Opinion: Coronavirus should give airlines an opportunity to innovate, but are they nimble enough to act quickly?

Coronavirus is having a deep, profound effect on the industry stretching and pushing airlines across the globe who have to react quickly to an ever-changing landscape. The playing field is not just moving on a daily basis but changing shape and morphing to something that the airline industry has never had to face before. The…

Read More

Plaza Premium opens new departures lounge in Sydney International Airport

Sydney’s International Terminal has just welcomed a brand new pay-for lounge for departing passengers. The new Plaza Premium Lounge, situated opposite Gate 25 of Pier B is the brand’s third addition in Australia joining locations in Melbourne and Brisbane. It’s the latest of a wave of lounges being opened by the brand, which now boasts over…

Read More

Delta go on a spending spree for the greater good, and even take time to say thank you to their 90,000 staff

Whether it’s for sadness, or for joy, we’re pretty sure there were a few tears this month in Delta’s finance department as they agreed to part with $2.6billion dollars across two initiatives in as many weeks. The first, starting in March sees Delta Air Lines commit a grand sum of $1 billion over the next…

Read More

Iberia launches new uniforms by Teresa Helbig at Madrid Fashion Week

Iberia just released its latest uniform in front of a fashion-focussed audience of hundreds at the 71st annual edition of Madrid FashionWeek. Designed by Teresa Helbig, this is the latest designer to grace Iberia’s crews following fashion greats including Manuel Pertegaz, Elio Berhanyer and Adolfo Domínguez. The expansive line of clothing and accessories will adorn…

Read More

Aer Lingus launches new uniform re-designed by Louise Kennedy

Today saw Aer Lingus reveal its new look uniform which will be graced by its 4,000 cabin and ground crew around the world from 10th February. Created by the same Irish fashion designer who brought its previous threads to life – Louise Kennedy – the new look reflects Aer Lingus’ recent brand refresh. The airline hasn’t…

Read More

KLM’s latest masterpiece advertising campaign celebrates a centenary in the skies

You may not be aware, but KLM has just celebrated of 100 years of flying the skies. Launched October 7th 1919, the carrier has had a long life, growing its network and brand over the years. To celebrate this important milestone, the airline has adopted a range of brand activities including a brand new Delft…

Read More

Starlux Airlines is certainly drawing some attention, but how will it compete in an already crowded Asian market?

Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s latest startup is starting to turn heads. Originally a start-up that – like most – had a questionable future, seems to be full-steam ahead with a recent uniform and A321neo cabin launch. It hasn’t stopped there though, as there have been signature scents and even homeware products that the airline has launched…

Read More

Air Italy brings true Italian cuisine options to Economy Class

Air Italy has just announced that it will bring a totally new Economy Class meal with brand new packaging and enhanced inflight service for all long-haul Economy Class flights to and from its Milan hub.  Starting this September, the new inflight dining experience will feature a fully refreshed set of menus. It also heralds the…

Read More

Juneyao Airlines introduces new uniforms and reveals inflight offering on first of true long-haul routes, to Helsinki

Juneyao Airlines has just revealed its new cabin crew uniform, which will be rolled out on the new route from Shanghai to Helsinki this week. The threads, designed by Guo Pei, might look familiar, with the female uniform looking quite similar to the Cheongsam dresses from Hainan Airlines thanks to the ornate embroidery and Chinese traditional elements.…

Read More

Can Star Ratings Of Airlines Be Trusted?

In a world where everyone can now easily become a critic, navigating our way through the vast swathes of reviews can be daunting. After all, human nature dictates we will only ever comment on something exceptional. This is why ‘average’ reviews are rarely seen, with either excellent or scathing comments usually posted. Airlines are subject…

Read More

The Odd Couple, United And… Spiderman?

It’s not the first super-hero partnership, in fact, Turkish Airlines has had a whole wave of super heroes in their safety video for over a year since the Lego Movie came out, and Superman and Batman have been adorning one of their 777’s for years. But, beginning June 1, United Airlines will launch its latest…

Read More

HNA Launches New ‘Dream Feather’ Brand Concept, Designed By Priestmangoode

  HNA is the latest contemporary airline to bring both brand image and passenger experience inline with a holistic approach designed by UK-based company PriestmanGoode. For over two years the design studio was brought in ‘to create designs that reflect a sense of place and appeal to international passengers’. Entitled ‘Dream Feather’ the concept is…

Read More

Trip Report: LATAM B777-300ER Business Class January 2019

Flight: LA8084 Aircraft Type: 777-300ER Class: Business Class Route: GRU-LHR Date: January 2019 http://www.latam.com LATAM‘s 777 has long been on our radar to experience. While we had experienced the 787-8 operated by LAN back in 2015, the 777 offered a very different experience, with a traditional 2 x 3 x 2 configuration in business class with the ‘dreaded’ middle seat. While…

Read More

Air France New Menu Reflects Airlines’ Latest Trend To Make Flying Healthier

There are two buzz words flooding the aviation space right now, one is personalisation and the other is health. So its no surprise some airlines are going to new levels to embrace these emerging trends in order to respond to consumer demands. Air France customers in economy and premium economy will be now able to…

Read More

Battle Of The Emerging ‘Boutique Airlines’

It’s a phrase that some airlines build their business model and service proposition on, but the ‘Boutique’ airline is a seemingly new airline type that will no doubt turn our heads a little more often than legacy carriers, but why is that? While La Compagnie has already built the strap-line ‘Boutique Airline’ into their marketing,…

