Monthly Archives: September 2018

British designer Ozwald Boating to design new uniforms for British Airways

British Airways issued this statement:

Savile Row tailoring expert, Ozwald Boateng OBE, is to be the next in an auspicious line-up of British designers to develop uniforms for the airline.

Boateng, who is known for bringing a modern contemporary twist to the classic British institution of tailoring, will be designing a collection for the airline’s 32,000 employees who wear a uniform as part of their role.

The new uniform will form an important part of the airline’s celebrations for its Centenary next year.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and Chief Executive, said: “Our uniforms have been an iconic symbol of our brand throughout our 100-year history and our partnership with Ozwald will take us forward to the next chapter in our journey.”

“At a time when we’re investing for customers, new uniforms are a visual representation of investment in our people and we want them to feel proud when they wear the new uniform.”

Ozwald Boateng OBE, said: “I am really excited about creating this new uniform for British Airways. It is important for me to create something that makes all of British Airways’ 32,000 uniform-wearing employees across the world excited, at the same time as enabling me to really demonstrate my skills as a designer. British Airways is investing £4.5 billion over the next five years and the uniform I design will form part of that, so I’m looking forward to taking a uniform and refining it into a collection.”

Ozwald started his career in fashion in 1986 and became the first tailor to host a catwalk show at Paris Fashion Week. As well as being the youngest tailor to open a store in Savile Row, Ozwald was the Creative Director at Givenchy Homme from 2002 to 2006.

Boateng, who launched his first womenswear collection this year, will be working closely with the airline’s employees throughout the development process, from shadowing them to understand their roles and how the uniforms need to perform, to design, testing and final delivery.

British Airways has worked with a number of famous names throughout its history to design its uniforms. These include Paul Costelloe, Roland Klein, Baccart Weatherall, Hardy Amies and Julien MacDonald, the designer of the airline’s current uniform.

British Airways’ is investing £4.5 billion pounds for its customers over the next five years, investment includes the installation of the best quality WiFi and power in every seat, fitting 128 long-haul aircraft with new interiors and taking delivery of 72 new aircraft. The airline will also be introducing new Club World seat with direct aisle access next year.

Photo: British Airways.

Helvetic Airways firms up its order for 12 Embraer E190-E2 jets

Embraer and Helvetic Airways have signed a contract for a firm order of 12 E190-E2 jets.

This agreement was announced as a Letter of Intent (LOI) at the recent Farnborough Air Show, in July.

The firm order has a value of $730 million, based on current list prices, and will be included in Embraer’s 2018 third-quarter backlog. The contract also includes purchase rights for a further 12 E190-E2, with conversion rights to the E195-E2, bringing the total potential order up to 24 E-Jets E2s.

With all the purchase rights being exercised, the deal has a list price of $1.5 billion. The announcement was made by the two companies during the Zurich debut of the E190-E2, the world’s most efficient and quietest single-aisle aircraft, as part of its tour of Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

The first 12 E190-E2 aircraft will begin replacing Helvetic’s five Fokker 100s and seven E190s, starting in late 2019 and completing in autumn 2021.

The purchase options for a further 12 aircraft (E190-E2 or E195-E2) will enable Helvetic Airways to grow according to market opportunities. Embraer is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats. The Company has 100 customers from all over the world operating the ERJ and E-Jet families of aircraft. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged more than 1,800 orders and 1,400 deliveries, redefining the traditional concept of regional aircraft.

Image: Embraer.

Air France presents its new economy and premium economy cabins

Air France has made this announcement:

At IFTM Top Resa, Air France presented its new Economy and Premium Economy cabins, highlighting its offer of a new travel experience on board its 15 Airbus A330s which will be refitted starting January 2019. In addition, customers will progressively discover a new color scheme and additional products and services to improve the travel experience on all of the airline’s long-haul flights.

These new cabins, and more widely, the new Economy and Premium Economy offerings, will also be on display at the BHV Marais* in Paris from September 26 to October 3, 2018.

ECONOMY, COMFORT FOR ALL

The Economy seat is changing for even more comfort:

– More space between the armrests (44cm);

– Reinforced ergonomic foam in the seat and a 118° recline;

– 79 cm legroom;

– A larger tray table and a wider, latest generation 11.7-inch (29.8 cm) 16:9 touch screen.

