Class Act October 2022

Prepare for Takeoff!

If there’s one lesson the past few years have reinforced for us, it is that time is very precious. Before, we may have taken for granted our opportunities to travel, explore and meet with loved ones and colleagues. In hindsight, many regret ted they had not taken more advantage of the time they had before restrictions limited where they could go and what they could do. Conversely, many of us discovered we had time to pause and reflect on where our priorities lay and how we wished to make the most of such a valuable commodity.

Now, calendars are full again, travel has re bounded, and while daily life for most has returned to “normal,” we have not forgotten the lessons the pandemic taught us. I doubt any of us will again take for granted a hug, an elegant dinner out with friends, a deal sealed with a handshake, a comfortable seat at 30,000 feet or the lovely view from the balcony of a 5-star hotel.

We invite you to explore the pages of our 2022 edition of Global Traveler’s Class Act Guide, a timesaving source of all kinds of information to help you in your travel planning and give you insight into current and future trends. As you’ll see in our First and Busi ness Class and Premium Economy surveys, airlines have planned for a boom in travel as they continue to expand, enhance and upgrade their premier seating.

(Read more on what goes into actual seat design on page 46.) And as Mark Chesnut shares in his article on upscale hotel openings on page 60, the hospitality industry also seeks to accommodate eager, discerning guests.

We also share how the industry is adapting and changing in our post-COVID, time-conscious world. Learn what it takes to become a commercial airline pilot and what the airlines are doing to develop a new generation of pilots on page 42, and get insight into an air traffic controller’s life (and what’s behind those delays and cancellations) on page 26. For a potential genuine time-saver, check out Richard Newton’s fascinating look at future supersonic travel on page 30. Literally a little more down-to-earth, on page 54 Kelly Magyarics shares several travel tools and apps to keep you going in the right direction.

Speaking of apps, be sure to download our new app by scanning the code on the cover of this issue. Available for iOS or Android devices from the App Store or Google Play, the GT app lets you search archives, read the current issue, bookmark favorites, share on social media, listen to on-demand narration and more. The app puts the wealth of Global Traveler’s timely and time-saving information at your fingertips, anywhere in the world.

Here’s to travel!

Patricia Vanikiotis associate editor/copy editor

EDITORIAL

Editor In Chief Kimberly Krol Inlander kim.krol@globaltravelerusa.com

Vice President/Digital Director Katie Skrzek katie.skrzek@globaltravelerusa.com

Senior Editor Janice Hecht jan.hecht@globaltravelerusa.com

Associate Editor/Copy Editor Patricia Vanikiotis patty.vanikiotis@globaltravelerusa.com

Social Media & Editorial Coordinator Mary Melnick mary.melnick@globaltravelerusa.com

Associate Editor Aoife O’Riordan aoife.oriordan@globaltravelerusa.com

ART Art Director Tracey Cullen tracey.cullen@globaltravelerusa.com

Staff Photographer Christopher P. Ottaunick christopher@globaltravelerusa.com

Special Events Video Editor Vance Piccin

CIRCULATION

Special Projects Manager John Wroblewski Specialist Louie Atsaves Managers Jayhawk Evans, Mark P. Ford, Teresa Jackson, Anthony “Scraps” Dimera Circulation Director Michele Shannon Circulation Manager Anna Pudzianowski Research Consultant Sharon Sterne GENERAL

Cheers!: Patricia enjoying a cocktail to celebrate the wonderful world of travel

PHOTO: © PATRICIA VANIKIOTIS

Setting the Tone

Flying first class to El Salvador might not be on everyone’s bucket list, but I greatly enjoyed the opportunity in March of this year. My American Airlines flight originated in Miami; and although we had a brief delay waiting for our pilots to arrive from Panamá, I enjoyed my beverage, my extremely comfortable seat and the consideration of our multilingual flight attendant. There’s no better way to experience air travel than when you’re enjoying the best seats in the house.

I’ve appreciated a handful of upgraded flights on American Airlines over the last 12 months, along with premium-economy seating on both Delta and United. And although air travel has become more expensive thanks to gas prices and other economic factors, the legroom, tech tools and additional perks one receives compared to economy seating are always worth it.

As you enjoy this special edition of Global Traveler, I know many of you will agree the way we travel sets the tone for the trips we take. That’s why the Class Act

Guide remains an annual favorite for those of us who travel regularly. As new enhancements or amenities become available for first- and business-class travelers, they just might prove the perfect nudge you need to upgrade your trip in order to arrive relaxed and ready for whatever lies ahead.

Whether it’s a quick flight to do business face to face or a leisure trip to linger within an El Salvadorian sunset, first-class seating will always remain my favorite way to travel. May the stories and articles you read within this issue inspire you to travel in your favorite cabin as often as you desire.

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All Aglow: Carrie posing with an El Salvadorian sunset

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Up, Up and Away

Airlines elevate the premium experience with innovative designs and amenities.

BY KIMBERLY KROL INLANDER

There’s no doubt travel is back … and in bigger and better ways than even pre-pandemic. As travelers release pent-up demand and people vow to travel even more, airlines around the world heed the call and work to update and refresh premium cabins to ensure travelers can foray around the globe in supreme comfort. Here’s a look at what’s new and what’s to come in the world of first- and business-class travel.

AIR FRANCE

As of press time, Air France was set to debut its updated business class cabin on 12 Boeing 777-300ERs in September 2022. Available on the Paris (CDG)–New York (JFK) route, one of the main highlights is the new cabin’s sliding doors for privacy. For those in the center of the 1-2-1 configuration, a center panel between the seats can be raised or lowered for additional privacy, as well.

Laid out in a reverse herringbone pattern, the 48 seats meet today’s two musts: fully flat, becoming a 2-meter-long bed, and with direct and full aisle access from every seat.

Modern touches include padded wool, brushed aluminum and full-grain French leather, complemented by a 17.3-inch, 4K, anti-glare, HDTV in-flight entertainment screen. A new feature sure to please techsavvy travelers, the screen’s functionality allows passengers to pair their own Bluetooth headphones with the system. Noise-cancelling head phones are also on offer, and the seats offer ample storage space, outlets, a reading light and coat hook. A back-lit winged seahorse design nods to Air France’s history and founding myth.

