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…
Read MoreAmerican Airlines today announced two new exciting developments for their network. Starting November 4th, American Airlines will start flying from Dallas DFW to Madrid and Sao Paulo on their brand new 787-9 Dreamliner. Schedule: DFW-MAD MAD-DFW Departs DFW at 5:45 p.m. Departs MAD at 12:20 p.m. Arrives at MAD at 9:55 a.m. (next day) Arrives…
Read MoreNow we love a good amenity kit here at thedesignair.net. It seems that every airline has tied in with another brand, Emirates and Bvlgari, Cathay Pacific and Jurlique and British Airways and Elemis. However, Japan Airlines has showcased their new amenity kits by none-other than super-cool Spanish brand Loewe. Only available in first class, the…
Read MoreLast month, Emirates launched a brand new set of Economy Class amenity kits. The kit bags reflect Emirates global coverage and come in six designs inspired by six regions in Emirates’ global network – Australasia, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Far East. The designs incorporate the colours and patterns of each of…
Read MoreAer Lingus this week celebrated 80 years of flights. On 27th May 1936, the airline launched its first ever flight from Baldonnel to Bristol on this day in 1936. To recognise this incredible milestone, Aer Lingus has flown the Iolar, a replica of the a six-seater De Havilland 84 Dragon which made that first journey with only five passengers,…
Read MoreYou may know we are great fans of Hawaiian Airlines and their fantastic brand. Infact we flew with them just a few weeks ago and will be bringing you our very own trip reports of our experience with the airline. But in the meantime, we are happy to see their new online memerobilia store open!…
Read MoreTurkmenistan’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…
Read MoreKorean Air is the latest carrier to embrace the new B/E Aerospace Apex business class suite. Following both JAL and Oman Air, Korean Air has opted for these increasingly popular forward facing private suites, which all offer aisle access and increased privacy. Just like Japan airline’s suites, Korean Air’s “Prestige suites” turn into 74 inch long beds. When…
Read MorePlease read our first installment of our four part series here . Part 2 | Days after visiting Honour, I head on over to Acumen, another member of the EDC. Situated just around the corner in Clerkenwell, Acumen are also settling into their new offices, the epitome of London creativity, a bright and well-designed space that…
Read MoreIt has been a busy year for Business Class, with a staggering array of new products being launched as carriers fight for their most lucrative passenger base. Our list contains some surprises, with familiar names falling off and lesser-known carriers appearing. Generally speaking, the products scored lower this year, possibly because consumers’ expectations are rising. The judges looked, as always, at hard and soft product first— but the very highest…
Read MoreMalaysia Airlines this week unveiled its first A330-300 aircraft fitted with brand new fully-flat Business Class seats. The new seats have just starting flying on the Kuala Lumpur – Sydney route. As we reported back in November, Malaysia Airlines new Business Class seat is a great step up from the current angle lie-flat seats, although the layout doesn’t provide…
Read MoreA recent article on CNBC and the Daily Mail has highlighted how Saudia is considering segregating male and female passengers onboard its planes. Whilst we take this story with a pinch of salt, it does highlight how design onboard can either aid or hinder an airline’s core requirements. Whilst the laws have allegedly come in…
Read MoreQantas today revealed a new livery and brand image for the carrier. This is only the fifth time the iconic red-and-white ‘Roo’ tail of Qantas aircraft has been updated since it was first introduced in 1944. The last update was actually more recent than you might realise, as it was tweaked with the introduction of the Airbus A380 back…
Read MoreUnited Airlines has unveiled today a brand new international business class cabin and lounge concept that will start flying December 1st 2016. This revolutionary leap for United pushes the boundaries of comfort and amenities for the one remaining US legacy carrier that has lagged behind the recent developments at Delta and American. Named after the North Star, United…
Read MoreFarnborough has already brought us our first bit of exciting design news – and we like what we see when it comes to Embraer’s E2! The new single aisle cabin designed by world-renowned design studio Priestmangoode for Embraer was unveiled today with a full size mock up at the world famous air show. The designs…
Read MoreFlight: 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…
