Air China has just announced it will bring a brand new Business Class seat to 10 of its A350s. While the carrier has a diverse selection of business class seats depending on which aircraft you are travelling on – the latest A350 seats might not be the most spacious, but they might just be the…
Read MoreStar Alliance Opens Latest Branded Lounge In Paris, CDG
Star Alliance has officially completed the refurbishment of its seventh branded lounge, first opened 11 years ago at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport. At 980 square metres the lounge offers seating for just over 220 guests and takes influence from Parisian design and architecture. Muted greys, parquet flooring and stylish seating creates another residential approach, reflecting the…
Read MoreJuneyao Airlines introduces new uniforms and reveals inflight offering on first of true long-haul routes, to Helsinki
Juneyao Airlines has just revealed its new cabin crew uniform, which will be rolled out on the new route from Shanghai to Helsinki this week. The threads, designed by Guo Pei, might look familiar, with the female uniform looking quite similar to the Cheongsam dresses from Hainan Airlines thanks to the ornate embroidery and Chinese traditional elements.…
Read MoreLufthansa trials economy ‘Sleeper’s Row’ concept on Sao Paulo routes
Lufthansa is utilising this time to trial new economy concept products. While it recently announced that in economy passengers on short-haul flights will now have to pay for dining and drink options, on the long-haul network the carrier is currently testing a new Economy Class seating concept called “Sleeper’s Row”. This product follows the likes…
Read MoreJason Wu launches new sleepwear range on EVA Air, brought to life by Buzz
EVA Air, unlike it’s competitor China Airlines, offers sleepwear for it’s Business Class passengers on the carrier’s long-haul flights. Extending on a successful partnership, EVA Air is updating its collaboration with internationally renowned fashion designer Jason Wu to create its second-generation inflight sleepwear. The exclusive partnership brought to life by global design company Buzz, sees…
Read MoreTen stories we loved in 2021
As 2021 comes to a close, we take a look back at some of our most popular stories on the site this year, as well a few of our own favourites too. Do let us know what were your own personal highlights too, we’d love to hear from you. Here’s to another exciting year in…
Read MoreTheDesignAir Awards 2019 voting has now closed!
TheDesignAir is pleased to announce the shortlist for the DesignAir Awards 2019 and just like last couple of years, we’ve opened some of the categories to the public. The voting is now closed! Now is your chance to pick from our shortlisted categories for Best Design Airline, by region, across the globe. All it takes…
Read MoreThe need for space. Will airlines invest in social spaces once again?
Even non-aviation enthusiasts may have noticed that the skies look a little different today. As we head into another year since the pandemic first decimated commercial aviation, the large behemoth A380s and Queens of the skies – the Boeing 747 – are a rare sight at airports nowadays. Replaced by more economic and smaller long-haul…
Read MoreMalaysia Airlines New 737NG interiors designed to challenge Air Asia in home markets
The news of a new narrow-body interior for a flag-carrier in South East Asia usually would usually find other carriers across the world become a little more nervous, as expectations of a premium passenger experience adds pressure to enhance their own offerings. We’ve seen in the past few years new flatbeds in Singapore Airlines narrowbodies,…
Read MoreAir New Zealand innovates yet again, this time with a conceptual ‘Skynest’ for economy passengers
Air New Zealand has a fairly unique proposition, offering daily ultra long-haul flights across the globe while catering to a home country with just half the population of London. As such, its had to innovate to remain at the top of it’s game, and has already rolled out products like the (short-lived) Premium Economy Spaceseat,…
Read MoreChina Eastern retrofits 737s with new lie-flat Business Class seats, but seems to miss a trick…
China Eastern took another step forwards in the last week of 2019 with the introduction of a new retro-fitted business class cabin on some of its narrow body aircraft. Reflecting the increasing demand for air travel in China and the increasing competitive approach to offering a world-class product, the airline opted to remove its previous…
Read MoreLothansa? The challenge of having similar tail fins
It seems the week before Christmas brought a challenge from LOT Polish Airlines to Lufthansa regarding the German flag carrier’s somewhat contentious new livery. The Polish carrier draws issue with the fact Lufthansa’s reimagined tail fin has an uncanny resemblance to theirs. While we agree there are similarities, to our our trained eye, they are…
Read MoreEva Air Launches New Pyjamas By Jason Wu
Designed exclusively for EVA Air, through a new partnership with Jason Wu, the airline has launched a collection of branded unisex sleeper suits and slippers for Royal Laurel/Premium Laurel Class passengers. David Chen, Senior Vice-President at EVA Air, said: “As Taiwan’s premiere airline, we are proud to partner with world-renowned luxury designer, Jason Wu. Together,…
Read MoreThe new Premium Economy by SWISS is proof that good things come to those that wait…
Today we were invited to see the grand official reveal of SWISS’ latest product in an arsenal of improvements over the past few years. While the airline started with a range of improvements to its ground product and older A340 fleet a few years ago, the airline’s new Premium Economy has been a few years…
Read MoreJetBlue shows it means business with its new Transatlantic Mint product
JetBlue has been long touting its desire to compete on the Transatlantic market. With the recent exit of Norwegian’s long haul operations, there’s certainly a slot to be filled in competitively priced disrupters, and JetBlue has jumped at the opportunity. However, it certainly means business, trying to take a slice of the highly lucrative Transatlantic…
Read MoreIn This Current Climate, Is There A Need For Leading Business Class Airlines?
