flydubai today showed off its new interiors for its’ 737 Max 8 Aircraft designed by JPA Design. The first aircraft, bearing the UAE registration mark A6-MAX, is the first of 76 aircraft on order from Boeing; all of which will be delivered by 2023. No less than six of these aircraft will join the flydubai fleet by the end of the last quarter of 2017.

JPA Design’s full scope of work took in all cabin elements, including seat design and customisation for Economy and Business class, lavatories, full CMF (colour materials and finishes), soft furnishings – including curtains and carpets, service wear – bulkheads, lighting and Inflight Entertainment GUI (Interface) menu content.

Interestingly, flydubai has moved its current business class offering from deep recliner chairs to fully-flat beds similar to those found on JetBlue, which gives the carrier the ability to lift its product offering, helping it align with its codeshare big brother carrier Emirates.

flydubai’s Chairman, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum commenting on the occasion said: “At the 2013 Dubai Airshow we made history by placing the largest order for this aircraft type in the Middle East. This was made before this aircraft took its first commercial flight. To see that commitment being fulfilled today is another milestone in Dubai’s aviation success story. The efficiency and enhanced performance this aircraft promises is going to play an important role in the new chapter of flydubai’s growth strategy.”

The flat-beds will get good use as well. flydubai’s new Boeing 737 MAX 8s will initially be deployed on the furthest points on the carrier’s network. Destinations including Bangkok, Prague, Yekaterinburg and Zanzibar will be among the first to be served by the MAX 8. The additional aircraft being delivered over the next few years will be rolled out across the fleet and will become available on most of the routes on the network.

flydubai’s Chief Executive Officer, Ghaith Al Ghaith, commenting on the arrival of the MAX 8: “We are gearing up and putting the final touches to these new aircraft which will improve our overall fleet performance, bring more flexibility and efficiency to our operations and further support our commitment to opening up new destinations, whilst delivering an exceptional onboard experience for our passengers.”

The Big Picture

Yesterday Qantas revealed a striking new special livery for a brand new 787-9 Dreamliner being delivered to the airline. Comprised of approximately 5,000 dots (get counting!), the new design is striking both from near and afar. The new livery features the work of the late Northern Territory artist and senior Anmatyerre woman, Emily Kame Kngwarreye. It is based on her 1991 painting, Yam Dreaming and has been adapted for the aircraft by leading Indigenous owned design studio Balarinji.

For only the second time in Qantas’ history the iconic flying kangaroo on the aircraft has been changed to form part of the design, with the airline’s trademark red tail colour altered to match the earthy red tones and white dots of Emily’s artwork (and to be honest, we love this new red, hopefully some of this design could rub off in the future on the rest of the fleet)

Managing Director of Balarinji Ros Moriarty said the design studio was honoured to continue its 20-year partnership with Qantas to support the place of Aboriginal design in Australia’s global identity. Balarinji also worked with Qantas on the four other designs that have graced their routes around the world (of which today only one other remains in service).

Impressively, a team of more than 60 graphic designers, engineers and painters at Boeing’s Seattle facility worked with Balarinji to install the design onto the aircraft, taking more than ten days to complete and two years in planning. The result is beautiful, striking, and flies in the face of the ‘Eurowhite’ designs gracing the skies globally.

It might look like a game of spot the difference but Emirates has announced a more spacious business class seat on their 777-200LR’s. These new cabins aren’t found on all the 777 fleet, in fact, the new 2-class configuration is found only just 10 aircraft, flying specific routes starting with Ft. Lauderdale on 6th March.

The new 2 x 2 x 2 configuration means that passengers can enjoy wider seats and thankfully no more dreaded middle seat. However, it is still the only ME carrier to continue rolling out a configuration that isn’t all-aisle-access.

Even so, the airline has invested over US$150 million to refurbish these 10 existing 777-200LR aircraft in its fleet. Removing the older First Class product, the newly refurbished Emirates 777-200LR aircraft is now set in a two-class configuration which offers 38 Business Class seats and 264 seats in Economy Class in a 10 across configuration.

While the Business Class seats are in the same design and shape of Emirates’ latest lie-flat seats, they are now two inches wider for a more comfortable journey. The seats retain the champagne coloured finish and diamond stitch pattern on the full leather cover, and the ergonomically designed headrest revealed on Emirates’ newest Boeing 777 in November.

The new seats have a pitch of 72 inches and offer a fully-flat sleeping position. It also has touchscreen controls for the seat and inflight entertainment system, several personal lighting options, privacy panels between seats, a shoe stowage area, footrest and a personal mini-bar. To add a sense of space, the centre bins have been removed and the bulkheads now feature the Ghaf tree mural, a new signature design on the latest Emirates aircraft.

In addition, the new Business Class cabin features a social area – unique to the Boeing 777-200LR fleet. The mini lounge area features snacks such as crisps, although this is now in the centre of the aircraft, which if used as a social gathering space, could cause distraction to nearby passengers. The good news is that the new 777-X aircraft joining the fleet will offer a 1 x 2 x 1 seating configuration, meaning all passengers will finally get aisle access on Emirates Boeing fleet.

Hawaiian Airlines announced it will purchase 10 Boeing 787-9 aircraft with purchase rights for an additional 10 aircraft. The first fuel-efficient, lightweight, passenger-friendly “Dreamliner” is scheduled to arrive in the first quarter of 2021. Hawaiian has selected the General Electric GEnx engine to power the additions to its fleet.

“The Dreamliner combines excellent comfort for our guests with fantastic operational performance and will allow us to continue modernizing our fleet into the next decade,” said Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Peter Ingram. “It has more seating capacity than Hawaiian’s current wide-body fleet, which will allow us to further build upon our successful growth in Asia.”

The aircraft will replace its A330-900 order that it had placed, as part of a competitive bidding process to both grow the fleet and replace existing A330s flying for the carrier. “Hawaiian Airlines has been on an impressive growth trajectory, continuously expanding service between Asia and North America. It’s why we are thrilled they’ve chosen to reach their next horizon with the 787 Dreamliner,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Kevin McAllister. “The Dreamliner’s advanced technology, unmatched fuel efficiency, and passenger-pleasing cabin will help Hawaiian optimize its fleet for the future and provide their customers with a best-in-class experience.”

The airline hasn’t currently revealed what seating configuration it will feature, although the airline’s new business class product could be a suitable inclusion, as well as the introduction of a proper Premium Economy cabin, keeping it competitive with other American legacy carriers.

While only renderings, the livery seems to effortlessly fit the 787-9 aircraft slender frame, with perfect proportions. It will be a pleasure to see them grace the skies, flying long-haul routes to Asia-Pacific, North America and potentially new expanded routes currently unserved. With their extended range, it raises the question, where would you like to see Hawaiian flying in 2021.

Today saw Singapore Airlines reveal a brand new Regional Business Class product, fitted in its 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft, which will become the backbone of its regional network. Not shy of innovation and luxury, Singapore Airlines has invested US$350 million to equip their initial 20 787-10s with the new and impressive products.

Flying routes up to 8 hours, these business class seats may seem like an over-delivery on passengers expectations, but due to a clever LOPA arrangement and an importance of offering a point of difference from their competitors, the airline has impressed passengers with a ground-breaking regional-specific product.

Not dissimilar from their new A380 business class product, the new business class seat cocoons the passenger in a shell of technology. Manufactured by Stelia Aerospace, the new fully-flat bed regional Business Class seats on the 787-10s are arranged in a forward-facing 1-2-1 staggered configuration to provide every customer direct aisle access.