For an even more comfortable trip, a new design and new accessories are being introduced. A deep blue monochrome fabric signed with the accent, the symbol of the Air France brand, adorns the new cabin cushions and headrests. To accompany your most perfect dreams, a new bright red blanket, the company’s iconic color, as well as collectible night masks inspired by the company’s destinations, are also available.

The Economy seat allows you to use your electronic devices throughout the flight with a USB plug and an individual electric socket. Finally, customers can stay connected with Wi-Fi throughout their flight, which is being progressively installed on all Air France aircrafts, and enjoy a wide range of entertainment with an audio headset available on each seat as soon as they settle in on board.

PREMIUM ECONOMY, EVEN MORE COMFORT AND SERVICES

In the Premium Economy cabin, privacy and elegance prevail.

Comfort is in the spotlight on the Airbus A330 with additional space:

– A 130° seat recline in a fixed shell;

– One of the widest seats with 48.3 cm;

– 102 cm seat pitch;

– Lumbar support adapted to different body shapes;

– Additional storage space;

– A wider footrest;

– Latest-generation 13.3 inch (33.9 cm) HD screen.

The softer seat cushions and wider leather armrests have also been redesigned.

On board all its long-haul aircrafts, Air France also guarantees its customers moments of relaxation with a red feather pillow and a deep blue blanket. A comfort kit renewed every six months is also available.

Between relaxation and gourmet delights, each customer can enjoy Wi-Fi, an electric socket and two individual USB ports as well as a wide choice of entertainment on board.

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

In addition to new seats and a new Economy and Premium Economy color scheme, Air France is providing its customers with more special attention.

As soon as they arrive on board, customers are welcomed with an oshibori** to freshen up. At aperitif time, the cabin crew offers customers a complimentary glass of champagne in a brand-new glass.

During the flight, the meal is served in a new collection of powder-colored tableware on a black background and eco-designed in collaboration with Eugeni Quitllet. The tray also reveals a new design highlighting the Air France accent. A “My Little Gourmandises” gourmet snack is available on a self-service basis on flights longer than 8 hours 30 minutes.

On flights lasting between 8 hours 30 minutes and 10 hours 30 minutes, customers are offered a “Bon Appétit” breakfast bag containing delicious snacks to take with them or to eat on board. Upon arrival, customers receive a French-style candy, as a little gesture to say thank you for traveling with us.

*BHV Marais, ground floor, 52 rue de Rivoli, Paris, France.

**Small hand towel distributed to customers, inspired by a Japanese hospitality tradition.

Photo: Air France.

Delta systems normal with no cancellations following brief tech issue

Delta Air Lines issued a statement:

There are currently no Delta flight cancellations following a brief technology issue that prompted an hour-long groundstop for U.S. mainline Delta flights this evening. Additional flight delays and the impact on Wednesday morning’s schedule are expected to be minimal. Delta apologizes to its customers for this inconvenience.

Customers flying tonight or Wednesday should check their flight status on delta.com or on the Fly Delta app. All of Delta’s customer tools are fully functional.

The technology issue’s impact was limited to the U.S. There was no safety impact on any Delta flights.

Delta teams are investigating the root cause of the technology issue.

Image: Delta AIr Lines.

9:20 p.m. update

Delta teams have restored all IT systems after a technology issue briefly affected some systems this evening. Delta employees are now working diligently to accommodate customers whose travel plans have been affected. Booking, check-in and flight status are now available on delta.com. The Fly Delta app is also now functional. Customers should check flight information on delta.com or on the Fly Delta app for the latest operational information affecting their flights.

During the technology issue, Delta issued a mainline groundstop in the U.S. until systems could be brought back up. There was no disruption or safety impact on any Delta flights in the air.

We apologize to all customers for this inconvenience.

Initial statement, 8:28 p.m.

Delta IT teams are working diligently to address a technology issue impacting some of our systems. We have issued a Delta groundstop as we work to bring systems back up as quickly as possible. There has been no disruption or safety issue with any Delta flight currently in the air. We apologize to all customers for this inconvenience.