The airline plans to introduce updates to its La Première first-class cabin, offering three configurations: seat, sofa and fully flat bed.

Modern Touches: Air France’s new business class

PHOTOS: © AIR FRANCE

AIR NEW ZEALAND

Changes are definitely coming to premium cabins around the world as travel continues to gain even more momentum than it had prepandemic. Air New Zealand is one such airline announcing exciting changes ahead, recently unveiling new cabin designs for its fleet of eight Boeing 787-9 aircraft coming in 2024.

One big change: the introduction of the Business Premier Luxe seat, in addition to an upgraded Business Premier seat. The new planes will feature eight of the Luxe option and 42 Business Premier seats, more than are currently on offer. Dubbed suites, the Business Premier Luxe seats feature an exterior door that can be closed for additional privacy and a wraparound bench to allow passengers traveling to gether to share a meal. Business Premier seats don’t fully close but do feature a smaller privacy wall and a footrest. Each seat is lie-flat with enhanced seat position options. In the middle of the row, passengers have a sliding door between seats. Premium passengers can also expect wireless charging, 24-inch screens that connect to Bluetooth and more.

Additionally, ANZ looks to work with the Federal Aviation Administration to become the first airline to allow business-class pas sengers to remain in the reclined position for takeoff and landing.

ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS

In the summer of 2019 All Nippon Airways announced and quickly debuted its The Suite first-class product and its The Room businessclass offering on its Boeing 777s. Of course, we all know what trans pired post-2019, so ANA’s state-of-the-art enhancements might have

been a bit lost in the shuffle for premium travelers. About 60 percent of the airline’s 777s are currently outfitted with the new products, and New York, London, Frankfurt, San Francisco and Los Angeles seem to be key cities for these new cabins.

Both cabins boast privacy doors. The Suite offers eight seats in a 1-2-1 configuration with 43-inch entertainment screens. At 64 seats, the large business class separates into a forward cabin with eight seats, a main cabin with 40 and the rear cabin with 16, all in a staggered, forward- and backward-facing configuration.

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BRITISH AIRWAYS

In July 2019 British Airways debuted its evolved Club Suite, the first update to its business-class product since the Club Suite launched in 2006. Today the airline works to implement the new cabin across all of its Boeing 777s by the end of 2022; these will be offered on all flights between London and New York. Most importantly, BA aims to solve all of the previous problems passengers had with the cabin in this redesign.

Step one: Change the layout from 2-4-2 to 1-2-1, bringing direct aisle access to every traveler. Reconfiguring the cabin also opened up 40 percent more storage space per seat. The airline modified the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond business-class seat in the new design. Between the two middle seats, passengers find a window that can close or open based on preference. Passengers also enjoy enhanced amenities like an 18.5-inch, high-definition in-flight screen, a vanity unit, mirror and power outlets.

In order to accommodate the new Club World configuration, British Airways went from 14 seats in first class to two rows with eight seats total. In the process, the airline made another important update to the cabin by adding doors to the suites, an added privacy touch to match the cabin’s already high walls between the suite and the aisle.

DELTA AIR LINES

Noting it had been decades since domestic airlines introduced an innovative new first-class cabin redesign, Delta heeded the call, unveil ing a new first-class product on its new Airbus A321neos. The first

aircraft with the new cabin took off in May of this year. Delta took delivery of two aircraft earlier this year, with 26 more expected by the end of the year. The total order of 155 aircraft should be fulfilled by 2027.

Delta solicited feedback for the cabin overhaul from both advisors and travelers, with a focus on the corporate traveler. The 20 seats boast memory-foam cushions, at 21 inches wide with 5 inches of recline and 37 inches of pitch. And the storage and personal space eclipses previous products with these superlatives: 25 percent more workspace across the tray table and three times the overall storage space. Wings on the side of a fixed headrest offer additional privacy. Larger overhead bins meet in-arm water bottle storage and a 10-inch in-flight entertainment screen. The power outlet now lies flush with the seat rather than in front of the passenger, so passengers don’t need to worry about maneuvering over any cords when getting out into the aisle. Viasat Satellite WiFi costs $5 per device, with free messaging on offer. Passengers also enjoy the Someone Somewhere sustainabilityfocused amenity kits.

As international travel rebounded in a big way, Delta Air Lines ac quired Airbus A350s from LATAM after the Latin American carrier retired the aircraft. In an effort to get the planes into service as soon as possible, Delta kept LATAM’s legacy cabins for now, with plans to retrofit the aircraft in the future. Those on routes to Santiago, Dublin and Seattle from Atlanta might come across these planes. Heads up for those anticipating the Delta One suites, as these are equipped with business-class seats in a 2-2-2 layout.

Redesigned Cabin: British Airways’ Club Suite

PHOTO: © BRITISH AIRWAYS

EMIRATES

With most details still TBD, Emirates recently announced a plan to retrofit 120 aircraft with new interiors, representing a $2 billion investment from November 2022 to April 2025. These Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s amount to about one-half of the Dubaibased carrier’s fleet. This investment largely serves to introduce Emirates’ new premium economy class on more aircraft, but the airline intends to change the other cabins as well. Additionally, all carpets and stairs will be upgraded and cabin interior panels refreshed.

On the majority of its 777s, Emirates still flies its outdated, angled, 2-3-2 businessclass seat. When the airline announced the upcoming investment, it noted first-class suites would be refurbished on the 777 while the business class would receive an upgrade to a new style and design. We can guess it might mimic the business class found on A380s, with a 1-2-1 layout, full-flat seats and direct aisle access for all.

Originally debuted in 2017, Emirates’ first class on only nine select 777s across limited routes still feels new. These six seats, in a 1-1-1 configuration, are enclosed floor to ceiling and boast 32-inch, high-definition TVs; a minibar on either side of the screen; a vanity that pops up in front of the TV with a mirror and writing kit; a tablet to control the suite’s functions, including temperature; pajamas; and more. The center first-class suites also feature innovative “virtual windows.”

We’re eager to see what changes Emirates brings to its premium cabins over the next several years.

