Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2023 i Business Traveller

THE HOME OFFICE has outlined plans for the rollout of the UK's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme by 2025. The scheme will require all visitors to the UK who do not need a visa for short stays to apply for an ETA in advance. British and Irish nationals will not need an ETA to travel to the UK. The new scheme is expected to be fully in place by the end of 2024, but will launch for visitors from Gulf Cooperation Council states ahead of this. The Home Office said that the cost of applying for a two-year ETA "will be in line with similar international schemes". Individuals will need to provide biometric details and "answer a set of suitability questions" as part of the application process.…

LUFTHANSA HAS OFFICIALLY unveiled its Allegris cabins, which will see more than 27,000 new economy, premium economy, business and first class seats fitted in the coming years. Highlights include a self-contained first class suite and seven different business class variations, ranging from suites with sliding doors to “extra-long bed” seat options. Meanwhile sister carrier SWISS has unveiled its ‘SWISS Senses’ interiors, with new economy, business and first class cabins following Lufthansa’s models but with the airline’s individual design and style points. The “warm minimalism” design will be retrofitted to SWISS’ A330-300 and B777-300ER aircraft, and line fitted to the carrier’s forthcoming A350-900s.…

HILTON’S SEAFRONT Brighton hotel has refurbished its guest rooms, public areas, meeting spaces, lobby, restaurant and bar. First opened in 1890, the seafront property was designed by Alfred Waterhouse, who also designed the Natural History Museum in London. The hotel now features a new three-bedroom Presidential suite and three new King Seaview rooms, while the property’s 24 meeting and events rooms have also been revamped.…

VIRGIN ATLANTIC HAS LAUNCHED a new service allowing Flying Club members to check the availability of reward seats on their chosen routes and dates. The new tool can be accessed via the Flying Club drop down menu on the carrier’s homepage, or directly via the site: travelplus.virginatlantic.com/reward-flight-finder. Customers can input the route, month of travel and whether they are looking to fly with Virgin Atlantic or partner Delta, and are then presented with a calendar showing the number of rewards seats available on each day, across economy, Premium and Upper Class.…

EMIRATES RECYCLED MORE than 500,000kg of plastic and glass last year – almost equivalent to the weight of one of its fully-loaded A380 aircraft. Cabin crew separate glass and plastic bottles collected onboard, then send them to a recycling plant in Dubai, diverting thousands of kilograms of waste from landfills each year. Glass is separated by colour, crushed and then reused by UAE glass manufacturers. The plastic bottles, meanwhile, are cleaned, chopped into flakes, melted into pellets, and sent to manufacturers to make other plastic products. Emirates uses the recycled plastic bottles to create sustainable blankets for economy class passengers on long-haul flights, as well as complimentary toy bags, baby amenity kits and toys.…

THE CÔTE D'AZUR'S RENOWNED CARLTON HOTEL has reopened its doors following a two-year renovation. Carlton Cannes, A Regent Hotel overlooks the town’s famous La Croisette beachfront promenade, and has seen the likes of movie stars, diplomats and presidents staying over the years. The recognisable Belle Epoque façade has been restored, while interiors have been reimagined by designer Tristan Auer. The renovation includes new F&B venues and the addition of 37 branded residences, located in two new 20,000 sqm wings at the rear of the property. With this has come an enclosed, landscaped garden and the largest hotel infinity pool in Cannes. The hotel was formerly an InterContinental property but rebranded under IHG's Regent Hotels and Resorts portfolio in late 2022.…

Business Traveller COMPETITION BUSINESS TRAVELLER has teamed up with Reethi Beach Resort Maldives to offer a lucky reader and guest the chance to win a five-night stay including breakfast at the resort. Reethi Beach Resort Maldives is a luxurious island resort situated on a private island in the only UNESCO Biosphere in the Maldives. The property features 129 villas and suites, five restaurants and bars and an array of activities including diving, snorkelling, sunset fishing trips and relaxing spa treatments.…

