Michael Roller

Qantas + Marc Newson

I had the pleasure of flying with Qantas for my trip to Australia last month. They did a great job making the long flight  as enjoyable as possible with good food, entertainment, and hospitality, even from our economy class seats.

My favorite aspect of the flight was the unexpected attention to detail.  Qantas hired Aussie designer Marc Newson to create all the tableware. Apartment Therapy blogged about this awhile back, but they left out a particularly beautiful part of the line. The coffee cup and juice glass are derived from the same form, which is both clever and efficient. I like the balance between repetition and variation here. The truncated cone form is used for both glasses, but flipping it over adds some novelty and fun to the family. For improved functionality, the inward shape of the juice glass seems less likely to spill during turbulence, even if that’s just my perception. The fork, knife, and spoon nest into a low-profile shape, presumably more efficient to store and ship.

While other airlines are now charging for a single beverage, Qantas seems to have a good handle on how to use design without adding cost. Besides Newson’s products, I was also given a place mat that neatly converted into a trash bag.

It probably wouldn’t work for all airline brands, but Qantas is making the most out of it’s design budget. Hopefully next time I fly Qantas I can visit Newson’s first class lounge or sit in his A380 seats!

8 Comments to Qantas + Marc Newson

1. 

   And I love the colors too!
suzie on January 2nd, 2009
2. 

   i fell in love with the juice/wine glasses too and thanks to a recent overseas trip with QANTAS i now have 8 at home (very naughty i know)!
mucus3 on January 4th, 2009
3. 

   I want to know if his wonderful cutlery (Qantas) is available in stainless? I’d love to have it for home use as I find it very comfortable to use.
   I liked using them so much on my recent trip to Sydney I took them home and grab them and use them over and over.
   Great design. Thank you
jer on May 30th, 2009
4. 

   Jer – You should check out the cutlery Newson has done for Idee and Alessi, but I haven’t seen the Qantas set in stainless. Keep your eye out for them, celebrity designers sometimes reuse their work in a variety of contexts/materials.
Michael on May 31st, 2009
5. 

   The Alessi cutlery is stainless steel (except the knife of course) in international business class, and there’s a teaspoon as well
jeremiah on October 17th, 2009
6. 

   Jeremiah – do you have any pics? Is Alessi’s cutlery for Qantas or another airline? Also, we recently picked up a couple of Starck designs on Delta/Air France flights.
Michael on October 17th, 2009
7. 

   Yes i meant the Marc Newson Alessi cutlery for Qantas, is stainless in business class. I can take some photos and email them to you.
jeremiah on October 18th, 2009
8. 

   Are the sleep socks (included in the goodie bag) available for purchase anywhere? Agree with the other comments, absolutely the best flight ever…
Cher on January 16th, 2010

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