World of Your Own: Emirates’ first-class fully enclosed private suites

PHOTOS: © EMIRATES

FINNAIR

With a total investment of €200 million, Finnair completely revamped its Airbus A330 and A350 aircraft, introducing an innovative new business-class seat, adding a premium economy cabin for the first time and tweaking its economy offering.

What I am about to reveal might sound shocking, but the airline’s new business-class seat does not recline. You may be thinking, “What?”, but the seat also ranked among the 2022 Crystal Cabin Awards finalists in design. A padded shell surrounds a wide seat; the high walls of the shell provide that much-desired privacy aspect. The seat within, while it doesn’t recline in the traditional sense, does offer a wide variety of seating options, including a bed. An infill panel fits the area where a passenger’s legs rest and into a deep footwell, creating the lie-flat bed. A comfy mattress, duvet

and pillows complete the sleep experience, and the whole seat design creates a “nest-like” atmosphere.

Designed by Collins Aerospace and termed the AirLounge concept, travelers can also sit at different angles, rest their feet on an ottoman and more. Lounge furniture served as the design’s inspiration.

Customizable lighting options, as well as mood lighting designed to combat jetlag, help passengers create the nest ambience they desire. There’s even a Do Not Disturb light, a flexible table, power outlets, USB ports, wireless mobile charging and an 18-inch in-flight entertainment screen.

KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES

Another recent announcement teases premium passengers but also provides little in the way of details. Premium passengers will have to wait to see exactly which seat KLM will choose for its new business class cabin on its Boeing 777s when it debuts in 2023, but here are some other important details: Each seat will be equipped with privacy doors, offer direct aisle access, lie flat, be wider than the current offering and will likely be in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration.

LUFTHANSA

Lufthansa began teasing its hotly anticipated new business-class seat design in 2017. It was slated to debut on its also all-new Boeing 777-9s in 2020, but we all know how that story went. With that aircraft delayed until the mid-2020s and Lufthansa in need of a business cabin overhaul, the German carrier recently announced its redesign will launch on new Airbus A350s and 787s in summer 2023.

While details remain light, we do know the rows will likely alternate in 1-2-1 and 1-1-1 configuration. In the 1-1-1 row, the middle seat is a

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“throne seat.” All will lie flat, and the seats should feature amenities like wireless charging and a removable tablet for control of all the seat fixtures and functions. There is also talk Lufthansa’s first class will become more of a “front row” experience, boasting four extra-spacious seats in the first row with sliding privacy doors. We’ll certainly stay tuned.

But that’s not all. Before summer 2023, passengers may experience an interim business class cabin on select Lufthansa routings. The airline purchased some A350s and 787s originally intended for other airlines, such as Philippine Airlines. As a result, these will come to the airline with a different business-class layout before next summer, however, with a 1-2-1 layout, considered a vast improvement over Lufthansa’s current 2-2-2 cabin configuration.

QANTAS

Earlier this year Qantas announced the return of its Airbus A380 aircraft to service, and with it came some reconfigurations, including 70 new business-class suites that finally replace the Skybed II seats for the more popular Qantas Business Suite. Also in the mix will be an extended premium economy cabin and 14 first-class suites. Premium travelers will also appreciate the addition of two Upper Deck premium lounges on the A380, including an area with deep-green leather couches at the front.

Other changes in the business-class product will include a 1-2-1 layout, ensuring direct aisle access with more space; a rear shell that can extend forward for more privacy; easily accessed power outlets and USB ports; a

tray table big enough for 17-inch laptops; and an in-flight entertainment screen that went from 12 to 16 inches. Space is always at a premium in flight, and this seat takes care of that by including a spacious flat bench with a large bin and space below and in front of the bench.

Qantas plans to launch direct flights from Australia to New York City when it receives 12 new Airbus A350-1000s. Here, the six first-class suites will feature a lounge chair and a separate lie-flat bed, an individual wardrobe, a 32-inch in-flight entertainment screen, a tablet to control the recline and other operations, plenty of personal storage, a lighted mirror and much more. All passengers on board this flight will enjoy dedicated wellness areas for the long flight.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS

With Virgin Atlantic’s new, environmentally friendlier Airbus A330900neo aircraft comes a redesigned Upper Class cabin and the introduc tion of two Retreat Suites at the front of the cabin. All passengers on board the aircraft enjoy the airline’s fastest-ever WiFi, wireless charging and Bluetooth compatibility.

The two Retreat Suites convert into fully flat beds measuring 6 feet, 7 inches and boast a 27-inch touchscreen entertainment system. Close the door for privacy or use the ottoman opposite the seat to host a fellow passenger for a meal or a chat.

The 30 Upper Class seats also feature the all-important privacy door (seriously, at this point we’re sensing a trend!), more storage space, a

Cozy Comfort: Qantas A350 First Suite

PHOTO: © QANTAS

O’Hare Gets Largest Concessions Offering in 10 Years

As the major hub of a world-class city, Chicago O’Hare International Airport has long been globally recognized for its dining and retail options. An upcoming series of concessions offerings — the largest at O’Hare in a decade — are set to further bolster that reputation, especially in the $1 billion expansion and transformation of Terminal 5.

The Chicago Department of Aviation and its lessee partners are imagining a new dining and retail experience for O’Hare’s more than 80 million annual passengers.

As the rehabilitation of Terminal 5 nears completion, rolling openings for the new food and retail options will start this year and continue into 2023.

THE NEW DINING OFFERINGS WILL INCLUDE:

• The Hampton Social: Coastal-inspired cuisine and hand-crafted cocktails from a brand with locations on Chicago’s Near North Side and the surrounding suburbs

• Bar Siena: A new airport outpost of the West Loop eatery known for its regional Italian fare and drinks

• FarmAir’s Market: A grab-and-go concept with sandwiches, salads, refreshments and other lowtouch options

• Butcher and the Burger: An outpost of the popular Lincoln Park eatery offering upscale customizable burgers and breakfast in a retro counter-service

• Sparrow Coffee: Local coffee roastery focused on sustainability

The new dining options will complement T5’s existing fare, including the high-quality grab-and-go options at Goddess and Grocer, Big Bowl and Wow Bao.

