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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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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UK luxury brand Bamford brings a sense of harmony to Cathay’s First and Business Class cabins

Cathay Pacific might be impacted by the recent unrest on their doorstep, but that isn’t stopping them enticing their premium passengers with an elevated travel experience. The airline has focussed their attention to enhancing the service, soft products and culinary offerings both in its First and Business Class cabins. These enrichments are designed to “offer…

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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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Austrian launches interactive seat map booking function

Austrian Airlines has just launched an innovative 3D Seatmap as part of the booking process. While the technology is nothing new, the ability to use the platform as part of the booking and seat selection process, is.  From now on, Austrian Airlines passengers on flights operated by a Boeing 777 aircraft can virtually discover their favorite…

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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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Love a discount? Our exclusive offer with Club 1 Hotels, giving you a 1-year free membership to access industry discounts on hotels, flights and more…

Promotion TheDesignAir is constantly scouring the internet for good deals on both airlines and hotels. Not sure if you are aware, but you are most likely one of the majority of global travellers who spend over 25 days selecting their next trip. During our planning it’s easy to have multiple windows open on our browser…

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American Express opens new lounge in Sydney operated by Plaza Premium

Tomorrow will see the opening of a new and improved American Express lounge in Sydney Airport, replacing its smaller predecessor. Located near Gates 50-63 at Sydney Airport’s T1 International terminal, the new lounge now spans over 600 sq m. The lounge is operated by global premium airport hospitality specialists Plaza Premium Group and offers guests…

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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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Priestmangoode show us what the future of flight could, or should, look like

London-based design studio Priestmangoode has just opened a ‘Get Onboard: Reduce. Reuse. Rethink’ exhibition at the Design Museum in London. As we just highlighted in our questions surrounding amenity kits, there is an increasing movement to explore ways that we can use design thinking and material innovation to address the vast issue of waste in travel,…

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Aeromexico’s stylish new Etro amenity kit raises the question, do these kits now need to be reimagined?

It’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…

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Air Italy brings true Italian cuisine options to Economy Class

Air Italy has just announced that it will bring a totally new Economy Class meal with brand new packaging and enhanced inflight service for all long-haul Economy Class flights to and from its Milan hub.  Starting this September, the new inflight dining experience will feature a fully refreshed set of menus. It also heralds the…

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It’s a goodie bag! Virgin Atlantic revamps amenities, with cool eco-credentials

Virgin Atlantic has just pulled back the drawstring on a series of eco-savvy amenity enhancements across its cabins. Naturally focussing on their Upper Class product, which has recently had an upgrade, there are a plethora of extra enhancements from socks to pyjamas. The hero of these enhancement is Virgin’s quirkily-named ‘Goodie bag’ which features REN…

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5 great upgraded Business Class cabins already flying in 2019

2019 has already seen a wealth of new product launches and new aircraft deliveries. This means that passengers are starting to experience the latest wave in business class seats and cabins across the globe. While there are many more exciting products on the horizon from Emirates‘ Premium Economy product through to Lufthansa’s new 777 business…

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Malaysia Airlines launches new amenity kits for Business Class passengers

Malaysia Airlines is certainly worth considering when selecting long-haul flights through the Asia region as its easy to find affordable fares, and its product is certainly of an international standard. It’s continued to improve its position as one of the leading luxury carriers in the sky by revealing new amenity kits, Wi-Fi and upgraded soft…

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Japan Airlines’ new uniforms are true to form, but leaves us a little underwhelmed

Last week, Japan Airlines announced new designs for the company’s uniformed staff and which will be officially adopted in April 2020 in time for the Japanese Olympics. In early 2019, Japan Airlines reached out to customers and fans requesting comments and opinions on new designs for JAL`s uniformed representatives. Based on the responses, the company…

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Air New Zealand launches new ‘All Blacks’ safety video

It’s that time again, and while Air New Zealand had recently advertised for a job position of ‘Head of Safety Videos’ (perhaps one of the most sought-after jobs in the industry), the carrier has also just rolled out a new safety video, this time featuring the country’s most famous export, the All Blacks. All Blacks…

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Move over Star Trek. Could Airbus’ Bird of Prey inspire a future generation of engineers? We think it’s simply beautiful

