As of today, passengers flying on Delta’s International business class ‘Delta One’ will be laying back in their own sleep suits on flights between Seattle and Shanghai, Detroit and Shanghai, Seattle and Beijing, Detroit and Beijing, and Seattle and Hong Kong. Launching a similar product to that found on sister airline Virgin Atlantic, the new sleep suits, available in small/medium…
Read MoreYesterday we announced that Dragonair was going to change its brand to Cathay Dragon in a bid to align itself with Cathay Pacific and while the general reaction has been similar to ours in thinking that the livery looks familiar to Qantas or Turkish Airlines (or at least from afar), we have taken a closer look…
Read MoreToday is the launch party of China Eastern‘s New 777-300ER which has now commenced commercial service to LA, with the carrier launching the brand new Boeing aircraft on their prestigious trans-Pacific Shanghai – Los Angeles route. With already established routes to America, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Honolulu to Shanghai, China Eastern is poised to become a…
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 MoreCathay Pacific today announced that DragonAir will cease to exist, instead the sister airline to Cathay Pacific will be rebranded as Cathay Dragon. In a press release announced today, Cathay Pacific’s Chief Executive Ivan Chu said “In aligning the Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon brands, we will create a more seamless journey for customers, enabling us to…
Read MoreCathay 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…
Read MoreIn our exclusive interview with designer Ilse Crawford from StudioIlse, we reveal that the new London Heathrow Lounge will be the first redesigned lounge to feature both First Class and Business Class areas for passengers. The designer is the same creative force behind the new wave of Cathay Pacific lounges, including the Pier First Class Lounge and new…
Read MoreThis month our favourite independent lounge company Plaza Premium launched a brand new lounge in Shanghai Pudong for China Eastern airlines. The world’s first co-branded spacious lounge, situated in Shanghai’s Terminal 2 features 1,800 square meters of space for passengers to relax before their flights. The lounge which can seat up to 500 guests in comfort,…
Read MoreSWISS is the latest airline to take delivery of a brand new 777-300ER and yesterday they showed off the new aircraft to members of the media. Our reporter Sven Hennig was there to take a look at what we think is the latest ‘designer’ aircraft interior by London based Priestmangoode. In total, Swiss International Air Lines will…
Read MoreQantas 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…
Read MoreCathay Pacific today revealed their long awaited livery, which features a few simple changes to radically change their aircraft’s appearance. Designed in collaboration with design firm Eight Partnership, this new look new livery will be progressively introduced onto all the aircraft in its fleet. The livery was showcased on one of the airline’s Boeing 777-300ER aircraft at a special…
Read MoreTheDesignAir 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,…
Read More2015 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…
Read MoreHong Kong Express may have been around for a while now, but it is finally pushing itself away from Hong Kong Airlines who until just recently shared an almost identical livery. As Hong Kong Express pushes itself forward as a true LCC, it was time to shake off its previous image and embrace something new.…
Read MoreFlight: CX375 Aircraft Type: 777-300ER aircraft Class: Business Class Route: DUS-HKG Flight time: 12hrs30mins Seat: 12G Date: October 2015 http://www.cathaypacific.com Best For: Regular travellers connecting from Germany to Asia with all of the ease of a direct flight. With four flights a week taking place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, this new route is already…
Read MoreThings have changed in our Top 10! Every month, our esteemed judge panel—which consists of industry experts, frequent travelers, industry analysts and aviation enthusiasts—votes its Top 10 airlines by measuring different elements such as Best Liveries, Business Classes, and so on. This month, we’ve announced our annual Passenger Choice awards. TheDesignAir asked the public to vote for their favorite airline brand, and the results are…
Read More2015 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…
Read MoreCurrent 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…
Read MoreThis week marked the arrival of Korean Air‘s new 747-8i passenger aircraft. The first of 10 on order, these new aircraft are heralded as the flagship airframe for this South Korean airline. KAL, which already operates seven 747-8 freighters, has become the first airline in the world to operate both the passenger and freighter version of…
Read MoreWritten for TheDesignAir by Adam Ralston | Nine months ago, the final Cathay Pacific 747-400 departed San Francisco for Hong Kong, never to return to the continent. That 747-400 was swapped, permanently, for the 777-300ER serving the airlines’ Canadian and US destinations. The 747-series of passenger aircraft served Cathay Pacific well for nearly 35 years. That final departure on…
Read MoreDennis Owen, Manager of Brand Cathay Pacific has been working with the airline for 29 years, starting in San Fransisco four months before Cathay even started flying to the United States as a sales representative and then moved to Dallas in 1990, when OneWorld started. “I was there for 6 years, and then went to Los Angeles and…
Read MoreThis month we cover 2015’s Top 10 Premium Economy Classes. Investing more into their new mid-cabin classes, airlines are fighting to offer passengers extra elements to lift the experience—on the ground and in the air. With Singapore Airlines entering the fray this year, the list is open to change as we continue to review the world’s very best Premium Economy Classes.…
Read MoreOpen today, Cathay Pacific passengers travelling out of Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport are in for a treat. Located at Level 3 in the Concourse G Departure Hall, Cathay’s Bangkok lounge adopts the airline’s new lounge design template that has already been employed at Cathay Pacific lounges in Haneda Airport in Tokyo and Manila. Measuring in at 679…
Read MoreYou won’t miss this in a rush! Singapore Airlines have just brought one of two aircraft out of the paint shop to celebrate Singapore’s 50th year of independence. Today marked SIA’s special A380 Charity Flight, on which some 300 beneficiaries of Community Chest experienced a three-hour flight on the jet. Beneficiaries included children with special needs,…
Read MoreWhen we recently visited Cathay Pacific‘s new Tokyo Haneda Lounge, we were excited to announce the carrier was expanding the new aesthetic and product across a range of outstations. The latest lounge to join this exclusive list of designer spaces is found in Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Not really being known for its amazing facilities, the…
Read MoreDuring the same week ANA announce their partnership with Noma in Japan, Cathay Pacific and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announce their first-ever international partnership for crafting unique inflight menus for the airline over the coming 12 months. The strategic partnership brings top chefs from various renowned Mandarin Oriental properties in Hong Kong, London, Paris, New…
Read MoreWe were delighted this month to be invited to experience Cathay’s latest airside lounge, situated in Tokyo Haneda, which we reported on late last year. Situated airside in Tokyo Haneda’s International Terminal, the brand new space, on the very highest passenger floor commands unparalleled views of not just Haneda Airport, but Tokyo’s dramatic and iconic skyline. On…
Read MoreWe constantly write about how lounges continue to impress us, and this is purely due to the fact there is a lounge war on right now, with airlines around the world trying to offer their passengers an experience to equal their competitors. Cathay Pacific today revealed a lounge that would not just cater for their current passenger…
Read MoreSWISS will be ushering-in a new era in the history of its long-haul aircraft fleet next January with the arrival of the first of its nine new Boeing 777-300ERs. In SWISS configuration these new state of the art Boeing aircraft will seat a handsome 340 passengers. In SWISS’s configuration the Boeing 777-300ER will offer eight in…
Read MoreThe latest carrier to embrace a residential concept for their lounge offering, Singapore Airlines has unveiled its brand new SilverKris Lounge at Heathrow, following the airline’s recent move into Heathrow’s Terminal 2. Designed by renowned architectural and interior design firm ONG&ONG, the new Heathrow SilverKris Lounge for First and Business Class customers is the third lounge to…
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