NEW RETAIL OPTIONS WILL

INCLUDE:

• Six Points Market and Metropolis Coffee: Retail location with a focus on travel essentials and souvenirs, with a coffee shop included

• BLVD & Branch: Specialty retail outlet with a focus on electronics and accessories

These new concessions agreements, along with new retail offerings, carry an additional source of pride for Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and Aviation Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee, as they will achieve an Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise participation rate of 40 percent, exceeding the CDA’s goal of 32 percent and the nationwide goal of 10 percent set by the Federal Aviation Administration. For more information on the ongoing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at Chicago’s airports, visit flychicago.com.

In addition, Terminal 5’s concessions developer, URW Airports, is embarking on several new dining and retail offerings under its development agreement, which will complement these CDA direct leases and help bring the best concessions experience to Terminal 5’s passengers.

Terminal 5 will soon include Delta operations, and is already the O’Hare home to Southwest Airlines and more than a dozen international carriers.

The reimagining of Terminal 5 and these new offerings are a key component of O’Hare 21, the curb-to-gate reinvestment strategy that will modernize facilities and offer new passenger amenities for the 21st century and beyond. Learn more at ord21.com

17-inch touchscreen entertainment system, a Do Not Disturb option, controlled mood lighting, a mirror and more. The entire cabin is forward-facing.

The Loft serves as a social space for passengers, allowing eight travel ers to sit comfortably and enjoy refreshments from the self-serve fridge and drinks dispenser.

The new A330-900neo should take off from London Heathrow to Boston Logan International Airport in October.

NEXT YEAR, premium travelers might have a few more options to consider with the addition of Northern Pacific Airways and Norse Airlines and the continued expansion of ITA Airways, which already flies between U.S. points and Italy.

Northern Pacific Airways aims to connect destinations in the United States with points in East Asia via Anchorage, Alaska. While firm details are as yet unavailable, the airline plans to operate Boeing 757s with business, premium economy and economy cabins. Renderings show the business class cabin could be a 2-2 layout with recliner-style seating.

While not offering a traditional business class, Air Premia soon launches service from Incheon to Los Angeles with a premium economy cabin and an economy offering. Norse Airlines will serve the other coast, offering trans-Atlantic flights between Europe and the United States on Boeing 787-9s with a premium cabin and an economy cabin.

Flying Airbus A330s from Miami, Boston and New York to Rome,

ITA Airways offers a traditional long-haul business class cabin with leather seats that recline 180 degrees for a lie-flat sleep experience. There’s even a massage function to complement the 15.4-inch in-flight entertain ment screens and menus honoring the best of Italian cuisine. ITA also boasts a medium-haul business-class product and a Superior class, available on domestic flights in Italy.

THIS ALL BEGS the question: What does the future hold for first and business class cabins? Some of the trends we’re already seeing in action, while some remain a far-off dream. But one fact not in dispute: There has been a marked surge in premium cabin book ings post-pandemic, surpassing economy-class bookings and spurring the new “premium leisure traveler.” The front-of-the-plane cabins are no longer just the territory of the business traveler.

CNN Travel espoused the concept of the “superbusiness minisuites,” a move to up the ante in business class, thus eliminating the need for first class cabins. Objective No. 1 in the new concept: privacy doors. That’s a trend we can absolutely confirm we’re seeing with greater frequency. Other important trends we can expect to see more of in premium cabins include direct aisle access, wireless charging, massive in-flight monitors, 4K video capacity, multiple storage options and enough space to work, play and sleep.

With privacy of ultimate importance, expect to see more airlines domestically adopt Delta’s first-class concept of winged headrest dividers or to expand upon it further with privacy di viders between seats. With more passengers also craving a place to stretch out and do work away from their seat, it’s likely we’ll find more social spaces modeled after Virgin Atlantic’s The Loft, which also includes seat belts on the furniture, showing airlines do not need to sacrifice safety in the name of comfort. And while cargo space observation decks might be a long way off, with concepts like Emirates’ “virtual windows” picking up steam, more of an open-concept layout and screens on cabin walls to mimic all-window aircraft might not be too far in the future. Cuisine also remains paramount, with more airlines serving chef-driven, innovative food. More pairings, like Swiss International Air Lines’ recent collaboration with Michelin-starred Pavillon restaurant at Baur au Lac, are likely.

Axios took a closer look at what a first class cabin might look like in the future, thanks to designer Teague and its Elevate concept. It creates a private suite with a larger fold-out bed, more floor space and enhanced storage capacity by mounting the furniture to the sidewall rather than the floor. And Airbus and Safran played around with the idea of convert ing cargo space for passenger use, like a gym or yoga studio or added sleeping quarters.

While some of these ideas might be many years from implementa tion, the future for premium travelers shines brighter from 30,000 feet than it has for the last few years.

Design Trend: Delta A321neo seats with winged headrest dividers

PHOTO: © DELTA AIR LINES

Changes in the Air

Demand for premium economy continues to climb as travel rebounds. BY

Premium economy continued to grow in popularity over the past few years, with many airlines hopping on board to add this new cabin to their offerings or to update existing premium economy cabins. Its main draws include extra legroom and reclining space, amenities and services, all at a more afford able price compared to business or first class cabins.

As airlines enhance their premium-economy offerings, customers slowly discover this cabin provides necessary upgrades, with many of those upgrades also found in business or first class cabins. The follow ing airlines recently added or made changes to further enhance their premium-economy products.

AOIFE O’RIORDAN

Delta Air Lines expands its Premium Select cabin to U.S. destina tions this winter, starting with Hawai‘i. Before, passengers could only fly Delta’s Premium Select on trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific flights. Now, Delta Premium Select will appear on three daily non-stop routes to Hawai‘i by the end of this year: Atlanta (ATL) to Maui (OGG), New York (JFK) to Honolulu (HNL) and Salt Lake City (SLC) to Maui. Looking ahead, Delta plans to add more enhancements to its Premium Select cabin, including an elevated dining experience and new amenity kits filled with travel essentials.

