Qantas has just launched a brand new safety video that showcases Australia in all its natural glory. From an oxygen mask demonstration at the Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart to a life-jacket demonstration at Bondi Icebergs, the video will be introduced across Qantas’ domestic and international fleet from today, as well as featuring…
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Dear Readers, Thank you already for your support of TheDesignAir in 2016. 2015 had been a phenomenal year for us here at TheDesignAir. Celebrating four years, last year we had over 5,000,000 views, 8,000 subscribers and have posted over 200 entries. I personally thank you for your continued support and interaction with the site. What started as just a simple blog…
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Cathay have announced a 10% increase in their flights between the UK and Hong Kong, showcasing a high demand for the popular long-haul city pair. A total of 43 flights a week between the UK has been enabled be the introduction of a new four-times-weekly service to London’s Gatwick Airport on 2 September 2016, (subject to…
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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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This has to be one of the most breathtaking videos this year, showing the painstaking detail Luca Iaconi-Stewart has gone to to showcase Singapore Airlines‘ suite of seating products. The paper model artist became globally acclaimed this year when he showed off his Air India 777 1:60 scale model made purely of Manila paper (complete…
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British Airways have never been shy of embracing new technology. They were the first airline to create a digital app back in 2008. That year, some 118,000 added it to their device and in 2015, it has topped the five million mark. During the last seven years the airline has updated their app with new functionality 32 times,…
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Alitalia today announced their latest wave of improvements to the passenger experience. Guests on all Alitalia flights can now use their phone to check emails or send text messages immediately after their flight has landed, while the aircraft is taxiing to the terminal. A new “Gate to Gate” procedure to allow the use of personal electronic devices has…
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Emirates last week announced that all new 777-300ER and A380 deliveries will be outfitted with enhanced IFE screens and technology, allowing passengers to flick through a massive 4,300 hours of entertainment. That is virtually half a year non-stop of watching a TV, meaning it is practically impossible to watch the whole entertainment offering, even if…
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When Hawaiian Airlines rejuvenated the cabin of its Boeing B717 aircraft earlier this year with modern, lightweight seats by PaulWylde, the carrier was left with an up cycling opportunity. Hawaiian’s innovative solution will be on display to the public starting Friday at Honolulu Fashion Week, when the stylish garments and accessories made from the seat fabric will…
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TheDesignAir were happy to see that Air France had their own set of luggage, currently available on their Flying Blue Shopping site. Air France is already well known for their designer touches to the aviation, so partnering with Delsey, its no surprise the result is a fairly slick set of luggage. Available in three sizes and…
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British architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) have won a competition to design the new Terminal 3 building at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. The scheme will deliver a new terminal building, boarding gates, concourses and a multi-function building, along with transport infrastructure. The practice, working alongside Taiwan engineering firm CECI, saw off competition from Foster + Partners and…
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Etihad, one of our favourite carriers here at TheDesignAir has just announced it will start daily A380 services between Abu Dhabi and Melbourne on 1 June 2016. Replacing the current 777 operating the flights EY460/461, the new A380 service will take over one of the airline’s twice daily Abu Dhabi-Melbourne services, bringing not only the upgraded versions of…
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Japanese carrier ANA have been having some fun with their 787 recently, both playing Star Wars with some avid sci-fi aficionados and also launching their new Brussels flight with a 787 service. On October 17, 2015, the R2-D2 ANA JET Fan Appreciation Flight event was held at Haneda Airport. A total of 91 passengers were selected—42 chosen from…
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Hainan Airlines, one of Skytrax’s 7 exclusive five star carriers, announced on the weekend that it would be starting a Beijing – Manchester connection. Flying four times a week to the UK’s second most favourite destination for long haul carriers, Hainan Airlines will be the latest connection from the UK to China, a growing market,…
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Miami International Airport is getting three new services from Europe today. October 25th 2015 sees British Airways upgraded A380 service arrive at the airport, Virgin Atlantic‘s second daily Miami service, and a brand new connection from Turkish Airlines. The new services mark an expansion to Europe with a large expansion of seats to pick from. British Airways…
