Qantas Business Class Travel Kits
Limited-edition sleeper suits and amenity kits designed for Qantas and Rebecca Vallance. The business class travel kits were designed for passengers travelling to and from New York on the airline's brand-new 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
My role
Designer
THE CHALLENGE
Upgrading the Business Class experience for Qantas' newly-reinstated Sydney to New York flight
The airline relaunched Sydney to New York flights - for the first time since Covid lockdowns in 2020 - and now stops in Auckland rather than Los Angeles. To promote awareness of the new route, Qantas partnered with Australian designer label, Rebecca Vallance, to update the Business Class in-flight kits.
Qantas has made few updates to its iconic grey pyjamas, except for minor tweaks to celebrate occasions such as the Olympics and World Pride. The challenge was to create a design with broad reaching appeal, while also maintaining the style and sophistication of the Rebecca Vallance brand.
How might we take an iconic Australian brand and make it feel stylish?
THE SOLUTION
A collectible travel kit that pays homage to the city that never sleeps
The sleeper suit and amenity kits are a love letter to New York. The design is based on a print from the Rebecca Vallance pre-fall collection, 'Avenue Astoria' and combines the "I love New York" sentiment for which the city is known. 'Avenue Astoria' is also an ode to New York's iconic Waldorf Astoria hotel. The design features a monogram of the Qantas 'Roo' and Rebecca Vallance logo, and incorporates the flight numbers QF3 and QF4 for the updated Sydney-Auckland-New York route.
THE PROCESS
Double diamonds in the sky
The project involved many steps that overlap with the UX/UI Design process. It also demonstrates my strong stakeholder management skills and my ability to work with large-scale clients.
THE IMPACT
Taking the Rebecca Vallance brand to new heights
The success of the project was measured by the press and publicity from the partnership. A runway show was held at Qantas headquarters to unveil the new pyjamas and the collaboration was covered by publications including Forbes, The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald and Vogue.
THE LEARNINGS
The client is always right
When the client is an airline with significant cultural relevance, you heed their decisions. Although the "I love New York" concept was not my favourite for the pyjama designs, it was a non-negotiable to implement client feedback and deliver a design that satisfied the stakeholders. We presented too many options to Qantas (there were nine variations in total!), which slowed the decision-making process and invited endless revisions. Less is more, as it eliminates the paradox of choice.
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