Air France recently introduced its latest recliner-type seat model in the premium economy cabin. The new seat offers 38 inches of legroom

Fine Dining: Swiss International Air Lines’ premiumeconomy meal service

PHOTO: © SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIR LINES

along with redesigned seat cushions made of soft, navy blue herringbone fabric and a wider seat back that can recline to 124 degrees. Passengers in premium economy also enjoy new noise-reducing audio headsets integrated into the seat.

Emirates officially launched its new premium economy cabin this year, with plans to invest more than $2 billion in 120 of its aircraft. New features in Emirates’ premium economy cabin include leather seats with wood paneling, a welcome drink and hot towel for passengers upon boarding, and a separate menu and dishes served on chinaware with stainless-steel cutlery. Seats include more legroom and more width for extra comfort. The seats also come with calf rests, footrests and a six-way adjustable headrest, as well as a cocktail table for drinks if guests don’t want to put their entire tray table down.

Tray tables are made from polished woodgrain, and in-flight entertain ment includes an upgraded 13.3-inch HD TV, Bluetooth earbud pairing and faster WiFi service. As of right now, passengers can fly premium economy with Emirates on routes between Dubai International Airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle, London Heathrow and Sydney Airport.

After finding its premium economy cabin is its most profitable, Lufthansa recently chose to upgrade its in-between cabin with ZIM Aircraft Seating’s ZIMprivacy PC-02 premium economy recliner. Air New Zealand also plans to incorporate ZIM Aircraft Seating in its premium economy cabin in 2024.

Comfy Cabins: Air France’s premium-economy seating (top), and Emirates premium economy (bottom)

The elegant seats provide extra privacy and comfort, with a barrier to shield each seat from each other and across the aisle. Built into a hard shell, the seats allow passengers to recline without invading the space of the person behind. The new seats also come with a bigger screen, individual reading lights and leg rests.

Slated to debut on flights between Amsterdam and South Africa in 2023, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines introduces its new Premium Comfort Class, situated between economy and World Business Class. The new seats, designed by Collins Aerospace and specialists at KLM, allow passengers to recline farther than in economy-class seats as well as provide more legroom, a footrest and a larger screen.

As of late last year, All Nippon Airways enhanced its premium economy cabin with new seats made by Safran on all of its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. The updates also include an expanded cabin with 28 premium-class seats, 10 more than it had previously. With specially customized designs, the new seats provide additional privacy with a vertical separator, as well as a swivel tray table and small cocktail table at the front of the center divider. The premium economy cabin also features 15.6-inch monitors for a better entertainment experience.

Like Lufthansa and Air New Zealand, Swiss International Air Lines’ new premium economy cabin includes ZIMprivacy seats, allowing for

extra privacy and comfort. All of its Boeing 777-300ERs feature this new cabin, and the airline plans to add the new cabin to its Airbus A340s in the near future. Meals are served on real chinaware plates with metal cutlery, and passengers enjoy amenities like an eye mask, earplugs, toothbrush and toothpaste.

Virgin Atlantic’s recent unveiling of its newest aircraft type, the Airbus A330-900neo, means a revamping of all cabins, including premium economy. Simply called Premium aboard Virgin Atlantic, this cabin sits directly behind the Upper Class cabin and comes with a leg rest, extra leg space, deep recline and in-seat wireless charging. Seats in Premium also include a touchscreen with Bluetooth.

Finnair plans to gradually introduce its new premium economy cabin on long-haul flights to and from Asia and North America through 2022 and 2023. The new cabins will appear on both the Airbus A350 and A330 aircraft, providing passengers with extra ameni ties. In addition to a high-quality, three-course meal accompanied by a lighter second meal before landing, passengers of the new cabin also enjoy complimentary beverages. Finnair’s premium economy cabin features 7 more inches of seat pitch compared to economy-class seats as well as leg rests and memory-foam cushions. Each seat also comes with plenty of storage features.

PHOTO: © KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES

Tower Talk

BY SUSAN B. BARNES

As travelers, we oftentimes find ourselves looking out airplane windows, gazing at the patchwork of the world below as we fly over at 30,000 feet. When we’re on the ground waiting for our flights, we watch planes take off and land and taxi to and from their gates in what can be interpreted as an intricate dance, each step carefully planned and exact, yet fluid. If passing by an airport at night, we see the lights of planes lining up in approach for their landings, one after the next after the next. Keeping all of these planes moving on time and in the direction they should — not to mention the thousands of

passengers on board the planes — takes coordination, precision and expertise. This is where the role of an air traffic controller comes in.

According to the Bureau of Labor Sta tistics, there are 24,500 air traffic controller jobs in the United States, with a projected outlook of an increase of 4 percent by 2030. The bureau defines an air traffic controller as someone who coordinates the move ment of aircraft to maintain safe distances between them.

Just what does all of this entail? For insights into a day in the life of an air traffic controller, Global Traveler spoke with Tara Samadifard, an operations supervisor with the Federal Aviation Administration at Milwaukee Air Traffic Controller Tower and Terminal Radar Approach Control facility. Samadifard majored in aviation manage ment with concentrations in airport management and air

Communications: Air traffic control tower (top), and Tara Samadifard (bottom)

traffic control at Purdue University, but her interest in aviation started long before college.

“I’ve always been interested in aviation, since I was a kid,” said Samadifard, whose father was an engineer who worked on planes and helicopters. “As a kid, I found it fun to go to the airport and watch the planes land and take off, especially at night with the lights. I thought it was the coolest thing ever.”

When she started college, she was not sure which career path to choose and started researching aviation options “because I was so interested.”

“I stumbled across air traffic control and took a few classes,” Samadifard recalled. “I completely fell in love with it.”

After graduating from Purdue, Samadifard began her career as an operations supervisor with a contract airline cargo company before deciding to further her studies to become an air traffic controller. At an academy in Oklahoma, she learned how to work in a tower and the basics of air traffic control to prepare her for her new career.

Samadifard joined the FAA in December 2014, when she took an air traffic control specialist position at Bismarck Air Traffic Control Tower and Terminal Radar Approach Control in North Dakota; she made the move to Milwaukee in 2018.

