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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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.…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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.…
Read More
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…
Read More
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,…
Read More
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…
Read More
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,…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
Cathay Pacific has been busy over the past few weeks improving what is seemingly a faultless premium product. Today the Hong Kong based airline unveiled its new range of amenity kits for First and Business Class passengers on long-haul flights which feature natural skincare products from renowned Australian brands Aesop and Jurlique (who already feature…
Read More
It was announced at the end of last week that little known Sata International may be undergoing a rebrand. The airline, also known as ‘Sata Air Azores’ is changing it’s image to become ‘Azores Airlines’. Shockingly, this rebrand of the airline is being announced 4 years after the incumbent design was released. Globally speaking, this still…
Read More
During 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 More
Helping TheDesignAir in 2015 Thank you for taking the time to visit this page. You’ve done that as hopefully you are keen to help support TheDesignAir in 2015 and have found our site useful in the past. I created this site back in 2012, to help bring the latest news and product developments in the aviation…
Read More
2014 saw many app developers taking on the yet relatively unmastered art of streamlining airline travel. Taking a browse through the Apple app store recently, we decided to run a round up of smartphone apps, both new and old, that we have decided we can’t live without. Lounge Buddy We love this nifty app, especially…
Read More
It was announced this week that Japanese carrier ANA and Noma, critically acclaimed as one of the world’s “best restaurants,” have partnered to offer global travelers the ‘Inspiration of Japan’. Motivated by shared core values and a vision to provide their guests with world-class, genuine and heartfelt hospitality, the partnership is a celebration and amalgamation of…
Read More
Yesterday, Qatar Airways revealed the interiors of its new A350 (and the first commercial version in the world) to the press in Qatar. The aircraft didn’t disappoint showcasing the extra large wide body in all its glory, offering 3 x 3 x 3 seating in economy without compromise on space, a first for a single…
Read More