Kuwait Airways has just revealed a brand refresh. While the announcement is light on details, and while this generally seems like a positive development, I’m still a bit confused.
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Kuwait Airways reveals product improvements
Kuwait Airways has been teasing some changes on social media, which have finally been unveiled today… sort of. The airline has posted pictures and basic details of what we can expect, though I can’t find any details beyond that, at least as of now. Let’s go over the details that we do know.
New Kuwait Airways A330-900neo cabins
Kuwait Airways has been modernizing its fleet, and has seven Airbus A330-900neos on order (complementing the four A330-800neos the airline has already taken delivery of). Kuwait Airways intends to install new premium cabins on these planes.
For one, the airline plans to introduce a new “Elite Suite” on the A330-900neo. Based on the one rendering, this seems like a staggered seat with significant privacy. I can’t tell if that’s just a privacy shield, or maybe even a door.
For the first time ever, Kuwait Airways plans to introduce premium economy, which will be branded as Comfort Plus (not to be mistaken for Comfort+, Delta’s extra legroom economy seating).
Meanwhile the carrier’s A330-900neo economy cabin will be branded as Comfort, and looks pretty ordinary.
New Kuwait Airways premium ground services
Again, details are limited, but Kuwait Airways plans to improve its ground services for premium passengers. The airline is teasing a new Elite Lounge — it remains to be seen how this compares to the current lounge, and who will have access.
Kuwait Airways also plans to introduce a home check-in service, where someone can come to your home to print your boarding passes and collect your bags. This still seems to me like one of the most ridiculous and unnecessary services ever, but I guess some people value it. I’m not sure who will be eligible, or what the cost will be (if anything).
Meanwhile Kuwait Airways will also start offering some sort of limousine service, as we see at some Gulf rivals. I’ll be curious to see in what markets this is available, and what the fare requirements are.
New Kuwait Airways employee uniforms
Kuwait Airways is also going to introduce new employee uniforms. My first impression is that these are really stylish and actually stand out, unlike so many of the other new employee uniforms we see nowadays. In particular, I love just how many variations there are, as that makes it all a bit more fun.
These Kuwait Airways improvements seem great, but…
While the details remain to be seen, on the surface all of these changes seem positive. Here’s what confuses me, though.
A bit over six years ago, Kuwait Airways underwent its last major refresh, whereby the airline modernized its fleet in a major way. The airline replaced its ancient A340s and 747s with brand new 777s and A330s. Kuwait Airways’ average fleet age is now only five years, and it’s only going to keep getting younger. That’s great.
However, you’d think that the airline would have put a bit of thought into its products six years ago, when it started taking delivery of new planes? For example, Kuwait Airways’ flagship aircraft is the 777, which is used for the carrier’s longest routes. Yet the airline elected to install business class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration on this plane, which is hardly competitive. 
Similarly, the airline has during this time taken delivery of new A330s with angled seats in business class.
While it’s also good to see the trend toward adding premium economy, wouldn’t it have made sense to consider this six years ago, before the airline planned its cabins for newly delivered aircraft? After all, so many passengers on Gulf carriers are connecting, and it’s hard to sell premium economy when it’s not operated on all segments. Admittedly this is a challenge Emirates is facing now as well, though the airline has an aggressive retrofit program in place.
It’s one thing if Kuwait Airways were getting ready to overhaul its entire fleet with new interiors, but there’s no indication of that happening.
So while these changes do seem positive, I don’t they’ll make a material difference unless improved products are offered on a widespread basis.
Bottom line
Kuwait Airways has revealed some positive changes, including new cabins for upcoming A330-900neos (including premium economy, for the first time), new employee uniforms, and new passenger services, like home check-in, limousine service, and an Elite Lounge.
I’m looking forward to learning more details about these new services. I just wish the airline had put a bit more thought into its products when it started its complete fleet overhaul several years back, as the airline chose some puzzlingly outdated products.
What do you make of Kuwait Airways’ product updates?