Read More

10 Things We Loved In 2018

Air Tahiti Nui’s brand new image We fell in love with Air Tahiti Nui’s new brand image by FutureBrand and Alexander Lee, which brought the island nation to life in the skies of the Pacific. Careful attention to detail, bright bold colours and stunning iconographic patterns caught our eye this year and certainly brought a…

Read More

Announcing TheDesignAir Awards 2018 Winners

TheDesignAir is pleased to announce the 2018 Award winners as voted for by our esteemed judging panel and our readers. This year has seen a wave of improvements around the world in the field of passenger experience. From impressive new business class cabins to swathes of new airline lounges, no stone has been left unturned…

Read More

It’s Christmas Time, So Bring On The Tear-Jerkers

SAS For many, the arrivals hall will be a large part of Christmas with many of us either travelling or having relatives or friends travelling to their loved ones. This timeless video by SAS, released not just for Christmas, showcases an often overlooked part of the passenger experience. “The Arrivals” campaign imagery and film are…

Read More

Could This Be The Most Beautiful Livery Launched This Year?

Meet Fakarava, recently rolled out of the paint shop. It’s Air Tahiti Nui’s first ‘Tahitian Dreamliner’ which will start flying for the carrier in November between New Zealand and Tahiti. It features a new livery concept by Futurebrand which stems from the rebrand from Tahitian Studio Alexander Lee. It could possibly be the most beautiful Dreamliner…

Read More

Could Virtual Reality Really Help Airline Marketing? Just Ask Neutral Digital

Stepping in to Neutral Digital’s Shoreditch studio in London, there is something daunting about being greeted by an isolated sole chair surrounded by some simple technology and a giant screen. But the warmth of the greeting from Sergio Irigoyen and Dan Bambridge alleviate any concerns. After all, I’m about to experience one of the most state-of-the-art…

Read More

Malaysia Airlines Brings Great Fares To The Skies… And Yes, That Means Another TheDesignAir Giveaway! (Maybe our best one yet!)

Yes, its certainly that time of the year. Another great carrier, Malaysia Airlines is offering some fantastic bargains, especially in economy. However, those wanting to experience the premium cabins are also able to get some great deals. For those travelling from London, passengers will get to experience the airlines’ state-of-the-art A350 aircraft, and enjoy their…

Read More

Hong Kong Airlines Leapfrogs Competition With Super Diamond Business Class Seat On Newly Delivered A350

Hong Kong Airlines just received its latest A350, and with it, the next evolution of its premium experience, unveiling a newly upgraded Business Class seat. This new seat rivals that of Cathay Pacific and here at TheDesignAir we actually prefer the Super Diamond product compared to Cathay Pacific’s due to its increased space and storage…

Read More

Laudamotion Unveils Bold New Livery As It Plans To Double Its Fleet

Laudamotion, which will most likely be known by the public as Lauda from now on, launched a brand new livery at a press conference which also announced the airline was going to double its fleet next year from 9 to 18 aircraft. The airline, which was borne out of Niki, the unfortunate casualty in the…

Read More

Seven Of The Best Lounge Views In Heathrow Airport

Heathrow has no less than forty-something lounges across the expansive airport, but the offering can vary substantially, so selecting the right lounge can be a bit of a challenge. For those fellow aviation nuts out there though, the airport does offer a range of lounges with excellent views of the runways and apron, making spotting…

Read More

Air France Launches New Branded Stores In Toulouse And Bordeaux

Air France has just introduced brand new downtown ticket office concepts in Toulouse and Bordeaux. The airline has taken a bold move to align their non-airport outlets with their new ground products currently found in CDG. With a new design, virtual reality experience and new organization of the layout, the new Air France ticket office…

Read More

China Airlines Introduces Refreshing New Summer Menu And Dining Innovations

China Airlines has won countless awards from TheDesignAir over the years due to its constant drive to quantum leap their cabin product. Now at a truly international level, the airline is investing in to new dining concepts that both innovate and get the taste buds going. This summer, China Airlines is introducing a number of…

Read More

Can’t Wait To Fly? You Can Fly From The Comfort Of Your Own Home Thanks to Emirates’ Virtual Reality Cabins

We’ve already had some fun playing around with the delights of Emirates‘ brand new online sales and marketing tool, but this new immersive 3D world has officially launched, making Emirates the first airline to introduce web virtual reality (VR) technology on its digital platform, although a walk through isn’t new as it launched a google street…

Read More

Iberia’s New A350 Features Updated Business Class Product

Last week saw Iberia receive the latest addition to the fleet, a brand new Airbus A350-900. The aircraft is the first of 16 A350 XWB on order, becoming the 18th airline to operate the aircraft type. The aircraft is configured in a premium three-class layout, with 348 seats, including 31 full lie-flat bed Business, 24 Premium…

Read More

TheDesignAir Exclusive Interview With Turkish Airlines’ Arif Ali Gezmisoglu Reveals New Business Class Is On The Horizon

Our recent experience with Turkish Airlines shows it has the fundamental ingredients for a leading passenger experience, however with just a few small tweaks, the airline could have the perfect recipe. Sat in their existing ‘Lounge Istanbul‘ we conduct an exclusive interview with Arif Ali Gezmisoglu, Turkish Airlines’ Customer Experience Manager, finding out that the…

Read More

Trip Report: Turkish Airlines B777-300ER Business Class May 2018

Flight: TK15 Aircraft Type: 777-300ER Class: Business Class Route: IST-GRU Date: May 2018 http://www.turkishairlines.com Turkish Airlines impressed TheDesignAir last year with a trip on the same route. With the impending opening of the New Istanbul Airport this year, along with new transit services such as the Bosphorus Experience the airline is continuing to evolve and improve, but we wanted to see…

Read More