Airbus has unveiled a stunning conceptual design for a new airliner that pushes the boundaries of technology and innovation with its bird-like appearance, created to inspire a new generation of aeronautical engineers. The design isn’t just a flight of fancy though, dubbed the ‘Bird of Prey’ due to wing and tail structures which mimic those…

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Air Tahiti Nui launches new uniforms

Last month saw Air Tahiti Nui unveil its unique, French Polynesian-inspired crew uniforms. The uniforms complete the passenger experience which includes the previous introduction of the 787 to the airline’s fleet. Air Tahiti Nui’s crew debuted the new uniforms at an event on June 20, 2019 in Paris Le Bourget. The uniforms which refine the previous…

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Turkish launches two new amenity kits, with Versace for Business Class and Mandarina Duck for Economy (You heard us right!)

Turkish Airlines has taken their position as a leading European carrier one step further this week with two small luxury additions, but showcase the airline’s never ending improvement to the hard and soft products available onboard. Turkish has just announced two new amenity kits for its long-haul routes, one in Business and amazingly, a fully-fledged…

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Delta knocks our socks off, with Bellini welcome drinks, enhanced menus and hot towels. And that’s in economy!

There are a few times in the past few years I’ve been proud of the advancements in service levels across all cabins, and this is one of them. Delta seems to be bucking the trend of shredding any passenger comforts away and de-bundling the inflight experience. In one bold statement made today, the airline has…

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British Airways launches new World Traveller Plus amenities

While all eyes are currently on British Airways’s new A350-1000 aircraft, which will be the next big ‘thing’ for the IAG carrier, BA has also rolled out the next phase of its investment in its ‘World Traveller Plus’ premium economy product, with a range of new amenities for customers. Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ Director of…

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Juneyao Airlines introduces new uniforms and reveals inflight offering on first of true long-haul routes, to Helsinki

Juneyao Airlines has just revealed its new cabin crew uniform, which will be rolled out on the new route from Shanghai to Helsinki this week. The threads, designed by Guo Pei, might look familiar, with the female uniform looking quite similar to the Cheongsam dresses from Hainan Airlines thanks to the ornate embroidery and Chinese traditional elements.…

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Hong Kong Airlines continues younger, fresh and local approach to amenity kits

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…

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WestJet Refreshes On-Board Product As Part Of New Dreamliner Service

It’s incredible that WestJet has already launched its 787 Dreamliner service to European hubs including Dublin, London Gatwick and Paris, but following the introduction of these new services, WestJet has now added a few little improvements to make the flight that little bit more memorable across WestJet’s global network. Celebrating WestJet’s authentic Canadian roots, that…

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Oman Air Launch New Uniforms And New Masterbrand Called ‘State of Grace’

Yesterday saw the launch of Oman Air’s latest cabin crew uniform, which brings the airline’s brand image even closer to perfection. As part of the Oman Air brand evolution which saw the first major product enhancement through the introduction of its new First Class cabin last year on its newly delivered Boeing 787-9 with interiors by…

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Yas Kween! JetBlue Celebrates Pride With Their Latest Aircraft, ‘Shantay Blue Stay’

JetBlue, like many other airlines, gets itself behind Pride each year, but yesterday it announced announced a series of special events, highlighting the airline’s continued support for various LGBTQ organisations throughout Pride Month. At the heart of these events, ‘The Official Airline of Fierce’ and RuPaul’s Drag Race named one of the fleet “Shantay Blue Stay”…

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Behind The Scenes: Etihad’s New Economy Class Service

As we announced a few weeks ago, Etihad has revamped its economy service to become more sustainable while offering passengers larger main meals and a restaurant-style service. On first impressions, offering two waves of dining would appear more complicated for the cabin crew, but as we found out by spending a few hours behind the scenes…

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ANA To Launch Route Specific Safety Video For Hawaii Routes… Of Course It Features Turtles.

While it hasn’t been launched yet, All Nippon Airways has produced a cute one-off in-flight safety video and a deplaning video specifically for its flights between Tokyo (both Haneda and Narita) and Honolulu. Expanding on the very specially branded route for the airline, it features three distinct characters (Lani, Kai and Lā) – modelled after the Airbus…

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