In her role as operations supervisor in Milwaukee, Samadifard

enjoys a strong line of communication with her team in the control tower. She said there are usually three to four people in the Milwau kee tower at a time, and each has their own role.

“There is usually someone who’s the ‘secretary,’ of the tower, collecting information for planes, their flight plans and making sure their routes look okay,” Samadifard explained. She added there is also a clearance delivery position; a ground control position that oversees taxiing to and from the runways; and a local control position that tells the pilots when to take off and land. As the opera tions supervisor, she ensures everyone and everything is working according to plan.

“We’re the eyes and ears of everything,” said Samadifard. “When we work together as a tower team, it’s ‘see something, say some thing.’ … Nothing is a secret in air traffic control. Everyone needs to work together.”

In addition to working with her air traffic control team, Samadi fard also collaborates with myriad departments within the airport to ensure smooth operations in regards to maintenance, winter snow operations and VIP movements.

“My position oversees a little bit of everything,” she said. “That’s my favorite part of the job, that every day is different. You may think you know what you’re walking into, but it’s never the same.”

On the Job: Tara at the air traffic control workspace

PHOTO: © TARA SAMADIFARD

Samadifard also oversees air traffic control measures for special events like AirVenture Oshkosh, one of the largest fly-in events in the United States. The event features all types of airplanes, from antique and refurbished to planes of the future, like ecoairplanes.

“It’s a really fun event, really dif ferent, and there are air shows every night,” Samadifard said of AirVenture. “We’re making sure everyone is safe because there are a lot of planes in the air at the same time.”

When it comes to the workplace, Samadifard is one of the few women in air traffic control, but in Milwaukee there are several women among her colleagues.

“Some shifts, the entire tower is full of women,” she said. “There’s a different perspective [when it’s all women], but of course we all work together, no matter what.”

To that end, Samadifard was part of Women in Aviation during her time at Purdue and said she is still involved in outreach through her local safety council.

“We do a lot of outreach [in Milwaukee] with younger groups and people of color who are interested in aviation,” she said. “This is the most amazing job in the world, and the more people we can reach, the better for the FAA.”

After the first of the year, Samadifard is making a move to become an operations supervisor at Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center.

“It’s going to be a completely different environment than what I’m used to,” she said of her move to her hometown of Indianapolis, noting she started at a small airport and moved to a medium-sized airport in Milwaukee.

“[Indianapolis] will be a completely new ballpark — a lot of new planes, a lot of new rules, and I’ll be in charge of a lot of people,” she said of looking forward to her new role. “I’m excited to get back home to family, too.”

When asked about the future of air traffic controllers and the aviation industry as a whole, Samadifard said one of the things she really enjoys at Milwaukee is the relationship she and her team have with the pilots. The communication lines are open between air traffic control and pilots in regards to what is wanted on both ends, and how everyone can work to make those things happen.

“I really think that’s the future of where we’re going, with better communication and more efficiency,” she said. “Young controllers are coming in and looking to find safe and efficient operations we can [incorporate].

“Our job is to make sure you’re as safe as possible,” Samadifard said in closing. “If you’re wondering about your delay, just know it’s to keep everyone safe; we are doing everything we can to keep people as safe as possible.”

Air Show: Air traffic control at AirVenture Oshkosh

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Giant Leap: British Airways’ Concorde in 1986 (above), and Concorde cockpit instrument panel with dials (right)

Isaw the future in 1973. Aged 6, at Johannesburg Airport, I gazed in awe at an airplane unlike any other. With swept-back wings and a sharp nose, it looked like a paper dart, its name emblazoned on its tail: Concorde.

The aircraft was a prototype, visiting South Africa for test flights in “hot and high” conditions. It shared the apron with several propeller airliners, as well as more modern Boeing jets, and clearly represented a giant leap in aviation … a preview of a world in which supersonic flight would be commonplace.

That future ended Oct. 24, 2003. After 27 years in com mercial service, almost entirely with British Airways and Air France, Concorde made its final passenger flight, from New York (JFK) to London (LHR). It represented not only the

end of an era but also the end of the belief that commercial air transport was constantly advancing.

The jet airliners we fly today look much the same as the Boeings I saw in 1973. The main changes have occurred on the flightdecks (replacing anti quated dials with powerful computers) and in the efficiency of the engines. Fifty years on, Concorde is an odd anomaly.

The aerospace industry works toward breaking barriers to supersonic travel. BY RICHARD NEWTON

Military Might:

U.S. Air Force F-100 Super Sabre in a slow, low-level flyby as it starts to climb (top), and Russian MiG-17 and MiG-19 (bottom)

© JEFFREY BANKE DREAMSTIME.COM, © RYHOR BRUYEU DREAMSTIME.COM

What happened? The decisive blow occurred at almost the same time I was gazing from the viewing deck in Johannesburg. In March 1973 the FAA banned civilian supersonic flights over the United States. The American airlines which had ordered Concordes (Trans World Airlines, Pan American World Airways, Continental Airlines, American Airlines, Eastern Airlines, United Airlines and Braniff International Airways) promptly canceled, instantly undermining the aircraft’s economics. Only 14 aircraft would be delivered.

The main concern then, as now, was supersonic boom. When an aircraft breaks the sound barrier, it creates a shockwave loudly audible at ground level. There were worries regular flights would disrupt people’s sleep and could distress pets and livestock.

Ironically, the first aircraft-generated supersonic boom sounded over the mainland United States. In 1947 Chuck Yeager flew a Bell

X-1 through the sound barrier 40,000 feet above Rogers Dry Lake in California. It was a milestone many people thought impossible. Once an aircraft reaches Mach 1, the speed of sound, its performance through the air changes significantly. Engineers had mastered designs and engines that could perform efficiently at subsonic speeds, and they devised aircraft shapes and engines suited to supersonic flight. The challenge was to combine those attributes in one aircraft.

The military led the way. In the never-ending arms race, the advantages of aircraft that could vastly outpace their rivals were obvious. In 1953 the North American F-100 Super Sabre became the first fighter jet capable of supersonic speed in level flight, soon fol lowed by the Russian MiG-19. Instability remained an issue for these aircraft, and, of course, they trailed thunderous booms that could prove an irritant for civilians on the ground. (When I lived in Seoul, South Korea, in the 1980s, the U.S. Air Force SR-17 Blackbird often rattled the windows of the city when it supersonically flew to North Korea on reconnaissance missions.)

