We 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 MoreVirgin Atlantic announced today they were going to launch a new uniform for the 7,500 staff that wear the Virgin brand, designed by British designer Dame Vivienne Westwood. The collaboration between the two British brands is a long-term partnership which will see a total re-design of the uniform across all areas. With original design and sustainability…
Read MoreStarting our series of competitive routes around the world, we are breaking down the details of what each airline has to offer to help you find the perfect airline for you for your trip. To start with, we are looking at Los Angeles to London Heathrow. In this post we are looking at the business…
Read More“…and the killer is… [blank screen]” annoying when that happens isn’t it? Not any more! Virgin Atlantic today announced they have now switched on their inflight entertainment from gate to gate, meaning that a passenger can watch an estimated extra two hours per flight. Whilst other carriers around the world have already got this system…
Read MoreFlight: EY18 Aircraft Type: A330-300 Class: Business Class Route: LHR-AUH Date: July 2014 http://www.etihad.com Best for: International business class travellers looking for luxury with one-stop connections Most likely to sit next to: Local Abu Dhabi residents or über-cool marketing and media types. Business or pleasure: This is an airline all about pleasure, whilst the carrier offers wi-fi and large tables to work from and…
Read MoreHere at Thedesignair we have been watching the recent trend over the past few months of new uniforms being launched around the world, from China Eastern to Virgin Atlantic, new threads have become the new norm, lifting the inflight product and refreshing the cabin look and feel, whilst also (hopefully) making the cabin crew a…
Read MoreSince we announced the move of our friends Air New Zealand’s Lounge in LAX back in October last year, the first images of their (much larger) TBIT lounge have just been revealed. Taking the form of a ‘Star Alliance’ branded lounge, the new space, set to open in 2013 will offer guests departing Tom Bradley International…
Read MoreBritish Airways, whose travel spas are run by well known brand Elemis, are undergoing a refurb and will have a new look, just in time for Christmas. The refurbished Terminal 5 spa will now offer state-of-the-art massage chairs, which will offer additional massage therapy, whilst the real therapists can focus on the passengers hands, feet…
Read MoreThe Wall Street Journal recently posted a brilliant article about the supposed ‘Shrinking’ Airline seat, where airlines have become savvy to squeezing in an extra seat per row to get extra revenue, whilst losing an inch per seat width in comfort. Interestingly the main airframes this applies to is the 777 (9 across comfortably, but…
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 Morethedesignair.net interview with Simon Lloyd Marketing Director, Virgin Atlantic I was lucky enough to grab some time between meetings with a very busy Simon Lloyd, Marketing Director for Virgin Atlantic on the VS045 headed to New York. After sipping on some champagne and savouring a brilliant burger in the ever award winning Clubhouse in Terminal…
Read MoreAs it’s 4th of July, we thought we would bring you a little bit of Americana to the site today. We have highlighted 4 excellent reasons to book a ticket to the US right now. 1. British Airways & Los Angeles Why British Airways? British Airways accepted it’s first A380 today, with much media hype…
Read MoreBA was proudly holding onto ‘positive’ advert of the year for the UK with it’s ‘Born to Fly’ campaign at the beginning of the year but Virgin Atlantic have just released an epic advert that really does go above and beyond the expectations of their customers. Enjoy the video below. Let us know what you…
Read MoreWell, It’s official, and whilst we are awaiting images of the actual product itself, the end of the month will bring the launch of Virgin Atlantic‘s newly nicknamed ‘Little Red’ domestic services. The 26 daily flights, whilst a smaller proposition compared to BA‘s offerings (if you include London City Airport flights) will offer an array…
Read MoreJFK is one of the busiest and most congested airports in the world. Here at DesignAir the airport experience at JFK was one we used to dread, fearing outdated over populated terminals with confusing signage and generic uninspiring shops. But now, that’s all changed thanks to Delta’s newly re-opened Terminal 4, which all Delta and…
Read MoreOur friends Australian Business Traveller announced on their site today that Qantas is bringing another of it’s iconic Aboriginal ‘DreamTime’ Jets online. The airline says its new Boeing 737-800 will feature the work of a well-known (but as yet un-named) West Australian indigenous artist, and will be painted in its Dreamtime colours at Boeing’s factory in Seattle…
Read MoreFlight: HA09 Aircraft Type: A330-200 Class: Economy (Extra legroom) Route: LAX-HNL Date: February 2014 http://www.hawaiianair.com Best for: Those wanting to start their Hawaiian holiday off with a little extra everything. Most likely to sit next to: With the mini cabin-extra legroom seats, savvy travellers who have done this trip before and know what an extra few inches can do. Business or pleasure: Business?…
Read MoreContinuing our comparison reports on some of the most popular and competitive routes in the world, we have taken a look at our Asian super-highway between Singapore and Tokyo-Narita. There are 5 main competitors (plus low-cost Scoot) that run the city pair, including ANA, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Delta and United. To make it easy we have…
Read MoreVirgin Atlantic have now finished their £100million upgrade of their Upper Class Experience, with the launch of their final renovation of the clubhouses, the Newark Lounge. Pieced together by the same creatives, Slade Architecture, that made the JFK Clubhouse, which ranked Number 2 in our Top 10 Lounges 2012, this clubhouse is leaps and bounds…
Read MoreAt thedesignair.net we are great fans of Cathay Pacific’s product. The seamless experience is effortless and well considered. From their onboard product to their lounges, attention to detail seems paramount, and it’s this design ethos that has put them at the top of the Lounges 2013. We take a closer look at their lounges, and…
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 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 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 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 won Best Airline Website at the Travolution awards this week, at a ceremony hosted in London. Virgin Atlantic is boasting a 15 per cent improvement in engagement of the UK homepage, with numbers of customers checking their flights increasing by 54 per cent and people checking out what Virgin Atlantic is about jumping…
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 MoreAir Canada has announced an amazing 458 seat configuration 77w coming on the line in July this year, including a new premium economy product, something we announced back in May last year. The airline has really stepped up their offering (thankfully), providing a European style cabin to compete with the slightly inferior north American counterparts. We…
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 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 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…
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