[TominScotland]

Sitting in the Air NZ lounge in Auckland with great apron views and reflecting on how truly awful the AC livery is – ‘undercoat blue’ is how Mrs TIS described it. A SQ A380 has just landed – very 1980s……

I know we have been here before, but what are your all-time favourites and all time hates?

[capetonianm]

When Robert Ayling did that livery change in 1997, wasting millions and upsetting many people, most of the rebranded aircraft looked as if a cat had thrown up over them. Just awful, as was his tenure over BA, although time has shown that he was not the worst.

Some excellent liveries here : http://www.travelstart.co.za/blog/25-aircraft-livery-designs/

My favourite is the SAA 747-300 Ndizani in the ethnice livery.

[canucklad]

Nice link capetonianm, reminds us all how lazy airlines have become with the almost universal application of white paint.
So in that context there is only one outstanding winner.

They’ve stuck to tradition, occasionally tweaked the livery to keep up with the times, but all around the world people know their looking at well recognised reliable brand!

No contest – – – –
Ladies and gentlemen I give you
KLM

[CocktailMike]

No question on the worst – The old Northwest Orient. Completely disjointed – I am trying to imagine the board meeting when they approved this….

[canucklad]

Predictably, at least to the old timers on here is my choice for the all time best…. CP Air, run a close 2nd by BCal.

Worst ever, wasn’t BA’s bizarre attempt to become a global brand, rather their even more bizarre attempt to become even more patriotic than AMERICAN Airlines by dropping Airways and plastering British across the fuselage

[GivingupBA]

Favourites, Qantas, and Swiss, for simplicity and boldness. Lufthansa (old version), I just like it.
Least favourite, TWA, boring. United, boring tailfin.

[Gold-2K]

This may not be the beat livery but the name always makes me smile. Or maybe that’s just be having being brought up on a TV diet of Benny Hill and The Two Ronnies 🤷🏻‍♂️

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kevin46, traveldoc1, tomwjsimpson

[Johnnyg]

Unfortunately in many cases it is a case of seen one, seen them all.

Unless you look at themed schemes, ANA’s turtle designs, Emirates football team schemes, Icelandair Northern Lights, Brussels Tin Tin, individual designs of nose cone sharks, eagles, Alaskans Whales etc etc.

[travelsforfun]

My vote goes to Alsie Express, it may not be the largest airline – the attached picture is their entire fleet(!) – but I think a matt black livery just looks good. They’re a nice airline to fly too!

1 user thanked author for this post.

kevin46

[Gold-2K]

……and on the subject of black liveries, the Air New Zealand black and white looks very cool, especially the all black fuselage.

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kevin46

[BEYbrit]

I really like the Northwest Orient livery in the previous post. Has a contemporary feel, even today.

Flybe purple anyone? Can’t stand it myself.

Level? Soooo boring.

Personal favourite? The cerulean of Korean always makes me happy. And great uniforms too.

[rferguson]

The one that I always found the most bold was now defunct UTA airlines with their conservative blue and white livery accented with lime green doors!

I also loved the earlier Continental Airlines livery – was so classy.

My favourite current airline livery is TAP Portugal. I think it’s pretty daring and eye catching.

My current least favourite is the new Lufthansa one – as dreary as you could possibly get.

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travelsforfun, AFlyingDutchman

[SAS]

I like American Airlines’ new livery. The old one was metallic grey and just awful.

As far as Asian Airlines are concerned, I like Cathay Pacific,Korean Air, Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Airlines.

I like British Airways best amongst European airlines. Air Malta looks like a carnival plane and is very unique.

My least favourites include El Al, Asiana and the old Cathay Pacific and American Airlines livery.

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travelsforfun

[Down under]

As much as I like the flying kangaroo, the Icelandair’s Northern Lights livery is just amazing.

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kevin46

[JKL]

I’m probably biased, but I do like Malaysia Airlines’‘Negaraku’ livery:

In terms of projecting national identity to the world, it does a good job, I think.

Re so many liveries being white, I recall reading somewhere that there are technical reasons for this – something to do with heat reflection (and possibly also fuel efficiency?) as I recall.

[Author]

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