With each seat able to recline directly into a 76” fully-flat bed, Business Class customers can rest in more comfort, even on the shortest flights. Customers will have more options to relax in their seat while being entertained by KrisWorld, SIA’s award-winning in-flight entertainment system, on their personal 18” full high-definition touchscreen monitor, powered by Panasonic’s latest eX3 system.

The airline has provided a range of honeymoon seat pairs (although not as magical as the A380 seats, as the partition doesn’t fully descent below the seat pad) and a myriad of single seats. Due to the seat pitch, seat egress is quite tight unless situated on an ‘aisle’ seat, and those closer to the windows will be slightly harder to enter and exit.

That said, most passengers will be happy to have this level of privacy and comfort on a relatively short flight, and the airline has seemingly struck the right chord between comfort and LOPA affordability.

Although the seats will feel smaller than a long-haul product they may have just stepped off, with the clever lowering of the armrests, the seats will have a maximum width of 29″ around the shoulder line, and the foot well is larger than most.

Customers can also look forward to other features to enhance their travelling experience, such as a huge sturdy table, ample stowage space for personal items, a business panel with in-seat power supply and USB ports, and integrated reading light unit with adjustable lighting intensity.

Osaka and Perth will be the first scheduled destinations to be served by the new 787-10s, from May 2018. Prior to the launch of these regular services, the aircraft will be operated on selected flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur for crew training purposes. “The introduction of the new cabin products on our Boeing 787-10 fleet reinforces our unwavering commitment to product leadership, one of the key pillars of our brand promise,” said SIA CEO Mr Goh Choon Phong.

Gulf Air, once the cream of the crop in the Middle East, sadly started to slip against the backdrop of the now globally-famous ‘ME Three’. Ageing hard products and a limited route network meant the carrier was very rarely the top of passengers preferences.

However, things might be about to change. Gone the heavy golden and navy livery, now replaced with a brand new design featuring golden nacelles, large logotype and refreshed Falcon tail fin logo. The design, which is certainly a lot more contemporary, loses some of it’s originality, but makes up for it with a more contemporary and bold visual statement. Eagle-eyed readers might notice the logotype has a layer of shadow built in, offering a 3D effect to the typeface.

Inside, the aircraft shows off a far more radical change. In economy, the 3 x 3 x 3 seating, normal to a 787-9 now, features large TV screens, a lot of storage and bi-fold tray tables, offering economy passengers enhanced space and utilisation.

In business class however the airline has done an Olympic leap-jump from its current ‘lie-flat’ flat-bed 2 x 2 x 2 seats. Opting for Apex Suites, the seats now offer all-aisle access. While the hard product is the same as those found on Japan Airlines and Oman Air, the trim and finish that the airline has opted for is highly customised. (Although, not sure what the Orchid is doing on the table in the image below)

This means there are a variety of textures which reflect and capture the airline’s mood light with a wealth of matt ash, champagne and brushed golden trim complementing the neutral seat shell colours. There is a range of seating arrangements, the centre pairs offer side by side seating, while the side pairs are slightly staggered to allow for aisle access, meaning the aisle seats here also offer a small storage unit by the seat while upright.

We are incredibly pleasantly surprised to see this product upgrade, which is less of a matter of keeping up with the local competition, and more a matter of offering a cabin class-leading product. Hopefully the new livery and hard product will re-inject life into the cabin crew, to create a product that inspires pride in the carrier for years to come.

At the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Germany today, we saw the unveiling of a new business class seat model, created by a joint venture between Adient and Boeing. They have developed lie-flat business class seat prototypes to potential customers at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany.

“It will be our goal to provide a superior customer and passenger experience by delivering superior quality seats with intelligent product design,” said Alan Wittman, nominated CEO of Adient Aerospace. “In addition to expanding seating choices and adding manufacturing capacity to address broader commercial airplane industry needs, we are focusing on comfort, craftsmanship and operational excellence to differentiate our future products and services.”

It wouldn’t be rocket science to presume one of these clients will be Emirates – Boeing’s largest 777 operator – which these seat designs seem to be optimised for. On first glance, they look similar to the QSuites and to Emirates current A380 business class seats. There are some clues in the artists impressions to gear this towards Emirates product set. The familiar looking mini bar at the side of the seat and the use of a wooden veneer hasn’t gone amiss either. In one of the images, even the Perrier bottle is a dead give away, as it’s one of the most iconic drinks found on Emirates business class minibar.

One of the seat prototypes also seems to provide a double bed, currently being touted by Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines, key competitors to Emirates. The fact that Adient are working on this project will also do them well, as their automotive pedigree will follow suit of Emirates’ recent adoption of Mercedes on their new 777 First Class Suites.

There are a few upgrades, which seem like a natural evolution. Wireless phone charging could be a possibility here as highlighted in the seat’s side table, and is speculation due to a lack of detail on the release. One of the seat prototypes also somewhat resembles the tech specs of the Waterfront seat but with a secondary ‘curved’ screen acting as a passenger interface to the seat instead of the handheld device that the airline currently has. A closer inspection of the seat controls also shows both suite ‘cooling and heating’ which would match the current comfort levels offered in Emirates’ new First Class Suites.

Emirates’ new First Class Suites, only found on the 777

While this is mere speculation from TheDesignAir, these seats seem to fit the bill for an airline that can take an off the shelf product from Boeing, and with a little customisation, create products that could compete with the heavily personalised products from Qatar, Etihad and Singapore Airlines.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will be the first airline to introduce JAMCO’s new Venture Business Class seats for eight Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft, which will start flying for the airline next year.

The Current 787-9 Seats will look fairly similar to the new 787-10

The seats may not look that different from the current 787-9 aircraft that KLM flies, however there are some substantial benefits from opting for this new seat type. The next-generation seat is lighter than its predecessors, reducing fuel consumption. In addition, the fishbone configuration of the new Venture seats ensures more effective utilisation of the available space.

The new seats will offer passengers greater personal space and comfort, with fully-flat recline and an increased 18.5-inch entertainment screen (compared to 16″ on the 787-9). Another new feature is the “Do not disturb” button on the armrest, which passengers can turn on and off at will. The middle seats in WBC have a movable partition, allowing passengers to opt for maximum privacy or for an optimum shared travel experience.

The current 787-9 Business Class cabin

“KLM is delighted to be working with JAMCO on this brand-new 787-10 World Business Class seat programme. Together, we are striving to create the best possible seating, sleeping comfort, and travel environment for our business-class customers, ” states Boet Kreiken, EVP Customer Experience.

There will be 38 World Business Class seats aboard these new aircraft. All of these seats will offer direct access to the aisle. The new seats will be KLM-branded, based on a design created in cooperation with Hella Jongerius who has been involved with the redesign of the airline’s World Business Class cabin.

New Territory and Rockwell Collins have collaborated together to create a new regional business class seat for Aeromexico. The London based creative firm have taken Rockwell Collins existing MiQ module and added a new feeling of space and atmosphere to the short/mid-haul passenger experience. 

The new seats will be installed across Aeromexico’s new fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircrafts, which have already started flying, bringing with them an extension of the carrier’s brand DNA. Lighting, a future-proof customisable design and added comfort are key features of the new seat, providing premium at-seat ambience and visual coherency throughout the business class cabin.

We love the LED lighting on the seats, which appear to be more akin to a BMW car interior than an aircraft seat. In comparison to the existing MiQ seats that Aeromexico already have on a variety of their aircraft, the upgraded MiQ seat is the re-balancing of the seat back zones – particularly the monitor bezel, magazine pockets and upper shroud which surrounds the IFE screen – all of which can be customised and replaced when necessary or in one with future cabin refreshes.

