On the following day of the launch of Virgin Atlantic’s updated premium product ‘Dream Suite‘ comes news from troubled Lufthansa of a different nature. In an effort to try and become more efficient, curb spending and reign in the purse strings after a less than successful stint of turning bmi around, they are going to…
Read MoreBritish Airways have just released images of their brand new interiors for their short haul fleet. The airline it has announced it will be refitting 95 (not all) of its short haul fleet with these slick new contemporary designs, which fit closer in-line to their long haul fleet offering. The new cabins will be available…
Read MoreNow that Batik Air, Lion Air’s latest ‘Premium’ venture, has been flying for a few weeks, we thought it best to take some time to take a look at this new carrier and what you can expect. Firstly, Let’s talk interiors. The whole premise of the airline is to fly passengers around the Asia region…
Read MoreDining: Qatar Airways has yet again, gone above and beyond to try and create a truly unique product to compete with it’s slightly larger Middle Eastern counterparts. Four International chefs have been drafted in to enhance and develop their First Class and Business Class menu offerings flying from Doha in Qatar. The award-winning Chef Ramzi Choueiri,…
Read MoreVirgin America Economy Class Report Flight: VX290 Aircraft Type: A320 Class: Economy Class (Main Cabin Express) Route: LAX – CUN Date: 06th November 2012 Best for: Cheap tickets to cool destinations, with less emphasis on cheap, more on chic. Most likely to sit next to: If you were me, slightly larger Americans laden with neck pillows, that didn’t get the memo that…
Read MoreLufthansa have been working on a new premium economy product for the past few years and have just announced they are to be introduced into their long haul fleet. Seen globally as a huge success since the invention from Virgin Atlantic, in 1992, many airlines now offer a class between economy and business class, as…
Read MoreVirgin Atlantic Upper Class Report Flight: VS023 Aircraft Type: A340-600 Class: Upper Class (Premium Business Class) Route: LHR – LAX Date: 02nd November 2012 Best for: Someone at home on the red-carpet… or an extra from ‘Made in Chelsea’. Most likely to sit next to: Fashion designers, Graphic Designers, Fergie and anyone with a second home in the Hollywood hills. Business…
Read MoreVirgin Atlantic managed to top the polls in the CoolBrands List. The CoolBrands List has been running for 11 years and has featured the sexy red airline rather a lot. Sir Richard Branson’s airline was one of only two airlines to place, along with British Airways, However Virgin Atlantic placed 8th coolest brand in the…
Read MoreVirgin Atlantic Upper Class Report Flight: VS043 Aircraft Type: B747-400 Class: Upper Class (Premium Business Class) Route: LGW – LAS Date: 18th September 2012 Best for: Style-conscious gadget-lovers and movie stars. Most likely to sit next to: Someone that either has been in a movie, owns a media company or is equally as cool as…
Read MoreHere at thedesignair.net, we have almost been running for 6 years and produced in excess of 1,000 stories. We are thrilled that the website has grown so quickly, with such a great following. As the site grows, so do our partnerships, and we have worked hard to develop relationships with some of the best talent…
Read MoreQatar Airways has announced the launch of a new daily all premium Business Class service from its hub in Doha to London Heathrow today. Mirroring the product currently run by British Airways from London City Airport. The new service will be the first of its kind in the Middle East, commencing from 15 May 2014,…
Read MoreSingapore Airlines has always been seen as a global market leader so it doesn’t surprise to hear they have launched a plan to roll out their in-flight offering of WiFi from their current 14 aircraft out to their entire fleet. This will also mean that mobile phone data services can be enabled, allowing the humble…
Read MoreWe have been pretty impressed by Plaza Premium‘s latest few lounges, and this new lounge, announced for London Heathrow’s Terminal 2 is no exception to their rule. The latest lounge, which open on June 4th, the same day the terminal opens, will be Hong Kong based Plaza Premium’s first venture in Europe. The innovative lounge has been designed…
Read MoreSo, for those of you who have been following my posts will probably be expecting this report. It’s safe to say I’ve been confident that a ‘Virgin America’ product would end up over in Europe, recently covering such a concept in this Report. Virgin Atlantic have launched a 3 times daily return connection between Heathrow…
Read MoreJust like the new 777’s that Kenya Airways launched late last year, Kenya Airways have released on YouTube a computer generated image of what their new 787’s will be like when they arrive. The first thing that strikes us is the new interior in the Premier World (business class) is the beds are identical to…
Read MoreFlight: FJ811 Aircraft Type: A330-200 Class: Business Class Route: LAX-NAN Date: 6th February 2014 http://www.fijiairways.com Best for: Savvy passengers who can afford to spend a little more to start their holiday early, and fight off the jetlag. Most likely to sit next to: Anyone from a seasoned traveller top-to-toe in Linen luxury, to a marine biologist connecting on to Sydney. Business or…
