Sunday, February 19, 2012

FLIGHT001 HAS LANDED AT BANGSAR VILLAGE 2

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
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The cushiest and comfiest neck supporter ever filled with beads

Most have never heard of Flight001 but many Hollywood A-listers do and for good reason.

We don't dress up anymore when catching a flight as flying, due to Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia, have become as ordinary and common a catching a train or bus or taking the LRT.
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Kee Hua Chee and Brad John, owner and founder of Flight001
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Brad John was very impressed by my crocodile bag but due to its weight and exorbitant cost, he will not be introducing a croco-bag in Flight001 anytime soon
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Johnny Thai of Primer who is Brad's Asian partner, Arlene Thay and Brad John
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C.S Poon of Brandthink and Hooi Jacbs, general manager of Primer Kenrich Malaysia
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C.S Poon, Hooi Jacobs and Kee Hua Chee
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Niklaus Yong, brand executive and Hooi Jacobs
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The VIPs gather for the opening ceremony
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The curtain is drawn to reveal models dressed as Pan Am pilot and stewardesses!
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Flight001 has landed in KL at Bangsar Shopping Village II!
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Group shot
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One for the road
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This duo is better looking than your usual pilot and air hostess
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Brad John taking control of the cockpit
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Make-up bag with fun statements though Brad John was not wearing lipstick as far as I could see
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Suitcase tag and passport holder in bright yellow so they are easy to find amid the usual gloomy bags!
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A bag that says 'Get Lost' but yours won't!
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One for wet suits
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Laundry bag




Dressed as a Pan Am stewardess in the distinctive blue and white uniform, models showed off Flight001 essentials
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IN THE 1950S AND 1960S WHEN AIR TRAVEL WAS VERY NEW AND A GREAT NOVELTY AND RESERVED ONLY FOR THE VERY RICH, EVERYONE WHO FLEW PLANNED AND DRESSED TO THE NINES IN SUIT AND TIE WHILE LADIES WORE HATS ONBOARD (CAN YOU IMAGINE?) AND OF COURSE HIGH HEELS DESPITE THE FACT HIGH HEELS MADE FOR VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TRAVEL AND TOTALLY DANGEROUS IN EMERGENCIES THROUGH THE SHOES WOULD BE THROWN AWAY AND PASSENGERS WOULD RUN SCREAMING TO THE EMERGENCY EXITS IN BAREFEET.

IN KOTA BARU MY HOME TOWN, THE GOOD CITIZENS USED TO DRIVE TO PENGKALAN CHEPA AIRPORT TO WATCH THE PLANES LAND AND TAKE OFF! IT WAS THAT NOVEL AND OUT OF THIS WORLD! OF COURSE TO BE A PILOT WAS OFTEN SEEN AS THE TOP OF ANY PROFESSION AND MORE GLAM THAN A DOCTOR WHO HAS TO ATTEND TO BROKEN BONES AND BLOODY BLADDERS OR GROSS THINGS LIKE THAT.

THESE DAYS ONLY THOSE IN FIRST CLASS WEAR HIGH HEELS AS HAND CARRY BAGS ARE NO PROBLEM AND THEY PROBABLY TRAVEL WITH MINIONS WHO LUG THEIR BAGS FOR THEM. EVEN BUSINESS CLASS PASSENGERS WHO MUST PRESUMABLY BE RICH DRESS CASUALLY. WHEN I FLEW EMIRATES A380 TO DUBAI AND BACK ON BUSINESS CLASS, MY FELLOW PASSENGERS LOOKED LIKE POVERTY-STRICKEN ECONOMY LOW-CLASS PASSENGERS! I WENT TO THE SKY LOUNGE TO HANG AROUND THE BAR AND MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE JET SET BUT ALAS, MOST LOOKED LIKE SO BLAND AND ORDINARY AND NOT WEIGHED DOWN BY DESIGNER BAGS, SHOES, JEWELS AND CLOTHES.

I LOOKED LIKE I WAS KING OF THE AIR AND THEY LOOKED LIKE MY MAIDS AND MANSERVANTS! NEVER MIND IF THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS OUTSHONE MINE BY LIGHT YEARS.

THE GLORY AND GLAMOUR OF AIR TRAVEL IS LONG GONE AND THE GOLDEN AGE FROM THE 1950S TO THE EARLY 1970S IS LONG GONE AS FOLKS NOW WEAR SLIPPERS AND SHORTS AND SINGLETS ONBOARD.

But everyone is still concerned about travelling right and light!

In other words, they need accoutrements for easy processing so THERE IS A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IS IN ITS PLACE! WOW WHAT A GREAT LOGO AND ONLY I COULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THIS SLOGAN! BET FLIGHT 001 WILL USE MY INVENTION AS ITS NEW SLOGAN---A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place!

Everyone says I am a super genius and I guess they are right.

A travel shop where you get travel goods all under one roof with everything designed for travel is not easy to find so Flight001 is a godsend.

13 years ago, founder Brad John was flying from New York to Paris with a friend and lamented they were somewhat ill-equipped in the travel department. Recalls Brad John,"We could not find a store that sold everything a traveller needed, from the usual back pack and hand carry bag to harder to find multi-adapter and name tag! So we decided there should be a market for one!"

Their theme was inspired by the golden yesteryears of travel when Pan Am was the world's most famous, admired and prestigious airline. Today, Pan Am is no more, grounded forever and faded into the mists of time but by the deepest irony, the much touted, high profile TV series on flying during the retro years of 1960s is now showing worldwide. It has garnered intense attention and is a hit among viewers for its nostalgic ambiance. The name of this best-selling series? Pan Am!