This plug and play approach to the seat design now means that the overall feeling and experience of the cabin can be refreshed to align with specific brand positioning requirements throughout the lifespan of the seats.

The new designs are a continuation of New Territory’s previous work for Aeromexico, helping to revamp their long-haul, Boeing 787-9 cabins through the design of seats, lighting on-board product and a new social space. 

Antonio Fernandez, SVP Product On Board commented, “Our fleet of Dreamliner interiors marked a turning point for the brand. Working with New Territory on the 737 MAX fleet has helped to strengthen that position and allowed us to continue to bring new experiences to our passengers. This collaboration has been fundamental in the development of our business class offering. The challenge was to embed Aeromexico’s brand values throughout our new fleet of short-haul aircrafts whilst ensuring a premium and seamless passenger experience and we’re delighted with the result.”

Qantas, like British Airways, is synonymous with the Queen of the Skies. Most childhood memories of Qantas will involve sighting one of these majestic beasts.

However, the airline has announced an order for six additional Boeing 787-9s to fly on its international network, bringing its fleet of Dreamliners to 14 by the end of 2020.

The arrival of the new aircraft will (sadly) enable the airline to accelerate retirement of its last six Boeing 747s – an aircraft type that has been in its fleet in various forms since 1971.

The airline acknowledges that this is the end of an iconic era for the airline, but looks to the future too. “The jumbo has been the backbone of Qantas International for more than 40 years and we’ve flown almost every type that Boeing built. It’s fitting that its retirement is going to coincide with our centenary in 2020,” Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said.

“Over the years, each new version of the 747 allowed Qantas to fly further and improve what we offered passengers. The Dreamliners are now doing the same thing. The 787 has better economics and a longer range, and its already opened up new routes like Perth to London. With a larger fleet of Dreamliners, we’ll be looking at destinations in the Americas, Asia, South Africa and Europe,” Mr. Joyce continued.

While we love the 787, we’ve taken this as an opportunity to reflect and celebrate the 747, and its wonderful history at Qantas. Take a look at our Big Picture gallery below to reminisce over the history.

The Big Picture

Yes, that’s right, it’s not Air Canada, It’s actually WestJet’s impressive (If somewhat familiar looking) new business class cabin that will be rolled out in early 2019 on the airline’s new 787 Dreamliner fleet which will feature an updated and slick new livery.

“The introduction of Boeing’s 787-9 Dreamliner, a state-of-the-art aircraft, is the dawn of a new era for WestJet and the next step in our transformation to a global network airline,” said Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO. “The updated livery is modern and dynamic while the interior is world-class, distinctly Canadian and uniquely WestJet. Both reflect WestJet’s transition from a regional airline in 1996 to a new era of connecting Canada with the world and bringing the world to Canada.”

The statement from Sims, outlines the airline’s goal to become a true competition to Air Canada who have also rolled out the same business class hard product on their long haul fleet albeit with a more residential feel.

This younger, and more nimble, low-cost carrier has adopted a more contemporary cabin design, brought to life by Priestmangoode. The most noticeable elements being the bulkheads which reflect the new Maple Leaf logo design, bringing it to life with brushed metal finishes and 3D effects.

Ben Rowan, a Director of PriestmanGoode and Design Lead for this project, said: “We set out to create a design tour of Canada on-board WestJet’s new fleet of Dreamliners, taking inspiration from the country’s stunning landscapes.

The cabins are certainly smart, and which a dark navy and green hue throughout the cabin, the corporate colours of the brand have been reflected with delicate precision. Drawing from Canadian themes, the cabin interior welcomes guests with a rich colour palette: a soothing alpine lake blue in Economy class; aurora‑inspired shades and tones in Premium Economy; and in Business Class, luxuriously rich earth tones inspired by the splendour of Canadian summers.

In total, the 10 new Dreamliners (with options for another 10) will for the first time for WestJet, feature 3 cabin classes, including a new true flatbed product which will be a true challenger to Air Canada’s product.

“Business Class will feature touchscreen service and on-demand dining that allows the traveller to define exactly how they like to fly. When it’s time to relax and fully unwind, lay-flat mattresses, bedding and turn-down service will offer WestJet guests the opportunity to enjoy a tranquil flight,” states the press release.

Premium Economy will offer comfort enhancements and service with an elevated guest experience. WestJet will also offer a premium menu, more space to move and relax. In a similar way to Virgin Atlantic’s Wonderwall, the airline will also offer a self-serve social area for people to be able to stretch their legs.

In Economy, guests will discover oversized, self-dimming windows, and leading-edge in-flight entertainment and connectivity with in-seat device charging (and a 3x3x3 seating arrangement).

But it’s not just the inside that impresses. The updated logo and livery was overseen by Ove Brand Design. Boeing and Teague, a Seattle-based design firm, implemented the design on the aircraft.

The font has been updated to the company’s corporate typeface Bliss, to give the WestJet wordmark a more uniform and current style, while retaining the Maple Leaf symbol in a more contemporary and bold look. The logo also now uses a single colour to soften the regional emphasis on “west” in order to give the airline a more international appearance.

In addition to the updated stylized Maple Leaf on the aircraft tail, another nod to WestJet’s heritage is in the form of the Canadian flag appearing at the front of the aircraft. The new livery will also marry both of Canada’s official languages with, “The Spirit of Canada” appearing on one side of the aircraft and the French translation, “L’esprit du Canada” on the other, both extending across the middle of the aircraft fuselage, mirroring the Qantas livery’s statement “Spirit of Australia.”

The new livery which we think is incredibly elegant and well balanced will gradually appear across WestJet’s entire fleet as new aircraft are delivered in 2018 and as aircraft are repainted in their normal cycle. The Boeing 737 MAX-8 will be the first aircraft in the new livery appearing in June.

There is good reason why Delta won both “Winner Best Design Airline North America 2017” and “Most Improved Airline” at our awards last year. The latest addition to their fleet, a retrofitted 777-200 is a prime example of how the airline is going above and beyond to offer a truly exceptional passenger experience.

At the front of the cabin, the new Delta One Suites come to life with their staggered 1 x 2 x 1 configuration featuring all aisle access and closing doors for added privacy. Unlike the A350, the 777-200 retains its centre set of overhead bins which means the ceiling will feel lower, especially in the centre seats, but thanks to the configuration there is still a sense of space.

The whole premium cabin features a myriad of textures featuring interpretations of the Delta symbol, which add depth through the clever lighting design of the cabin.

All of Delta’s 18 777-200’s will feature the new suites, as well as the new Delta Premium Select cabin. In the business class cabin, there are 7 rows featuring 28 seats, and immediately behind the airline’s new premium economy cabin takes centre stage in a 2 x 4 x 2 configuration.

The 48 ‘Premium Select’ seats are real premium economy seats, unlike the ‘economy plus’ that used to feature on the aircraft with a dedicated service that sets it apart from the rest of the cabin.

However, the most impressive news is in the back of the aircraft. To the delight of almost every economy passenger, the airline is the only one to opt to keep the 9-abreast cabin instead of the industry standard 10-abreast.

This means that the 220 seats in the back become a really attractive option for those looking for a price-sensitive purchase. Delta could even afford to charge a small premium against their competitors for a similar seat, knowing that there is more space per passenger to be had. However, only as long as the carrier truly markets the advantage of their cabin against their Northern American counterparts.

It seems that Delta have taken an active decision to bring their fleet, no matter what the age, up to a key international standard, and it will pay dividends, as no matter what cabin class passengers travel in, there are passenger experience benefits to be found.

