China Airlines, often underrated, impresses with its cohesive design and passenger experience. Notable for innovative interiors and cozy lounges, it offers a dual fleet of A321neo and A350 aircraft. Excellent service, thoughtful amenities, and gourmet meals shine, despite minor areas for improvement. The airline evolves steadily, reflecting Taiwanese charm throughout.
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The success of narrowbody long-haul flights like Etihad’s Airbus A321LR hinges on service design, not just seating. Effective service choreography enhances the passenger experience, ensuring timely, attentive care. Unlike Iberia, which faced delays, Etihad exemplifies how thoughtful crew movement and operations can create an exceptional, intimate atmosphere in a confined space.
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As the long-haul narrowbody era gains momentum, Iberia has joined the likes of JetBlue, Aer Lingus and TAP Air Portugal by launching transatlantic routes with its brand-new A321XLR. the aircraft offers a different seat to its two other staggered forward-facing widebodied business class products. So the airline has a challenge on its hands to deliver…
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Etihad Airlines, under Chief Commercial Officer Arik De, embraces its underdog status while focusing on innovation in premium travel. Launching the world’s first International First Class Suite on a narrowbody A321LR, the airline aims to refine its offerings. With significant investments, Etihad is poised to redefine luxury in air travel, enhancing passenger experience across various classes.
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As part of its ongoing fleet modernisation, China Southern Airlines is introducing new A350-900 and A321NX aircraft – two dual flagship models designed to elevate the passenger experience to unprecedented levels. These new aircraft will also herald a new interiors palette that will change the overall look, feel and brand image for the Chinese carrier. The airline has…
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When Qantas revealed its new interiors for the brand new A321XLR, almost all of us were expecting to see a relatively revolutionary cabin. After all, the airline had been ‘bigging-up’ the arrival of its new fleet and its upgrade to the Qantas passenger experience, however, when the new cabins were revealed, we were left a…
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The never ending game of cat and mouse between the US3 carriers is playing dividends for the inflight and ground customer experience in the USA. A region that was once a decade behind the rest of the world when it came to cabin interiors, has fast become a hot-bed of creativity and world-standard hard products.…
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It seems we’re seeing a resurgence of colour in the aviation industry. While early 2000’s saw a wave of cost effective ‘Eurowhite’ liveries which were anything but inspiring, this month has seen not just Riyadh Air launch a bold new colourful look, but now JetBlue joins the ranks of refreshingly striking all-over liveries. Somewhat reminiscent…
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Pokemon characters certainly don’t seem scared of flying, after all, there have been multiple themed aircraft from the franchise over the years. The latest – and first to grace Taiwan – can be found on China Airlines aptly named “Pikachu Jet CI”. The design is fairly complex, and took no less than 21 days to…
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Yesterday saw American Airlines announce a relatively needed and long-awaited refresh to its interiors programme. Bringing its long-haul and premium narrow-body cabins a whole new look was expected, and after United and Delta had rolled out its own signature Polaris and One products, American needed to step up to the mark. While the new cabins…
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Taiwanese carrier China Airlines has just received its first A321neo passenger aircraft which heralds a new era in the airline’s narrow-body fleet. A total of 25 of these advanced Airbus aircraft will enter the fleet over the coming years, which will operate short-haul routes including Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and Cross-strait. The aircraft itself features…
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Cathay Pacific is about to see the commercial take-off of its latest arrival, the A321neo. With the pandemic hitting at a pivotal time for the carrier, commercially things have been bittersweet. While passenger numbers have been decimated for 18-months, the regrowth of the airline can now be expedited by the addition of a new narrow-body…
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Over the past few years Gulf Air has managed to really shake off its tired products of the past and reposition itself as a boutique carrier that gives the ME3 a run for their money. The 787 product is certainly stunning, and we thought that in many ways, thanks to their smaller more intimate cabins,…
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Vistara was one of the last airlines we covered pre-lockdown who received a brand new jet. The carrier’s 787 certainly showed this airline meant business and its latest arrival, a brand new Airbus A321neo shows Vistara is living up to its promises. The aircraft – which is part of a hefty order of 50 from…
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MEA doesn’t often feature on TheDesignAir, as it has slipped under the radar for a while with its older fleet and less-than-design approach to aviation. However it seems the airline has turned a corner and is featuring firmly on our radar now. While not as ‘bells and whistles’ as many other Middle Eastern carriers, it…
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Delta is yet again investing in their cabins, in what seems a steady stream of improvements to their product. Instead of upgrades to their service or long-haul products (and soon-to-be new uniforms) the new Airbus A321neo is getting some love. While slated to be delivered late 2020, the first image has surfaced of a brand new…
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If you’ve ever travelled within Europe (excluding on Turkish Airlines) you’ve probably flown what is dubbed Euro Business. It’s a fairly simple concept of the first few rows of an otherwise fairly normal narrow-body jet becoming the carrier’s Business Class, which comes with all the bells and whistles of a Business Class ticket, including priority…
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Last week saw JetBlue, alongside its official design partner, Acumen Design Associates, unveil the latest cabin interior design for the airline’s new A321neo aircraft. The aircraft is already servicing the New York JFK to Fort Lauderdale route and will eventually serve two new international routes for JetBlue: New York JFK to Guayaquil, Ecuador, and New…
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Philippine Airlines is continuing to improve its passenger experience, investing in new aircraft and turning the carrier around from its earlier, higher density approach to its business. In the past few years that has meant new long-haul business class cabins, improved lounges and A321s with fully flat seats for medium-long haul operations across Australasia. The…
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Recently, Etihad Airways completed a single-use plastic-free flight from Abu Dhabi to Brisbane to highlight the issues the industry faces when it comes to sustainability. But instead of this being a one-off stunt, it has actually turned into a learning curve with many of the disciplines being rolled out across the airline, a carrier fast becoming one…
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Turkish Airlines has just received its new A321Neo aircraft. The aircraft, which will be deployed on its short and medium haul routes. The aircraft also features the Airbus Cabin Flex configuration, which has removed the usual door positions locating them over the wing, to allow for more passenger space and a more seamless cabin plan.…
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Philippine Airlines is upgrading its North American and European routes with the airline’s brand new A350. Starting with New York in July and followed by London, passengers on these long haul routes will experience an enhanced in-flight product. The tri-class A350-900 will feature 30 business class seats, 24 premium economy seats and 241 economy seats. …
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Hawaiian Airlines has now received it’s first A321neo in the carrier’s brand new livery including new silver lei around the fuselage. A team of Hawaiian Airlines employees took the long trip from the tropical island state all the way to the Airbus facility in Hamburg, Germany, to pick up the new aircraft and begin its journey…
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Hawaiian Airlines has just revealed its long-awaited A321Neo interior. Designed by London based JPA, the new space has been created to “evoke the natural splendour of Hawai‘i through colour and form, bringing the outdoors in and extending ‘island time’ from the moment a guest steps onboard.” The cabin takes colour palette cues from the new A330 interiors, which…
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JetBlue have announced the new price point for flying with the only private ‘suite’ between West-East Coast flights; Los Angeles and New York and San Francisco and New York. Starting at a mind bending $499 one way they have managed to surpass our expectations yet again with the costs being yet another reason to fly…
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JetBlue, New York’s ‘Homegrown airline’ has released on their video channel a sneak peek of what we can expect on their new fleet of A321’s coming out in 2014, which will be flying the transcontinental East Coast – West Coast flights, competing with the likes of American, United, Delta and Virgin America who have all…
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