We caught up with Daniel Baron, founder of LIFT Strategic Design, the design studio behind the latest Philippine Airlines A330-300 cabin. It’s safe to say LIFT has had a long standing relationship with PAL over the years, “we have worked with PAL on thirteen different seat programs over the past decade, starting with their…
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It’s amazing what a winglet and a bit of a reshuffle in the cabin can do. Introducing the new Airbus A380plus. While the remodel includes a 4% reduction in fuel burn and a 13% decrease per seat, the aircraft manufacturer is touting no reduction in comfort, even though it is adding 80 extra seats. How…
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PAL’s drive to become a five-star airline by 2020 has taken a leap in the right direction. Their first aircraft to offer a true full lie-flat seat in business class has rolled out of the hangar. The A330-300, which will start flying to Honolulu this month will be offering passengers a vastly improved experience. As…
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EL AL was never really seen as a design-led airline, but as we showcased recently, the carrier has recently pushed itself firmly in the right direction. The reveal of the 787-9 product which will be taking to the skies soon demonstrates EL AL’s determination to be taken seriously. Working with EL AL, London based PriestmanGoode…
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This year will see a wave of business class seats that resemble First Class more than ever before. Qatar Airways is introducing the new QSuite this month, Delta is introducing their new private business class suites and United has already rolled out their new business class product featuring all aisle access and fully flat seats.…
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Flight: TK15 Aircraft Type: 777-300ER Class: Business Class Route: IST-GRU Date: April 2017 http://www.turkishairlines.com Turkish Airlines has certainly caught our attention recently. In our first report on the airline’s short-haul product, they impressed us with a region-beating business class product. As part of our three part series we were happy to explore their signature long haul product, which stars in their latest…
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Finnair is launching three new food collaborations for its onboard meals. The collaborations, which intend to promote Finland’s healthy and hearty food culture, are done in cooperation with the ELO Foundation, an association dedicated to the promotion of Finnish food culture. Business class for long-haul flights leaving Helsinki For business class customers flying out of…
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Flight: TK1984 & TK1981 Aircraft Type: A321 & 737-800 Class: Business Class Route: LHR-IST-LGW Date: April 2017 http://www.turkishairlines.com Turkish Airlines may be the most International airline, flying to more countries and destinations than any other carrier, both short and long-haul, but its not size that always counts. While the ME3 carriers get most of the attention, Turkish Airlines was certainly worth a…
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Icelandair has recently renovated its new lounge at its hub in Reykjavik’s Keflavik International Airport. The new lounge is an Icelandic haven, and the perfect spot for Saga Class passengers connecting across the atlantic. Featuring volcanic rocks and natural wooden finishes, the lounge couldn’t be more reflective of the iconic natural wilderness that Iceland boasts. On…
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17 hours on an aircraft may daunt even the most seasoned of travellers, especially those in economy. But Qantas is doing all it can to re-assure passengers that they are trying to make the Kangaroo route as comfortable as possible. While Perth might not be as direct-a-route as flying via Dubai, they are making Perth…
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Qantas has a long history of providing opportunities for Australian artists to connect with global audiences. Their latest initiative puts current Australian artists at the heart of their business passenger experience. Starting May 1st, a new range of amenity kits will be rolled out across international flights with new designs being rolled out each month. With artworks…
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Acumen and Zodiac’s Optima seat at first glance, might seem familiar. There’s good reason. It was actually developed in tandem with United’s Polaris product. The seats are basically non-identical twin brothers in the seat manufacturing world. The product has been designed as a logical response to the demands and needs of airlines and passengers alike. The seat boasts…
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First, let us start by saying, we welcome – nay applaud – investment into a new Club World product for British Airways. The past few months and steerage of new CEO Alex Cruz has seen consistent cuts to the product, at a time when it needed serious investment. Ticket prices have been constantly higher than…
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High-density premium seating is where it is at this year, and tangerine‘s new ‘Adagio’ seat for Aviointeriors is the epitome of this new trend. While the market for fully-flat seats has taken a few years to mature and settle, industrial designers are constantly making small changes to perfect the model from a cost, LOPA and passenger…
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Two years in the making, the brand new collection of Alessi Serviceware for Delta’s multiple premium cabins has been revealed. One part of Delta’s multi-billion dollar investment into the passenger experience, the new range of designer flatware, cutlery and glasses will be unique to the airline. Appearing onboard 1st April 2017, the design process started…