July 2 will see Delta’s first retrofitted 777-200 enter into service. The plane will operate flights from Detroit to Beijing throughout July, alternatively swapped with the carrier’s A350, which offers a similar cabin configuration. Delta will announce at a later stage where it will deploy the new cabins.

Emirates has seen the successful launch of its new route to Santiago de Chile, Chile, a mammoth 20+ hour trip from its home hub in Dubai. Luckily the airline gives passengers a chance to stretch their legs in Sao Paulo, where the airline makes a stop over in both directions.

Luckily the route is getting Emirates latest business class product, and while not as impressive as the A380 that also flies daily on the Sao Paulo – Dubai route (with its all aisle access in business class, First Class cabin with onboard showers and onboard bar) it still offers a brand new Business Class cabin.

The newly refurbished two-class Boeing 777-200LR offers 38 Business Class seats in a 2-2-2 layout, and 264 seats in Economy Class. While the Business Class seats are in the same design and shape of Emirates’ latest lie-flat seats, they are now two inches wider than the 2 x 3 x 2 business class cabin found on other Emirates 777s.

In a champagne coloured finish and diamond stitch pattern on a full leather cover, the seats match the look and feel of the other brand new 777 which features a first class cabin, but unfortunately a dreaded middle seat in the business class cabin.

In addition, the new Business Class cabin features a social area – unique to the Boeing 777-200LR fleet. The mini lounge area features snacks such as crisps, sandwiches and fruit, as well as beverages for customers to help themselves to during the flight.

The inaugural Boeing 777-200LR flight, which was welcomed at both Sao Paulo and Santiago airports with a water cannon salute.

Meet Fakarava, recently rolled out of the paint shop. It’s Air Tahiti Nui’s first ‘Tahitian Dreamliner’ which will start flying for the carrier in November between New Zealand and Tahiti. It features a new livery concept by Futurebrand which stems from the rebrand from Tahitian Studio Alexander Lee.

It could possibly be the most beautiful Dreamliner in the air, and certainly one of the most beautiful liveries to grace the skies in 2018. Why so? Simply put, its curves, colours and graphic elements seem to appear in perfect balance, and actually look better in real life than the renderings that were released earlier this year.

The new logotype, Tiare flower and islander-style print will help instil a sense of the Pacific paradise whether on the apron in Los Angeles or Paris. The design is built from a multitude of elements. The tiare is encircled by ripples on the water with flocks of birds that represent friendship and helping others.

“The tribal print is a myriad of manta rays that represent wisdom, protection and elegance, while a whale represents strength and abundance. The Albatross represents freedom and the ability to rise above to gain an elevated perspective,” states the airline.

A Tiki and Tiki eye watch over the carrier’s flights, providing symbolic protection. Ocean waves represent Air Tahiti Nui’s ancestral home, life and continuity. Finally, fish hooks are a symbol of prosperity, abundance and luck.

While originally this aircraft was going to be called Moorea, the registration codes for the  Dreamliners have been carefully selected. The first has MUA, (forward), the others will feature NUI (big), VAA (canoe) and TOA (warrior). Woven together the fleet names have a hidden meaning: The warrior (TOA) going forward (MUA) in the great (NUI) canoe (VAA). One thing is for sure. This great canoe is certainly going to turn heads.

Bula Kadavu! This week saw Fiji Airways receive their first Boeing 737 Max aircraft. With a total of five on the order books, the airline is looking to supplement their NG fleet with these more fuel efficient aircraft, featuring sky interiors, and by the looks of the hump on the back of the aircraft, connectivity too.

Inside the aircraft, the interiors, brought together by Teague, feature chic white, cream and tan coloured seats which match the airline’s stylish A330 cabins. In the business class cabin, the airline has opted for the MiQ business class seat, a popular narrow-body Business Class seat, and long-haul Premium Economy product.

Every seat will feature a high definition touchscreen to provide video on demand. The sky interior by Boeing will also offer substantially more storage for baggage and the latest mood-lighting technology.

The business class cabin on the Max in comparison to their NG fleet are a welcome improvement, offering wider seats and the ability to lower the arm rests for even more space, useful on some of the longer flights that the 737 operates for the carrier.

In economy, the seats feature the same tan colour as the rest of their fleet, but the passenger experience has been drastically enhanced to provide every passenger with touchscreen IFE.

While these aircraft won’t replace the carrier’s 737 fleet, we hope that Fiji Airways will place them on the longest routes on their network, where these passenger enhancements will make the biggest difference to satisfaction levels. Award-winning Fiji Airways still remains one of our favourite boutique carriers and their continued investment in their passenger experience still makes them an excellent one-stop choice, when connecting across the Pacific.

www.fijiairways.com

Flight: GF2
Aircraft Type: 787-9
Class: Business Class (Flacon Gold)
Route: LHR-BAH
Date: October 2018

www.gulfair.com

Gulf Air used to be one of the leading carriers in the Gulf region, however, bold upstarts like Emirates quickly stole the crown, with heavy investment in new aircraft and a fairly courageous growth plan, leaving Gulf Air with a lacklustre, dated product that could no longer compete in the region. While the carrier invested in a new product on their A330 fleet a few years ago, helping the brand be more competitive, it’s only really the introduction of their 787s with brand new cabins that have injected a new lease of life in to the carrier.

We took the new aircraft for a spin, and want to start our report by stating in comparison to a flight just a few years ago, the cabins have had an unplanned benefit to the passenger experience: happier, proud cabin crew who even compared to our connecting A330 flight crews on the same trip, couldn’t be polar opposite.

On the ground

Gulf Air have two flights a day from Heathrow, with the day flight leaving just after the morning rush from Terminal 4, meaning that passengers benefit from a quieter airport experience.

Situated in Zone D, the check in zone is simply split in to two boarding zones, as the carrier doesn’t feature a premium economy cabin. As you can tell from the photo above, even though the aircraft was fairly full, there was hardly any queue, and the Business Class passengers had two desks which was plenty for just a cabin of just 26 seats seats.

On the airside, the airline has its own lounge, which is a definite benefit, the other benefit is the fantastic view it commands over 27L/09R runway at Heathrow, with its large floor to ceiling windows.

The lounge, designed by JPA Design is well appointed, and even with the new brand by Tangerine and Saffron Consultants it stands the test of time, with a modern, clean aesthetic. While it doesn’t fulfil the latest trend of bringing the residential and hotelier elements to the aviation industry, the lounge still sits as a tight, well conceived product, in some ways outshining its flagship counterpart in Bahrain.

The space offers a fully tendered bar and barista service from the centre of the lounge, there is also a buffet dining station and small private areas that can be used for private meetings, or an alcove should you be travelling with kids, but there are also business facilities and plenty of lounge seating which include small cabinets to hang jackets and act as charging points too. While we could have spent a few hours sipping on champagne and enjoying the apron view, we headed to the aircraft approximately 40 minutes before take off, just a short walk from the lounge.

The Cabin

We had high expectations on the new 787 cabin. In our original reveal of the cabin a while ago, the Apex Suite detailing looked amazing, the business class passenger experience seemed a lot more impressive, and should the service live up to the investment in the hard product, we felt Gulf Air could be on to a winning formula, perhaps replicating the success of Oman Air in the region.

Being greeted by this cabin, were certainly weren’t disappointed. A high ceiling, seemingly unblemished cabin and clean, elegant lines, and rich textures awaited us. The entry was somewhat a bit of a surprise, usually being greeted by two galley units, however, on stepping inside, you were instantly transported in to this open Business Class cabin.