No matter how we look at it, the aviation business class landscape is changing, and is potentially as fragmented as ever. The race to the bottom is evident, even in currently touted ‘5-star airlines’ who seek profitability. Whether a desire to chase the most effective cabin configuration (LOPA), decision to reduce amenities to the bare…
Read MoreTheDesignAir Launches 2018 Awards Shortlist
TheDesignAir is pleased to announce the shortlist for the DesignAir Awards 2018 and just like last year, we’ve opened some of the categories to the public, so you can vote for the winners you feel are most worthy. Now is your chance to pick from our shortlisted categories for Best Design Airline, by region, across…
Read MoreJoon Launches ‘Cosy Joon’, A New Family Travel Experience
Joon, the millennial airline by Air France has just launched a new hybrid economy product that will be music to young family’s ears. Four rows of the economy cabin will now be fitted with pairs of seats that can be converted in to beds for kids. This is almost the same as the Sky Couch…
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 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 MoreSkyTeam Launch Latest Designer Lounge In Dubai
This week saw the official opening of their latest designer lounge in Terminal 1 of Dubai International Airport, the first for SkyTeam in the Gulf region. Catering to Elite Plus, First and Business Class passengers of the ten SkyTeam airlines flying to the airport. The new space spans over 960 square metres and can seat up…
Read MoreAir China 747-8 Interiors Announced by JPA Design
Air China, the second operator of the 747-8i passenger version, has just taken delivery of it’s new ‘Queen of the Skies’ with an interior designed by London based transport and hospitality design specialists, JPA Design. This is the same studio that brought one of the best seats to the skies, with the Singapore Airlines 777…
Read MoreToilet Talk. Is This The Future Of B777 Restrooms?
Believe it or not, the 777 toilet may not be one of the most talked about parts of the passenger experience, but it hasn’t really changed since the 777 came to service decades ago. So step ahead 24 years and it’s about time that a company is offering a brand new concept to the aircraft’s…
Read MoreBritish Airways receives its first A350. But is it all it’s cracked up to be?
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 MoreTheDesignAir Launches 2017 Awards Shortlist
TheDesignAir is pleased to announce the shortlist for the DesignAir Awards 2017 and just like last year, we’ve opened some of the categories to the public, so you can vote for the winners. Now is your chance to pick from our shortlisted categories for Best Design Airline, by region, across the globe. All it takes…
Read MoreThe Best Of The Best In 2015 – TheDesignAir’s Round-up Of The Year
2015 has been an impressive year with many carriers taking advantage of the lowered oil prices to invest heavily into their passenger experience both on the ground and in the air. We take a look at the best carriers around the world that have caught our attention this year. We offer a retrospective of the…
Read MoreAir China Showcase New Shanghai And Beijing Lounges
JPA Design have released the latest lounge project images for Air China, the same time they announce they will be designing the interiors for the carriers new 787s. The new lounge is set over two floors at Shanghai, Pudong Airport and good news for frequent fliers, as it is a member of the International Star…
Read MoreDelta Shifts Terminals In LAX, Offers Better Synergy With Partners
Delta recently announced it will be moving its operations to Terminal 2 and 3 in LAX from May 12th. It will be one of the largest terminal moves in the history of commercial aviation, but the benefits seem to outweigh the temporary inconveniences. The move is the start of a larger expansion and improvement plan for…
Read MoreLatest SkyTeam Lounge To Open In Beijing
Following this year’s opening of SkyTeam‘s Hong Kong lounge, the alliance is about to launch a second greater-China lounge in Beijing Capital International Airport. The sixth worldwide lounge for the group will offer a “luxurious pre-flight experience complemented by high-end amenities” for First and Business Class passengers and Elite Plus members flying on any of the…
Read MoreTrip Report: Air France 787-9 Business Class March 2017
Flight: AF1681 Aircraft Type: B787-9 Class: Business Class Route: LHR-CDG Date: March 2017 http://www.airfrance.com Air France started flying their 787-9 between CDG and LHR earlier this year, training staff on the aircraft before it commences its long haul duties. While only a short hop across the English Channel, it gives passengers a chance to experience the new product before committing…
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