5 great upgraded Business Class cabins already flying in 2019
2019 has already seen a wealth of new product launches and new aircraft deliveries. This means that passengers are starting to experience the latest wave in business class seats and cabins across the globe. While there are many more exciting products on the horizon from Emirates‘ Premium Economy product through to Lufthansa’s new 777 business…
Read MoreEmirates trying to fix its two-product proposition for premium passengers
Fly better. That’s Emirates‘ marketing slogan. It’s the same marketing campaign that has featured the likes of Jennifer Anniston, onboard bars, showers, all-aisle access and swathes of space. The problem is, Emirates has – since the A380 entered its fleet – offered two products, a 777 and A380 business class product that couldn’t be more…
Read MoreBritish Airways Roll Out A Beautiful 747 Retrojet That Puts Lufthansa’s New Scheme To Shame
BOAC is back! No, not really, but perhaps it should be. This simple yet stunning retrojet livery has been rolled out by British Airways to celebrate its centenary which it is enjoying this year. While the aircraft has been much-anticipated by avgeeks across the UK and further afield, the reveal wasn’t a disappointment. Large crowds…
Read MoreBritish Airways launches new World Traveller Plus amenities
While all eyes are currently on British Airways’s new A350-1000 aircraft, which will be the next big ‘thing’ for the IAG carrier, BA has also rolled out the next phase of its investment in its ‘World Traveller Plus’ premium economy product, with a range of new amenities for customers. Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ Director of…
Read MoreTheDesignAir round-up: 10 things we’ve loved in 2019
2019 has seen yet another year of great innovation, new products, new airlines, new lounges and new airport facilities across the globe. It just goes to show how quickly the industry continues to evolve and respond to the ever-increasing needs of an airline passenger. Just before this year, or even this decade, comes to a…
Read MoreOpinion: Why the world needs innovative airlines like Virgin Atlantic and Air New Zealand
As the phrase goes, “good things come in small packages.” In 2018, the airline industry carried 4.4billion passengers. It has become an integral part of human life, but it’s also an industry of behemoth players. In fact, in 2018, the top 10 airline groups transported over one third of the entire annual traffic, leaving the…
Read MoreIs this the new international standard for long-haul Business class?
For anyone that travels in premium cabins a lot, there seem to be a few moving goalposts when it comes to an internationally standardised product. Where some carriers believe business class comes with all bells and whistles, such as chauffeur drive, the same carrier might not believe in pyjamas. While some offer dine on demand,…
Read MoreBreaking Down Walls, Are Doors In Business Class Really That Important For Passengers?
A few years ago, the race was on to kit out an airline’s entire fleet with fully-flat, all-aisle access seats in business class, as this was a quantifiable benefit from competitors who were offering either angled lie-flat or seats that didn’t feature aisle access. A few key seats became de-facto benchmarks in passenger expectations, including…
Read MoreThe Rise Of A New Class, ‘Business Suites’, But Will It See The Death Of First Class?