AVIATION The A380 was initially conceived back in the 90s, when hub-to-hub travel looked to be gaining prominence. Able to carry up to 853 passengers if configured in all-economy, the plane offered attractive economics to airlines looking to maximise limited slots at busy airports. Roomy interiors and a novelty of engineering also made it particularly popular with passengers. The first A380 aircraft was delivered to Singapore Airlines in 2007, and there have been 14 customers for the double decker superjumbo. Emirates is the biggest operator, having taken delivery of just under half (123) of the 251 superjumbos built. However, as the aircraft came to market, an industry shift towards lower-capacity, direct routes, coupled with the aircraft’s expensive running costs, meant it quickly fell out of favour. In February 2019, Airbus…

What are you looking for in a laptop? An all-in-one that can replace your desktop, or something that’s so light it can be your constant on-the-road companion? The good news is that even the most powerful laptops here are light enough to be taken with you, and screens are now large enough and high-resolution enough to use for your work and serve as a portable TV alternative when you’re kicking back. Some laptops boast touch-sensitive screens – though never if it’s a Mac laptop – and others are two-in-ones, that is, the screen folds back so you can use the device like a tablet. Many have fingerprint sensors, often mounted in the power button, so you can feel extra secure. Most laptops use Windows, and all the models in our…

BACKGROUND Japan Airlines operates three daily flights from London Heathrow to Tokyo Haneda, served by Boeing 787-8 and Boeing 777 aircraft. This is a review of the latter service, operated with a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft configured with 244 seats across four cabins: JAL Suite (first class), JAL Sky Suite (business class), JAL Sky Premium (premium economy) and JAL Sky Wider (economy). CHECK - IN Japan Airlines operates from Heathrow's Terminal 3, with check-in at Zone D. I arrived at the airport at 1500 for the 1745 departure on JL044 (note, this departure slot has changed to 1920 for the summer season). There are several desks for economy class and a separate desk for first and business class passengers.C Cabin baggage labels were affixed to my luggage, and I was told…

JETBLUE HAS ANNOUNCED the launch date for its transatlantic route to Paris CDG, with tickets now on sale for the daily service. Flights will depart JFK at 1709, arriving into Paris CDG’s Terminal 2B at 0655 the following day, with the return leg leaving the French capital at 0855, landing back into New York at 1151. As with the airline’s routes from New York and Boston to Gatwick and Heathrow, the service will be operated by an A321 LR, with 24 Mint Suites and 114 seats in economy.…

UPFRONT QANTAS HAS UNVEILED THE PROTOTYPE premium cabins for its planned nonstop flights from Australia to New York and London. The business class seats convert into a two-metre bed, and offer a large dining table and generous storage. The first class suites have been designed “to make customers feel like they are in a mini boutique hotel room”, with an “extra-wide fixed bed”, separate recliner chair, wardrobe, dining table for two, and 32-inch TV screen. There are six first class suites in a 1-1-1 layout and 52 business class suites in a 1-2-1 configuration.…

QATAR AIRWAYS HAS announced a raft of new routes, service resumptions and frequency increases. Seven new destinations for this year include Chittagong (Bangladesh), Juba (South Sudan), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Medan (Indonesia), Trabzon (Turkey), Lyon and Toulouse. The airline will also resume flights to 11 destinations including Beijing, Birmingham, Nice and Tokyo Haneda, and will increase flight frequency to Gatwick and Heathrow. Group CEO Akbar Al Baker, also told Business Traveller that he expects the airline’s route to Cardiff to resume this year, dependent on the speed of the repair project of the carrier’s A350 aircraft.…

BELMOND HAS ANNOUNCED PLANS for two new suites aboard its Royal Scotsman train, which launch in May 2024. The Royal Scotsman is a luxury rail service that offers trips lasting two to seven nights, with all journeys departing from and returning to Edinburgh Waverley station. The trains include onboard dining in the two wood-panelled dining cars, along with live entertainment and a spa. The new Grand Suites will bring the Royal Scotsman accommodation categories to four, joining its existing double, twin and single cabins. The new interiors will draw inspiration from Scottish culture and landscapes with hues of green, grey, beige and blue while decorative patterns by Tristan Auer will include Pictish stone motifs and Celtic symbols. The suites will include a double bed with an embossed headboard, dressing table…

