Qantas is set to dramatically up its luxury quotient next week when it
opens the doors to its glamorous new first class lounges in Sydney and
Melbourne international airports.
Designed by Marc Newson (who’s designed everything from airplanes to
bags), the lounge, which is rumoured to have cost $20 million, boasts
features usually seen only in super-luxe designer hotels.
We’re talking a food menu put together by fine dining king Neil Perry;
a full concierge service; a day spa (yes, day spa) where 1st classers
can indulge in facials and massages for free; individual marble lined
shower suites stocked with Payot cosmetics and Kevin Murphy hair
products; a library stocked with best selling books, magazines,
newspapers and board games; and an ‘entertainment zone’ with plasma TVs
and Sony play stations. Oh, and if you care to do some work in
the midst of all that luxuriating there are fully equipped workstations
with internet access.
“The services offered in our new lounges will be equal to those found
in the world’s best five star hotels and restaurants,” boasts Qantas's
GM John Borghetti. “For example, the concierge service will help
customers book a restaurant in any city around the world or get tickets
to the latest Broadway musical.”
It’s practically done away with the need for a hotel. The only things
missing are king sized beds with Egyptian cotton sheets. First class
really is the only way to fly.
In an interesting side note Qantas has also commissioned uber designer
Newson to design its new, much anticipated A380, set to be the biggest
passenger plane in the world. With Newson’s reputation we can only
imagine what it’ll look like – something like an Ian Schrager hotel we
expect. By Laura Demasi
Prepare yourself, air travel is about to get
seriously stylish. No more faded brown leather seating and cattle class
leg cramps. Cutting edge hotel-style interiors are about revamp a
Boeing near you, with a new generation of new òboutique' airlines
launching around the world.
Last year airline Eos launched
its fleet of customized Boeing 757s which boast 48 "suites," including
flat bed seats. Partly owned by Alitalia, Italian flight service MiMa
is set to take the exclusivity of air travel up a notch. MiMa will soon
begin service between Milan and New York. The $4,000 fare will include
transport to and from Milan's Linate Airport and concierge service in
both cities.
If money is no object you can order your own
super stylish private jet. Dubbed 'Project U, the personal jet concept
is the brainchild of Lufthansa-Technik and internationally acclaimed design house "Design Q"."
Together their objective is to create a personal jet interior unique to
each jet owner. Customized jet-interior design - it's the ultimate in
luxury. We love it. Now, all we need is the jet. by Billy T
The most frustrating part of air travel is about to be revolutionised.
The on-board passenger visual reference where passengers view the
planes distance covered on a map that looks like an ancient 80's Atari
Video Game is getting an extreme makeover.
Developed by Lufthansa-Technik, Airtrack is a satellite based moving
map system that is designed to provide passengers with an entertaining,
informative and highly detailed view of the ground covered directly
below the planes flight path as well as the earth's surface. The 2D and
3D imaging is so sharp that even individual streets can be viewed on
the high resolution screen. The added benefit of the Airtrack system
stems beyond entertainment into safety. The System can record and store
up to 40 hours of flight monitored video which can be invaluable data
in the case of an air line disaster. Air Berlin and a middle eastern
airline which has not been announced yet are the first to offer the up
close and personal tracking system to their passengers, with the system
set to be standard across the board in the not too distant future.
Tired
of queing for hours at the airport, then being squashed into tiny
seats? Try flying Lufthansa, where for $10,000, you can experience the
Dom Perignon of world class travel: Luxury Class. Picture yourself
being chauffeured from your home by a
Porsche Cayenne to a high-end private terminal where you arrive at an
all exclusive Luxury lounge, which gracefully handles a maximum and
very select number of 350 passengers per day in unparallel style. You
can indulge in private rooms and offices, along with personal
assistants and the option of blowing a few rings in the cigar lounge.
The first terminal opened in Frankfurt last December, Munich will be
next.