SkyTeam launches a new metasearch tool on its website

Delta Air Lines mad this announcement:

SkyTeam, the global airline alliance has launched a new metasearch tool on its website making it easier for customers to plan and book trips on all 20 member airlines. SkyTeam is the first airline alliance to offer a comprehensive flight search tool that harnesses the full scope of its global network, showing real-time availability, schedule and pricing information across 1,074 destinations with clearly displayed results all in one place.

SkyTeam’s new Find Flights metasearch works in three simple steps:

The customer enters their dates of travel and itinerary in Find Flights on skyteam.com.
The metasearch aggregates all the flight options for the customer from the 20 member airlines,which are then all displayed on one page.
The customer selects the preferred trip from real-time price, schedule, availability, and routing, and is then redirected to the chosen airline’s website to complete the purchase.

“Find Flights is the most used online function for the millions of unique visitors to our site each year, the majority of whom tell us they want to book travel online with ease,” said Kristin Colvile, SkyTeam’s Chief Executive Officer. “SkyTeam’s latest technology innovation meets customers’ needs by delivering a tool that simplifies searching for flights onlinewhile making it easier to earn Frequent Flyer miles by booking within our alliance.”

SkyTeam’s new metasearch engine is one in a series of technology solutions that have been launched this year alone to enhance the customer experience at every touchpoint.

In June, SkyTeam unveiled the SkyLink Digital Spine. The Spine bridges technology differences between members to make it easier for customers to book ancillary products – such as preferred seats – across different airlines on one itinerary.

At the airport SkyTeam Rebooking, an industry-leading tool to minimize the inconvenience of flight delays and cancellations is getting customers on their way more quickly. Meanwhile, SkyTeam’s airport maps, available on the free SkyTeam app, are helping customers navigate airports, reducing stress and making their transfers smoother.

For more information visit www.skyteam.com

SkyTeam airlines:

American Airlines and Zoës Kitchen add new flavors to the main cabin menu

Zoës Kitchen and American Airlines have teamed up to introduce a new food-for-sale menu for customers seated in Main Cabin that will offer delicious, light and healthy choices onboard.

The new menu, designed in collaboration with Zoës head chef and Vice President of Culinary Innovation Antonio Iocchi, includes items unique to American as well as signature dishes found in Zoës restaurants, such as its signature hummus and The Grüben sandwich. The new items will be available for purchase on most domestic flights longer than three hours beginning December 1, 2018.

The new items launching December 1 include:

Breakfast Sandwich: Turkey bacon, egg slices and tomato topped with baby arugula on a waffle brioche bun with Calabrian pepper aioli
Continental Breakfast Box: Belgian waffle, hazelnut spread and fresh berries
The Grüben: Zoës signature sandwich with sliced turkey, Manchego cheese, crunchy Mediterranean slaw and feta spread layered on marble wheat bread, served with a Zoës chocolate chip cookie
Chicken Wrap: Grilled chicken wrap with mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, arugula and artichokes, served with a Zoës chocolate chip cookie
Hummus Duo: Zoës signature hummus duo, including their classic flavor topped with Kalamata olives and basil pesto hummus, served with pita bread, cucumber and carrot

Aer Lingus to introduce a new livery and uniforms in January 2019

Aer Lingus in January 2019 will roll out a new brand according to CEO Stephen Kavanagh ahead of the first Airbus A321LR delivery in April 2019.

The update will also include new uniforms.

Let’s hope Aer Lingus does lose its “color” in its color scheme for a bland “Eurowhite” “updated” livery.

Previously on August 3, 2018 CEO Stephen Kavanagh issued this report on the first six months of 2018:

Aer Lingus has an ambitious flight path – to be the leading value carrier across the North Atlantic. This vision is enabled by a profitable, sustainable short-haul network; and is supported by a guest-focused brand and digitally-enabled value proposition. Todays’ results are the latest manifestation of the airline’s successful business model. A business model that has delivered accelerated growth, boosted traffic, created new Irish job opportunities and driven Irish tourism growth particularly from North America over the past number of years.