The whole area felt incredibly customised, with every bulkhead adorned by a rich pattern, and impressive relief rose gold Falcon Logos on the walls. This attention to detail, muted palette and use of greys, bronzes and rose golds meant the cabin provided a much needed gilded finish that spoke of opulence, but without the garish bling that can be found in competing Emirates fleet.

The cabin is arranged in a 2 x 2 x 2 configuration, although the Apex Suites offer all passengers aisle access. There is great reason why this configuration is deemed one of the most successful, and adept in the 787 cabin. All passengers get a forward facing private suite, which bar having a door, isn’t overlooked by the neighbour.

The Seat

Similar to the BA Club World seat (except imagine them all facing forward, being much wider, and generally light years ahead) each seat offers a First Class passenger experience without the First Class price tag.

Although hard to photograph in its entirety, the seats do differ slightly. There are three main options to choose from. The centre pairs are pairs, side by side, perfect for travelling together, as well as solo travellers, due to the partition that can be raised from the start of the flight.

Then there are the window seats, which are the most private, benefitting from a small egress to the aisle at the foot end of the seat, while these are private, they also suit passengers travelling with a partner, as again the partition can be lowered. The benefit being that Gulf Air staff have obviously been trained not to use the partition unless it is lowered, meaning that the BA ‘lower the divider, raise the divider’ games don’t happen.

They also benefit from having some pretty large windows to look out of, which is inflight entertainment at its best. The third type of seat are the aisle seats on the outside pairs of the aircraft. These may suit larger passengers, as the access to the window seats can be a little tight.

While the window seats have a fold down extension to the seat, similar to those found on BA, the aisle seats don’t meaning it’s easier to recline into a fully flat position. Although those wanting to fully recline into a slumber, might want to wait for the cabin crew to come through the cabin and supply the mattress protectors for the seats.

The seat itself is incredibly comfortable, although the one negative to these seats is the lack of both storage, and work surfaces, meaning even placing a drink become perilous with the smallest bit of turbulence. Luckily, the designers have added a leather finish to these small ledges, which helps increase grip for anything placed on it. (Luckily the aisle seats do benefit from a small ledge to place items on, which is an added benefit, compared to the other seats in the cabin).

The seat detailing however, is absolutely superb, and one of the best we’ve seen in recent years. The brushed metal finishes, metal trim and textures running through the cabin are exceptionally detailed, and the build quality of the seats is without question.

While we’ve experienced many seats over our many years of travels, there are few which we’ve found particularly robust, but these seats look like they will stand the test of time, something that is important for a boutique carrier such as Gulf air, to ensure that such an investment lasts for many years.

The Food & Drink

Upon entering the cabin, we were lucky enough to be one of the first to board. This meant that we were quickly offered a welcome drink, with smiling, genuinely interested staff that were happy to settle us in to our seat.

Interestingly the glassware and some of the service pieces weren’t decked out in the new brand yet. A small detail that we look forward to being updated in the near future. The champagne, Jacquart Brut, was super chilled and a refreshing tipple as the rest of the guests boarded.

Once boarded, a very happy team then headed through the cabin providing Arabic coffee and dates, and while a lovely gesture, it’s one amenity we don’t have the palette for, so we declined. Not that it wiped the smile off the crew.

Forgive us, but this time we had forgotten to take a photo of the menu, and by the time we had remembered, the menus had been collected, so we have included images of the menu on our return flight to give you an example of what is included.

Before take off, our orders were taken including after-take off aperitifs. Like Turkish Airlines, Gulf Air offers a sky chef, a dedicated crew member whose responsibility is to heat and plate the dishes in a restaurant style. After take off, nuts were served, along with empty glasses.

Champagne was then poured at seat. It’s a wonderful touch and showcases how this carrier has taken a quantum leap in its product offering, not just investing in a hard product, but investing heavily in the soft product too,

Shortly after the table was laid, using a tray covered in a table cloth containing all the regular service items and the starter. We had opted for the Arabic Meze, a great benchmark against its competitors.

It’s a perfectly acceptable dish, made all the better by the addition of a hand pour of olive oil from the cabin crew (and a hand pour of sauvignon blanc).

The dish was supported by a bread basket that quickly followed the course. We opted for flatbreads, which were toasted, both moist and crispy and the perfect accompaniment to the dish.

What followed was the most amazing fish curry, which had the perfect blend of heat and flavour with perfectly cooked fish. That can’t be understated. The fish was perfectly cooked. It was so good we almost, just almost asked for a second course.

And then the desert tray came. A myriad of delights, from apple tart to chocolate fondants, creme brûlée’s, cheese and fruit. It was too much to handle. But it’s only because we had all of it.

Throughout the flight the cabin crew remained attentive and ensured any glasses were never left empty. While a fairly short 6.45 hour flight, we still received a second meal (as did those in economy) Although just an afternoon tea, it quite easily beats the weaker attempt of British Airways as of late.

A mix of eclairs, roast beef and horseradish open and finger sandwiches weren’t stale of soggy, and topped us up to ensure we weren’t still hungry before landing (although the impressive spread in the Bahrain lounge would have quietened any rubbling tummy.)

The Entertainment

Business Class (known as Falcon Gold) features a fairly large TV screen, and while situated further away from the passenger compared to some Business Class configurations, it’s certainly still an imposing TV screen size.

The system contains a large collection of movies, and while not the most up to date, they certainly are decent enough to entertain over most of Gulf Air’s routes.

The seat benefits from a touchscreen phone-style controller, which sits in the seat (top tip – the perfect size to put in iPhone X on top securely) which allows passengers not only to control the IFE system, but also elements such as lighting, and the ‘do not disturb’ function which highlights the seat number in Red, making sure that cabin crew leave you alone.

The IFE system also features standard noise cancelling headphones. While not the Denon headset found in Turkish, they were perfectly acceptable, especially considering the low noise level found in the 787 cabin.

The Extras

Another welcome benefit to the Gulf Air 787 is that it features enhanced benefits to the rest of the Gulf Air fleet. From mattress protectors to slippers, Gulf Air offers a myriad of amenities. But the one fantastic benefit to 787 passengers on overnight flights is the addition of pyjamas.

Our recommendation is go for 1 or 2 sizes larger than you usually do, as they seem to be made for catwalk models. But they are very comfortable and with the falcon emblem on the chest, make for a quite stylish set.

The amenity kit was acceptable, with a Guy Laroche branded bag, Aigner hand cream, eye mask, socks, earbuds and dental kit all on offer.

In conclusion

While we were expecting a cabin that was going to impress, what we weren’t prepared for was the incredible impact this was going to have on the soft product and positioning of the carrier. While our A330 experience was still OK, it didn’t have the same passenger experience as the 787 product, highlighting the immense pride cabin crew take in their environment, and the necessity to invest in industry leading hard products to affect the entire passenger offering.

We were not only pleasantly surprised to see such a fantastic hard product, but also, impressed to see the carrier seemingly have turned a corner, with a larger emphasis on customer service. This airline, like Oman Air, now offer a (sometimes cheaper) and better customer experience than it’s ME3 competitors. Could this be the rise of the boutique carrier? We certainly hope so.

The Big Picture

THEDESIGNAIR.NET PAID FOR OUR OWN TICKETS, THE VIEWS EXPRESSED HERE ARE OUR OWN

Both China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines are receiving new cabin products for their latest generation aircraft deliveries. Shanghai Airlines’ 787 Dreamliner arrived at the Hongqiao International Airport, delivered to China Eastern’s affiliated Shanghai Airlines to become the carrier’s 100th aircraft.

