TheDesignAir Give Away! We have a First Class Cathay Pacific Amenity kit to give away, featuring our favourite skincare brand Aesop. We will ship this kit to one lucky reader who shares this story on Facebook through our Facebook page. If you haven’t already, subscribe to our Facebook page and get sharing all of our stories! We…
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Flight: EY11 Aircraft Type: A380 Class: First Class “Apartments” Route: AUH-LHR Flight time: 7:25 Seat: 1H Date: Februrary 2015 http://www.etihad.com Best for: Anyone who can afford it. Suitable for those who have to travel a long way and value space, service and comfort above all else. The crowd: An almost-full cabin. With ultimate privacy, it was hard to say, but mainly top level executive travellers.…
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We’re pleased to announce that we have brought a brand new podcast to TheDesignAir.net. None other than legendary presenter Ted Kravitz and TheDesignAir.net founder Jonny Clark present The Aviator Podcast, covering everything in the air from departure gate to arrival hall. This month, We ask if Asia’s aviation sector needs to work on its safety culture,…
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This 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…
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London based JPA Design has had a long working history with Singapore Airlines, starting back in 1998 when they first launched the 747 first class suite. Since then the creative studio has tackled a variety of cabin designs for one of the world’s leading airlines, including the 777 and first ever production business class seat for SIA’s A380.…
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Perhaps one of the longest lasting unchanged liveries is owned by the Royal Air Force’s world famous Red Arrows. Well, until now. After over 50 years, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, has revealed a new Union flag-inspired design on its world-famous jets. The brand new tailfins on the team’s Hawk aircraft have received…
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To celebrate Hawaiian Airlines’ second anniversary of service to Auckland, the acclaimed New Zealand artist duo “BMD” traveled to Honolulu to create a piece of artwork on the carrier’s ground service equipment, illustrating the cultural similarities and differences of both regions. In the spirit of transitory street art, the catering vehicle that was selected was…
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Flight: EY12 Aircraft Type: A380 Class: Business “Studios” Route: LHR-AUH Flight time: 6:40 Seat: 12E Date: Februrary 2015 http://www.etihad.com Best for: Savvy one-stop travellers who want one of the very best products in the skies The crowd: Mainly international travellers, less UAE based passengers than its rivals. Business or pleasure: Definitely both, however the creature comforts far outweigh the excellent connectivity found onboard. Routes: Etihad fly to…
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The first SAS aircraft “Erik Viking” with their new long haul cabin took off today. Lucky passengers on flight SK909 from Copenhagen bound for Newark are currently experiencing a new design, new seats, new infotainment system and onboard WiFi. We announced the development back in May last year, with artists impressions, however due to their recent launch…
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You may have seen Air Astana stealing a few column inches in the news recently, due to its introduction of the ‘Air Astana Economy Sleeper’ service on their 757s. The new seat allows passengers to stretch out and enjoy three seats to themselves on selected international flights. The new product started on flights between Astana and London Heathrow, Frankfurt…
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Back in mid January, American received it’s first Dreamliner, one of the main reasons the airline had to revisit its livery, due to the composite nature of the airframe. The new livery is supported by a new interior inside the 787 that matches the similar product being retrofitted onto some of its 777-200 fleet. Installed…
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Vietnam Airlines has revealed (on the same day) both it’s 787 and A350 interiors which will be entering service later this year. The airline has opted for two different business classes between the two airframes, yet both offer substantial improvements on the current product, leapfrogging the carrier ahead to become a real competitor in the…
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Hosted inside the historic Manchester Town hall, Cathay Pacific celebrated its 4x weekly launch to the UK’s North West with 150 VIPs, dignitaries, and leading business figures from the local area. We were one of the lucky few to be invited to the special event last week, marking this important route between Manchester and Hong Kong.…
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Korean 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…
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We all know the story of the ill-fated Eos, MaxJet and SilverJet, who sadly all ceased operations during the credit crunch a few years ago. The only surviver, L’Avion, was snapped up by British Airways, who turned the carrier around, rebranding it British Airways “OpenSkies”. The carrier since, has continued operations, flying between Paris (Orly) and…
