In conversation with Luke Miles: Beyond Objects

In conversation with Luke Miles: Luke Miles, a leading expert in aviation interior design, is the former head of design for Virgin Atlantic and currently leads the team at NewTerritory, a leading design studio in London. Renowned for shaping exceptional brand experiences, NewTerritory has transformed car interior design as well as aviation interior design creating signature moments from its hospitality-first approach. The design studio recently completed Delta Air Line’s innovative new aviation interior design and conducted an extensive behavioural science study across five major airlines, uncovering strategies for enhancing brand loyalty and repeat purchasing. With a hospitality mindset, Luke Miles and his team craft immersive experiences that redefine modern travel and lifestyle experiences.

The future of aviation design lies in Signature moments

In what is feeling like an echo chamber, the need for brands to deliver emotional, signature experiences is increasingly important - those that express their true DNA and which are rich, and multi-faceted.

The world of aviation interior design is no different.

Traditionally, the focus has been on physical elements: ergonomically designed seats, sophisticated cabin interiors, and state-of-the-art hardware. Yet, as flying becomes more routine, the allure of these objects in isolation is no longer enough. To stand out, airlines must shift their design focus from singular objects to creating composite, signature moments that evoke just the right emotions at the right moments – whether through spatial cues, well-curated product and service choices, or by prioritising passenger wellbeing.

The journey needs to become special again

Flying used to be a rare, special event that filled passengers with excitement. Today, people often board planes with the same nonchalance as hopping on the tube or a bus. As air travel has become commonplace, we’ve allowed it to become commoditised – overly focused on the destination rather than the journey itself.

Miles, sees this as a major opportunity for airlines. “To bring back the magic, airlines need to move beyond the transactional and do more than just get passengers from A to B on time; they have to craft experiences that resonate emotionally with everyone on board,” he explains. “It’s about focusing on how passengers feel at every stage – before, during and after a flight.”

Miles believes that this mindset shift is critical if airlines want to change perceptions around the journey. “We need to make flying an experience, not just a commute. That’s how we keep it memorable,” he says.

A holistic approach: Beyond the object

For too long, air travel design has been lumped together with other forms of transportation, focusing mainly on costs, functionality and appearance. But, as Miles points out, flying is not just a means of transit. “Air travel is a unique microcosm where people don’t just commute; they eat, sleep and unwind. It’s unique and somewhat closer to a hotel experience than a car ride,” he observes. “So why design it like a bus ride? We should be doing this through the lens of hospitality with human emotion sitting front and centre, rather than it being seen as just another method of transportation.”

This is where adopting a hospitality mindset becomes essential. Airlines need to create interiors that blend the cosiness of home with the elegance of premium hotels – similar to a hospitality interior designer. Miles emphasises the importance of designing with human emotion in mind: “Lighting should support the moments of the journey. Cabin crew interactions need to be seamlessly choreographed, creating moments of delight so passengers feel seen and cared for.”

Each element should work together symphonically. “It’s not just about the individual features,” Miles explains. “We need experiences that fuse human, physical, digital and sensory facets into a single composite journey.”

When done well, these experiences can create what Miles calls a ‘signature brand moment.’

“The goal is for passengers to feel they’ve had a unique experience that they’ll associate with that airline, that they’ll remember long after landing,” he says.

In fact, the emotional journey a passenger experiences can be more impactful than any individual design feature. Well-designed signature moments will set airlines apart as brands seek to ‘feel’ different from one another. Whether it’s a warm welcome from approachable cabin staff, a custom-tailored seat setting, an inflight environment which soothes rather than stresses, or a well-designed bedding kit airlines need to curate these experiences intentionally.

To thrive, think like a hospitality brand

To succeed in this new design landscape, airlines need to think less like transportation providers and more like high-end hotels. “In hospitality, every aspect of the guest journey, from booking to checkout, is curated with emotion in mind. The same should apply to airlines,” Miles explains.

For NewTerritory, this is the future of brand experience. “It’s not just about creating isolated moments,” he says. “It’s about reimagining every touchpoint and making sure all the pieces work together holistically. When you get this right, it becomes a brand’s signature, and that’s what keeps passengers coming back.”

The future for aviation brands

In the aviation industry’s next chapter, success will be defined by the airlines that establish these signature experiences and use them to connect deeply with passengers. "How does the lighting transition as passengers settle in for a long-haul flight? How do cabin crew interactions evolve to build rapport? How can we offset the sensory overload of jet engines and busy airports?" Miles reflects on these questions, saying, “This is how you create a brand experience that’s memorable for all the right reasons.”

The airlines that thrive in the future will be those that embrace these questions and use their answers to design experiences that transcend the physical or digital. “The future belongs to brands that make passengers feel cared for and understood,” Miles emphasises. "Only then will they cultivate the next generation of brand advocates – passengers who remember not just the destination but the journey itself.”

As the aviation industry evolves, it’s clear that the journey must become as special and memorable as the destination. In this new world, the airlines that commit to this vision will lead the way forward.

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