MICE IN ABU DHABI Let’s examine the numbers. The 2022 edition of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) attracted 15,000 attendees and generated an estimated US$8.2 billion in business for the roughly 2,200 exhibiting companies. Last year’s edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair witnessed the participation of 1,130 publishers from 80 countries, with 650 cultural, educational and artistic events held during the week-long event. And the 2023 edition of the International Defence Exhibition, held alongside the Naval Defence and Maritime Security Exhibition (NAVDEX 2023), attracted 132,507 visitors and 1,353 companies from around the world, with the UAE Armed Forces signing deals worth US$1.5 billion. Based on these stats, it’s fair to say the MICE industry in Abu Dhabi is in rude health. The decision to…

BACKGROUND One&Only debuted in the South African legislative capital in 2009. The hotel completed a refurbishment of its 133 rooms and suites and public spaces last year, inspired by the city’s natural beauty and landmarks such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Table Mountain. WHERE IS IT? The main entrance is on Dock Road in the city’s marina, a short stroll to the V&A Waterfront where there are plenty of retail and dining areas. The resort is approximately 25 minutes’ drive from the airport, though traffic is heavy at peak times. WHAT’S IT LIKE? The hotel has a calming resort feel, with a series of canals passing through the property frequented by small boats and paddleboarders. A bridge connects the main building (Marina Rise) to two islands (spa and main…

BACKGROUND Meliá Chiang Mai opened in April 2022, the first five-star opening in the city since the pandemic. This is the third Thai property for the Spanish hotel group, the others being in Phuket and Koh Samui. WHERE IS IT? Close to the Ping River on Charoenprathet Road, with one of the city’s biggest night bazaars on its doorstep. A short distance outside the Old City walls, it’s a lively part of this growing conurbation, with plenty of restaurants and bars in the vicinity. Chiang Mai International airport is 6km away, about 15 minutes by taxi. WHAT’S IT LIKE? This 254-room hotel comprises a striking seven-storey podium building, where the entrance is located, connected to a 22-floor tower. The hotel promotes sustainable tourism through a variety of means, including having…

BRITISH AIRWAYS AND AMERICAN AIRLINES have unveiled a new bar within the carriers’ recently-opened Greenwich Lounge at New York JFK Terminal 8. The Bridge Bar has been inspired by the Golden Age of travel, with “a rich and sophisticated take on mid-century modern design with a classic 1960s feel,” say the airlines of the collaboration. The lounge has partnered with American Aviation Gin and mixers brand Betty Buzz to offer a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. Meanwhile the lounge’s Flagship First Dining space has had a soft refresh, and is now called the Tasting Room, with “a high-end tap room, making visitors feel like they are inside a beer tavern”.…

UPFRONT VIRGIN ATLANTIC HAS officially joined SkyTeam, becoming the alliance’s first UK member carrier. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold members now receive SkyPriority airport services where available, and Flying Club members can earn and redeem points on SkyTeam member airlines. As part of the move SkyTeam has confirmed the lounge arrangement for members flying out of Heathrow T3. Elite Plus members travelling on Virgin Atlantic, Delta or Aeromexico services will have access to Virgin's Clubhouse, while those travelling with other SkyTeam carriers will be directed to their airline-designated lounge at T3. As we were going to press SkyTeam carriers Air France and KLM announced plans to switch back from Heathrow T3 to T4 by the end of March. It’s not clear what lounge arrangements will be in place at T4,…

AUSTRIAN AIRLINES HAS outlined plans to bring back its business class Flying Chef service. The DO & CO-employed chefs have been absent from Austrian long-haul flights for three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but are being phased back in from this month. To start with, the Flying Chefs will “curate” the current business class service on long-haul routes, but from this summer customers will benefit from “a completely newly designed catering service”…

EMERALD AIRLINES HAS ANNOUNCED a new service linking Belfast City with the Isle of Man. The route will start on April 24 and operate four times per week before increasing to six times weekly in the peak summer season. The Belfast City-Isle of Man route will operate under the Aer Lingus Regional brand and mark the 13th of its kind from Belfast City airport. This summer will also see the airline operate new routes from Belfast to East Midlands, Jersey and Newquay.…

