The flagship lounge for Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong International Airport is certainly worth a look if you are ever in Hong Kong. Situated near gate 61 at the far end of the airport, it might not be the first choice for most, however, its relative isolation means its a quiet haven for business class…
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British Airways has just revamped its award-winning flagship Concorde Room at Heathrow T5, exclusive to British Airways’ customers travelling in the airline’s First cabin. The refurb has once again drawn inspiration from the ‘very best’ of British Design. The refurbishment to the airline’s exclusive lounge included re-upholstering iconic pieces of furniture, and adding new feature pieces to the…
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When Changi Terminal 4 opens in just a few days time, Cathay Pacific will proudly take the title for the first scheduled flight from the terminal. The airline is proudly stating that the terminal will offer an innovative and seamless travel experience, in addition to a spectacular and spacious lounge which will be open for their…
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Have you ever wondered what involvement the airline alliance has in the design language adopted by their airlines? With the rise the alliance-friendly terminal, such as Heathrow’s Terminal 2, we talk to Julie Murphy, Star Alliance’s Chair in the UK about design and customer experience. Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, can…
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This week American Express announced the expansion of its signature airport lounge network, The Centurion Lounge, with two new locations in Hong Kong and Philadelphia International Airports. Hong Kong, which opened this week, marks the first Centurion lounge in Asia, and Philadelphia, opening in late October, marks the 8th U.S. location of this brand. “We are…
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ANA has recently opened its brand new ANA Suite Lounge and the renovation of the ANA domestic lounge at the Sapporo (New Chitose) airport, which celebrates the local landscape and culture. “The overall design concept of the new lounges is ‘Ichigo ichie’ which translates as ‘treasure every encounter as if it were once in a…
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Punta Cana is the latest airport to bring pool-side lounging to the airline environment. From December passengers travelling from the Dominican Republic can enjoy the best of both worlds; a pool to cool off in while waiting for a flight and uninterrupted views of the apron, with aircraft rubber duck-throwing distance from the pool (please…
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Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam has announced they have selected KAAN Architecten’s sleek modernist design for their new terminal set to open in 2023, thirty years since the last expansion. The new terminal will allow 14 million more passengers to travel through Schiphol per year, helping the hub become a more powerful global contender. The new terminal…
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As part of our three part series on Turkish Airlines impressive business class offering, we finish with a review of their CIP Lounge in Istanbul. Located in the main terminal away from the hustle and bustle of the departure lounge. On arrival into Istanbul at 4am, its clear to see that it’s busy 24/7, with…
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Following 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…
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Last week saw the opening of TAP Portugal’s brand-new business class lounge in Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport. The new lounge replaces the previous space and prepares the company for its increasing fleet of retrofitted fully-flat bed seats and new A330neo aircraft just around the corner. Covering an area of 850 square metres with space for…
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Fiji 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…
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Today saw the grand opening of Emirates’ latest lounge in Boston Logan International Airport. The lounge, which marked a soft opening in April 2017, is now open to Emirates First Class and Business Class customers as well as Platinum and Gold members of Skywards, the airline’s frequent flyer program. This latest lounge reaffirms Emirates’ commitment to…
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You wouldn’t be blamed if you’d not heard of this design and detail driven aviation outfit. Founded in 2014, BLADE has since grown into the largest coordinator of short-distance aviation in the Northeast. Flyers can book helicopter and fixed wing flights through their app in mere seconds. The company was originally an East Coast company, focussing…
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“In the 50 years since Auckland Airport opened, how New Zealanders travel and where we travel to has changed significantly. At the same time Auckland’s airport has evolved and grown from only several hundred thousand passengers in 1966 to over 18.7 million this year,” says Auckland Airport Chief Executive, Adrian Littlewood. Interestingly most of that…
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Today saw the debut of American Airlines‘ newly-renovated Flagship Lounge and brand new Flagship First Dining at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport. The lounge is part of a wave of new lounges opening in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Heathrow, Miami and Philadelphia. At first glance the lounge is certainly impressive, and has adopted…