Read MoreToday at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, TAP announced they will be the first airline to take delivery of the new Airspace cabin by Airbus, that we covered last month. Coming to the skies in 2017, TAP’s new A330s will allow the carrier the blank canvas it needs to roll out its new brand and…
Read MoreThis month TheDesignAir takes a look at everything that airlines should be. Airlines we want to travel with, and are going above and beyond to create something truly unique in the sky. Our judges have voted and, interestingly, our top 10 all fit within just a 6 percent margin, and, yet again, we haven’t been able to just fit in 10…
Read MoreEvery designer’s idea of sheer panic is a blank sheet of paper. Imagine if this was given to you in the form of a completely empty A380 shell, and you were asked to create purely original ideas to fill it to the brim. It’s this blank piece of ‘metaphorical’ paper that was given to the…
Read MorePlease read our first installment of our four part series here and second instalment here. Part 3 | Business Class. It’s possibly one of the hardest cabins to design. Customer expectations are high, margins are low and space is at a premium. Now with the advent of premium economy and the still-standing First Class sandwiching the most popular of premium cabins,…
Read MoreJAL has just announced an industry first, bringing even more comfort to the skies in their first class cabin. Originally the airline used tempur mattresses and pillows in their first class cabin, but after response from their passengers flying in their business class cabin, the airline has rolled out the already established ‘airweave’ mattress and…
Read MoreChina Airlines recently unveiled an exclusive look into their new A350 XWB aircraft, coming into service within just a few months. The interiors are, at first glance, carbon copies of the already established 777-300ER (the last of which is just about to be delivered to the carrier), however, in an exclusive TheDesignAir interview with the…
Read MoreEmirates just announced their fourth daily flight to Dubai from London Gatwick airport, filling the large gap between the lunchtime and evening flight. Starting October 1st, the flight will take off at 16.50, it’s the perfect addition to the airline’s extensive nine other daily flights from the UK Capital. With six flights from London Heathrow and four from Gatwick,…
Read MoreMacau, gambling Mecca to Asia has just gained a lounge to be proud of. Plaza Premium Lounge has just launched their brand new space at the airport. Amazingly, 5 million passengers fly through Macau International Airport every year. Plaza Premium will be the only lounge provider in Macau. The new 4,340 square feet lounge will have…
Read MoreEtihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has unveiled the new product and service offering on its Airbus A380 and Boeing B787 Dreamliner aircraft, including The Residence by Etihad, definitely the world’s most luxurious living space in the air, available only on the airline’s A380 aircraft. The new interiors have been designed…
Read MoreRead Part 1 here | Read Part 2 here | Read Part 3 here Part 4 | Economy. “Amazing! It’s like being on the Orient Express” I instinctively say when seeing the designs for the Economy Smartseat of Etihad’s new fleet. My interviewees all smile at that comment. I guess that must be called ‘hitting…
Read MoreBack in late February China Southern took delivery of its first 777-300ER. In March 2014 it started flying to Shanghai from Guangzhou and now is commencing flights to NYC. The new aircraft features the latest cabin designs for the carrier which in our estimation has lifted the carrier to a world class competitor. With a…
Read MoreThe Democratic Republic of Congo may not be on every airline’s bucket list of lounge locations, but for Brussels Airlines, Kinshasa is a valuable route, and worthy of it’s first premium lounge offering outside of Brussels. Named ‘The Suite – Kinshasa’, after its recently opened namesake in Brussels, The Suite offers an intimate but well crafted lounge…
Read MoreFlight: AZ674 Aircraft Type: B777-200ER Class: ‘Magnifica’ Business Class (older generation) Route: FCO-GRU Flight time: 11:12 Seat: 3A Date: September 2015 http://www.alitalia.com Best for: European one-stop travellers who are happy to connect in Europe for more affordable fares. The crowd: Even though this is a very established route, the passengers seemed almost entirely Italian. Business or pleasure: The carrier suits business travellers, and with their imminent introduction of Wi-Fi,…
Read MoreThis week saw the official opening of their latest designer lounge in Terminal 1 of Dubai International Airport, the first for SkyTeam in the Gulf region. Catering to Elite Plus, First and Business Class passengers of the ten SkyTeam airlines flying to the airport. The new space spans over 960 square metres and can seat up…
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