Sometimes when concepts come along at thedesignair.net we get excited, as they often push the boundaries of the ‘plain plane’ and give us reason to stop and re-evaluate what we consider as the standard experience for today. TEAGUE, with its 80 years of design history, teamed up with ultra-hi-tech Nike to look at the plane environment…
Read MoreWe weren’t fully sure what to think of Asiana’s new A380 interior when we saw their presentation, however, secretly, the big kid inside us absolutely loves what they are doing. It’s like a Disney World of the skies for all ages, but more on that in a second. Firstly, lets take a look at the…
Read MoreAir France today launched its new first class (La Premiere) cabin, found on its 777-300 fleet, titled ‘A Designer Suite’. With only 4 suites available onboard, the airline has decided to reduce the cabin size, and make the whole experience a little more ‘intimate’ and special – now offering 3 square meters of space per…
Read MoreToday (May 4th 2014) Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has unveiled the world’s first private multi-room cabin on a commercial passenger aircraft. The Residence will unbelievably feature a living room, double bedroom, separate ensuite shower room, and for the first time in the airline industry, a dedicated, trained Butler. We…
Read MoreFlight: AF0009 Aircraft Type: B777-300 (Four Class version) Class: Business Class Route: JFK-CDG Flight time: 6:07 Seat: 4L Date: November 2014 http://www.airfrance.com Best for: Anyone with a modicum of style, looking for good connections around the world. The crowd: This carrier oozes Parisian chic. Luxury clothing mandatory. Business or pleasure: This carrier is all about both, excellent and opulent food matched with excellent flight…
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 MoreFlyDubai, the up and coming short-mid haul carrier from Dubai, has recently given their competitors a run for their money. They’ve just announced that by the end of the year, they will be rolling out business class seating across their fleet. 3 rows of 2×2 seating will now form the front of their planes. The…
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 MoreWe are pleased to announce our Top 10 Cool Airline Brands 2014, the list features the ‘coolest’ airlines found around the world, as voted by our judging panel. This year brought a variety of new entrants, due to their work in 2013 in improving their brand image. There were also a host of airlines that…
Read MoreWelcome to our Top 10 destinations of 2014, the list of the best places to go for the year ahead. Here at TheDesignAir we’ve wrapped up the best 10 destinations, whether it be for the best in air travel, the best new routes or the hottest hotels to stay in. So without further ado, here’s the…
Read MoreFlight: QR004 Aircraft Type: 777-300ER Class: Business Class Route: LHR-DOH Date: January 2014 http://www.qatarairways.com Best for: Those looking for the best of the business classes, not in need of frills, but good onward connections and timetables. Most likely to sit next to: Local wealthy Qataris who do international business and onward connecting international businessmen. Business or pleasure: A decent sized screen, seat with…
Read MoreFlight: CI062 Aircraft Type: B747-400 Class: Business Class Route: FRA-TPE Date: May 2014 http://www.china-airlines.com Best for: Affordable business class travellers wanting excellent service and good connections across Asia. Most likely to sit next to: Local Taiwanese travellers, or connecting European flyers utilising the Skyteam partnership. Business or pleasure: Pleasure. Without wi-fi onboard, and a service concept that makes you feel like you are…
Read MoreAir France has made a “Best&Beyond” promise to change it’s ways recently, shaking off some of the history it has steeped up over the years, and add a more contemporary ‘luxury’ feel to the airline. The French legacy carrier, like Lufthansa and British Airways, is fast becoming another bastion of European ‘luxury refined’ travel. Each…
Read MoreAs part of our plan to talk to some of the leaders in aviation branding, thedesignair.net take 5 minutes out of Frank Mertens’ busy schedule to talk about the immediate future of the UK’s much admired bmi regional airline. Hi Frank, thanks for taking time to talk to us, firstly what is your background and…
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 MoreEmirates has launched a new global brand direction, titled “Hello Tomorrow”, which now offers a new brand promise as the company continues its evolution from a travel brand to a global lifestyle brand. Further from Emirates, the new theme is “designed for the age of consumer engagement and empowerment, the new ad campaign is about inspiring…
Read MoreQantas won Lounge of the Year at Thedesignair last year, and quite rightly so. It now seems they are fighting to win yet another year with this latest lounge, based in Singapore Changi airport. Qantas International CEO, Simon Hickey, said the new lounge showcased the experiences and cuisine of Singapore. “The Singapore Lounge has been designed to…
Read MoreGaruda Indonesia has had a resurgence in the past few years, and as part of their ‘Quantum Leap’ program announced last year, Garuda have re-launched both their first class product (whilst other carriers continue to remove their products) and ‘executive’ business class. Now available to purchase on their new 777 fleet, the product is of…
Read MoreEtihad, arguably one of the world’s finest airlines are following the current trend of creating inspirational campaigns to generate excitement about travelling and impart a sense of warmth when discovering the rest of the world. Their subtle take on brand association fits with BA‘s, Virgin’s or even Emirates latest campaigns, which are less about hard…
Read MoreFlight: CX254 Aircraft Type: 777-300ER Class: Premium Economy Route: LHR-HKG Date: 30th November 2013 http://www.cathaypacific.co.uk Best for: Savvy frequent travellers who are happy with a great reclining chair but don’t want to spend their money on business class. Most likely to sit next to: On our flight, I was next to business travellers, one of which was a Boeing Engineer, and most…
Read MoreThis month we feature our Top 10 Lounges 2012. Competition is getting tough, as lounges are constantly improving year on year, but our selections are based on product offering, design aesthetic, unique offerings and synergy with the respective airline’s brand. Let’s commence with Number 10… 10. Emirates First Class Lounge, Dubai (DXB) A wine…
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 MoreNo real surprises that Virgin America sweeped the board, hosted in their home state, at the Passenger Choice Awards 2012 yesterday in Long Beach California (September 17th), pulling in a whopping 4 awards, encompassing Overall Passenger Experience (Up to 50 IFE equipped in fleet), Best in Region (Americas), Best User Interface and Best Cabin Ambiance.…
Read MoreWe are pleased to announce our Top 10 economy classes for 2013. We have scoured the world for airlines that have really shown us something truly special. Whilst many airlines didn’t make the list, we’d like to state that generally over the past 12 months, we have seen airlines around the world innovate and renovate…
Read MoreWhilst this image of the freshly painted Thai A380 might not generate a huge fanfare of a reaction, it is within that reasoning I feel Thai have got their paintjob of the A380 absolutely right. Comparing the image of the A380 to the 747 below you’ll see a few minor, but very clever changes. The…
Read MoreAs we head into 2013, it’s time to start planning the best places to go for the year ahead. Here at TheDesignAir we’ve wrapped up the best 10 destinations, whether it be for the best in air travel, best new airports or the hottest hotels to stay in. So without further ado, here’s the run-down…
Read MoreThe Abu Dhabi Executive Council has given the green light for contracts to be awarded for a brand new airport terminal at Abu Dhabi International airport. A statement said the council had approved the “awarding of contracts” for the long-awaited Dh25bn Midfield terminal at Abu Dhabi International Airport, which would accommodate up to 27 million passengers a…
Read MoreQatar Airways, a 5 star airline that truly deserves its airline ranking, seems to be really pushing forward with an aggressive expansion plan. Today, May 2nd 2012, marks a USD$2billion investment from Qatar into the New Doha International Airport, as the country looks to expand the airport to cope with the constant increase in growth…
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