Fly in Style at the Coach Airways Store Inside a Plane

We’ve seen dozens of retrofitted school buses and vans over the last decade or so. But this has to be the first airplane we’ve seen converted into a luxury shop and cafe. Coach has opened the first Coach Airways retail concept in a (grounded) Boeing 747 at the Freeport A’Famosa Outlet in Malacca, Malaysia. Complete with boarding passes for entry, the store aims to revive the lavishness of early air travel with the help of Coach’s luxury fashion and leather accessories.

The store is accessible by sky bridge, just like a plane at the airport. Courtesy of Coach Airways / Freeport A’Famosa Outlet

As the first concept store set in an airplane, Coach Airways offers a distinct and all-encompassing experience for shoppers. Its bright aesthetics and the expressive new Coach Airways Collection are designed for all genders, and aim to offer a more personal and evocative way to engage with the brand. Plus, if you like airplanes, it’s a standalone experience for seeing the possibilities beyond air travel.

The 747 was once the largest aircraft in the world, and with much of its insides removed, forms a spacious environment to enjoy a coffee and browse Coach’s collection. It took two years to acquire, transport, and renovate the plane before it opened to the public last month.

Now, shoppers receive an immersive air travel experience—while staying firmly on the ground, of course. At the entrance, customers are given a boarding pass-style entry card before walking down the sky bridge to the airplane. Inside, a nonfunctional cockpit design and Coach-ified passenger seats solidify the illusion of taking off into the sky.

In addition the aircraft will be equipped with a welcoming area, an immersive gallery, and the retail space, the store has a café that submerses customers in orange. Lights from above, below, and classic airplane windows give a bright yet cozy place to relax and enjoy refreshments.

When guests finish their coffees, they can explore the Coach Airways Collection, featuring shirts, a leather passport case, wheeled carry-on luggage, field totes, and travel accessories like luggage tags, pouches, and small wallets. With the exclusive collection comes an equally as rare reinterpretation of the classic Coach logo, just for guests of Coach Airways.

Freeport A’Famosa Outlet is set in the heart of Malacca, and houses over 80 brands. “This latest addition adds a feather to our cap to offer Malaysians and tourists a fun and immersive shopping experience where they can explore the cockpit, passenger and lounge cabins whilst browsing the collections from Coach,” said Datuk Julian Lau, director of the mall.

Courtesy of Coach Airways / Freeport A’Famosa Outlet

Courtesy of Coach Airways / Freeport A’Famosa Outlet