Virgin Atlantic’s refreshed Heathrow Clubhouse reflects a necessary recalibration rather than a radical change, acknowledging a drift in alignment over two decades. The update enhances experience with thoughtful touches, echoing elements from the Los Angeles Clubhouse while embracing a distinct British opulence. This shift signals a potential redefinition of luxury in aviation, inviting speculation on future developments in their onboard experience.
Read More
With yesterday’s announcement, LAX is certainly on the front foot when it comes to new ground experiences. With both the new Air France and now Virgin Atlantic lounges at Los Angeles International Airport and their unique approaches to luxury, functionality, and aesthetics, there’s plenty of choice available now for SkyTeam passengers. Air France Lounge: Classic…
Read More
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…
Read More
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 More
Virgin Atlantic has just revealed its latest social space found on the final five A350’s that will be delivered for the carrier. Instead of ‘The Loft’ – the social space found on its first wave of A350’s – the last few Airbus aircraft to be delivered have been configured for the carrier’s leisure routes. This…
Read More
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.
Read More
Tonight saw Virgin Atlantic peel back the curtain on their exclusive new A350 cabin. The aircraft, which will enter the fleet this summer will initially fly on the prestigious Heathrow – New York JFK route, followed by Atlanta, and the rest of the existing 747 routes as the new aircraft starts to take over from…
Read More
Virgin Atlantic has retrofitted the first of four Airbus A330-200s which joined the fleet from Air Berlin mid way through the year. The retrofit includes the installation of the airline’s famous Premium cabin, along with brand new Upper Class Suites and a refreshed look for Economy. The remaining three A330-200 refits are all expected to be…
Read More
Do you remember the feeling of getting on your first flight as a kid. The noises, lights, sounds, feelings were all consuming, and Virgin Atlantic with their new advertising agency (from AMV BBDO) brings back the child-like excitement that we all feel when stepping on-board an aircraft. Filmed aboard a fictitious 787, the 1-minute-long advert…
Read More
Virgin Atlantic has unveiled brand new interiors for its fleet of A330- 200 aircraft. These ex-Air Berlin planes will be retrofitted throughout with the airline’s famous Premium Economy cabin, along with a refreshed new look and feel for Upper Class and updated look for Economy. While all eyes will be firmly rooted in Virgin Atlantic’s…
Read More
Fragrances aren’t new to airlines, in fact, probably more airlines than you think have found ways to freshen and brand their aircraft through yet another sense. Joining the likes of Cathay Pacific, Delta, Turkish and Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic has launched a signature scent called ‘Air.’ Collaborating with British scent designer and candle chandler Rachel…
Read More
Virgin Atlantic has recently partnered with Onefinestay to create a limited edition pop-up boutique bedroom in the corner of its award-winning Clubhouse in Heathrow Airport. Partnering with the New York based company, the British airline has reinforced its deep East Coast roots by bridging the pond with a US based partner. Available for rental through…
Read More
It’s time for next instalment of The Aviator: The podcast about all things flying. Hosted by Ted Kravitz and regular guest host Jonny Clark. This month we head back to our cool studio in London after visiting Reuben Arnold, Director of Brand & Customer Experience at Virgin Atlantic and ask him all things brand. We…
Read More
It seems that TBIT isn’t the only way to fly from LAX anymore. While Virgin Atlantic recently opened their new Clubhouse in Terminal 2, sister airline Delta are bringing a bit of their magic to the passenger experience across the car park in terminal 5. Costing US$229million, the terminal wide renovations have now come to a close,…
Read More
You probably won’t know this, but Virgin Atlantic and Delta are the official airline partners of The O2. As part of their partnership, they are bringing a bit of style to the U.K.’s most well known entertainment venue this summer, with the launch of their permanent NY-LON Lounge Bar. Honouring the airlines’ important New York – London…
Read More
This month we celebrate all things fashion. Our Top 10 airline uniforms for 2015 are a real feast for the eyes. This is one category where product from 40 years ago is still pitched against the very latest products on the market, and some of these products really do stand the test of time. We…
Read More
Finally! We are getting a brand new Clubhouse in Los Angeles Terminal 2. First suggested back in 2012 by TheDesignAir, the moving of the Air New Zealand lounge from LAX’s T2 which Virgin Atlantic used to use across to the TBIT terminal, left passengers in a bit of a quandary. However, the airline announced this week…
Read More
We are pleased to announce our Top 10 economy classes for 2015. The last 18 months have changed the landscape for economy class travel, with passengers around the world benefiting from new aircraft, new products and increased inflight entertainment options. While there are some new entrants into our list this year, the competition was tougher than ever, due to an increasingly…
Read More
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…
Read More
Virgin Atlantic successfully manage to capture the Upper Class experience in their new TV advert pitched toward business travellers. Titled “The Idea” it showcases their new B787-9 product. The airline is positioning itself to showcase their luxurious front-end product to the UK public. Replacing the airline’s Flying In The Face of Ordinary (#Fitfoo) advertising campaign, this…
Read More
It’s your lucky day if you are arriving into Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 2 and 3. The airport, which is still one of the busiest in the world, has been overhauled over the past few years to keep up with demand and refresh their international image. Delta Arrivals Lounge LHR Terminal 3 Whilst Terminal 3 already…
Read More
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. This month we cover our top 10 premium economy classes. With airlines investing more into their new mid-cabin classes, competition is…
Read More
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…
Read More
Lufthansa have been working on a new premium economy product for the past few years and have just announced they are to be introduced into their long haul fleet. Seen globally as a huge success since the invention from Virgin Atlantic, in 1992, many airlines now offer a class between economy and business class, as…
Read More
We are so happy to finally announce a brand spanking new video for Virgin Atlantic. One of the original pioneers in ‘cool and original’ safety videos, the British Airline has once again shown what it can do when it put its mind to it. Taking inspiration from iconic titles such as Brief Encounter and 2001, A…
Read More
When we announced the launch of the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class product on the A330 we mentioned how much we loved the new bar designed by VW+BS, and recently they created a cool time-lapse video showing the design process over the period of 3 years. It’s a fascinating video, showing a natural evolution of the…
Read More
It’s fairly well considered that being ‘green’, no matter how it’s marketed isn’t really a sexy subject manner. However, our friends, Virgin Atlantic have actually made a step in the right direction in making the notion of being green a cool concept. Some interesting figures have just come out, whereby the airline has revealed that it…
Read More
Starting our series of competitive routes around the world, we are breaking down the details of what each airline has to offer to help you find the perfect airline for you for your trip. To start with, we are looking at Los Angeles to London Heathrow. In this post we are looking at the business…
Read More
Here at Thedesignair we have been watching the recent trend over the past few months of new uniforms being launched around the world, from China Eastern to Virgin Atlantic, new threads have become the new norm, lifting the inflight product and refreshing the cabin look and feel, whilst also (hopefully) making the cabin crew a…
Read More
Whilst Virgin Atlantic has been seen as a forward thinking leader in the airline field (although now with a wealth of other airlines also in the same field) it seems a nod to a bit of nostalgia is on the cards for their uniforms, which we announced a few months ago, are now designed by…
Read More