The new aircraft will initially serve domestic routes between Shanghai and Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. After that, it will fly between Hongqiao airport and Taipei, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul, or between Pudong and Singapore & Melbourne, according to the Shanghai Airlines. China Eastern has ordered a total of 15 B787-9 from Boeing, ten of which will be delivered to Shanghai Airlines.

The aircraft are effectively a four class layout, which includes Thompson XL First Class and Business Class seats, both designed by Factorydesign, as well as premium economy and economy class. While not the first carrier to benefit from this ‘mini first’ cabin concept, with Malaysia Airlines offering a similar use of LOPA, due to the use of the XL Suites, there is more space per passenger on these new aircraft. 

It’s interesting to see that this is the first time that an airline has fully embraced the benefits of combining their first and business class cabins developed with Thompson Aero, based on their Vantage XL Suite platform. “The benefits are clear from a cabin density point of view as the front row in the business cabin and the rear row in First Class are overlapping and integrated thereby maximising space efficiency,” state Factorydesign.

Due to the same Vantage XL suite platform under the skin of both First and Business, the programmes were run in parallel and with a lot of cross-over and co-operation required between the teams working on the two different seats. As you can see from the visuals, the airline opted for little visual separation between first class and business class cabins, although there are a range of options the carrier could have adopted to separate the two classes, including different suite heights, full or half height dividers, curtains, blinds and  translucent screens

In addition to the obvious difference in architecture, design detailing and square footage between the two different seat types, distinction between the class change within the cabin has been achieved through material selection and finishes.  First Class has warmer, champagne tones and very high-quality nickel finishes, while the outer shells are lighter and the interiors slightly deeper than in Business. Both seats have materials and textures that are completely bespoke to their respective classes.

But how do you make centre seats more appealing, to those individual seats with windows. Make the centre pair offer something unique. Similar to the QSuite product by Qatar Airways, the centre pair of First Class seats converts from two very private suites into a completely open shared space for four people sat around a large central table. This shared space was envisaged for business travellers wanting to hold meetings, as well as for families and friends wishing to dine, converse, play cards or socialise.  Even without the deployment of the buddy seats, the ability to join the two central suites together offers a real benefit to couples or colleagues travelling together. also adding an incentive for passengers to select the inboard suites over the often-preferred outboard window suites.

While the First Class Suites offer added space, and the benefit of not having the footwell, business class passengers still benefit from a similar product, including doors, large working surfaces, and fully flat beds, but for those wanting to compare, here are the key stats on each of the products.

First Class Highlights:

• 32” IFE Monitors with console mounted passenger facing remote.
• Closable Full height double suite doors
• Buddy seats for companion dining
• Centre pair converts to shared space for 4 people
• 6’6” fully flat Beds
• Do not disturb indicator
• Feature lamp
• Large First-class meal table
• Near field communication sensor, In seat Power, Bluetooth audio connection and headphones
• Customisable moodlight levels
• Cabin Window shade control
• Personal Reading light
• Large in suite stowage

Business Class Highlights:

• • 18” Touch screen IFE Monitors with console mounted optional passenger facing remote.
  • Closable Full height suite doors on every suite
  • Configurable privacy divider between center pairs to open up the two suites
  • 6’4” fully flat Beds with wide footwells all the way to the end
  • Do not disturb indicator
  • Feature lamp
  • Near field communication sensor, In seat Power, Bluetooth audio connection and headphones
  • Customisable moodlight levels
  • Personal Reading light
  • Coathook
  • In suite stowages configured for minibar and water bottles
  • 44” pitch

TheDesignAir is pleased to announce the 2018 Award winners as voted for by our esteemed judging panel and our readers. This year has seen a wave of improvements around the world in the field of passenger experience. From impressive new business class cabins to swathes of new airline lounges, no stone has been left unturned in the bid to win over passengers. We’ve waded through the advancements down to the smallest details found in tableware and amenity kits to discover the best of the best.

This year – just like every year since we started the awards in 2012 – we are proud to celebrate the very best developments in design and product within the industry. We would like to thank everyone for their input in these awards, and especially the airlines for continuing to advance the experience, putting their most valuable commodity first – the passenger.

Judges’ Choice Awards

Winner – Best New Uniform 2018
Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines has taken the crown this year with a bold new look for its crew. The carrier might have grand ambitions in 2019 – with a new passenger experience in its New Istanbul hub, a new business class product and new aircraft joining the fleet – but the uniform is the first branded element to usher in this new era for the carrier. It has set the scene and showcases the airline‘s updated brand image. Clean lines, elegant silhouettes and a bold fabric pattern helps the airline stand out both onboard and in airport and is bound to turn a few heads.
www.turkishairlines.com 

Winner – Best New Livery 2018
Air Tahiti Nui

Air Tahiti Nui is certainly not the largest carrier in the sky, but its new livery punches well above its weight. Air Tahiti Nui’s latest Boeing 787 livery by Teague is the embodiment of a design that reflects the roots and culture of the airline’s origins. With a bright, colourful design and iconic ornate pattern filled with symbolism, Air Tahiti Nui’s 787s will certainly capture the imagination of travellers across the globe, acting as an ambassador for Tahiti in all the international ports the aircraft will fly to. In an increasing sea of minimalist, paired back liveries, Air Tahiti flies in the face of ordinary and challenges passengers expectations from the onset.
www.airtahitinui.com

Winner – Best New Lounge 2018
Oman Air, Muscat Lounge

Oman Air has long been on our radar as a leading carrier in the Middle East. With a new focus on hard product, the airline has reaffirmed its position as a design-led airline with a focus on the passenger experience. One of these recently updated elements is the new Muscat lounge. A beautifully ornate and culturally sensitive approach to the lounge has created moments of delight and excitement. The intricate attention to detail is outstanding, truly representing Oman‘s rich and diverse culture while also creating an opulent space to relax between flights. It’s a truly outstanding addition to the new terminal, and while up against stiff competition this year, it stood out as a refreshing approach to lounge design with a fanatic delivery on the carrier’s brand image.
www.omanair.com

Winner – Best New First Class 2018
Oman Air, 787 Fleet

Oman Air also has won our best new First Class award for their new 787 First Class Suites. These are beautifully styled, using a refined design palette that eludes to luxury without the ostentatious flourishes sometimes found in this cabin class. A quieter, contemporary approach to the suites puts the passenger first, and has colours and materials that are truly residential in feel. With clean crisp lines, textured finishes and intricate detailing, the seats are not only beautifully executed, but with the technological upgrades, fully enclosed concept and excellent Oman Air service, this First Class product is hard to beat this year.
www.omanair.com

Winner – Best New Business Class 2018
Singapore Airlines, 787 Fleet

The first of three awards for the carrier this year, Singapore Airlines takes best new Business Class with its 787-10 product. While the carrier has rolled out this product on its regional fleet, the product is of an international standard. One of the only carrier’s to actively place fully flat-beds on shorter to medium-haul flights, the airline has invested heavily in to a hard product that matches the synonymous service that has earned Singapore Airlines its well deserved reputation. Following on from a design palette across the airlines’ recent fleet additions, this new business class product offers a real consistency for passengers while providing them all the creature comforts they could hope for.
www.singaporeair.com

Winner – Best New Premium Economy 2018
Air France, A330 Fleet

Air France may not have introduced a totally new product to its A330 cabins, but the airline has not only brought consistency across its fleet, but invested in upgrading the product to match customer feedback. The seat now offers more storage, and trim and finish upgrades include a beautiful new patterned seat fabric. The softer seat cushions and wider leather armrests have also been redesigned, all partnered with changes and upgrades to the soft product offering. All these tweaks help inject a joie de vivre into the cabin, something the airline is working hard at bringing back to its brand.
www.airfrance.com