SUSTAINABLE TRAVELLER UNITED AIRLINES HAS created an investment fund to scale up the supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund will be used to invest in start-ups focused on accelerating the research, production and technologies associated with SAF. Sustainable aviation fuel is made from cooking oil and agricultural waste and blended with conventional jet fuel to meet regulatory requirements. The fund has launched with more than US$100 million from inaugural partners Air Canada, JPMorgan Chase, GE Aerospace and Honeywell, and the carrier is encouraging passengers to contribute to the fund. Customers can give $1, $3.50 or $7 to the fund, though the default option is set at $3.50. United says that if the 152 million people who flew with the airline last year each…

KOREAN AIR HAS RELEASED a range of amenity kits crafted from retired cabin life vests. The upcycled pouches have been produced in collaboration with Korean beauty brand 107 and feature six skincare products: facial cleanser, face mist, moisturiser, soap, shampoo and a mask pack. Sustainability was also considered during the manufacturing process. The pouches were made at a factory using solar power and eco-friendly, biodegradable detergents were used to wash the life vests. The airline has produced a limited number of 4,000 amenity kits available for purchase on its e-Skyshop for KRW125,000 (£79). Proceeds will be donated to a global environmental organisation, according to Korean Air.…

UPFRONT MARRIOTT’S LIFESTYLE MOXY brand has opened its first property in New York’s hip Brooklyn borough with the Moxy Williamsburg. The 216-room hotel is located on Bedford Avenue, with easy access to Manhattan. Interiors by BASILE Studio and Lightstone Design have been inspired by the the local neighbourhood, with light-filled interiors, and flexible co-working spaces. There's four F&B options conceptualised by Bar Lab Hospitality: Mesiba for East Mediterranean cuisine; Bar Bedford for cocktails; Jolene for nightclub vibes; and LilliStar, a rooftop bar with a terrace overlooking the skyline due to open this spring.…

4 HOURS IN … 1 JEWEL CHANGI Few places in the world count an airport as one of their top tourist attractions. Connected to the arrival hall of Terminal 1 at Changi airport is the futuristic Jewel retail complex which opened in 2019. After touching down in the city-state, head to the astounding Rain Vortex, which cascades 40 metres down from a steel and glass dome. The world’s tallest indoor waterfall sits at the core of the concentric Shiseido Forest Valley, where more than 900 lush trees and palms, along with approximately 50,000 shrubs, infiltrate each of the seven storeys – with viewing platforms on each level. The top floor is home to the 14,000 sqm Canopy Park, which offers great vistas and attractions for kids, while the basement levels…

BACKGROUND Four Seasons debuted in Kyoto in 2016 with this 123-room property, which also has 57 residences. The hotel group has two additional hotels in Tokyo (see businesstraveller.com for reviews). WHERE IS IT? The hotel lies at the foot of a mountain in the city’s Higashiyama district. The main entrance is on Onna-zaka hill, though this is closed from 8am-9am in line with Kyoto Prefectural Road Traffic Regulations, during which time guests must use the residential entrance along Higashioji Street. The hotel is ten minutes from downtown Kyoto, within walking distance of various temples, and a seven-minute drive from Kyoto station, where you can get the Shinkansen bullet train to Tokyo. Osaka International airport is an hour’s drive by car. WHAT’S IT LIKE? Incredibly serene. The property has been built…

BACKGROUND Page Hotels is a lifestyle brand from Hong Kong-based Butterfly Hospitality group, with just two properties – Page 148 in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui district, and Page 8 in London, which opened in December 2019. Both hotels are named after their address (in this case, 8 St Martin’s Place). WHERE IS IT? Centrally located, just steps from Trafalgar Square and opposite The National Gallery. It is within walking distance of Covent Garden, with Charing Cross and Piccadilly Circus tube stations a four-minute walk away. WHAT’S IT LIKE? Page 8’s lobby doubles as a coffee shop (Page Common), which creates a warm and community-style feel with a clutter-free, minimalist design. Shelves filled with coffee table books and travel tomes, including the brand’s city guide Undiscovered London, nod to the…