LOT Polish Airlines is undergoing a significant transformation aimed at elevating its status among European airlines by 2026. This includes modernizing its fleet with new Airbus A220s and renovated 737 MAX 8 interiors, enhancing in-flight dining with Michelin-star collaborations, and improving lounge experiences, establishing a consistent and premium passenger journey.
Read More
Jersey Airport has welcomed a new No1 Lounge, transforming a long-standing lack of premium spaces. This compact lounge combines style and functionality with varied zones, a curated buffet, and a well-stocked bar. While it enhances Jersey’s offerings, competition in the pay-per-use lounge sector poses ongoing challenges for No1.
Read More
Virgin Atlantic is retiring its original business class seats in favor of a premium-focused offering, reflecting strong demand in Upper Class and Premium cabins. The new configuration will reduce economy seats significantly while introducing improved lounge spaces and implementing Starlink for Wi-Fi. Updates also include a new app for Virgin Atlantic Holidays.
Read More
ANA is redefining business-class comfort with its new THE Room FX, a design evolution that replaces traditional seat recline with a multi-postural seating system. This innovative approach offers greater space and refined passenger experience, focusing on usability and sensory comfort. Rollout begins in 2026, emphasizing ANA’s commitment to premium airline innovation.
Read More
Hawaiian Airlines has always offered a sub-standard lounge experience in comparison to its in-flight product. The lounges are often crowded and offer a limited range of coffee, snacks and POG juice, but little else. So the recent merger with Alaska Airlines has shifted Hawaiian’s ground experience up a gear as it looks to create synergies…
Read More
Lufthansa has introduced its latest premium lounge at Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal B, which will be welcome to the many Star Alliance passengers departing from the airport including Lufthansa, LOT and TAP Portugal. Covering 600 square metres, the new lounge brings a new contemporary elegance, balancing functionality with a sleek aesthetic that feels fresh…
Read More
The never ending game of cat and mouse between the US3 carriers is playing dividends for the inflight and ground customer experience in the USA. A region that was once a decade behind the rest of the world when it came to cabin interiors, has fast become a hot-bed of creativity and world-standard hard products.…
Read More
Today saw Cathay add its new Aria suite product to its website, promoting the new product that will take to the skies later in the year. This is one of the most anticipated seat launches of the year, as Cathay vies for the most lucrative of passengers through the Asia region. While the airline revealed…
Read More
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 More
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 More
Now, Condor’s A330neo nautically business class might not be recent news, but social is finally buzzing around the airline’s decision to up-guage its front row of business class to a ‘Business Plus’ proposition. Dubbed ‘Prime Seats’, Condor’s front row of four seats are in effect ‘mini suites’ with a few hidden surprises that the airline…
Read More
As the first in a series of United Club locations to open in 2023, United has officially opened its new United Club lounge in Chicago O’Hare’s Terminal 1, close to gate C10. Not to be confused with United’s Polaris lounges, the Club lounge is home to a range of new additions designed to elevate the…
Read More
British Airways announced that its 787-8 Dreamliners are the latest in the line to get some much needed love in regards to their business class product. While the majority of the fleet has already been updated, there’s still a few aircraft left with the original Yin-yang suites from the 2000’s, including the 787-8’s, 787-9’s and…
Read More
Last week saw Air France unveil its fully redesigned lounge in Terminal 1 at Munich-Franz Josef Strauss international airport in Germany. While other airlines have been closing their ground products across the globe, Air France is one of the few carriers bucking the trend with upgraded and refreshed spaces. Dedicated to Air France, KLM and…
Read More
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 More
Most people will have flown on a Vantage product at some point if they’ve flown business class in the past decade, and the VantageXL is the flagship version, which has been adopted by the likes of Qantas, SAS, Delta and Philippine Airlines over the years. Understanding that passenger habits and needs have adapted in the…
Read More
It’s been a pretty big day for Australia, with international borders opened, Qantas starting the relaunch of its international network and also the day domestically Victoria-New South Wales borders have re-opened. To celebrate, rival Virgin Australia has given us a look at what its refurbished Melbourne Lounge will look like and unveiled a new and…
Read More
July saw the very first passengers travelling through Manchester’s Airport’s new terminal extension, marking a major milestone in the Northern gateway’s 83-year history. Work started on the transformation in 2017 and – despite a delay of more than one year to the opening as a result of the pandemic – the facility was officially opened…
Read More
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.…
Read More
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…
Read More
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.…
Read More
This week saw British Airways launch new products for those in the front and the back of the plane. For those in then pointy end, flying from San Francisco and Newark can now enjoy made-to-order cocktails, in just 45 seconds thanks to an automated cocktail maker. Now, while BA doesn’t offer Bartenders in the same…
Read More
Air France has just announced two new Business Class product launches, both on the ground and in the skies, geared towards the leisure market. Launched in close proximity the airline has announced its latest Caribbean and Indian Ocean retrofit featuring an economy-heavy configuration with brand new Business Class cabin, paired with a new Paris Orly…
Read More
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.…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
LATAM’s 25th Boeing 787 took off for the first time from Santiago International Airport yesterday as flight LA750 to São Paulo, Brazil. The group received the new aircraft last week at Boeing’s Delivery Center in Charleston, South Carolina. Not only is this the 25th 787-9, but this is the first Boeing 787 to feature LATAM’s…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More