With the military steadily solving the aerodynamic challenges, for commercial manufacturers the main obstacle remained economic viability. The power-to-passenger ratio limited the size of the fuselage. The aircraft required much more fuel to carry many fewer passengers than a standard jet airliner.

Lockheed and Boeing designed concept supersonic airliners, but it took a partnership between Britain and France to finally get an airliner off the drawing board and into the air. Concorde was born. Its narrow, single-aisle fuselage had capacity for 92–128 passengers, flying at 60,000 feet with a cruising speed of Mach 2.04, more than twice the speed of sound ... slashing flight times from London to New York from more than six hours to under three hours.

The aim was to produce 350 aircraft, and early on, airlines placed 100 firm orders. Then came the FAA prohibition on commercial supersonic flight over land. At a stroke, many of Concorde’s potential routes were wiped out.

PHOTOS:

And yet, against the odds, Concorde became profitable. Besides the convenience of speed, it offered exclusivity and became the preferred trans-Atlantic option for the rich and famous. Over the course of its 27 years in service, Concorde made British Airways a profit of nearly £500 million ($600 million) and a more modest profit for Air France. Although no other airlines bought Concorde, the aircraft wore the liver ies of Singapore Airlines and Braniff International on short-term leases.

Supersonic flight was glamorous but not exactly comfortable. Con corde’s cramped interior afforded no room for the amenities modern passengers expect, such as personal TVs, fully flat seats and spacious tables for meals. In flight, the cabin was noisy and could give a sense of claustrophobia … and yet, customer satisfaction remained high.

Concorde’s fate was effectively sealed July 25, 2000. An Air France aircraft on a charter flight to New York hit debris on the runway at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. The fuel tank ruptured, and the plane crashed into a suburb, killing all 109 people on board and four people on the ground. All Concordes were immediately grounded. Although they returned to service the following year after safety modifications, the decision was taken to phase them out of service.

That seemed to be the end of commercial supersonic aviation. New aircraft have been announced but have not overcome the reluctance of airlines to commit to an aircraft not permitted to fly supersonically over large parts of the world.

But we are now closer than we have ever been to a return to super sonic travel. Since 2016 Colorado-based Boom Supersonic has been

developing the 65- to 88-passenger Boom Overture. A one-third-scale prototype, the XB-1 Baby Boom is expected to start testing in 2022, with the first test flight of the Overture planned for 2026.

Significantly, Boom Overture already boasts more than 200 orders. Richard Branson’s Virgin Group was the first customer, subsequently joined by Japan Airlines and United Airlines. In August 2022 American Airlines announced an order for 20 aircraft with an option for 40 more.

The Overture will address some of the problems that limited supersonic commercial aviation until now. Takeoff noise is one of them. Concorde used hideously loud afterburners for the first 1,000 feet of climb. Boom is collaborating with Rolls-Royce to develop engines that can generate the necessary thrust without excessive noise and fuel consumption. In fact, Boom aims to run its aircraft on 100 percent sustainable fuel with engines that actually remove CO2 from the air.

One major problem remains: The FAA ban on overland supersonic flight remains in place. NASA and Lockheed Martin are currently developing the X-59 QueSST, an experimental aircraft that will conduct supersonic flights over the United States between 2023 and 2025. The aim is to gather data on technology designed to reduce sonic booms, with the hope the FAA will lift the ban in 2028. That would be a gamechanger, opening up countless new supersonic routes.

Supersonic air travel has barely advanced in the half-century since I saw Concorde in Johannesburg. But that is beginning to change, and before long it’s possible a new generation of 6-year-olds will look out at airport aprons and see the shape of things to come.

Gearing Up: Boom Overture

CELEBRITY CRUISES BRINGS YOU AN EXCITING WORLD OF WONDER WITH JOURNEYS THROUGH NORTHERN EUROPE

Breathtaking fjords, legendary castles, diverse landscapes, elevated cuisine and rich cultural heritage unfold across Celebrity Cruises’ journeys in Northern Europe, as Celebrity’s modern ships create the perfect complement to the beauty of the Old World of Northern Europe.

When you travel with Celebrity Cruises, you’re booking into an elevated experience that pushes modern travel to bold, new heights. With Northern Europe journeys aboard two stunning ships, Celebrity Apex — the second ship in the highly anticipated Edge series — and Celebrity Silhouette, your trip will be filled with not only the sights of

Northern Europe and the sea, but the highest standard of cuisine, luxurious accommodations and service.

Ships sail from May until late September, and travel itineraries range from 7 to 14 nights. And with daytrips and overnight stays to immerse yourself in exciting global cities like Reykjavik, Iceland; Amsterdam, Netherlands; parts of Scandinavia; and Southampton, England — there is much to discover both on and off the award-winning ships. When you experience Europe and the world “beyond” on a Celebrity trip — you’ll never go back.

CELEBRITY CRUISES

NATURAL WONDERS

Begin your travels exploring the natural wonders of Northern Europe’s landscape by departing from ports like Amsterdam, Netherlands; Southampton, England; and Reykjavik, Iceland — taking in the breathtaking views from Celebrity’s incredible outdoor areas like the Lawn Club and Rooftop Garden. And with trips to Greenland and Iceland, Ireland and England, and the Norwegian Fjords, you’ll get to explore the truly captivating and dynamic landscape of these northern territories both on and off the ship.

Venture through the Norwegian Fjords as you stop in quaint seaside villages and take in Europe’s largest glacier, Jostedalsbreen — sprawling an incredible 487 square kilometers with ice up to 600 meters thick. Marvel at the natural wonders of Iceland, including Godafoss Falls, and take a relaxing dip in the legendary Blue Lagoon and its healing, aquamarine-colored waters. Make your way around the bucolic and picturesque landscapes of Ireland and England, enjoy afternoon picnics and walking in the lush greenery of the land, and get swept away by the majestic white cliffs of Dover.