We are now re-investing in the business to deliver future growth. This year Aer Lingus is flying 17 times daily to 13 North American gateways, providing a record 2.75 million seats between Ireland and North America: we have almost doubled our North American transatlantic capacity from Dublin over the past five years. This growth has a very positive impact on the wider economy in this country with tourism receipts from North American visitors up 27% since 2015 to over €1.5 billion.

We have invested in our people with hundreds of new Cabin Crew, Pilot and Ground positions created this summer; we had over 8,600 applicants for the Aer Lingus Future Pilot Programme which launched in April; our Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Apprenticeship Scheme launched in May is a four-year programme run in conjunction with DIT and SOLAS, Further Education & Training Authority in Ireland. Our commitment to investing in our people is exemplified by the multi-million euro investment in a new joint flight crew and cabin crew training centre which will be open in 2020.

We have been undergoing a programme of positive change in response to our ambitious growth strategy. We have repositioned our brand and enhanced our product and guest experience offering a new Aer Lingus Business Class; WiFi on A330s; new website and mobile app; automated check-in and bag drop experience at Dublin airport, to name just a few. All of these changes are informed by extensive guest engagement, we listen carefully to the over 12 million guests we carry every year and adapt our offer accordingly.

In order to realise our growth ambitions, significant infrastructure development and process improvement is required at Dublin Airport. We expect that the airport’s forthcoming Capital Investment Programme will begin to address the infrastructure deficits at the airport. Prior to the delivery of such infrastructure, we are hopeful that airlines can work with Dublin Airport to make significant process improvement and to optimise existing infrastructure in order to address the existing congestion and to facilitate growth.

Our aim is to compete on the global stage and to realise our ambition to be the leading value carrier on the North Atlantic. Our new aircraft being delivered from 2019 – the Airbus A321 NEO LR, will make new airports in the US more attractive and present a variety of potential destination cities. To realise the new opportunity that these new modern fuel-efficient aircraft will provide, we launched a search for new 2019 North American Airport destinations presenting a unique opportunity for local communities to invest, alongside Aer Lingus, in the introduction or expansion of our service, as has been so successfully realised in Hartford. Our new uniform will project a distinctive, contemporary Irish brand that can compete internationally, as we target travel to Europe from North America as well as those travelling west. We have a clear path for continued growth.

This success is the result of our value model, based on the pillars of cost, product and service which continues to deliver. Our investment in new aircraft, new uniforms, new facilities, and new people is part of our objective to futureproof the business and is demonstrative of our big ambitions.

– Stephen Kavanagh is CEO of Aer Lingus

Top Copyright Photo (all others by Aer Lingus): Aer Lingus Airbus A320-214 EI-DEK (msn 2399) TLS (Paul Bannwarth). Image: 943518.

Aer Lingus aircraft slide show:

Saudia introduces free “social messaging” for all guests

Saudi Arabian Airlines – Saudia introduced a new ‘social messaging’ plan on September 15, 2018 which provides guests – regardless of class of travel – with free access to iMessage, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp.

Saudia is the first airline in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia regions to introduce a complimentary social media messaging plan onboard flights.

On May 5, 2018, Saudia initially introduced the free Whatsapp plan onboard domestic flights, which expanded to include all international flights less than a month later, on May 31st. As of today, more than 500,000 guests have logged on and experienced the free Whatsapp plan.

Four months later, the airline is now expanding the highly popular social messaging plan to include two additional applications – iMessage and Facebook Messenger.

Guests traveling with Saudia onboard all flights enabled with WiFi connectivity, will be able to access the social messaging plan through a simple three-step process. To select the service, guests can connect their device to the “SAUDIA ONAIR” network, and then select the plan and provide an email address in order to activate.

Once the social messaging plan is selected, it will be available for the flight duration*.

More than 100 aircraft in the airline’s fleet feature Saudia’s latest state-of-the-art inflight entertainment systems and features, including onboard WiFi and more than 4000 hours of Hollywood premiere and latest television shows, box sets, music, multi-language, international and children’s programming, as well as digital and audio books, and much more.

Saudia flies to more than 90 destinations worldwide, with a modern fleet of 155 narrow and widebody Airbus and Boeing aircraft. The airline’s growing route network and double-digit growth has resulted in highest-ever passenger numbers – flying more than 20 million guests from the beginning of the year until end of July this year.

