Part three of TheDesignAir’s exclusive series on the making of Cathay Dragon. Read parts one and two. This week brought a brand new airline officially take to the skies, with Dragonair now becoming Cathay Dragon. The new airline now aligns itself with its big brother Cathay Pacific across many passenger experience touch-points while still maintaining…
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The future is a little closer this month, with Boom taking a leap forward and presenting their XB-1 1/3rd-scale ‘little brother’ version of the ideal next generation supersonic passenger jet. ‘Baby Boom’ as it has been dubbed, may not be taking flight until next year, but it will pave the way for the new Concorde of the…
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On a recent trip with SriLankan Airlines we were able to experience the lounge at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport. Firstly, we would like to highlight how efficient and fantastic Colombo is as a connecting airport. With the airport being small enough to walk from one gate to another in just five minutes, this is one…
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Aeromexico has taken delivery of it’s new 787-9 and with it, a brand new Clase Premier product designed for the long-haul routes the aircraft will fly. Adorned with the Quetzalcoatl one-off livery which we covered earlier this month, the aircraft will delight and surprise its passengers both outside and now inside too. With the airline currently offering…
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Today brought a close to the long debate over the location of London’s next runway. The new government, and the same one that is leading the UK out of Europe has decided Heathrow will play host to a third runway in a bid to increase passenger traffic. While the decision will play out for the…
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Turkmenistan’s new International Airport, built by Turkish construction company Polimeks opened to the public on the 17th September. The design of the new Ashgabat International Airport Complex was inspired from Oguz Khan and the falcon which is one of the national symbols of Turkmenistan. In fact, the falcon shaped building has been recognised by numerous authorities. The…
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Part two of TheDesignAir’s exclusive series on the making of Cathay Dragon. Read Part One here. Cathay Pacific and newly branded Cathay Dragon’s synergies may seem completely obvious to passengers who have flown on both airlines. However to entice new customers to experience the two airlines, so similar and yet distinctly different brought a host of…
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While all eyes are currently on Soneva Jani – the new prestigious overwater hotel – set to open in a couple of weeks time, the sister Maldivian property to to this new resort has been paving the way for barefoot luxury for two decades, and still continues to draw visitors from all around the world.…
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Flight: UL504 Aircraft Type: A330-300 Class: Business Class Route: LHR-CMB Date: September 2016 http://www.srilankan.com SriLankan Airlines has passed by our radar for far too long, and their new business class product has now been flying for a few years on their A330-300 aircraft. Featuring all-aisle access, WiFi and quite frankly, amazing cuisine, it was time to take this Oneworld…
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The rise of the low cost brand a decade ago challenged the legacy carriers to reconsider their business model. Passengers were able to pick between the privileges of a packet of nuts, or a bare bones charge-through-the-teeth model where even you seat choice was a privilege. However, through the natural evolution of business, the…
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Part one of TheDesignAir’s exclusive series on the making of Cathay Dragon. The newly renamed Cathay Dragon has just started its life as an airline brand. Originally named ‘Dragonair’, the Cathay sibling has very clearly positioned itself alongside the internationally recognised Cathay Pacific. On first glance, the rebrand may just look like a red Cathay…
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Flight: TG911 Aircraft Type: A380-800 Class: ‘Royal Silk’ Business Class Route: LHR-BKK Date: June 2016 http://www.thaiairways.com We were lucky enough to fly on Thai Airways almost twenty years ago, one of our first long haul flights as a kid, and since then, the airline has always stuck in our hearts. We remember orchid flowers being distributed to passengers and that…
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Flight: AF457 Aircraft Type: B777-200 Class: Premium Economy Route: GRU-CDG Date: May 2016 http://www.airfrance.com We were very happy to return from our previous trip with Air France in Premium Economy to trial one of the world’s most applauded mid-cabin classes. Featuring a modern clean cabin, well appointed seats and above-standard amenities such as champagne on tap and enhanced amenity kits.…
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Flight: AF456 Aircraft Type: B777-200 Class: Business Class Route: CDG-GRU Date: April 2016 http://www.airfrance.com Ever since our failed chance to experience Air France’s new business class last year, we’ve been keen for another opportunity to experience Air France’s latest and acclaimed new hard product, that has moved the carriers 2 x 3 x 2 seating to a 1 x 2…
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TheDesignAir is proud to launch our Top 10 lists for 2016 starting with our Top 10 International First Classes. Competition this year is tough, with a lot of carriers around the world investing into the front of the plane. TheDesignAir has adopted a new judging matrix for 2016, which includes a variety of criteria including cabin design, seat design,…