Winner – Most Improved Brand 2018
Gulf Air

Gulf Air is proudly awarded the most improved brand this year. The airline has taken a quantum leap in its product offering in 2019. With a new brand image, new aircraft and a huge step forward in a business class product the airline has shown that the carrier is still an airline to be reckoned with. While the Middle East offers some of the world’s best passenger experiences, Gulf Air has risen to the challenge creating a contemporary, polished brand that celebrates its roots. It’s not just hard product and branding though, these developments have had a lasting impact on the crew that work for the carrier, instilling a new sense of pride, which enhances the passenger experience from all sides.
www.gulfair.com

Readers’ Choice Awards

Winner – Best Design Airline Europe 2018
Air France

This year Air France has taken the European crown in the readers choice awards. With so many developments to the passenger experience this year including new amenity kits, menus and soft finishes, the airline has continued to evolve and expand its design ethos across multiple departments including the new lounge in CDG that reflects the airline’s desire to reflect contemporary trends in the hospitality industry. Seen as a truly French company, the airline continues to encapsulate the je ne sais quoi that international travellers have come to love from the brand.
www.airfrance.com

Winner – Best Design Airline North America 2018
Delta

Delta, who took the title last year, continues to hold its own in North America. The airline who really has created a strong vision for their brand image, delivering a range of touch-points – including the Impressive Delta One Suite, upgraded 777s and new A220s – that reaffirms its position as a leading design airline around the globe. However, with a continued investment in the passenger experience, across all classes – including economy –  the airline has taken a design-centric approach which has kept the airline ahead of the competition, in an increasingly competitive region. Delta certainly deserves this award in 2018
www.delta.com

Winner – Best Design Airline South America 2018
LATAM

LATAM who only a couple of years ago successfully combined two airline brands, has now looked to improve the passenger experience, replacing ageing products with leading hard products that position it as a truly global player. With a range of residential-style lounges, new 777 cabins, a strong visual identity and new inflight catering options, passenger perception is that of a design-led carrier with a truly international appeal.
www.latam.com

Winner – Best Design Airline Middle East 2018
Qatar Airways

With its addition of Qatar Airways QSuite has elevated the Business Class landscape. The airline has always positioned itself as a premium carrier, but this latest addition to the product set has leapfrogged them over some of their international competitors. The airline has continued to not only invest in their route expansion, but also their customer experience. There is little surprise that the airline was awarded the Best Design airline in the Middle East, although with the likes of Gulf Air and Oman Air also winning awards this year, competition couldn’t be more fierce.
www.qatarairways.com 

Winner – Best Design Airline Africa 2018
South African Airways

A new category this year, but it is important to celebrate the great strides that the African continent is bringing to aviation. It’s little surprise that South African Airways was awarded the crown this year. With swathes of improvements over the past few years, with perfectly branded aircraft celebrating their cultural roots, the passenger experience couldn’t be further from where the carrier was a few years ago. With modern cabins, delightful design touches and a constantly upgraded fleet, South African Airways deserves the award for Best Design Airline in Africa this year.
www.flysaa.com

Winner – Best Design Airline Australasia 2018
Singapore Airlines

There is good reason why Singapore Airlines received the title of Best Design Airline Australasia 2018. Showcasing that their passenger experience goes much further than the iconic ‘Singapore Girl’, the airline has invested heavily in to a world-leading hard product with the addition of brand new aircraft and upgrades of their A380s. The airline puts the passenger first in every cabin with a range of passenger comforts including large monocoque seats in business class with increased passenger storage or premium economy seats with ample seat pitch and luxury service elements such as Book the Cook. Carriers in the region will have to work hard to beat the carrier as it continues to invest in its product.
www.singaporeair.com

Winner – Best Design Airline 2018
Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines has not only won the Australasia title, but was also voted by TheDesignAir’s team to be the world’s best Design Airline 2018. With innovative industry leading concepts, such as the Long Range A350 featuring just Business Class and Premium Economy, new 787-10 regional business class products and luxurious A380 First Class suites, the carrier has been meticulous in its quest to enhance the airline passenger experience. Congratulations Singapore Airlines.
www.singaporeair.com

Flight: LA8084
Aircraft Type: 777-300ER
Class: Business Class
Route: GRU-LHR
Date: January 2019

www.latam.com

LATAM‘s 777 has long been on our radar to experience. While we had experienced the 787-8 operated by LAN back in 2015, the 777 offered a very different experience, with a traditional 2 x 3 x 2 configuration in business class with the ‘dreaded’ middle seat. While the airline has announced a new cabin product, which is in the process of being rolled out, we wanted to see what LATAM offered in terms of ground product and service.

On the ground

Departing on New Year’s Day should have meant a quiet Sao Paulo GRU airport, however, at 9.30pm the airport was very busy. LATAM uses Terminal 3 for its long haul routes, and there is a dedicated check in area for the airline’s premium frequent fliers and business class passengers.

Situated in Zone F, the check in zone almost feels temporary, being tacked on to the end of the normal check-in counters, with luggage being manually taken from the check in desks to the conveyor belts of the main check in zones.

Sadly the check in zone even for premium was incredibly busy, it took almost 30 minutes to check in our bags and receive the boarding passes. While the check-in agents were very apologetic, we felt this set up meant too little desks for what are quite densely configured long-haul aircraft (meaning a large business class churn every day, especially when most flights leave at the same time of day)

Check in complete however, we headed to the VIP lounge, after clearing security. Sadly GRU doesn’t offer a fast track through security, something that would make a difference to the passenger experience and should potentially be invested in. The LATAM lounge is situated on the top floor of Terminal 3’s departure area, alongside other lounges including American Express, the South African Airlines Star Alliance lounge and a handful of others.

LATAM’s second flagship lounge is impressive, and to be truthful… huge. It’s not however, daunting or vacuous. It’s clever zoning makes the whole space seem like a never ending residence, with cubby holes, and nooks to make yourself comfortable.

The design is a myriad of wooden paneling, rich stone monuments and leather, all centralised around a buffet-bar dining area rich with white marble finishes. The designers, Putman, a Parisian based studio have thought of a real business passengers needs. From chilled water on hand by the entrance for those wanting to grab and go, to lockers at the reception for unwanted luggage.

The lounge features a self service bar at one end, which is perhaps one of the best spots with large comfortable sofas and less passing footfall.

Then there is the main buffet area, which weirdly is one of the busiest areas although it doesn’t offer the most comfortable seats. There is a wide selection of food on offer, from the Brazilian classic Pão de Queijo to freshly prepared salads and sandwiches. There is also a substantial and high quality wine offering, and while not Champagne, the bubbles are excellent too.

As you dive deeper, the lounge offers showers, a sleeping room, large TV area a massive work desk and other areas including child friendly zones, and the large expansive balcony featuring relaxing chairs and power points throughout.

The boarding of the flight was announced approximately 60 minutes before departure, and the lounge is situated at least a 5-minute walk from any gate, let alone ours which was at the far end of the terminal.

Interestingly the queue for business passengers was already lengthy when we got there, but Brazil allows passengers over 60 priority anywhere, from the post office to the boarding gate, so if you are over 60, you should be able to access the priority line, meaning you board even before Business Class passengers.

The cabin

LATAM’s 777 Business Class cabin offers a very spacious cabin environment, due to the older style seats. It’s a similar layout to the Turkish Airlines cabin, however the seats in the LATAM cabin certainly do feel older.

The seats are operated in a 2 x 3 x 2 configuration, with 4 rows in the forward cabin and 4 rows behind door 2, situated just in front of the economy cabin.

