Hong Kong Airlines, the more progressive of the two major carriers in Hong Kong, has just announced the second wave of its colourful, artistic amenity kits that highlights the city’s vibrant culture through a collaborative partnership with four local artists. The first of four Business Class amenity kits feature the distinctive designs of Lock Lai, founder…
Read MoreHong Kong Airlines just received its latest A350, and with it, the next evolution of its premium experience, unveiling a newly upgraded Business Class seat. This new seat rivals that of Cathay Pacific and here at TheDesignAir we actually prefer the Super Diamond product compared to Cathay Pacific’s due to its increased space and storage…
Read MoreUnlike other media-outlets focussing on the airline industry we make a point to never really comment on short-lived, political or click-bait style news. We focus our approach on the long-lasting customer experience advancements, but Hong Kong has created a unique global environment over the past couple of years, built on political unrest and now the…
Read MoreTheDesignAir 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 MoreMonday didn’t just see the launch of a new route to Los Angeles on the carrier’s A350, but also of a range of stylish new tableware for award-winning Hong Kong Airlines. The carrier picked a local company to help design their new range. The award-winning, local homeware design brand JIA Inc. and inflight experience specialists…
Read MoreAs 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 MoreLast week saw not only the arrival of Hong Kong Airlines brand new lounge, but also their very first of 21 A350 aircraft. The airline is embracing the aircraft to support its international development, cherry-picking long-haul destinations that strategically support its future growth. The airline is putting emphasis on developing routes to North America and…
Read MoreTheDesignAir 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 MoreIt’s another month, another airline, another amenity kit. This time, Formia brought together a collaboration with Etro and Aeromexico, offering their business class passengers a stylish new kit bag filled with the usual perks befitting a premium passenger. “The style of Etro’s fashion lends itself perfectly to these amenity kits whose exterior is made of…
Read MoreFollowing the opening of the airport VIP lounge “Club Bauhinia” in 2014, Hong Kong Airlines has taken premium customer services to the next level by investing HK$35 million in the construction of “Club Autus”, a brand new VIP lounge located on the seventh floor of the Midfield Concourse at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). Design…
Read MoreUnless 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 MoreThe past two years airlines have had to think a little differently to maintain brand love, generate revenues and shift old stock that have filled warehouses. As such we’ve seen a wave of upcycling across the globe, with inflight trolleys finding their ways into homes from Asia, all the way to Europe, but now all…
Read MoreWhile many airlines in the world vie to be the biggest, there are a few smaller airlines that are certainly fighting to be the best. We take a look at 10 airlines under 10 million passengers per annum that are doing something special in 2018 that – we think – might just be worth getting…
Read MoreBrands create identities to stand out, visually represent what they stand for and what they do. Simple brand images are the ones that work best, if we said golden arches, globally everyone would know we’re talking about McDonalds. A bitten apple, Apple. The list may be short, but iconic. Airlines also have to stand out…
Read MoreIn traditional Qatar Airways style, the airline doesn’t hold back when it comes to a celebration. In honour of the Chinese New Year, the airline has introduced an oriental inspired menu on board flights to popular Asia destinations between 11 and 12 February 2021. In Qatar Airways’ Doha Al Mourjan Business Lounge, passengers will also…
Read MoreCathay Pacific is about to see the commercial take-off of its latest arrival, the A321neo. With the pandemic hitting at a pivotal time for the carrier, commercially things have been bittersweet. While passenger numbers have been decimated for 18-months, the regrowth of the airline can now be expedited by the addition of a new narrow-body…
Read MoreAir France has just opened an exciting new lounge space dedicated to Business Class travellers and Flying Blue Elite Plus members travelling through the airline’s short and medium-haul Schengen network. It’s no small affair, as this lounge is one of the airline’s largest, with a surface area of no less than 3,000 sq. m. catering to 570 seats…
Read MoreUganda Airlines might not be on everyones radar. But that’s because until last week, the carrier just operated a modest fleet of four Bombardier CRJ900’s. Resurrected from its predecessor that last flew in 2001, the latest incarnation spread its wings a little over a year ago, but seemingly has big plans. With aircraft bought by…
Read MoreFlight: KA361 Aircraft Type: A330-300 Class: Business Class Route: DPS-HKG Date: November 2017 http://www.cathapacific.com We are big fans of Cathay Pacific at TheDesignAir, that’s no real secret. We love the carriers ground product, with wealth of stylish lounges and super easy to navigate home base of Hong Kong International Airport, but Cathay Dragon, the now-aligned sister carrier always seemed in…
Read MoreNext 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 MoreLast week saw the announcement of Virgin Atlantic’s return to service, with first flights taking wing on the 20th July to Orlando and Hong Kong, with New York (JFK) Los Angeles and Shanghai following suit the very next day. Following destinations will be announced in the following week for flights commencing at the start of…
Read MoreSWISS has now joined the ranks of its fellow Lufthansa Group airlines in offering Premium Economy, which will supplement its existing Economy, Business and First classes of travel from the fourth quarter of this year. Interestingly the airline has opted for a fixed-backshell seat which usually gets a bad rap for passenger comfort although it…
Read MoreFinnair has just released a limited edition range of amenity kits for passengers travelling in the airline’s long-haul business class cabin. Released just in time to celebrate Chinese New Year, the airline has taken its existing Marimekko kits which are currently in the airline’s navy colour and re-imagined them. With a new red and gold…
Read Morewith the rise of the all-aisle business class product, and now with doors, the benefits of First Class as a separate cabin class become more questionable. True exclusivity, privacy, space and dining are some of the only real benefits now, which doesn’t often equate to the price tag they come with. What if the needs of passengers looking for exclusivity, space or privacy could benefit from a space onboard that suits their needs, without the label of it being First Class? That’s what Paperclip Design in Hong Kong have considered in their latest concept, hot off the heels from their Butterfly seat design.
Read MoreTheDesignAir is pleased to announce the 2017 Award winners as voted for by our esteemed judging panel and our readers. This year has seen a wave of improvements around the world in the field of passenger experience. From impressive new aircraft, new First Class Suites to the smallest details found in tableware and amenity kits.…
Read MoreFiji Airways, like Hawaiian Airlines, is one of the true designer Pacific airlines and the perfect one-stop carrier to connect Australasia to the west coast of the US (or perhaps just for a luxury holiday in Fiji). We’ve been great champions of the brand since its brand refresh a few years ago, however, as we…
Read MoreStarlux Airlines, Taiwan’s latest startup is starting to turn heads. Originally a start-up that – like most – had a questionable future, seems to be full-steam ahead with a recent uniform and A321neo cabin launch. It hasn’t stopped there though, as there have been signature scents and even homeware products that the airline has launched…
Read MoreWhile Cathay Pacific’s latest ethos might have shifted from ‘Life well travelled’ to ‘Move beyond’ it seems that the physical manifestation of the brand hasn’t taken a different tack just yet. The latest offering from the carrier will open tomorrow in Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport. The re-opening of their existing space in the new airline…
Read MoreIt’s no surprise that we are slightly enamoured with Philippine Airlines, especially in the last few years where the carrier has invested heavily in to its hard and soft product. The upgraded 777s and the brand-spanking-new A350s push the carrier well above its previous product offering, and is fast becoming an interesting alternative to the…
Read MoreLong-haul Cathay passengers transiting through Hong Kong Airport may find the airline’s latest addition to their Pier Lounge a welcome haven to stretch and relax during their journey. Designed in partnership with The Pure Group, The Sanctuary by Pure Yoga is a 700 square-foot area divided into two zones – The Body Sanctuary, which is…
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