We were lucky enough to get invited to LATAM’s inauguration of their brand new Santiago Lounge today. The largest lounge in South America (and the largest so far for LATAM) hasn’t failed to deliver on its promise with over 23,000sq feet of luxurious passenger comfort on offer. LATAM have left the best till last, with the…
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No, these aren’t designer office pieces of furniture, they are the latest premium economy seats by Acro Aircraft Seating, designed by UK based Factorydesign. Conceived with the future demands of airliners in mind, these ergonomic beauties have embraced the simple fact that comfort should be found in the spaces between the seats. One of the many ‘diamond patterned’…
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It’s not very often we see the photos of the inside of a terminal and stop in our tracks, but that is exactly what Toyko Narita have managed to do with their new Terminal 3 design, dedicated to low cost carriers. Serving Japan Vanilla Air, Jeju Air, Jetstar Japan, Jetstar Airways and Spring Airlines, the new…
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Written for TheDesignAir by Adam Ralston | Reported last year and finally seen in the wild, Boeing showcased their new Space Bins, boasting storage space for up to six roll-aboard bags, two more than the current bins in the Boeing Sky Interior afford. All in, Boeing claim the new Space Bins will provide room for an…
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We’re sat in the busy ‘Bridge’ lounge in Hong Kong airport, surrounded by the hustle & bustle of the café area and the sound of Illy espressos being perfectly ground and poured by barista staff. The Bridge is one of six lounges in Hong Kong International Airport, and is one of the latest in the…
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Bombardier announced today, their latest purchaser of the new CS100 aircraft was a start-up airline flymojo, based out of Johor Bahru, Johor and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Just across the straits from Singapore, the airline has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the sale and purchase of 20 CS100 aircraft with options for an additional 20 CS100 aircraft. “Born of…
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We are becoming great fans of Air France’s new design direction, with the introduction of their new advertising campaign, both in print and on the screen. One of our eagle-eyed followers (thank you!) managed to spot this new, beautiful and unofficially released video though. A tongue-in-cheek safety video which has to be one of the…
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Today Brussels Airlines and Moulinsart unveiled something that we absolutely adore. An Airbus A320 with a livery inspired by the world famous Belgian cartoon character Tintin. Both Belgian companies have worked several months on this unique project, based on the original drawings by the hand of Hergé. Infront of plane enthusiasts and VIP guests, Brussels Airlines and…
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Just recently, Skytrax rated Singapore Changi as the World’s Best Airport, for the third year running. Changi Airport celebrated further success at the Awards, unsurprisingly receiving the award as ‘Best Airport for Leisure Amenities’. These leisure amenities include music bar lounges, cinemas, a music deck, swimming pool, napping and rest areas and the in-terminal Transit…
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Many people may have heard about LATAM‘s merger over the past few years, and we are just on the cusp of a new combined brand being rolled out throughout South America. Being one of the largest airline groups in the world, chances are, if you are headed to a South American country anytime soon, the new merger will…
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The world’s largest airport passenger terminal design has been revealed, conceived by ADP Ingeniérie (ADPI) and Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA). The Beijing New Airport Terminal Building in Daxing, Beijing, doesn’t have a completion date yet, but was submitted under the leadership of the Beijing New Airport Headquarters (BNAH), based on the bid-winning planning scheme by ADPI.…
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This month we delve into that quiet and revered airport sanctuary! TheDesignAir once again, with strategic print partner Airways magazine bring you the very best Top 10 Airport Lounges in the world 2015. As well as appearing online, they will appear in print in every monthly glossy issue of Airways magazine, available around the world. We are impressed with the…
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Some of you may have spotted London Luton’s rebrand announced last month. London’s second smallest commercial airport is famous for it’s low cost network and leisure routes served by charter airlines. Situated outside of London its often had to deal with a negative mindset of its travellers. Its personally our least favourite airport of all 5…
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As spotted by one of our avid followers with a keen eye (thank you), TAM have revealed their 777 business class cabin refresh (above), something they announced they were going to do late last year. On their website there is an image of an improved 777 business class cabin, with an interior that matches their 787…
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United Airlines won’t be beaten, and like Cathay Pacific, have introduced a brand new amenity kit. In a slightly less tactile, but still nicely packaged product, will be offering international premium-cabin customers a unique enhancement to their in-flight experience with specially designed amenity kits available through late spring. As part of a wider initiative to improve…