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Flight: BA073 Aircraft Type: B787-9 Class: ‘First’ First Class Route: LHR-AUH-MCT Date: January 2016 http://www.ba.com We were curious last year to see how British Airways new First product on their 787-9 were going to reinvent the first class experience, but when we had the chance to experience the product first-hand (forgive the pun) we jumped at the chance to see why…
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Alaska’s rebrand was well received when it was launched at the end of January with aviation fans (including us) around the world taking to the refreshed look. Sometimes though even a small shift in the look of an airline can take many months of painstaking work as historically speaking, liveries have to last decades, not years…
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The Boeing 737 MAX 8 flew for the first time yesterday in Seattle as the aircraft manufacturer makes its final stretch to get the aircraft program into the skies. The 737 MAX program achieved this milestone on schedule which begins a comprehensive flight-test program leading to certification and delivery. The aircraft is the first to utilise the latest…
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JAL today announced a wave of improvements to their fleet and flight frequencies that will reach both domestic and international skies in 2016. The wave of improvements include the addition of premium economy to a host of destinations, expanding their current JAL Sky Suite aircraft and the introduction of a regional business class product to their new…
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Charles De Gaulle used to send shivers down our spine. The thought of transiting through the airport meant getting lost, missing connections or surly staff seemingly specifically employed to disrupt a passengers day. This reason alone meant we had avoided Paris as a connection airport for many years, however we’ve been totally bowled over by…
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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…
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The world went crazy this week as Star Wars Premiered in Los Angeles. Part of the action were ANA who’s partnership with the Star Wars franchise runs deep. The force certainly is strong with ANA. Japan’s largest airline shuttled the cast and crew of Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens from the World Premiere in Hollywood on Monday…
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Garuda Indonesia has appointed International transport design specialist, JPA Design to create its new aircraft cabin interiors as the airline expands its fleet and builds on its reputation as a world-class carrier. The same design agency that created the DoveTail business class seat (as shown above) and recently Singapore Airlines new Premium Economy Class seat. Garuda’s new…
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Flight: CI061 (Westbound) and CI062 (Eastbound) Aircraft Type: B777-300ER Class: Premium Business Class Route: FRA-TPE-FRA Date: November 2015 http://www.china-airlines.com China Airlines has really managed to wow the world with their ‘Next Generation’ program. The airline has won not just one but three awards at the Global Traveler Awards, including best business class seat design. It’s also…
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Even to a seasoned 737-800 Senior First Officer who has done their countless number of walk-arounds, the game of spot the difference is still mighty hard with the 737 MAX 8 which was rolled out today (December 8th) in Renton, Washingston State, USA. If you click on the image above, you’ll notice the variety of tail fins…
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For the sixth consecutive year, Alitalia has scooped best inflight cuisines in the skies according to the Global Traveler Awards 2015. We aren’t surprised by this announcement, as we were blown away by the cuisine found on a recent trip report which excelled on every level. Since their partnership with Etihad, the service offering has been improved…
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In the heart of Honolulu Airport, TheDesignAir talks exclusively with Avi Mannis at Hawaiian Airlines on their home turf, discussing the past, the future, brand and livery, plus what it means to be a truly successful ‘destination carrier’ The Roots of the Hawaiian Airlines Brand Sat in Hawaiian Airlines offices just on the edge of…
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Flight: AV121 Aircraft Type: A330-200 Class: ‘Previous Generation’ Business Class Route: LHR-BOG Flight time: 10:27 Seat: 1J Date: July 2015 http://www.avianca.com Best for: People travelling in pairs. The previous generation business class seats are in a 2 x 2 x 2 format. Fares are low, and offer good connections through most of South & Central America, the Caribbean and Europe. The crowd: Mainly South American…
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Flight: TP85 Aircraft Type: A330-200 Class: ‘Previous Generation’ Business Class Route: LHR-GRU Flight time: 9:50 Seat: 2F Date: October 2015 http://www.flytap.com Best for: Passengers flying between Europe and South America. A high proportion of passengers on short haul flights connect on to Long haul flights. The crowd: Trans-European base – with a few Brazilian fliers too. Mix of leisure fliers and business travellers. Business…
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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…
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