I have an upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia and seriously considered KW. Not only did they have the lowest fare, the layover in Kuwait would allow me to add a new country to my list. But when I read the online reviews on various websites, they were generally horrible. Unfriendly crews, cancelled flights without explanations, little ability to actually speak to anyone and when you did, you were met with indifference. Sorry not sorry, I booked Qatar Airways instead.
Sorry but dry airlines will be still in a lower level of service for rich people except for Kuwait itself
As someone who used to fly KU a lot back in the 80s, I am so delighted to see all the POSITIVE steps KU is undertaking to make a comeback to it's former glory and claim it's position besides top 5* airlines of the world, like Qatar Airways. A home check in facility is an awesome idea and unlike your negative comment on this potential service, I think its fabulous and if there is a...
As someone who used to fly KU a lot back in the 80s, I am so delighted to see all the POSITIVE steps KU is undertaking to make a comeback to it's former glory and claim it's position besides top 5* airlines of the world, like Qatar Airways. A home check in facility is an awesome idea and unlike your negative comment on this potential service, I think its fabulous and if there is a fee, so be it. Overall, very happy & delighted for KU. Your overall tone in writing this article, is drenched with skeptism and a, "oh, meh" attitude. Post pandemic, any airline that can go to any measures to attract potential customers, is commendable --- unlike some airlines, who are just busy in adding more cities to their network, whilst lacking any real incentive to fly with them!
Are they serious with those uniforms?????
Sorry, but those uniforms are GAWD AWFUL!
I recently traveled to and from JFK on their 777 business class and what a pity. They didn't even have amenity kits or dental kits in their lavotories. When asked, the crew just shrugged and said they were out of stock (Since the last 3 months!!!). Didn't honor the advance special meal selection too. No direct aisle access and ultra-dry cabin. The service felt very cold and sub-par compared to even Emirates/Etihad economy class service....
I recently traveled to and from JFK on their 777 business class and what a pity. They didn't even have amenity kits or dental kits in their lavotories. When asked, the crew just shrugged and said they were out of stock (Since the last 3 months!!!). Didn't honor the advance special meal selection too. No direct aisle access and ultra-dry cabin. The service felt very cold and sub-par compared to even Emirates/Etihad economy class service. While the connecting leg from DXB to KWI was spot on, they need to improve leaps and bounds before they could command a share of passengers from other gulf carriers while charging comparable fares. The purser on KWI-JFK flight was very frank and told me not to waste my money on Kuwait business class fare ever again as the management doesn't give 2 flying damn about the passenger comfort.
Kuwait Airways suffers (somewhat similar to Gulf Air) from insufficient resoures. Yes, the State of Kuwait is a bit richer than Bahrain, but still cannot affort to invest massively, like Qatar and the UAE did with their respective airlines. In contrast to Bahrain it suffers from a more conservative legal framework, which bans alcohol.
Kuwait has as much oil as the UAE. It isn't that they don't have the resources, it's just that they aren't allocating is efficiently as the UAE does.
Hahaha Kuwait is bit richer than Bahrain? Kuwait is 5th richest country in the world!
Let me clarify certain things, Onair WIFI will be changed to a faster WIFI provider soon on all Aircrafts, 777’s cabins will be refreshed with new business & premium, economy seats late 23/24, The new suites have doors which offers full privacy, Limousine service is free for first & business class passengers, Home checkin is free for first class passengers only and available for a fee for business class passengers, All A330-200 & A320ceo aircrafts...
Let me clarify certain things, Onair WIFI will be changed to a faster WIFI provider soon on all Aircrafts, 777’s cabins will be refreshed with new business & premium, economy seats late 23/24, The new suites have doors which offers full privacy, Limousine service is free for first & business class passengers, Home checkin is free for first class passengers only and available for a fee for business class passengers, All A330-200 & A320ceo aircrafts will be retired soon in this year 2023, some A320neo aircrafts serving European destinations will feature sleeper business class seats. All upcoming A321neo aircrafts will feature sleeper business class seats, Elite lounge will be the third lounge at KWI T4 dedicated for Long International flights only unlike current lounges which serve regional GCC-MENA flights as well, Crew uniforms have been fully refreshed, Meals & portions have been improved, KAC has been seeing over 20% increase in passengers so the airline needs to enhance and expand its services accordingly.