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Cathay Pacific has been busy over the past few weeks improving what is seemingly a faultless premium product. Today the Hong Kong based airline unveiled its new range of amenity kits for First and Business Class passengers on long-haul flights which feature natural skincare products from renowned Australian brands Aesop and Jurlique (who already feature…
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During the same week ANA announce their partnership with Noma in Japan, Cathay Pacific and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announce their first-ever international partnership for crafting unique inflight menus for the airline over the coming 12 months. The strategic partnership brings top chefs from various renowned Mandarin Oriental properties in Hong Kong, London, Paris, New…
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It was announced this week that Japanese carrier ANA and Noma, critically acclaimed as one of the world’s “best restaurants,” have partnered to offer global travelers the ‘Inspiration of Japan’. Motivated by shared core values and a vision to provide their guests with world-class, genuine and heartfelt hospitality, the partnership is a celebration and amalgamation of…
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Flight: AY0077 Aircraft Type: A330-300 Class: Business Class Route: HEL-KIX Date: November 2014 http://www.finnair.com Best for: Affordable, one stop flights to a whole host of Asian destinations. Most likely to sit next to: Designers, Architects and super cool Asian-techie travellers. Business or pleasure: The flight times are perfect for business travellers, however, with no WiFi, this is the perfect place to unwind and recharge…
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Opened Yesterday, Mumbai’s new Terminal 2 GVK Lounge drew our attention to a terminal we unforgivably had overlooked when it was opened earlier this year. We take a closer look at both lounge and its stunning architectural home. The GVK Lounge This opulent and breathtaking lounge is spread across an area of some 30,000 sq.…
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KLM in the light of the recent departure of their last MD-11, have announced a further modernisation of their fleet. The new 777-200 economy cabin has been revealed, as designed by Dutch designer Hella Jongerius, who also designed their new World Business Class cabin. Whilst the airline still offers only a two class cabin across…
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Those of you have flown through Frankfurt Am Main airport will know how the airport is a metropolis of buildings and gates, servicing hundreds of flights a day all around the world – overwhelming at first, the airport has announced their designs for their new Terminal 3, situated on the southern Apron of the airport. The…
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Sometimes when concepts come along at thedesignair.net we get excited, as they often push the boundaries of the ‘plain plane’ and give us reason to stop and re-evaluate what we consider as the standard experience for today. TEAGUE, with its 80 years of design history, teamed up with ultra-hi-tech Nike to look at the plane environment…
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Let us start by saying, we can’t wait until Etihad finally decide to launch a hotel concept, not that they have ever hinted at doing such a thing. The reason being, is that they have spent so many years looking at the hospitality area to develop their entire offering, they have become experts in their…
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So it isn’t often we think ourselves as that awkward L-shaped brick from classic computer game Tetris, but fundamentally that’s how aircraft seat designers see us. Unfortunately-shaped wedges that have to fit neatly into a rectangular shape. In a constant fight to give airline passengers more space, more comfort and a better quality experience, the…
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We haven’t covered much on Aer Lingus before, the carrier has pretty much kept a low-key approach to operations, offering angle-flat business class and fairly standard economy products. Not to say that’s bad, far from it, just not nescessarily ground breaking. It seems that’s all about to change, and the Irish carrier is now a…
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Macau, gambling Mecca to Asia has just gained a lounge to be proud of. Plaza Premium Lounge has just launched their brand new space at the airport. Amazingly, 5 million passengers fly through Macau International Airport every year. Plaza Premium will be the only lounge provider in Macau. The new 4,340 square feet lounge will have…
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It’s that time again, and the judges have voted for their Top 10 Liveries for 2014. Each year the judges sort through the best of the best to find out what is hitting the mark. This year some familiar faces return, and some get booted out of the top 10, and there are even a…
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We love simple architectural design. So it’s no surprise these understated airport seats have caught our attention. Italian leather designers Poltrona Frau have just introduced their new ‘Flair’ Seating concept to Bologna Airport, Italy. Traditionally an interiors specialist for the motoring industry, designing seats for companies such as Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, the company has continued its…
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Aircalin has taken the new delivery of its latest A320 as an opportunity to relaunch its livery. Another Pacific based airline, like Fiji Airways and O’hana by Hawaiian, has looked at its cultural roots to offer a unique and considered design, celebrating the culture of the New Caledonian islands it flies from. The original livery…
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