Emirates is one of the last bastions of the A380. Thanks to its critical mass of the product, once vaccines take hold and confidence in travel returns, the airline will be well poised to offer luxury travel to the masses once again. The carrier already has an arsenal at its ready to help position itself…
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The industry has been mooting the possibility of growth in the long-haul single-aisle market across the past couple of years, however 2020’s pandemic has rapidly escalated this conversation. These narrow body ultra-long-haul aircraft are perfectly suited for a subdued travel market across the next few years, with fewer seats and the ability to connect point-to-point…
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While Swiss has announced that in economy passengers will soon have to pay for food and drink onboard short-haul flights, things have taken a radical shift in the opposite gear onboard the carrier’s long-haul premium cabins. Crafted by Michelin-starred chef Alexandra Müller of the Romantik Hôtel L’Etoile in Charmey, Canton Fribourg, these latest culinary creations…
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JetBlue – in a bid to fully refresh its competitively priced fully-flat bed Mint product – has announced its first major refresh of its JetBlue Mint service. While we know that the airline will be launching London flights in Q3 2021 with an all-new (and very exciting) new hard product, it was about time the…
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Uganda Airlines might not be on everyones radar. But that’s because until last week, the carrier just operated a modest fleet of four Bombardier CRJ900’s. Resurrected from its predecessor that last flew in 2001, the latest incarnation spread its wings a little over a year ago, but seemingly has big plans. With aircraft bought by…
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WestJet might not be the first brand that comes to mind when announcing a new Flagship lounge considering its half-dozen fleet of long-haul aircraft. But the airline is certainly looking to craft a niche for itself as the airline of choice for Canadian travellers. Dubbed ‘Elevation’, WestJet’s new lounge in Calgary spans more than 9,300…
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2020 has seen the rule book thrown out of the window. Carriers that have adapted quickly will see the largest market share in 2021. While many airlines continue to struggle just to survive day-to-day, some have taken this as an opportunity to level the playing field. While clear regional battles are at play across Asia,…
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COVID-19 has certainly kept airlines on their toes, and while many airlines are frantically trying to get their operations off the ground once again, there’s been an unusual, yet somewhat expected side effect. For years airlines have strived to become lifestyle brands, as relevant in the home as they are in the skies. The problem…
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British Airways’ recent upgrade to its Club World with the new Club World Suite has given the carrier a bit of a conundrum. As the airline has started the retrofit of its fleet with the new Business Class product, it’s left the First Class cabin, even the latest incarnation offering very little difference on paper.…
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American Express has just opened its new lounge in JFK, and with more than 15,000 square feet behind its doors, the new space is the largest Centurion Lounge yet and the first with two floors to explore. Naturally, because of the current travel climate, it hasn’t opened quite as the designers had originally envisaged it,…
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Stelia’s new ‘Opera’ seat has just entered the market, specifically for narrow-body single-aisle cabins. This new “Full Flat, Full Access, Full Privacy” Business Class seat claims it offers the highest standard wide-body comfort on single-aisle. Now you might be like, ‘hang on, I’ve seen reverse herringbone seats on single-aisle aircraft before, such as American Airlines…
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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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With Salt Lake City International Airport recently opening its latest terminal, Delta – the largest of airlines operating from SLC – has also opened its largest Delta Sky Club with guests able to enjoy the new space from today. Covering just over 28,000 square feet, the new Club celebrates the area’s famous mountainous landscape while…
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Qantas has just released a gift packages that can be sent directly to the doors of people doing it tough in lockdown during the COVID-19 crisis. In something we predicted airlines would start to do in our Covid White Paper, the carrier is turning some of its excess stock of pyjamas, amenity kits and snacks in…
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We’ve covered TAP before on the site a few times, and even though some time has elapsed since they first took delivery of their A330Neo’s, this is the first time we’ve booked a ticket to experience this brand new Recaro hard product. While it isn’t the most spacious seat in the skies, we’re curious to…
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When it comes to personal hygiene kits, Etihad is one of the first airlines to offer a unique, upgraded proposition for its First and Business Class guests, which also includes a snood-style face mask for use throughout their journey and beyond. The soft reusable snood has been treated with MicrobeBARRIER™ fabric treatment, a broad spectrum antimicrobial…
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Meet Pure Skies, PriestmanGoode’s answer to the future of flight, responding to the recent curve ball Covid-19 threw at cabin designers of today. The London-based design studio created a new design concept to support the future success of the aviation industry – understanding that a clean slate is needed to bring confidence back to the…
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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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Fly better. That’s Emirates‘ marketing slogan. It’s the same marketing campaign that has featured the likes of Jennifer Anniston, onboard bars, showers, all-aisle access and swathes of space. The problem is, Emirates has – since the A380 entered its fleet – offered two products, a 777 and A380 business class product that couldn’t be more…
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We’re starting to see some positive stories across the industry now, focussing on a return to service and a return to growth. From Wizz’s latest route announcements, to design agencies and airlines setting up their near-future solutions to Covid-19. However, American Airlines’ latest 787 deliveries re-energise a positive conversation about cabin releases on the horizon.…
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While the team are doing their bit to help fight this pandemic and staying indoors, it’s also making us a little stir crazy as our wings have been clipped, at least for the coming weeks or months. Like many others out there, we’ve been finding ourselves going through our archives, going online and longing for…
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The end of the month will see ANA welcome the addition of a range of new services at Haneda Airport Terminal 2’s international area. The airline has invested in passenger enhancements across the terminal including three new lounges, self-service baggage drops and enhanced security check procedures. While we won’t be seeing these bursting at the…
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Air France and Paris Aéroport are underway in constructing a new lounge in Charles De Gaulle’s 2F terminal, used for its Schengen departures. Due to be complete by the end of the year, the lounge will be brought to fruition by a brand new creative design studio, infamous for its work with Alain Ducasse, Van Cleef…
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Vistara, India’s latest full-service carrier, unveiled its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (a first for India), which touched down in Delhi on 29 February 2020. While the plane is Vistara’s 40th to join the fleet, as the rest of the fleet are narrow-body aircraft, this arrival also brought with it, the airline’s new cabin products for…
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Qatar Airways officially opened its new Premium Lounge at Singapore Changi Airport at Terminal 1, and wanted to show it some love, opening it on Valentines Day, this month.According to the airline, the new Singapore lounge “serves as the benchmark and blueprint for Qatar Airways’ future Premium Lounges worldwide,” however it features many of the…
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EVA Air, unlike it’s competitor China Airlines, offers sleepwear for it’s Business Class passengers on the carrier’s long-haul flights. Extending on a successful partnership, EVA Air is updating its collaboration with internationally renowned fashion designer Jason Wu to create its second-generation inflight sleepwear. The exclusive partnership brought to life by global design company Buzz, sees…
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Unlike other media-outlets focussing on the airline industry we make a point to never really comment on short-lived, political or click-bait style news. We focus our approach on the long-lasting customer experience advancements, but Hong Kong has created a unique global environment over the past couple of years, built on political unrest and now the…
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Aegean, the national Greek airline has just unveiled a new brand identity, livery and aircraft interiors designed by Priestmangoode. The London-based studio worked closely with the airline to develop a vision for the new brand, building on an airline that already has a decent reputation for service and hard product. This project encompassed pretty much…
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Saudia has just announced the rollout of its new cabin crew uniforms, featuring a “refined, new take on the attire” designed for all members of the hospitality team onboard. Saudia began the preview of the new uniform on the airline’s Paris Charles de Gaulle and London Heathrow routes, with plans to add the rest of…
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