Doors. This is where it all starts. Over the past few years, the differences between First Class and Business Class hard-products have become fewer and farther between. We’re now in an era where British Airways new Business Class product offers equal space and more privacy than its older First Class product. Airlines such as Qatar…
Read MoreSpecial Trip Report: Why Virgin Atlantic’s new A350 product highlights a magical shift in the carrier’s positioning
In the past Virgin Atlantic was seen as the coolest of underdogs – the carrier for those in the know, flown by the rich and famous across the Atlantic. Onboard massage therapists, inflight bars, even a business class lounge with a Jacuzzi used to be signature parts of the passenger experience. Times have changed however,…
Read More10 Great Flights To Take From London In 2018
Next year will see some exciting developments for passengers travelling to and from London, UK. With new routes, frequencies, upgraded aircraft and enhanced cabin products, London is getting the best of what the skies have to offer. Here is our low-down for the best trips you can take from London in 2018. Mahé, Seychelles Direct…
Read More2019, The Game Of Thrones
While most people will be getting excited about the final instalment of the globally successful HBO franchise, 2019 will also see a range of new business class seats across the globe that will see the business class experience becoming more and more competitive with regards to the hard product on offer. With seat designers and…
Read MoreSeven Of The Best Lounge Views In Heathrow Airport
Heathrow has no less than forty-something lounges across the expansive airport, but the offering can vary substantially, so selecting the right lounge can be a bit of a challenge. For those fellow aviation nuts out there though, the airport does offer a range of lounges with excellent views of the runways and apron, making spotting…
Read MoreOneworld Launches A Wave Of New Routes This Week
This week saw Cathay, Qantas and British Airways launch a wave of new flights, adding options and increasing the oneworld global network. British Airways has added to its Gatwick leisure network by introducing Toronto and re-establishing Las Vegas in direct competition to Virgin Atlantic’s city pair. This now means BA serves Las Vegas from both…
Read MoreIberia Reveal New Premium Cabin Economy In Time For The Summer
Yesterday saw the reveal of Iberia’s first A340-600 retrofitted with a brand new premium economy cabin. Announced back in October last year, the new cabin brought it in line with their fellow IAG partner British Airways, now offering three similar cabins instead of just two. Starting in May, the new cabins will be found on flight…
Read MoreQatar Airways New Business Class Offers Innovation For Passengers, But Is It Revolutionary?
At ITB Yesterday, Qatar Airways proudly launched its much anticipated new Business Class product. It has certainly impressed the public with its claims to have the world’s first double bed in business class, new sharing plate concept, sliding doors for privacy and large communal area for families of four. Don’t get us wrong, we are…
Read MoreIberia’s New Premium Economy Signals Closer Product Alignment At IAG
This week saw the announcement of Iberia’s new premium economy product that will be rolled out across 37 of the carrier’s long-haul fleet. Iberia will be the 7th oneworld carrier to introduce a real ‘premium’ economy product, and will mean the carrier can offer a more aligned product with sister carrier British Airways. There is…
Read MoreTetris War
So it isn’t often we think ourselves as that awkward L-shaped brick from classic computer game Tetris, but fundamentally that’s how aircraft seat designers see us. Unfortunately-shaped wedges that have to fit neatly into a rectangular shape. In a constant fight to give airline passengers more space, more comfort and a better quality experience, the…
Read MoreCathay Pacific Launch New London Route – Flying To Gatwick Again
Cathay have announced a 10% increase in their flights between the UK and Hong Kong, showcasing a high demand for the popular long-haul city pair. A total of 43 flights a week between the UK has been enabled be the introduction of a new four-times-weekly service to London’s Gatwick Airport on 2 September 2016, (subject to…
Read MoreAmerican Airlines Reveal International Standard Premium Economy
American Airlines have announced they will be the first US carrier to introduce a ‘true’ Premium Economy on its international wide-body fleet. Premium Economy will be available in late 2016, and will offer a new class of service directly behind Business Class, providing an enhanced product offering compared to the Main Cabin. This new international-standard product…
Read MoreTheDesignAir’s Top 10 Best Aviation Product Releases For 2015
2015 has been an impressive year for the aviation industry, with many carriers pulling up their socks and vying for the all-elusive lucrative passenger. With oil-prices lower than before, airlines are snapping at the opportunity to revisit their products, launch new aircraft and impress their paying consumers. This means one thing, a better experience for…
Read MoreTheDesignAir’s Top 10 Business Classes 2015
It has been a busy year for Business Class, with a staggering array of new products being launched as carriers fight for their most lucrative passenger base. Our list contains some surprises, with familiar names falling off and lesser-known carriers appearing. Generally speaking, the products scored lower this year, possibly because consumers’ expectations are rising. The judges looked, as always, at hard and soft product first— but the very highest…
Read MoreTheDesignAir Top 10 Liveries of 2015
This month we are turning our eyes to the outside of the aircraft. Usually bright and colorful, these calling cards fill international airports with a myriad of designs. A livery, if designed correctly, can convey the brand experience that takes place inside. Each year, our judges (including some new faces) sort through the best of the best to find out what is hitting the mark and ticking the right…
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