China Eastern took another step forwards in the last week of 2019 with the introduction of a new retro-fitted business class cabin on some of its narrow body aircraft. Reflecting the increasing demand for air travel in China and the increasing competitive approach to offering a world-class product, the airline opted to remove its previous…
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British Airways just celebrated its centenary year and as part of its new year’s resolutions (Happy New Year everyone!) the carrier has hinted at some much needed upgrades to its Heathrow lounge complexes. 2019 saw the carrier bring a host of new lounge designs to its network including San Francisco, Geneva, New York and Milan.…
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2019 has seen yet another year of great innovation, new products, new airlines, new lounges and new airport facilities across the globe. It just goes to show how quickly the industry continues to evolve and respond to the ever-increasing needs of an airline passenger. Just before this year, or even this decade, comes to a…
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June might have seen the opening of the Platinum Wing, but Finnair (just in time for Christmas) has unveiled the final phase of its non-Schengen lounge expansion with the opening of its new, larger, Business Class Lounge. The lounge – just like the Platinum Win – showcases contemporary Nordic design throughout and set on a range…
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ZIPAIR Tokyo, JAL’s low-cost subsidiary has just announced its new cabins that will feature on the carrier’s 787-8s. While the airline will start flying two Seoul and Bangkok as of May next year, little was known about the product it was going to offer. In comparison in the other fledgling carrier in the region –…
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TheDesignAir is thrilled to announce the 2019 award winners as voted for by our esteemed judging panel and our readers. Year after year, we see more improvements and enhancements across the passenger experience, from narrow to wide bodies to lounges and airports around the globe. We showcase the 2019 winners here.
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The first of SAS’s A350s has officially entered its fleet and starting in January, the carrier’s passengers will be able to take flight on one of the most advanced aircraft in the skies featuring the newest livery featuring super huge silver billboard titles across the fuselage. Inside, the carrier has opted for the same paired…
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SkyTeam has officially opened the doors to its seventh branded lounge with its signature distinct style including bright lively colours and never-ending curved features. Located in Istanbul’s new airport (IST), the facility is served by seven alliance members: Aeroflot, Air France, KLM, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Saudia and TAROM. The lounge features a statement…
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Last week KLM officially opened its completely renovated non-Schengen Crown Lounge at Schiphol Airport. The lounge far outperforms the pervious incarnation, and celebrates new food and beverage concepts including it’s pay-for Blue restaurant. KLM’s non-Schengen Crown Lounge (the official name) is located between the E and F piers at Schiphol. The “KLM House” is identifiable…
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British Airways has just unveiled the latest in its lounge developments, re-opening the newly refurbished lounge in Geneva as part of its huge ongoing investment in the customer experience which includes other new lounges in Rome, San Francisco, Johannesburg and New York’s JFK. The lounge follows a new design concept for the airline, which debuted…
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British Airways this week announced that it will take delivery of its first of 12 brand new 787-10 Dreamliner in January 2020, with its first route being Atlanta in February next year. It will be quickly followed by a further five Dreamliners in the same year. The four-class aircraft will feature the same exclusive eight…
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Hawaiian Airlines has teamed up with Moloka‘i-based brand Kealopiko to launch and upgrade a new line of in-flight amenities built upon the idea of sustainability. Starting just after Thanksgiving on November 26th, guests travelling between Hawai‘i and the carrier’s International and East-coast US destinations can relax with amenities and soft goods decorated with coral and…
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Cathay Pacific might be impacted by the recent unrest on their doorstep, but that isn’t stopping them enticing their premium passengers with an elevated travel experience. The airline has focussed their attention to enhancing the service, soft products and culinary offerings both in its First and Business Class cabins. These enrichments are designed to “offer…
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It looks like ANA and Japan Airlines are both working hard to improve their passenger experience. While ANA lunched the Room, JAL has also recently launched the upgraded cabin interior of their international Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fleet, extending tangerine’s “Infused Essence” design strategy that was developed for JAL’s newly acquired domestic A350-900(359) aircraft, which launched in…
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British Airways has been busy on the ground recently, and Johannesburg, South Africa was the latest destination to receive a lounge refurbishment. The space, based in O.R. Tambo International Airport has undergone significant refurbishment with the new and improved space being converted into one large lounge with a dedicated boutique dining area for First customers. The…
