In a recent event in Malaysia, the country’s flag-carrier revealed new cabins for the airline’s impending A330neo fleet, with the first of these shiny new aircraft scheduled for delivery in Q3 2024. We are thrilled to see the airline really doubling down on its proposition in a bid to win back market share. The A330neo…
Read MoreEtihad complete the soft-furnishing circle with glorious new luxury Giorgio Armani amenities
It seems Etihad Airways has finally completed its upgrade to the passenger experience by enriching the offering with a stunning new collection of amenity kits and loungewear created in partnership with renowned Italian design house, Giorgio Armani, the sister brand to Armani/Casa that already features in the airlines bedding and tableware. The new amenity kit…
Read MoreLOT Polish receives massive upgrades, makes for a competitive European product
On a recent flight through Warsaw to Chicago i was able to experience LOT Polish Airlines business class product, and I have to say, apart from a slightly dated cabin, the product was near excellence. There will be a review of that on my site soon, as well as a full video trip report on…
Read MoreJAL launches new A350-1000 cabin interiors, but do they miss the mark?
JAL has set the scene for its new flagship product which will start flying on the prestigious service between Tokyo and New York later this year. It’s been almost 20 years since the carrier last launched a flagship international product, and the new cabins reflect the recent regional cabins that have already started flying over…
Read More7 emerging passenger experience trends to watch out for
We’re currently in an era of rebounded passenger volumes, overwhelming profit margins, and seemingly sustained growth in virtually all aspects of the aviation industry. While much of that profit has been realised by heavily streamlined operations post-COVID, it’s also been due to pared back passenger experiences over the past 12 months, with many airlines only…
Read MoreAir France reveals new A350 seats at AIX 2023
AIX is back in full swing again this year, with swathes of innovation from humble amenities to brand new seats. While there’s more about all of that to come over the coming weeks and months on the site, TheDesignAir is pleased to announce that Air France revealed its brand new A350 cabins that will enter…
Read MoreAirJapan reveals more of its brand proposition including interiors and uniforms
AirJapan revealed its Landor livery and brand last year, but not much was known about the brand beyond the exterior. Last week, however the airline revealed the carrier’s interior image and uniforms that will go some way in building the inflight passenger experience. AirJapan will be the new medium-haul international brand, as part of ANA,…
Read MoreSWISS is latest airline to launch new cabins similar to Lufthansa’s product – but the Swiss touch changes the cabin entirely.
It may not be first to the punch, but following on Lufthansa’s coattails, Swiss has revealed its own personalised ‘SWISS Senses’ air travel experience from 2025 onwards utilising exactly the same hardware as sister carrier Lufthansa. The centrepiece of the new customer product is a redesigned cabin for the airline’s long-haul aircraft fleet, which was…
Read MoreKuwait Airways reveals upgrades to brand image, including new uniforms
Kuwait Airways has recently announced a wave of enhancements across its passenger fleet on the A330-900neos as well as new uniforms, new routes and improvements to its lounge offering in Kuwait. While many of the improvements will only been see by a few travelling on the airline in the near future, one element will be…
Read MoreEmirates’ first retrofitted A380 takes to the skies
Yesterday saw the very first of no less than 120 retrofitted aircraft take off from Dubai to London Heathrow. As part of a US$2billion upgrade program, EK003 heralds the start of a huge investment from Emirates to bring all of their A380s back to the skies, and – eventually – featuring the latest cabin products…
Read MoreIberia seeks to up the ante with new A350 interiors
Iberia is the first airline to take delivery of the new A350 cabins that feature ever-so-slightly wider cabins and new technologies that make the aircraft lighter and more advanced (such as greater flap settings and faster retracting landing gear), even though they look identical on the outside. However, on the inside, Iberia has opted to…
Read MoreStarlux gives a masterclass in cabin design with its new A350s
Award-winning Taiwanese carrier Starlux has just received its first of over a dozen new A350s, destined to start flying long-haul routes next year. As well as being the first carrier to have Airbus’ latest version of the XWB, which features an additional 4″ of internal width at the shoulder level and electronically tinted windows. While…
Read MoreFrom 4-star to all star? Lufthansa introduces ‘Allegris’ to try to elevate future passenger experience
While Lufthansa had to quietly retreat from it’s questionable 5-star Skytrax rating just a few weeks ago, to a more understandable 4-star rating, it’s no surprise that the carrier is trying to pull out all the stops to re-energise interest in the carrier which has been marred recently by news of impending strikes. Yesterday Lufthansa…
Read MoreAmerican’s First Class isn’t entirely dead. The new premium interiors may give hint to the future of its cabin strategy.
