It could be worse, and certainly doesn't rub my eyes the wrong way as much as some other airline's changed livery has previously.

Is there a *right* way to rub one's eyes? :D

I agree, it is boring! I miss the colourful engines and most of all the ‘Scandinavian Airlines’ on the fuselage.

I also think it is less terrible than expected. I think it will be fine. But I agree the old design looked much more professional (with the subtle Scandinavian Airlines on the fuselage and the red engines). This design looks a bit like made by an intern in the marketing department. I would probably preferred if they combined the new tail design with the old fuselage and engines. But it could have been much worse. I won't be ashamed boarding this though.

The old livery was a pain to paint with over 5 different colours to apply. Plus the colour combination made the aircraft look like a cheap hooker. Still, while expensive and time consuming to apply, it had a least the advantage to leave some kind of impression on the passengers. The new livery is just... bland, souless and the perfect fit to an airline that leaves travellers indiferent. The 1980's stripes and national shields was so much more personal and stylish....

If anything the new livery is more complex to paint than the old one, so I find this argument strange.

I honestly don't see that much difference between the old and new livery. The biggest change in my view is the change from red to blue on the engines and the blue tail.
Unless you put 2 birds next to each other, I think most pax's will have a hard time telling you what is old and what is new on the livery.

Which is think is positive. It is one possible way to change your look: keep the old look & feel, but become more modern imperceptibly. LO did this a few years back with very (IMHO) good result. Most pax did not notice but the outcome looks much more modern. (they also had a few planes painted in a bold, completely disruptive, style of folk paper cut-outs, which, I thouth, were really cool. These design did not seem to stick though).

Looks like this one could be the first A320 delivered in the new livery. It hasn't been in the air yet, and there are 3 other A320 in XFW in the old livery which hasn't been in the air yet either.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jK8uwpAOR...092dbce2_k.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6mtrDqu5m...b90b52a2_b.jpg

Alternatively this one in TLS which has been in the air (test flight and ferried to CHR for paint), but is still not painted.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WJZ3fHU0t...4174e287_h.jpg

Is it a fixed feature of the A320NEO to have the black mask around the cockpit windows like the A350? It. Does look good on the A320 though.

Must be a special (or new) option, none of the older A320NEOs I have seen elsewhere do have it.

I haven't noticed that before, but I agree it looks good. It dosen't look to be leftovers from the preparation for painting, so it's probably part of the new livery.

I doubt they will repaint new A320s even if they haven't been delivered yet.

Iberia Neos wear the mask but I haven't seen it anywhere else.

Reminds me off:
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f3a3c8d939.png

Air Canada has the mask on all aircraft types:
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...70bd3615bf.jpg