Read MoreLATAM have just exclusively announced a brand new look for their short haul and long haul cabins, being rolled out on their Airbus A320 family aircraft and new 787-9 and A350 fleet. This is the first real sign of unification between the two airlines, who have been working together since 2012. Conceived by Priestmangoode, the new domestic…
Read MoreAs promised, here at DesignAir we evaluated airlines around the world to compile our definitive Top 10 list of Cool Airline Brands. Let us know if you agree, whether you think we’ve missed one, or what your top 10 would be at the bottom of the page! 10. Southwest Southwest Airlines could be seen as a…
Read MoreToday, 09 September 2012, marks the news of one of the industry’s most influential CEOs stepping down from his position as CEO of Virgin Atlantic. Steve Ridgeway started his career with Virgin Atlantic in 1989 when he was appointed Managing Director of the industry’s first automated frequent flyer programme, Virgin Freeway. In 1994, he was…
Read MoreThanks to our friends at Australian Business Traveller, we can share the latest news from Asia LCC Scoot. Singapore Airlines’ low-cost offshoot will take delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 in November this year and shift to an all-Boeing 787 fleet by the middle of 2015 as the airline seeks to parlay the Dreamliner’s increased fuel…
Read MorePriestmangoode, UK based design firm have just revealed their fantastic new interiors for South African Airways latest short haul Airbus fleet. The studio worked in collaboration with The Brand Union, Johannesburg, South Africa, a brand consultancy, to develop a new brand identity and experience for the leading African airline. Kim Thipe, Head of Marketing at South African Airways…
Read MoreRaising the question ‘Will we ever learn?’ Hong Kong Airlines seems to have dropped it’s premium flights between Hong Kong and London Gatwick, only months after starting them. Add this to the recent news that the all-business class Singapore Airlines flights between Singapore and JFK now offer economy seating in them to bolster yields as…
Read MoreBritish Airways who have always taken more of an ‘atmospheric’ attitude towards their advertising campaigns compared to VA, their competitor’s, product led advertising strategy as of late, has taken a new direction. No doubt, off the back of Heston Blumenthal’s TV programme that highlighted the challenges found onboard airlines for their catering offering due to…
Read MoreAir Canada, who have created one of the densest seating 777‘s going, which apart from their new business class cabin (which is great), packed passengers in their economy cabin, has now released impressions of their 787. Whilst the economy cabin offers 3 x 3 x 3 seating (which although tight is similar to almost all…
Read MoreAmerican Airlines today have possibly jumped on the Weber seat bandwagon with a newly refreshed cabin product. As part of this redesign, American’s entire fleet of 777-200ERs will have fully lie-flat Business Class seats with aisle access for every seat, international Wi-Fi, in-seat entertainment throughout all cabins, and Main Cabin Extra seating offering more legroom. The 767-300ERs will…
Read MoreCo-written by Raymond Kollau, airlinetrends.com Hybrid low-cost carrier Skymark – Japan’s third largest airline – turned heads in early 2011 when it announced an order for six A380 superjumbo’s which will feature only 394 seats in a premium two-class configuration: 114 angled lie-flat Business seatss on the upper deck and 280 ‘shell-style’ Premium Economy seats on the lower deck. Skymark…
Read MoreLast May, Japan AIrlines announced the airline was renovating the airline’s 767 cabin for its international routes. The first route will be first introduced on flights between Tokyo (Narita) and Vancouver from December 09, 2013 and following this, flights between Tokyo (Narita) and Kuala Lumpur from January 2014. The airline also plans to expand this new service…
Read MoreUnited Economy Report Flight: UA1717 Aircraft Type: B767-400 Class: Economy (Coach) Route: HNL – SFO Date: 26th September 2012 Best for: ‘Blandalised’ travelers, looking for a cheap seat, and nothing else. Most likely to sit next to: (on this route) An aging surfer dreaming of times gone by, or an armada of Japanese tourists. Business…
Read MoreOne of our favourite carriers, Hawaiian Airlines has recently announced that in June 2014, their A330 fleet will offer a new level of comfort in their economy cabin. Titled ‘Extra Comfort Economy’, Hawaiian, In their first comprehensive redesign of its long-haul seating configuration, will be offering a new class of seats that offer more legroom and other amenities…
Read MoreBy Raymond Kollau, airlinetrends.com Cathay Pacific has unveiled its new amenity kits for Premium Economy Class passengers which feature exclusive designs by home-grown Hong Kong brand G.O.D. (which stands for Goods of Desire). Cathay says its design collaboration with G.O.D. took inspiration from the “vibrant culture of Hong Kong, where East meets West and age-old traditions blend with…
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