Finnair launches limited edition Marimekko amenity kits to celebrate Chinese New Year

Finnair 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…

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Aer Lingus launches new uniform re-designed by Louise Kennedy

Today saw Aer Lingus reveal its new look uniform which will be graced by its 4,000 cabin and ground crew around the world from 10th February. Created by the same Irish fashion designer who brought its previous threads to life – Louise Kennedy – the new look reflects Aer Lingus’ recent brand refresh. The airline hasn’t…

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Air France reimagines Business Class product, specifically for their leisure routes from Orly and Caribbean & Indian Ocean destinations

Air France has just announced two new Business Class product launches, both on the ground and in the skies, geared towards the leisure market. Launched in close proximity the airline has announced its latest Caribbean and Indian Ocean retrofit featuring an economy-heavy configuration with brand new Business Class cabin, paired with a new Paris Orly…

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Eastern Airlines hits a home run with fantastic Braniff-esque brand image

[Updated] Last week we mentioned in a story that we hoped that in 2020 airlines would start to break the mould and start thinking differently about liveries and brand image and it seems that resurrected Eastern Airlines has done exactly that. Announced yesterday, the new conceptual design for the decades-old carrier – designed by Mechanica…

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Lothansa? 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…

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Finnair opens its remaining flagship non-Schengen lounge

June might have seen the opening of the Platinum Wing, but Finnair (just in time for Christmas) has unveiled the final phase of its non-Schengen lounge expansion with the opening of its new, larger, Business Class Lounge. The lounge – just like the Platinum Win – showcases contemporary Nordic design throughout and set on a range…

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Norwegian’s snazzy threads might be disappearing, but they’ve got a second life, thanks to upcycling

Shock horror, Norwegian’s iconic threads – with the male’s plaid jackets –  will be replaced next year. While we mourn one of the most iconic cabin crew jacket’s demise, the airline has made the loss bitter-sweet. The airline has announced it will combat textile waste by launching a new pilot project “Still Travelling with Norwegian.” Used…

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Announcing the winners of TheDesignAir awards 2019

TheDesignAir is thrilled to announce the 2019 award winners as voted for by our esteemed judging panel and our readers. Year after year, we see more improvements and enhancements across the passenger experience, from narrow to wide bodies to lounges and airports around the globe. We showcase the 2019 winners here.

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SAS reveals A350 interiors, which match the carrier’s bold, minimalist new livery

The first of SAS’s A350s has officially entered its fleet and starting in January, the carrier’s passengers will be able to take flight on one of the most advanced aircraft in the skies featuring the newest livery featuring super huge silver billboard titles across the fuselage. Inside, the carrier has opted for the same paired…

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Condor brings back its older logo to its tail fins, and we have to admit, we love it

Condor has started to bring back its own logo to the tails of its fleet. At the end of last week, the new design was unveiled to the employees, and the weekend saw the first Boeing 767 with the registration D-ABUF making its first flight in the new Condor look to Cancun in Mexico. In…

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KLM celebrates opening of their fully operational Crown Lounge in Amsterdam

Last week KLM officially opened its completely renovated non-Schengen Crown Lounge at Schiphol Airport. The lounge far outperforms the pervious incarnation, and celebrates new food and beverage concepts including it’s pay-for Blue restaurant. KLM’s non-Schengen Crown Lounge (the official name) is located between the E and F piers at Schiphol. The “KLM House” is identifiable…

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British Airways launches fantastic partnership with another British Icon, the Aston Martin

This could be the coolest thing to grace our desk all year. Two things we love. Concorde, and Aston Martin. In British Airways’ centenary year and on the anniversary of Concorde’s final flight, the carrier announced a partnership with Aston Martin, cumulating in a limited-edition sports car that honours the supersonic aircraft. The luxury British car manufacturer…

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British Airways opens new lounge in Geneva

British Airways has just unveiled the latest in its lounge developments, re-opening the newly refurbished lounge in Geneva as part of its huge ongoing investment in the customer experience which includes other new lounges in Rome, San Francisco, Johannesburg and New York’s JFK. The lounge follows a new design concept for the airline, which debuted…

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Hawaiian launches new culturally sensitive amenities and soft products

Hawaiian Airlines has teamed up with Moloka‘i-based brand Kealopiko to launch and upgrade a new line of in-flight amenities built upon the idea of sustainability. Starting just after Thanksgiving on November 26th, guests travelling between Hawai‘i and the carrier’s International and East-coast US destinations can relax with amenities and soft goods decorated with coral and…

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David Caon does it again, this time with Qantas’ Singapore First Class lounge

On the 2nd December, just over 2 weeks away, we will see the grand opening of the new Qantas first class lounge in Singapore’s Changi International Airport. The lounge follows a wave of ground and inflight product improvements that are helping positioning the carrier as a true luxury, design-led proposition. In the meantime, select passengers…

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Starlux launches cute new safety video, but raises a question over its brand direction

Starlux is currently a bit of an enigma. Slowly but surely, parts of the passenger experience are being revealed ahead of its launch in January 2020. The airline has already revealed its uniforms which are part-astronaut, part haute couture. There are also product ranges, fully-flat beds on their short-haul aircraft and now a cute, comic-book…