The cabin is fairly traditional in approach, but there are small tweaks which make the cabin feel more residential and actually reference the lounge experience like the wooden veneer on the bulkheads, or the black and white tiled walkways in Sao Paulo and Rio which adorn the floor of the restrooms.

While the best seats could be seen as the front rows, the positioning of the TV’s being above the eyeliner of the seats means that every passenger can watch what you are watching, so if you have obscure or embarrassing viewing habits, its best to avoid this row. We’d also suggest opting for the forward cabin, as during boarding, you avoid what seems like 10,000 passengers waking past, making settling in to your seat a little harder.

The Seat

Yup. We braved it. The dreaded middle seat. First impressions, and something that doesn’t translate in the photos, is that the seat seems large and comfortable if a little dated. However, this is something the new 777 cabins will go very far to fix.

Each seat offers a large ottoman, an upgrade on the previous incarnation of the cabin, which makes a huge difference to the seat comfort. The seat doesn’t turn in to a fully flat bed, however, the slight slant to the seat actually makes the seat quite comfortable to sleep in.

However, one thing that does become apparent when fully reclined, the seat is quite narrow, and first appearances quickly dissipate. The feeling of the narrow seat increases for those in the middle seat. Luckily I had two passengers I knew either side, however, for a stranger, this would feel a little awkward.

There is a hidden secret to increase the seat width, with a single button to lower the armrest, giving an extra couple of inches of wiggle room.

While the seat is incredibly comfortable, and well-padded, storage is limited. There are just a few surfaces to keep personal belongings on, and space under the ottoman to keep small bags and personal items.

The Food & Drink

LATAM offers a fairly decent food and beverage offering. On boarding we were offered welcome drinks including Nicolas Feuillatte champagne.

The menu can be seen below, but what was interesting to see was that the airline had adopted a fast service, rather than a restaurant service concept to its dining. While the flight was departing at midnight, the cabin crew decided to offer all the courses at the same time on the same tray.

Ordinarily this wouldn’t phase us, in fact we would welcome the opportunity to sleep well, by having all courses delivered at the same time – and saving the lengthy approach to service, eating in to valuable sleeping time. However, for us, that only makes sense on 6-8 hour flights, but on a near 11 hour flight, this felt a little rushed, compounded by the fact there was no space for all courses on the tray, meaning juggling the multiple dishes became a little challenging.

So we opted for the roasted tomato soup, beef bourguignon with gratin potatoes and then a Haagen Dazs ice cream.

The soup was incredibly tasty, and served piping hot. It came with a selection of breads and the portion is fairly large. Seconds were even offered on the crew’s second run through the cabin. During the food service the lights were dimmed in the cabin, allowing those who wanted to sleep, to do so in comfort. A nice touch.

The beef wasn’t too bad, and the sauce was rich. While the presentation certainly wasn’t anything to write about, the taste was perfect and the beef fairly tender.

In comparison, the shrimp in cassava cream was tasty, rich in flavour and certainly the winning dish on the menu.

After dinner, trays were removed and chocolates handed out before getting some shut eye. While we mentioned earlier that the seats were narrow, they were also comfortable, meaning we got a very good nights sleep.

The menu included a breakfast card, which allowed passengers to preselect their breakfast. This meant for maximum sleep, which started with a hot towel to refresh as we woke up.

This followed by another tray service, which included scrambled eggs, hash brown and tomatoes, ‘pound cake’ which turned out to be two massive slices of chocolate cake, another traditional breakfast option in Brazil, and very tasty (so much so, we ended up having four slices) as well as a pastry and bread basket.

This included the option for an espresso, compared to the usual black filter coffee, which was a welcome addition.

The Entertainment

LATAM offers an extensive entertainment option. The screen is fairly large (we didn’t have a tape measure this time, but it’s certainly competitive. However, the user experience is a little backward, having to use the remote control to select options, which sits in the seat armrest.

The airline also offers a wide range of magazines, newspapers and their in-flight magazine Vamos.

However, one thing we are looking forward to is the new business class cabin, with new seats and technology. Sadly the IFE system for my fellow passengers wasn’t the most reliable, pausing, freezing and automatically resetting every 15 minutes.

The Extras

An amazing benefit to LATAM’s business class cabin is the huge comfortable pillow and massive duvet, both of which are comfortable, crisp and hotel-quality white.

Also waiting at the seat were water bottles and LATAM’s standard headphones, which haven’t changed since our flight 4 years prior.

The airline also offered a cool black and white amenity kit. which featured L’Occitane amenities as well as the traditional additions including toothbrush, eye mask, and pen.

In Conclusion

It was very enlightening to see LATAM’s 777 product. While the hard product differs in comparison to the 787-8, and isn’t as modern, it is clear to see that the new hard product will certainly make a huge elevation to the carrier, and push it far above its core competition on similar markets. While the food service in our opinion could do with some embellishment, the overall product is certainly sound. The lounge in Sao Paulo is fantastic, the service is authentic and caring and with the addition of the new hard product which is coming on line this year, LATAM (with a few small tweaks) could be a serious international player.

The Big Picture

Believe it or not, the 777 toilet may not be one of the most talked about parts of the passenger experience, but it hasn’t really changed since the 777 came to service decades ago. So step ahead 24 years and it’s about time that a company is offering a brand new concept to the aircraft’s restrooms, that allow for customisation on top of a sleek new space that will elevate the passenger experience for those opting for this retrofit.

The ‘VT Volant Lavatory Modification Kit’ designed by London based studio Acumen delivers a quantum leap in these small often overlooked spaces. It’s already been nominated in the Crystal Cabin Awards this year, and is available as an on-wing service bulletin. We absolutely love these beautifully designed kits, and it does raise the question, why has it taken over 2 decades for this to happen.

A West-Coast company, VT Volant has two decades of experience supplying the aviation market, providing new and refurbished interior parts and support services to aircraft operators, leasing companies, integrators and MRO service providers.

Shaking things up was fairly simple to do, repurposing the standard shells of these restrooms, using the existing service points, and re-skinning to reflect the modern day passenger experience, and bring the 777 in line with the sinuous curves of the 787 and A350 interior fits.

There are some great customisations, such as pushing back the mirror cabinet to offer more space, new trim and finish options which allow for full customisation, and Corian sinks that are larger, offering more space for passengers to wash, brush teeth and apply make up while giving operators long lasting wipe down surfaces.

The designers have even built in modular surfaces such as removable sink units that allow to replace the most used surfaces, making repairs and maintenance more affordable. The suite of products are also modular, meaning each of the different toilet units on the 777 use similar parts, meaning even more reason to opt for a singular concept across an airline’s fleet.

The backlit, smooth surfaces also give the impression of cleanliness, with less joins that collect dirt and dust through their extended use. These units, while simplistic, also reference the emerging trend of wellness, with more space, brighter light, cleanliness and simple adaptations of scent and sound, could create something that will make certain airlines adopt these toilets straight away to improve customer satisfaction scores.

It might sound odd, but for the majority of passengers on board aircraft, the toilet visit is their one opportunity to stretch legs, especially on a long haul flight. That means that these often overlooked spaces act as a large part of the passenger experience.

China Airlines has adopted a bespoke soundtrack in their toilets, and both Finnair and Virgin Australia created women’s only toilets, then there is Air France’s A380 First Class which offers a changing room. Each of these elements showcase airlines are investing in to this part of the passenger experience, yet this new toilet concept could go a long way to improve the passenger experience in every class on 777s around the world. It seems both Acumen and VT Volant could be on to a winner if passengers have anything to do with it.