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If you haven’t travelled through Istanbul’s newest behemoth airport yet, you’re certainly in for a surprise. It certainly dwarves the previous airport and it couldn’t be more different. Light, airy and architecturally stunning, it’s a true gateway hub for the region and has set a standard for global airports for the next decade to come.…
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Today sees the opening of the latest Swiss lounge in Zurich, replacing the old First Class lounge in the A gates of Terminal 2, the new Alpine Lounge helps provide some respite to the Schengen departure swells due to the morning and evening flight banks. The airline has several lounges already across Zurich, and all…
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After three months of renovation, the new British Airways Linate lounge has opened its doors to British Airways and Oneworld passengers. While the lounge features a new look reception where customers will receive a warm welcome, it doesn’t reflect the ultra-modernist design of the newer lounges in Rome, Aberdeen or JFK. Instead paisley designs, more warmer tones…
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Flight: TK67 Aircraft Type: 787-9 Class: Business Class Route: DPS-IST Date: September 2019 http://www.turkishairlines.com It’s not a secret that Turkish Airlines has one of the best soft products in the sky. From our previous reports, we’ve always been impressed with the food & drink, amenities and IFE system onboard their aircraft, but the B777 and A330 hard products in business…
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The airline industry has a history of records from fastest flight to longest flight, the highest to the biggest, there’s a list as long as an A340-600 of impressive stats and figures that celebrate the innovation and scientific advancements in the airline industry. For a sector celebrating a centenary this year its amazing how far…
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The latest renderings of Fiji Airways‘ A350 have showcased what their cabin and livery will look like – and quite frankly both are stunning. The airline, while opting for an incredibly minimalist design inside their latest airframe, has managed to encapsulate the feeling of a private jet with crisp lines and clean white and grey…
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The first of Qantas’ upgraded A380s welcomed its first passengers yesterday on the London to Sydney route, delivering a radical new cabin enhancement for Australia’s national carrier’s largest aircraft. The multi-million dollar upgrade of their 12 superjumbo aircraft includes new seating across Business and larger Premium Economy cabins and a refresh of the aircraft’s First…
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Last week Air France took delivery of its first Airbus A350 at the Airbus delivery centre in Toulouse France. The first of 28 A350-900s which will arrive by 2025. The new aircraft is equipped with 324 seats, with 34 in a brand-new Business cabin, 24 in a new Premium Economy cabin and 266 in Economy. Air…
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Delta, who recently took a large stake in LATAM has also this summer launched its A330-900neo interiors. This means that now there is a similar all-aisle access business class product on certain LATAM and Delta flights, although Delta, which is rolling out doors across its new Delta One products, might be getting an additional edge.…
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In the past Virgin Atlantic was seen as the coolest of underdogs – the carrier for those in the know, flown by the rich and famous across the Atlantic. Onboard massage therapists, inflight bars, even a business class lounge with a Jacuzzi used to be signature parts of the passenger experience. Times have changed however,…
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It’s another month, another airline, another amenity kit. This time, Formia brought together a collaboration with Etro and Aeromexico, offering their business class passengers a stylish new kit bag filled with the usual perks befitting a premium passenger. “The style of Etro’s fashion lends itself perfectly to these amenity kits whose exterior is made of…
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Plaza Premium has just opened a new locale-sympathetic arrivals lounge in the Philippines supporting its existing International Departures lounge in Terminal 2. Located in Terminal 1 of Cebu’s international airport, the new pay-for lounge is brimming with character that bring the archipelago to life. Located in the restricted area, the 3,000-square-foot lounge is open 24…
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No1 Lounges seems to be getting deeper and deeper in to bed with airlines across the world, and has just launched its latest airport lounge partnership with Virgin Australia at Brisbane Airport’s International Terminal. This follows the opening of The House at Sydney and Melbourne in 2018 and their pre-existing partnership with Etihad. The new lounge…
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For anyone that travels in premium cabins a lot, there seem to be a few moving goalposts when it comes to an internationally standardised product. Where some carriers believe business class comes with all bells and whistles, such as chauffeur drive, the same carrier might not believe in pyjamas. While some offer dine on demand,…
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While the trend for airlines is to open a residential style lounge concept, Air Canada has leapfrogged its competition by creating a new lounge concept which focusses on time-sensitive travellers looking purely for a place to charge up their computers, phones and themselves. The opening of the Air Canada Café at Toronto Pearson International Airport supports the existing…
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