Luxury News from InsideLux – The Daily Luxury News Authority

British aviation firm BAE and design consultancy firm Design Q have teamed up to unveil their latest collaboration which will see private jets being built with retractable viewing decks.  Touching down in an exotic location won’t require you to leave the airport, or even your private jet.   In fact, the jet has been designed to land on some of the most remote landing strips in the world, some of which are not paved.

German airline, Lufthansa, has recently debuted the world’s “quietest first-class cabin”. First-class passengers can now fly in luxurious tranquility as the new Airbus 380 jetliner features sound-absorbing curtains and sound-insulating material that encase the cabin’s outer skin.

The A380 also provides passengers with upgraded amenities such as a full bathroom with separate toilet, dressing and wash areas and every passenger gets a private locker to store their valuables. The Airbus also features newly developed seats with the latest in ergonomic design that extend to nearly seven feet in length when fully reclined.

The first flight is set to travel from Frankfurt to Tokyo in June 2010.

At almost $30m the Brazilian jet maker has launched  a new version of its famous 600 version.  With a range of 3,900 nautical miles, the jet can seat up to 8 passengers and can fly more than 500 nautical miles than its 600 predecessor.  The new Rolls-Royce AE 3007A2 engines grant the Legacy powerful jet power while reducing noise.

Deliveries for the Legacy 650 start later this month.

One of the rare opportunities to own one of the rarest and award-winning antiques would lure the lovers of aeronautical craftsmanship to Barrett-Jackson in Arizona later this month. Up for grabs is the most beautifully restored classic aircraft in the world – a 1929 Hamilton Metalplane H-47. With its reputation to soar over northern forests and remote lakes as part of a government mission to map and monitor the country’s uncharted backwoods for 20 years during the pioneering age of Canadian aviation, the aluminum-bodied bush plane is expected to sell for at least $1 million. The Metalplane goes on the auction block during a six-day Barrett-Jackson sale that begins Jan. 18 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

via: National Post

British Airways yesterday launched a luxury, all-business class transatlantic service to fly twice daily from London City Airport to New York. It features 32 seats in specially configured Airbus A318 aircraft offering extensive comfort in flat beds. The latest communications technology also means that passengers will be able to send emails and texts and use the internet while aboard. Return fares will start at ($3056.60) £1,901 and marks an upward turn in the market for luxury travel with transatlantic all-business class flights from Stansted by Eos and MAXjet both ceasing after just a few months, while the Silverjet services from Luton to Newark in New Jersey and to Dubai stopped when the company went into administration last year. Hopefully BA will find the market to continue with their glamorous venture.

After the economic downturn in air travel, what better way to take advantage of once-again rising figures than to increase the luxury and comfort on offer during your travel? US Airways has certainly achieved this with their innovative Envoy Suite. The latest seating option for Business-class travellers on trans-Atlantic flights is designed in 1-2-1 herringbone with everything you need right at your fingertips, like the 12.1” adjustable touch-screen entertainment system, 110-volt universal power outlet, satellite phone and USB port to charge your laptop and a real-time world map to track your flight. Increased personal space features fully-adjustable seats that recline into a horizontal bed ranging from 6’4’’ to 6’8’’ depending on the Suite’s position in the cabin.  The Envoy Suite will make its debut on one of US Airways` Airbus A330-200 aircraft in December 2009 with the remainder of the A330-200 fleet installation completed by summer 2011 for a total of 15 aircraft. Each A330-200 will offer 20 Envoy Suites.

Ground-breaking holidays to China and North Korea have been announced by the holiday company Remote Lands. The company is known for creating highly personalized ultra-luxury bespoke holidays in Asia, optionally by private jet and yacht, for sophisticated, demanding high net-worth clients. Based in New York and Bangkok, Remote Lands is renowned for its “white-glove” service, creative itineraries and extreme attention to detail. With their newest offer clients can travel in style and comfort by optional private jet to experience the physical beauty of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Largely closed off to outsiders, you could now be among the first to enter one of the world’s most unspoilt destinations with a private guide on your tailor-made break. Read the rest of this entry »

It all began when Dutchman Ben Thijssen bought the 1960’s Ilyushin 18 vintage plane that used to transport former East German officials like Erich Honecker through the Cold War period to Cuba, Russia, China, and Vietnam until the late 1980’s and later got converted into a restaurant located in Harbke, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

Thjissen paid 35.000 $ for it and invested around 640.000 $ to turn a four engine plane into a luxurious five star hotel with whirlpool, sauna, bar, kitchen, flat-screen televisions, and wireless Internet.

You can find Holland’s new Honecker Hotel at Teuge airport, just east of Amsterdam.

A night for two people in a 40 metre long suit costs you a bit less than 500$ and you could bring 15 people in total to reach the luxury hotel’s maximum of capacity.

The plane will never be ready for take off, but will let you feel like you were in heaven.

Following the tragic insolvency of Dimanond DA42’s engine supplier, enthusiasts were certain that it would spell the end of one of the most loved light aircraft.  Diamond DA42 had to suspend production last year, but after a period of restructuring and rigorous supplier searching, the Canadian based firm teamed up with Austro to produce the best DA42 yet, coined the DA42NG.  The unveiling at the Paris Air Show followed its first delivery to a Northern European customer.  The aircraft has generated huge interest in the US, but is awaiting FAA certification before deliveries can be made.

Sikorsky is close to breaking the helicopter speed record with its groundbreaking X2, set to pass the 250-knot mark – that’s 287 miles per hour – by year’s end. That’s nearly twice as fast as the company’s famed Blackhawk, while the current speed record for any helicopter is held by the Westland Lynx at 249 mph, or about 220 knots; but whereas the Lynx only managed that speed once (way back in 1986) the X2 plans to surpass it as a matter of course, giving the lie to the widely held belief that helis simply cannot exceed 250 mph without spinning out of control. Read the rest of this entry »