Top Copyright Photo: Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airlines) Boeing 777-368 ER HZ-AK20 (msn 41058) LHR (SPA). Image: 943643.

Saudia aircraft slide show:

La Compagnie and Viasat will offer unlimited high-speed Wi-Fi on new Airbus A321neo aircraft

La Compagnie, the exclusively business-class boutique airline offering two daily flights between New York and Paris, has partnered with Viasat Inc., a global communications company, to equip La Compagnie’s brand-new, all business-class Airbus A321neo aircraft with high-speed Wi-Fi capabilities. Deployment of the new in-flight Wi-Fi service is scheduled for April 2019—making unlimited in-flight connectivity available to all 76 passengers onboard.

La Compagnie’s exclusively business-class A321neo aircraft are scheduled to operate between New York and Paris from April 2019. They will also be equipped with 76 full flat seats for an even more comfortable business-class experience.

British Airways to return to Osaka, Japan and a new route from London City

British Airways is launching nonstop flights to Japan’s second largest city. The four-per-week service takes off from March 31, 2019 with flights departing from Heathrow Terminal 5 and landing at Osaka’s Kansai International Airport.

Osaka castle in cherry blossom season, Osaka, Japan

The new route takes the number of daily flights between London and Japan offered as part of British Airways’ joint business with Japan Airlines up to 32 per week.

Japan Airlines will also offer a code share on the new service, further strengthening the joint business and giving customers more opportunities to earn and redeem Avios loyalty points across the network.

The route will be operated by one of British Airways’ newest aircraft, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

British Airways is also adding four cities to its joint business agreement with Japan Airlines, with the BA code being put on flights between Tokyo Haneda and Miyazaki, Kumamoto, Komatsu and Matsuyama.

British Airways will launch 17 new routes across the globe this year including direct flights to Durban that start next month. These new routes come as the airline rolls out a £4.5 billion investment plan for customers over the next five years, which includes the installation of the best quality WiFi and power in every seat, fitting 128 long-haul aircraft with new interiors and taking delivery of 72 new aircraft.

British Airways operates all flights to Japan in cooperation with its joint business partners: Japan Airlines, Finnair and Iberia. The airline’s Siberian Joint Business partner, Finnair, flies direct between Helsinki and Osaka with up to 10 direct services a week.

British Airways flew to Osaka until October 1998.

In November the airline celebrates 70 years of flying to Tokyo.

The service schedule between Heathrow and Osaka is as follows:

Flight number	Sector	Dep Time Local	Arr Time Local	Days of Week
BA19/JL7078*	LHR-KIX	14:20	09:50 (the following day)	Mon, Weds, Fri, Sun
BA20/JL7079*	KIX-LHR	11:30	15:50	Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat

*Japan Airlines codeshare flight

In other news, British Airways is to launch new three-times-a-day flights from London City Airport to the Bavarian beer capital of Munich next year.

The year-round flights, which start on February 16, 2019 means British Airways will offer four German routes from London City, with each-way hand baggage only fares to Munich from £59.

As well as the new service British Airways will also add extra winter frequency on the popular Berlin, Dublin and Prague routes from November 10, 2018 and to Geneva from December.

Return flights to Berlin will go up to 18 a week, Dublin to 38 a week, Prague to seven a week and Geneva to 16 a week from December.

One of British Airways’ top customers, Siemens, who opened their new corporate headquarters in Munich in 2016, have welcomed the new route.

Mark Jenkinson, Cities Director at Siemens said: “This is positive news for London and its business community keen to do business in Germany. For a company like Siemens which has a significant presence close to the airport with our Crystal building, as well as being headquartered in Munich, launching regular direct flights will help encourage business growth and facilitate important customer delegations. We look forward to the route becoming operational, helping our customers and employees alike”.

The news comes after British Airways announced in August it will be adding four new aircraft to its fleet based at London City, as well as starting a new daily service to Rome and adding a fifth daily year-round service to Zurich in October.

The year-round Rome route starts on November 11, 2018 with one-way hand baggage only fares from £55.