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JAL reveals rebranded 777 Infused Essence cabin by Tangerine, following the recent A350 and 787 cabin designs

It looks like ANA and Japan Airlines are both working hard to improve their passenger experience. While ANA lunched the Room, JAL has also recently launched the upgraded cabin interior of their international Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fleet, extending tangerine’s “Infused Essence” design strategy that was developed for JAL’s newly acquired domestic A350-900(359) aircraft, which launched in…

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Why branding airlines for Millennials and Gen Z’s is the wrong approach

The past few years has seen a few airlines decide to position themselves as a lifestyle brand, appealing to the younger, time-rich generation who are gap-year embracing, iPhone toting and generally bank-rolled by their parents. While airlines – like the big US 3 – see their passenger demographic age as fast as the airline does,…

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British Airways opens new lounge in Johannesburg

British Airways has been busy on the ground recently, and Johannesburg, South Africa was the latest destination to receive a lounge refurbishment. The space, based in O.R. Tambo International Airport has undergone significant refurbishment with the new and improved space being converted into one large lounge with a dedicated boutique dining area for First customers. The…

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Aman launches new private jet service which combines two of our favourite things

Regular readers of our site will know our admiration for the zen-like luxury hotel and resort brand Aman. They are one of our top hotel brands, alongside Soneva, for the ultimate in luxurious getaways. So you can imagine our excitement at the announcement of a brand new Aman Private Jet service that allows passengers to…

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Western Sydney Airport, a new mega hub for Australia reveals its terminal designs by Zaha Hadid and Cox Architecture

Last week saw Zaha Hadid Architects and Cox Architecture win the international design competition for the new Western Sydney Airport (WSA) and have been appointed as Master Architect for the project. The ZHA/COX team was selected from a broad field of forty national and international applicants that was narrowed to five selected design competitors. The…

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Swiss opens stunning new Alpine lounge in Zurich, to ease crowding and re-inject a true taste of Swiss culture

Today sees the opening of the latest Swiss lounge in Zurich, replacing the old First Class lounge in the A gates of Terminal 2, the new Alpine Lounge helps provide some respite to the Schengen departure swells due to the morning and evening flight banks. The airline has several lounges already across Zurich, and all…

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British Airways revamps Milan Linate lounge, but without the modern design palette of newer lounges

After three months of renovation, the new British Airways Linate lounge has opened its doors to British Airways and Oneworld passengers. While the lounge features  a new look reception where customers will receive a warm welcome, it doesn’t reflect the ultra-modernist design of the newer lounges in Rome, Aberdeen or JFK. Instead paisley designs, more warmer tones…

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Star Bores. How not to do a themed safety video. (Sorry United)

Great news! United Airlines has just released a themed Star Wars safety video. Jumping on the Star Wars bandwagon (which already includes Virgin Atlantic, ANA and Latam, to name just a few) the carrier is celebrating the launch of the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker by releasing a safety video, special livery and Mileage…

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Singapore Airlines gets creative with new amenities for children (and children at heart)

Entertaining children on long-haul flights – as any parent would know – is an art form, balancing sugar intake, sleep and restlessness is an all consuming part of the flight. Thankfully Singapore Airlines have taken a creative and beautifully simple approach to entertaining kids on their flights with the adoption of a new Origami amenity…

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Qatar Airways draws attention to Breast Cancer Awareness Month once again with new limited edition amenities

Qatar Airways passengers travelling on the carrier’s long-haul flights in both First Class and Business Class are being presented once again with BRIC’s limited edition pink themed amenity kits during the month of October, marking the airline’s annual support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The exclusive amenity kits are kind to the planet too. Made…

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KLM’s latest masterpiece advertising campaign celebrates a centenary in the skies

You may not be aware, but KLM has just celebrated of 100 years of flying the skies. Launched October 7th 1919, the carrier has had a long life, growing its network and brand over the years. To celebrate this important milestone, the airline has adopted a range of brand activities including a brand new Delft…

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Fiji Airways shares a sneak peek of what their A350 will look like, and it’s pretty close to a private jet…

The latest renderings of Fiji Airways‘ A350 have showcased what their cabin and livery will look like – and quite frankly both are stunning. The airline, while opting for an incredibly minimalist design inside their latest airframe, has managed to encapsulate the feeling of a private jet with crisp lines and clean white and grey…

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Delta’s A330-900neos bring familiar Delta One product to Business Class, and World’s first on an A330 to offer fully enclosed suites

Delta, who recently took a large stake in LATAM has also this summer launched its A330-900neo interiors. This means that now there is a similar all-aisle access business class product on certain LATAM and Delta flights, although Delta, which is rolling out doors across its new Delta One products, might be getting an additional edge.…

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Acumen helps deliver JetBlue’s new A321neo

Last week saw JetBlue, alongside its official design partner, Acumen Design Associates, unveil the latest cabin interior design for the airline’s new A321neo aircraft. The aircraft is already servicing the New York JFK to Fort Lauderdale route and will eventually serve two new international routes for JetBlue: New York JFK to Guayaquil, Ecuador, and New…

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