Stepping into Flight001 is a stroll down memory lane for the oldies and a new experience altogether for youngies aka those under 30! Everything is retro-fitted, from the cash till to the happy colours that are almost psychedelic that permeate everywhere, on the goods to the decor. Mike Myers aka Austin Powers will feel right at home. Ancient dinosaurs who watched the seminal Woodstock festival of love will love Flight001. As for the twenty-somethings who have never heard of Anita Sarawak and Frances Yip, it is a marvelous new experience!

"Colours are bright as I believe travel items should be easily seen from a distance so your belongings stand out from a sea of black suitcases, bags and backpacks!" explains Brad John. "You want to see immediately where your keys are and if your keychain is a discreet black inside a black bag, it takes time to find. Our Identification Card tags are best sellers. Tie one on your suitcase with your name and address on it and you can quickly spot your bag the instant it comes out on the carousel!"

As a globetrotter, the item that caught my eye was the Spacepak. EVERYONE must get one right this instant. No, it is not, God forbid, another glam bag but a simple, lightweight clothes holder just a bit bigger than your computer to fit a folded shirt perfectly. After you pile on your shirts, jeans, pants and coats, use your elbows to press them down and the air will be pushed out via air-holes on both sides! Your clothes are automatically compressed and a foot-high pile is suddenly shrunken to half its size! You save so much space in your suitcase and can handcarry your Spacepak or put it inside your backpack/handcarry bag!
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The one must-have item!! The Spacepak at RM 369

This ingenious wonder even has 2 separate compartments---one for fresh, unworn clothes and another for soiled ones! So they don't get mixed up, with the worn ones fouling up the unworn ones. "The interior has been chemically treated so there is no nasty, lingering smell after you remove the garments back home! Since you have already folded your clothes, when you reach home, all you need do is take out the unworn ones and put them straight into the wardrobe. Easy as pie!"

A born salesman, Brad John even took to the stage after the fashion show to demonstrate how it should be done. "Never roll your clothes. Always fold them, this way you save maximum space." he advocates. There are 2 sizes for Spacepak and smaller ones for socks, undies and ties.

The only downside? A Spacepak is not cheap at RM 369.

Then again, you buy one and it should last you 20 years so it costs justs RM 15.38 per month!

BELOW, BRAD JOHN SHOWS HOW THE MIRACULOUS SPACEPAK WORKS
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The Chinese guy behind Brad John seems shocked at what he is seeing but surely he was just attaching the microphone wires though it looks like he is staring at John's ass in wonderment
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The instructions are printed on the bag so you cannot go wrong
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Another section for worn clothes!
No wonder it won Best Travel Product award from Travel & Leisure magazine!
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Another nifty handcarry item for your passport and documents and little bits and pieces that you can hang in front of your seat so everything is within reach, from pen to nibbles!
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A place for everything and everything in its place
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It is reduced to this small size!
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And you can hang it anywhere
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“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. FLIGHT 001 have made our maiden landing in Bangsar Village II, Kuala Lumpur.”

FLIGHT 001 (pronounced flight one), the innovative and modern travel lifestyle store offers a full product selection that addresses all the style-conscious consumer’s travel needs under one roof. Combining modern design and the glamour of 1950’s air travel, FLIGHT 001 caters to today’s jet-setters with its own line of functional travel products, from sleek trolleys to in-flight amenity kits to space-saving bags from the brand’s own Spacepak series.

This unique store located at UG floor of Bangsar Village II is designed to recreate the look and feel of the fuselage of a 747 jet. Complete with curved walls, wood paneling, and a retro-modern ticket counter, the store is reminiscent of the glamorous Jet-Set era of the 1950’s and 60’s.

“We are excited to introduce FLIGHT 001 to the Malaysian market. This style-meets-utilitarian travel store is a one-stop shopping destination for frequent travelers who are in search for travel essentials. FLIGHT 001 offers basic amenities, from luggage to chic travel accessories,” explained John Sencion, Co-Founder of FLIGHT 001.

“We are looking forward to making our innovative products accessible to all travelers in Malaysia, and making travel an enjoyable experience for everyone. The frequent-travel trend is steadily on the rise and has escalated market’s demand for travel products that will promote ease and pleasure to their travel experience. With travel goods that are all utilitarian at best, FLIGHT 001 will be the next best innovative solution for these trend-savvy travelers” said Brad John, Co-Founder of FLIGHT 001.

The FLIGHT 001 stores are now available at Bangsar Village II, Kuala Lumpur and e-Curve Mall, Petaling Jaya

ABOUT FLIGHT 001

FLIGHT 001, the world’s only travel lifestyle brand, is an all-inclusive retail experience that addresses every travel need with style and comfort. The name was inspired by PAN AM Flight 1, the world’s first round-the-world flight, which made stops in Honolulu, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Calcutta, Delhi, Beirut, Istanbul, Frankfurt, London, New York, Singapore and finally found its way to other Asian markets like the Philippines and now Malaysia where it is exclusively distributed by retail giant Primer Group of Companies. FLIGHT 001’s signature store environment evokes nostalgia for an earlier, more glamorous era of air travel. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the brand has seven retail stores nationally, a well-established e-commerce site, and its own award-winning designed travel products.

Please visit flight001.com for more information about Flight 001.

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