Yesterday saw American Airlines announce a relatively needed and long-awaited refresh to its interiors programme. Bringing its long-haul and premium narrow-body cabins a whole new look was expected, and after United and Delta had rolled out its own signature Polaris and One products, American needed to step up to the mark. While the new cabins…
Read MoreCould seats get wider for long-haul any time soon? Lift Aero Design think there’s an opportunity
Passenger seat rules and regulations regarding ergonomics haven’t really changed in decades. However, as a race, human’s have continued to evolve, and we’re getting larger and taller. This means economy seats and cabins once comfortable for passengers in the 1960’s are no longer viable for today’s traveller. In fact the CDC says between 1960 and…
Read MoreVirgin Atlantic New A330Neo delights with ‘better-than-Upper Class’ product and better fleet alignment
Launched today in London’s still-trendy Shoreditch, Virgin Atlantic’s new A330neo product should indeed turn heads. Launching a brand new product across a small yet nimble fleet usually means that the product offering becomes increasingly fragmented, but actually the airline has stumbled upon better synergies than ever on its Transatlantic offering. Introduced on Virgin Atlantic’s 16…
Read MoreAir France takes its brand to new heights
Today saw Air France reveal a brand new Business Class product that will start to grace its 777-300ERs. It also revealed an exciting new ‘brand video’ to impart the new Air France brand to its global audience. At the heart of this regeneration lies its new business class seat, which is entirely new, although it…
Read MoreSAS shows off new A321LR interiors
SAS has just revealed its photos of its new A321LR cabin. The transatlantic narrow body joins the carrier’s wide-body fleet in connecting the two continents, but trying to keep the same passenger experience touch-points across fundamentally different airframes was a difficult ask. While the airline sadly hasn’t been able to provide all aisle access, by…
Read MoreChina Airlines receives first A321neo with impressive interiors
Taiwanese carrier China Airlines has just received its first A321neo passenger aircraft which heralds a new era in the airline’s narrow-body fleet. A total of 25 of these advanced Airbus aircraft will enter the fleet over the coming years, which will operate short-haul routes including Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and Cross-strait. The aircraft itself features…
Read MoreAir France introduces new A220-300 as backbone of medium-haul flying
Today saw Air France take delivery of its first Airbus A220-300, the company’s most modern aircraft in the fleet on its short and medium-haul network. The airline has been on a massive fleet renewal program since introducing the Airbus A350 on its long-haul network, and by 2025 it will have integrated the 60 A220-300s ordered…
Read MoreJetBlue’s London launch brings with it new reusable amenity kits in economy
All attention this week might have been on JetBlue’s much anticipated entry in to the TransAtlantic race, but with it came a nifty little amenity for passengers in coach that we absolutely love. Developed in collaboration with JetBlue – Formia, the international guest amenity and hospitality specialist – the new kits are now available on the airline’s highly anticipated transatlantic…
Read MoreJiatai bring new Economy and Business Class seats to the industry in partnership with Factorydesign
AVIC Cabin Services is more than just AIM altitude and Thompson Aero Seating, however those will be more familiar names than Jiatai. However, it’s one company and part of the group not to be overlooked. Jiatai’s new JT220B Business Class and JT220E Economy Class seats are a result of the company’s strategy, supported by ACS,…
Read MoreUnited Airlines declares ‘Passenger Experience war’ against rivals with impressive new interiors
United Airlines, now profitable once again has firmly set its stall as a leading Passenger Experience airline, vying for market dominance through modern, comfortable cabins that give passengers what they want: more space, more entertainment and more choice. This is something we applaud and have been promoting as the right approach to winning over customer…
Read MoreSWISS introduces new Premium Economy, officially launching April 2022
SWISS has now joined the ranks of its fellow Lufthansa Group airlines in offering Premium Economy, which will supplement its existing Economy, Business and First classes of travel from the fourth quarter of this year. Interestingly the airline has opted for a fixed-backshell seat which usually gets a bad rap for passenger comfort although it…
Read MoreJetBlue’s Trans-Atlantic ‘Mint’ might be turning heads, but the economy cabin isn’t half bad either
While we covered JetBlue’s fantastic new Mint product recently, the airline certainly kept our eyes at the front of the aircraft, as we thought that’s where the magic was going to happen. However, it seems when it comes to Economy Class travel, the airline has decided to firmly position itself as a challenger to the…
Read MoreHawaiian now flies three of the longest domestic flights in the world
Hawaiian Airlines has been one of our favourites in North America for quite a while, they’ve managed to set their stall as a strong, identifiable and unique airline from both passenger experience and brand perspectives. Its fleet has recently been updated and with the addition of new A321’s focussing on the West Coast, it’s freed…
Read MoreGulf Air moves home to its brand new terminal in Bahrain, with new ground experience
Gulf Air today moved its operations to the brand new terminal in Bahrain’s International Airport in Manama. The new terminal couldn’t be more different than its predecessor, as it is awash with light thanks to its huge picture windows and high ceilings. With the new terminal, comes new ground experiences for passengers, including brand new…
Read MoreBritish Airways learns from 2020 and launches hybrid onboard economy food service by British Chef Tom Kerridge and Tourvest
British Airways has today announced that it will be partnering with celebrated, British Michelin-starred chef, Tom Kerridge, who has designed a number of gourmet food items, which include signature pies and sandwiches, to pre-purchase for the airline’s Euro Traveller (short haul economy) customers. “The move marks a renewed focus on the short haul customer…
Read MoreEmirates finally reveals Premium Economy product and upgrades to the A380. But is it a sheep in wolf’s clothing?
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…
Read MoreUganda Airlines proves aircraft interiors don’t just have to come in shades of blue
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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