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The world’s largest airport passenger terminal design has been revealed, conceived by ADP Ingeniérie (ADPI) and Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA). The Beijing New Airport Terminal Building in Daxing, Beijing, doesn’t have a completion date yet, but was submitted under the leadership of the Beijing New Airport Headquarters (BNAH), based on the bid-winning planning scheme by ADPI.…
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Today 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…
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JAL certainly have embraced space in a big way when it comes to their 787-9, an aircraft designed to take up to 420 passengers. Instead the Japanese carrier has opted for just 195 seats onboard their aircraft, offering literally twice the amount of space per passenger. Naturally it doesn’t actually get shared out like that,…
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You may have already spotted these new kits, but starting this month, American Airlines have upgraded the premium experience for its customers and paying tribute to the proud history of its employees around the world with all-new amenity kits for most international and transcontinental flights, featuring special, limited edition kits that honor nine airlines that laid…
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From 9 August 2015, customers travelling on select Singapore Airlines flights from Singapore to Sydney will be the first to experience the airline’s latest cabin class. Premium economy will eventually be rolled out to other destinations served by the Airline’s Airbus A380s and Boeing 777-300ERs, as well as their Airbus A350s, including Beijing, Delhi, Hong Kong, Frankfurt,…
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Singapore Airlines launched a new puzzle on Instagram today revealing a sneak peek image of their brand new premium economy seats. There are a few elements we don’t fully understand, such as a power socket that appears on an extendable footrest, (how comfy would that be to have a plug digging into your legs) or…
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This month we delve into that quiet and revered airport sanctuary! TheDesignAir once again, with strategic print partner Airways magazine bring you the very best Top 10 Airport Lounges in the world 2015. As well as appearing online, they will appear in print in every monthly glossy issue of Airways magazine, available around the world. We are impressed with the…
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The future is here. Qantas has partnered with Samsung Electronics Australia to launch a futuristic trial entertainment service that uses Samsung virtual reality (VR) technology to give customers a spectacular three dimensional experience in a 360 degree style interactive format. Qantas’ clunky yet “Apple generation” stylish headsets will completely envelop customers in an immersive virtual world. Currently the entertainment features the sights and…
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Transavia, our wonderfully green-collared friend, has undergone a branding exercise, to refresh and address its commercial objectives. Mirabeau, a digital agency, was brought on by Transavia to begin work on a new e-commerce platform to increase ancillary sales, improve the conversion of flights and reduce operational costs. Having identified the need to redefine Transavia’s positioning and…
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Yesterday Eurowings, which is Lufthansa’s newest LCC brand, revealed its first aircraft painted in its new livery. The new-look carrier will start by mirroring the product on offer by sister-airline germanwings. Firstly, a few facts, Eurowings isn’t a new brand. It had been operating since 1994 as a regional carrier for parent company Lufthansa. The new brand is…
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Pho Quoc is an island often overlooked by tourists when they visit Vietnam – heading for the cities that are so well documented, but is a hidden gem. Offering some much needed rest bite, Pho Quoc is only a short flight from Ho Chi Minh and prides itself on its naturally white beaches which slope…
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Cathay Pacific with the help of McCANN, have launched a brand new campaign, which reinforces the message of how a comfortable and well thought-through product onboard can set you up for your travels and make the whole experience a lot more… well, civilized. On their microsite, Cathay state “We believe that travelling well is an…
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Some of you may have spotted London Luton’s rebrand announced last month. London’s second smallest commercial airport is famous for it’s low cost network and leisure routes served by charter airlines. Situated outside of London its often had to deal with a negative mindset of its travellers. Its personally our least favourite airport of all 5…
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As spotted by one of our avid followers with a keen eye (thank you), TAM have revealed their 777 business class cabin refresh (above), something they announced they were going to do late last year. On their website there is an image of an improved 777 business class cabin, with an interior that matches their 787…
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United Airlines won’t be beaten, and like Cathay Pacific, have introduced a brand new amenity kit. In a slightly less tactile, but still nicely packaged product, will be offering international premium-cabin customers a unique enhancement to their in-flight experience with specially designed amenity kits available through late spring. As part of a wider initiative to improve…
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