Luxury in aviation is evolving from material possessions to experiential offerings, mirroring shifts in hospitality. Airlines should focus on crafting memorable journeys through cultural storytelling, meaningful amenities, and curated experiences. The future of air travel luxury lies in emotional connections and unique rituals, not merely tangible comforts.
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The aviation industry is increasingly adopting a generic concept of luxury, which leads to a loss of distinct airline identities. Airlines are urged to celebrate their unique characteristics and cultural roots rather than conforming to a uniform standard. Genuine luxury should evoke recognition and authenticity, creating memorable passenger experiences.
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Brussels Airlines is evolving its identity with a refined brand image that emphasizes emotional connection and personal touch. Collaborating with WeWantMore, the airline retains its core elements while enhancing visual sophistication. This rebranding focuses on creating a human, welcoming experience that reflects Belgian hospitality, presenting itself as a boutique airline in the sky.
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The biggest challenge facing the passenger experience market is trying to standout in a levelled playing field. Every airline can now purchase suites with doors, all-aisle-access is no longer a market leading position, and the leading inflight entertainment systems all offer basically the same interface. But there’s still a fierce battle to claim the throne…
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I’ve been wanting to try Austrian Airlines Business Class for some time now. The airline has been on my radar as a lesser-known carrier of the Lufthansa Group, but after hearing such good things about the airline, it was time to take the plunge on a transatlantic flight I had to take from London to…
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Iberia has been rolling out its new ‘Next’ cabin across the A350 fleet. The new cabins mean upgrades across all classes, with the most noticeable improvements being in the Business Class cabin. The cabin now features new Recaro seats with doors which offer greater privacy, but do the new cabins elevate the entire passenger experience?…
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I was lucky enough to be invited onboard Air New Zealand’s inaugural JFK-AKL flight in September, the 4th longest flight in the world. I’ve done similar trips such as Emirates A380 LAX-DXB flights, but there’s something more unfoundedly daunting about crossing swathes of Ocean. No human likes to be stuck in a confined space for…
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After recently travelling on both Virgin Atlantic’s B787-9 and the A350 products to the US, I had the opportunity to experience both the brand-new and older Upper Class products in quick succession, and the differences were noticeable, but actually not in a way I had expected. Now this might seem a little controversial, but.. Out…
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Last month, we were lucky to try out SriLankan’s Business Class again, approximately 4 years since the last time, which was the first time since the pandemic, and it gave us an opportunity to see how the carrier was faring post-COVID. SriLankan has always been one of our secret favourite carriers. It often sits below…
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While 2022 is already underway, it seems that airlines are starting to emerge from hibernation, and with it, bringing a wave of passenger experience improvements from new cabin classes to new amenities. But what are the emerging trends we expect to see through 2022? Premium Economy wars As well as seeing new premium economy products…
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We’ve been drowning in a sea of short-term hygiene messages across the last year as airlines have rapidly ‘masked up’ in order to win over what little passenger volume there has been. Today’s passengers have been assaulted by marketing imagery of planes being scrubbed within an inch of their life, crew in body suits and…
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As part of our continued evolution we’ve now created a new round up video which we’ll release regularly to help summarise some of the latest advancements in airline and airport passenger experience that we feature on the site. Now is your chance to sign up, subscribe, like and comment on the videos as we craft…
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TheDesignAir is pleased to share a free-to-download White paper on the ‘Future of Travel’, reflecting on the changes to the passenger experience post-Covid19. Founder of the site, Jonny Clark, explores gradual shifts and changes we can expect to see across the airline industry, both on the ground and in the skies. The major changes we…
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As the phrase goes, “good things come in small packages.” In 2018, the airline industry carried 4.4billion passengers. It has become an integral part of human life, but it’s also an industry of behemoth players. In fact, in 2018, the top 10 airline groups transported over one third of the entire annual traffic, leaving the…
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The past few years has seen a few airlines decide to position themselves as a lifestyle brand, appealing to the younger, time-rich generation who are gap-year embracing, iPhone toting and generally bank-rolled by their parents. While airlines – like the big US 3 – see their passenger demographic age as fast as the airline does,…