I wonder if all those in the photo had to strip down to their underwear before getting the job?!?!
@SillyofDoha
Wouldn't you just LOVE that?!?!
You sound like a frustrated person , maybe someone that was not recruited to work for them ! I worked for these people and I was recruited by Mecti company ! I never heard or seen or happened to me or my entire colleagues what those Spanish ladies said ! And we are around 1000 ladies recruited by them ! Shame on you ! First of all we are Muslims ! We don’t ask such...
You sound like a frustrated person , maybe someone that was not recruited to work for them ! I worked for these people and I was recruited by Mecti company ! I never heard or seen or happened to me or my entire colleagues what those Spanish ladies said ! And we are around 1000 ladies recruited by them ! Shame on you ! First of all we are Muslims ! We don’t ask such shameful things from our future employees ! But it’s surprising how they wanna damage the image of our company ! And they are not that smart creating a scandal like this coming from Europeans that walk naked on the streets saying that they felt offended to walk naked in an interview as well ! I hope God will punish the liars and people that slander the image of others !
By now we all know that Kuwait airlines didn’t conduct any interview and it was the recruitment agency used by many other international airlines, So I guess you’re either stupid or jealous because of Kuwait’s wealth.
New informs, same hate, same chauvinism, and same anti semitism.. fly us ?
You are correct: they gave up a New York to London segment of a NYC to Kuwait flight that would NOT allow Israeli passport holders to fly the NYC to LON segment. First class mumsers.
Not antisemitism. That's a political decision.
Non-Jewish Israeli citizens aren't allowed to fly either, while Jewish citizens not traveling with an Israeli passport can fly. So it's not antisemitism.
Just booked tickets after reading your post.
All the new uniforms, particularly the mens, look very heavyweight, not reflective of the ME climate.
The men look like doormen or concierges at a 5* hotel in Europe.
@glenn t
What does that have to do with anything? It's not like cabin crew are roaming the Kuwaiti desert on camels in the blazing sun for work! They work in air-conditioned environments and sometimes have to overnight in really cold places like London and New York...please think before you speak...you often sound like some newbie to international air travel
Yeah, I kinda like my glass of champagne on boarding, a tipple of something red with my dinner, and a snifter of cognac or two after dessert. Dry airlines really aren’t my thing.
Alcoholism is a disease, we know.
How odd.
An airline doing a photo shoot on a boat.
It's an old boat that turned into a restaurant inside Radisson Blu
The most under rated airlines as far as service, economy seats, timeliness, and prices go. If flying economy, I prefer Kuwait to all ME airlines.
Your post makes it sound a little like they only had 747 and A340s until recently. They’ve had older 777s for many years. I flew the old 5th freedom flight from LHR-JFK in 2001 and was impressed by a then modern 777 Y cabin. There was seatback IFE at a time when many of the US and European carriers were still using projectors on bulkheads on much of their fleets. The crew were also quite...
Your post makes it sound a little like they only had 747 and A340s until recently. They’ve had older 777s for many years. I flew the old 5th freedom flight from LHR-JFK in 2001 and was impressed by a then modern 777 Y cabin. There was seatback IFE at a time when many of the US and European carriers were still using projectors on bulkheads on much of their fleets. The crew were also quite warm and friendly too. It was sad how they dwindled as an airline over the last 2 decades! Hopefully they’re trying to follow Gulf Air in a return to being a bit more like the ME3.
Big improvement in the cabins. I like the female flight attendant uniforms but the suit coat trim on the male flight attendant uniforms looks strange.
Totally agree with you