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TAP Portugal is fast becoming a true contender for European Business Class travellers. The latest announcement sees the first A330-900neo aircraft being fitted entirely with Recaro aircraft seats. For those in the pointy end, passengers will be able to enjoy Recaro’s CL6710 seats, featuring fully flat beds. “In addition to ergonomic comfort, the CL6710 stands out…
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Next week sees the doors open to Qantas‘ latest lounge in Brisbane, Australia. The domestic lounge is the latest addition to a multi-million pound upgrade at the airport. The upgrade began in October 2016 with the opening of a new International Lounge and will be completed in the coming months with an upgraded Qantas Club and new Chairmans…
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At ITB Yesterday, Qatar Airways proudly launched its much anticipated new Business Class product. It has certainly impressed the public with its claims to have the world’s first double bed in business class, new sharing plate concept, sliding doors for privacy and large communal area for families of four. Don’t get us wrong, we are…
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Air France may be proving themselves as an excellent European airline for connecting passengers, with some of the shortest and most seamless connections in their hub Charles De Gaulle, but the investment into improving the passenger experience runs much deeper than the infrastructure that’s being developed behind the scenes. While AirFrance’s flagship lounge ‘The Park’ in…
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One of the best reasons to fly on Emirates’ A380 is to experience their onboard walk-up bar. While retaining the trademark horseshoe-shaped centrepiece, Emirates’ latest A380 Onboard Lounge will offer more seating space with a new seating arrangement along the windows on both sides of the bar. Eagle-eyed readers may notice there is no walnut…
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Cathay Pacific may not be known as a distillery per-se, but the airline has rolled out its first beer, specially crafted for pressurised cabins. Named after “Betsy”, Cathay Pacific’s first aircraft, a Douglas DC-3 which flew passengers around the region in the 1940s and 1950s, Betsy Beer will be first served to First and Business…
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JAL announced yesterday they will be opening a totally renovated Sakura Lounge in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport on March 1st. The new oneworld lounge will join fellow member Cathay Pacific’s designer lounge, opened in June 2015. “With the aim of creating a relaxed and comfortable environment to meet our customer requirements, JAL redesigned and upgraded…
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Air France saw the launch of its first 787-9 commercial flight between Paris CDG and London Heathrow today. TheDesignAir was invited to greet the aircraft in London this morning. We were also allowed to take a look around the new aircraft type for the carrier, that will eventually start to form its long haul product.…
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Lufthansa revealed its new A350-900 in Munich yesterday with a spectacular light show and an official unveiling ceremony in the Lufthansa Technik Hangar. The first of 10 aircraft was named ‘City of Nuremberg’ in front of an audience of 2,000 employees and guests. The aircraft is the airline’s most modern and technologically advanced featuring better fuel consumption…
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January saw the roll-out of new amenity kits in American Airlines‘ First and Business Class cabins on long-haul International services, in addition to the carrier’s prestigious Transcontinental A321T flights between JFK, SFO and LAX. The new kits were co-designed and branded by renowned lifestyle brand Cole Haan. Founded in Chicago in 1928, Cole Haan have brought their expertise…
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Not to be outdone by their counterparts, Emirates launched new amenity kits and loungewear for their premium passengers at the end of December. The expansive collection of amenities include First Class lounge wear, luxury blankets, skincare from VOYA and a new range of amenity kits from their long-standing partnership with Bulgari. As well as new plush,…
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Flying Internationally with Alitalia recently to London via Rome, we had the opportunity to experience the new Casa Alitalia Lounge situated in the heart of the airport’s G gates in Rome FCO’s Satellite Terminal. Taking place of the older Sala Giotto lounge, the new space is totally reimagined featuring the new bold colours of the…
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The latest addition to a wave of updates to Qatar Airways, the carrier has launched newly-designed sleeper suits, bespoke for First Class passengers, individually styled for men and women. Designed by UK based The White Company, the men’s sleeper suit is designed in a charcoal grey marl, and the women’s in a contemporary, mid-grey, both are made…
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This month saw the launch of the latest range of First and Business Class amenity kits for Qatar Airways by BRICS, Nappa Dori and Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio. The new wave of long, medium and short haul kits will feature exclusive designs for the carrier. The new long-haul First Class amenity kit will come in four colours: …
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This might not be a ‘partridge in a pear tree’, but December 1st saw United start to give it’s premium passengers a new gift, in the form of Polaris – the newly redefined Business Class experience. At 12.01am this morning, the airline started to roll out the new Polaris service across all of its markets. The reimagined, sleep-enhancing…
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