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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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As we announced a few weeks ago, Etihad has revamped its economy service to become more sustainable while offering passengers larger main meals and a restaurant-style service. On first impressions, offering two waves of dining would appear more complicated for the cabin crew, but as we found out by spending a few hours behind the scenes…
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Many people in the industry will have heard of Anthony Harcup. Having led some of the industry’s most significant aircraft interior developments for the likes of Etihad, Delta, and JetBlue, Harcup recently joined Teague to help develop the team’s growing list of airline customers. Tasked with further developing the team and enriching industry relationships, he’s…
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A few years ago, the race was on to kit out an airline’s entire fleet with fully-flat, all-aisle access seats in business class, as this was a quantifiable benefit from competitors who were offering either angled lie-flat or seats that didn’t feature aisle access. A few key seats became de-facto benchmarks in passenger expectations, including…
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Flight: WY102 Aircraft Type: 787-9 Class: First Class Route: LHR-MCT Date: March 2019 http://www.omanair.com Oman Air has long been on our radar to offer a trip report. Its careful positioning as a boutique carrier based in the Middle East doesn’t mean it is one of the big and bold ME3, but it is certainly pushing the envelope when it comes…
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Flight: AF1681 Aircraft Type: B787-9 Class: Business Class Route: LHR-CDG Date: March 2017 http://www.airfrance.com Air France started flying their 787-9 between CDG and LHR earlier this year, training staff on the aircraft before it commences its long haul duties. While only a short hop across the English Channel, it gives passengers a chance to experience the new product before committing…
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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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If you haven’t seen SAS’s brand new look by Swedish brand agency Bold, then now is a great time to delve deep into a comprehensive look at Scandinavian Airlines multiple branded elements. “When we started working with SAS in early 2014 they were under tremendous pressure to accommodate changing customer habits and were targeting bargain hunters,” state…
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In the heart of Honolulu Airport, TheDesignAir talks exclusively with Avi Mannis at Hawaiian Airlines on their home turf, discussing the past, the future, brand and livery, plus what it means to be a truly successful ‘destination carrier’ The Roots of the Hawaiian Airlines Brand Sat in Hawaiian Airlines offices just on the edge of…
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Flight: AF0009 Aircraft Type: B777-300 (Four Class version) Class: Business Class Route: JFK-CDG Flight time: 6:07 Seat: 4L Date: November 2014 http://www.airfrance.com Best for: Anyone with a modicum of style, looking for good connections around the world. The crowd: This carrier oozes Parisian chic. Luxury clothing mandatory. Business or pleasure: This carrier is all about both, excellent and opulent food matched with excellent flight…
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Flight: HA450 Aircraft Type: A330-200 Class: Business Class (International) Route: KIX-HNL Flight time: 7:03 Seat: 3C Date: November 2014 http://www.hawaiianairlines.com Best for: Hawaiian based residents, who use Hawaiian regularly. The crowd: A mix of young Japanese trendsetters and families. Business or pleasure: Hawaii is a big market for the Japanese, with limited connectivity and recliner seats, this is for those headed away on pleasure.…
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It’s been a while, but we are continuing our comparison reports on some of the most popular and competitive routes in the world. In the midst of our recent travel planning we noticed the great variety of carriers travelling between Hong Kong and Bangkok. There are 9 main competitors that run the city pair, formed of Thai Airways, Emirates, Sri…
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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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Flight: EK216 Aircraft Type: A380-800 Class: Business Class Route: LAX-DXB Date: February 2014 http://www.emirates.com Best for: Luxury long haul explorers wanting all the trimmings. Most likely to sit next to: Either your partner or no-one thanks to their staggered seating. But this is ex-pat country, with many international travellers currently based in the UAE on business. Business or pleasure: Well the A380 is…
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Our TheDesignAir Top 10 lists have undergone a revamp in 2014, and to aid transparency, our top 10 airlines will now have their rating out of 100 shown, as voted for and calculated by our judging panel. What is interesting for our Top 10 International business classes 2014 is the wide ranging percentage scores within the top…
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