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Current market leader, Etihad Airways, has launched a colourful new range of collectable limited edition Business Class amenity kits to replace the current amenity kit, whereby Etihad partnered with Sougha, a social enterprise initiative which preserves Emirati traditions and promote local artisans. The new kits, brought to life by Buzz Products, are a collaboration between the airline and…
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Qantas may be 95 years old, but their latest models to grace the catwalk don’t look like they’ve aged in years. Qantas, as a pure bit of fun managed to showcase the historical uniforms of Qantas through the ages. The unique and slightly quirky pop-up exhibition at its Sydney Qantas Club featuring a collection of 44 Barbie and…
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Ok, so we admit we aren’t the biggest sporting fans, but we do like it when an airline gets into the spirit of supporting their nations’ teams. Historically both Qantas and Air New Zealand show national pride in their sporting prowess, however, after Japan’s surprising victory over South Africa, ANA took over London’s Piccadilly Circus…
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Premium Japanese carrier ANA has announced they will be introducing their super-spacious 787-9 Dreamliner on a brand new Tokyo Haneda – Sydney route on December 11th this year. Whilst this new non-stop flight is still subject to governmental approval, passengers on the ever-popular Kangaroo route will welcome the news of increased competition and enhanced products…
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Voting Now Closed! TheDesignAir has launched its very first Passenger Choice Award, where our readers get to have a say on the Top Airline Brand for 2015. Whilst the judges have given us their opinion, you also had your say on which airline you feel deserves to be recognised for having the ‘best brand in the…
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Royal Brunei today introduced their new look website, which appears to be more than just a skin-deep change. The update in look and feel is timed to coincide with their adoption of the new Amadeus e-Retail platform, allowing customers now get stuck-in to their itineraries on a variety of levels and a variety of devices.…
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No, Starfleet Academy hasn’t just done a flash mob. China Airlines has just introduced a brand new uniform, which replaces its softer pastel-coloured uniforms that have been synonymous with the Taiwanese carrier for many years now. The new look, designed by Oscar-nominee costume designer William Chang, features bold colour blocks in sharp contrast–such as red and violet…
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It’s a big announcement for Oneworld today. Qantas and American Airlines have just announced a significant expansion of their longstanding relationship, which will see the US carrier fly from Los Angeles to Sydney for the first time and Qantas return to San Francisco. Qantas will return to the Sydney-San Francisco route – currently the most…
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You probably won’t know this, but Virgin Atlantic and Delta are the official airline partners of The O2. As part of their partnership, they are bringing a bit of style to the U.K.’s most well known entertainment venue this summer, with the launch of their permanent NY-LON Lounge Bar. Honouring the airlines’ important New York – London…
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Those of you who have flown on Qantas, may be familiar with their fairly hefty inflight magazine Australian Way. Whilst this may be a meaty enough read for most of their domestic flights, what if you have to Kangaroo hop your way to The States or Europe? Well, now there is good news. If you…
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Hawaiian Airlines has officially launched a beta of their new website, currently accessible to their HawaiianMiles members. The site will be rolling out in phases, with a full launch is expected later this summer. This is a complete revamp of a site that wasn’t terrible, but had gone through a few skins of what was fundamentally the same website. The…
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Ok Ok, so some of us are getting bored of these safety video memes, however, here’s a bit of mid-week fun. Delta have really pulled out the stops with this Internet-fest of a safety video. Whilst we have spotted some of the internet stars featuring in this video, some have gone straight over our…
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You may not have heard of Formia, as they hide behind the behemoth brands they work with, however that may be about to change. This powerful (and award-winning) company manages to partner brands together to offer their passengers the very best in amenities. 2015 has brought a wealth of new luxury partnerships, and a new…
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Last month, we were luckily invited in a very rare behind-the-scenes visit to Singapore Airlines‘ training and catering centres, found in and around Changi Airport. As we revealed in our recent Singapore Airlines Premium Economy stories, the carrier is a stickler for detail. From our exclusive walk around their very secretive backstage this attention to…
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It’s always good to see a new herringbone seat enter the market, and yet most passengers may not even know the array of seats on offer. The wealth of herringbone seat designs have a myriad of differences. Designed by London based JPA Design and Jamco, these brand new seat designs (first seen at AIX in Hamburg this…
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