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Icelandair has recently renovated its new lounge at its hub in Reykjavik’s Keflavik International Airport. The new lounge is an Icelandic haven, and the perfect spot for Saga Class passengers connecting across the atlantic. Featuring volcanic rocks and natural wooden finishes, the lounge couldn’t be more reflective of the iconic natural wilderness that Iceland boasts. On…
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17 hours on an aircraft may daunt even the most seasoned of travellers, especially those in economy. But Qantas is doing all it can to re-assure passengers that they are trying to make the Kangaroo route as comfortable as possible. While Perth might not be as direct-a-route as flying via Dubai, they are making Perth…
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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…
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Next week sees the doors open to Qantas‘ latest lounge in Brisbane, Australia. The domestic lounge is the latest addition to a multi-million pound upgrade at the airport. The upgrade began in October 2016 with the opening of a new International Lounge and will be completed in the coming months with an upgraded Qantas Club and new Chairmans…
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Air France may be proving themselves as an excellent European airline for connecting passengers, with some of the shortest and most seamless connections in their hub Charles De Gaulle, but the investment into improving the passenger experience runs much deeper than the infrastructure that’s being developed behind the scenes. While AirFrance’s flagship lounge ‘The Park’ in…
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JAL announced yesterday they will be opening a totally renovated Sakura Lounge in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport on March 1st. The new oneworld lounge will join fellow member Cathay Pacific’s designer lounge, opened in June 2015. “With the aim of creating a relaxed and comfortable environment to meet our customer requirements, JAL redesigned and upgraded…
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Virgin Atlantic last week completed its big move from London Gatwick South Terminal to the North Terminal. With the move, came improvements to the customer experience, in the shape of increased check-in kiosks and a brand-new Clubhouse for the carrier featuring all the signature elements passengers have come to expect from the designer airline. In…
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Royal Schiphol Group and KLM just awarded the contract for the redesign and extension of the existing international KLM Crown Lounge in Amsterdam. The ambitious project by Ballast Nedam and ULC Groep will include the addition of a whole new floor to the lounge and building an outdoor terrace all based on a new interior design. When…
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Qatar Airways has just opened its latest lounge in France’s capital CDG Airport. At more than 1000 square metres, the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge at Paris-Charles de Gaulle offers both Qatar Airways First and Business Class passengers “a sophisticated, modern and spacious environment in which to relax and commence their five star journey experience.” This will be…
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Last week Governor Andrew M. Cuomo presented a vision plan to transform JFK International Airport into an airport equipped to meet the demands of the 21st century and “worthy of the State of New York”. Based on the recommendations of the Governor’s Airport Advisory Panel, the recently unveiled vision plan lays out a comprehensive, airport-wide framework…
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Flying Internationally with Alitalia recently to London via Rome, we had the opportunity to experience the new Casa Alitalia Lounge situated in the heart of the airport’s G gates in Rome FCO’s Satellite Terminal. Taking place of the older Sala Giotto lounge, the new space is totally reimagined featuring the new bold colours of the…
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Launching alongside Plaza Premium’s New Rio Lounge, the new Aerotel, located on level 3 of the international departures pier (airside) in Terminal 2 is the first airside transit hotel in Rio (GIG), and the first for the group in South America. “Aerotel Rio de Janeiro gives new definition to airport transit hotel for travellers having long layover time at the airport or taking flights in the early hours. Designed for travellers…
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This might not be a ‘partridge in a pear tree’, but December 1st saw United start to give it’s premium passengers a new gift, in the form of Polaris – the newly redefined Business Class experience. At 12.01am this morning, the airline started to roll out the new Polaris service across all of its markets. The reimagined, sleep-enhancing…
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Yesterday saw the newest United Club unveiled in LAX, “the jewel in the airline’s $573 million project” to refresh nearly all of its customer-facing spaces in Terminal 7 and Concourse 8 at Los Angeles International Airport. While this isn’t one of the airline’s new Polaris concept spaces, it still packs a glamour-punch. At more than 20,000 square feet, the new…
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