BREATHTAKING ARCHITECTURE

After experiencing the natural wonders of these northern territories, dive into the jaw-dropping beauty of their architecture in port cities like Reykjavik, Stockholm, Helsinki, and Amsterdam. Arriving at the harbor of the land of fire and ice — Iceland’s capital of Reykjavik — take in some of its striking buildings, like the famous Hallgrimskirkja Church. Its basalt columns are formed by lava sourced from the coast of Iceland and were used to create its steeple that stands nearly 246 feet tall.

As you journey through Northern Europe, you’ll visit medieval castles in Ireland and 17th-century buildings in Estonia. Experience the contrast of old meets new in Scandinavia, with the elegant and sprawling Royal Palace of Stockholm — one of the largest palaces in Europe — and the ultra-modern and striking composition of Copenhagen’s Opera House at the edge of the water.

RICH CULTURE AND CUISINE

No journey through Northern Europe is complete without being immersed in the rich culture and savoring local cuisines. From the restaurants onboard Celebrity’s ships to local eateries on land, one of the best parts of Celebrity Cruises is the culinary experiences you’ll have both on and off your ship.

On board, you can find a new favorite restaurant every night, each with menus crafted by a Michelin-starred chef. Live the dolce vita at Tuscan Grille, featuring modern Italian dishes served in an equally appealing atmosphere. Inside Cyprus Restaurant, fresh and sustainable seafood is celebrated through the lens of Mediterranean cuisine. At Eden Bar, artisanal cocktails are as fresh as the exciting atmosphere and, atop the ship, Sunset Bar makes a grand finale with spectacular views to sip on world-class beverages as you watch the world go by.

Between your sipping and eating along the cruise, venture out for local plates as the cruise stops at the ports of culinary capitals like Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Berlin. A favorite to explore is the cobblestoned streets and corners of Stockholm as you dive into its eclectic cuisine, cozy cafés and restaurants. This city is a pioneer in the food world; its dining scene features delicious eats scattered across its connected 14 islands with everything from expensive delicacies to down-to-earth street food. The culinary innovation and attention to detail will excite your eyes and palate.

EXPERIENCE: SHIPS THAT ARE JUST AS INCREDIBLE AS THE PLACES YOU VISIT

Book your Northern European vacation right now. Take advantage of the latest deals from Celebrity Cruises by calling your local travel agent, visiting celebrity.com or calling 800-CELEBRITY.

For more information, visit celebrity.com

THERE IS SO MUCH TO SEE AND DISCOVER WHEN YOU SAIL NORTHERN EUROPE WITH

Christine Ourmières-Widener

TAP Air Portugal

THE BASICS

Name: Christine Ourmières-Widener

Title: CEO

Company, city: TAP Air Portugal; Lisbon, Portugal

First job: I was a production engineer in a Concorde hangar. I was the only woman in the hangar; while the diversity is getting better and it’s good to see the progress, there’s still a long way to go.

Where to next: The Azores on a personal trip to reconnect with nature

A LITTLE BIT MORE

What actor or actress would play you in a movie of your life? Juliette Binoche … I relate to her on a personal level. What would you be doing professionally if you weren’t in your current industry? I would put all

my energy into my passion for the environment and spend more time working on climate change. What is your favorite book, movie or television show? I recently read The Most Secret Memory of Men, by Senegalese author Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, after the book won France’s 2021 Goncourt Prize.

What historical figure, dead or alive, would you love to have dinner with?

Queen Elizabeth II

THE BUSINESS

What is your most recent project, and what was the inspiration behind it? We’ve been working on restructuring our organization since last winter. It’s challenging but exciting, as we increase our efficiencies and build a stronger airline for our customers and employees.

What is your favorite aspect of the job? The people; this is a complex industry. From pilots to cabin crew to those who work in network pricing and a variety of roles all around the industry, there are so many skill sets and personalities. I work with amazing people. What’s the biggest business risk you’ve ever taken? Moving to TAP to make sure the airline was in place to drive the return in travel demand was a risk. But you can manage the risk and handle how you work with your team. The last two years were unusual, but they will set a new standard for risk in the industry.

Who is someone you admire professionally in the travel industry? Willie Walsh, now the director general of the International Air Transport Association, as he pushes for the future in aviation, and I respect what he is trying to do for the industry.

AS A TRAVELER

Tell us about a travel nightmare: I’ve traveled to some unusual destinations with my job, including unstable countries. I was with a driver/bodyguard one time and I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t let me stop in the local market to buy gifts for my children … until he let me know there was a murder there the day before.

Share a comical travel experience: I’ve spent my entire career in aviation, so I tend to always understand the issues that arise. I’ve only missed one flight in my entire life, and I learned my lesson quickly.

What is your preferred method of travel — planes, trains, automobiles, cruise ships — and why? While my obvious answer is airplanes, I do have dogs, so my family loves road trips. Each of these travel methods delivers a different experience, and I appreciate them all. What has been the best example of customer service you’ve experienced during your travels? Any service that is proactive or delivers something before you can even ask

CEO,

PENINSULA MOMENTS

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Nadim Barrage

General Manager, Loews Coral Gables Hotel

THE BASICS

Name: Nadim Barrage

Title: General manager

Company, city: Loews Coral Gables Hotel; Coral Gables, Florida

First job: Dishwasher at a French brasserie in Paris

Where to next: Any chance I get, it’s off to Paris to see family.

A LITTLE BIT MORE

What actor or actress would play you in a movie of your life? A young Sean Connery, for his character and personality!

What would you be doing professionally if you weren’t in your current industry? Definitely an interior designer; I have a true passion for design, which ties in nicely with opening a new hotel. My wife complains all the time that I jump in and make all the

design decisions.

What is your favorite book, movie or television show? Friends: It’s one of those shows I can put on at any time and it takes me to a happy place, and back to a time of low stress.

What historical figure, dead or alive, would you love to have dinner with? Without question, Nelson Mandela. I’d love to learn more about his life, especially how he came through it all after facing such adversity. His resilience was incredible, and he teaches a lot about how to adapt and evolve throughout life to become stronger.

THE BUSINESS

What is your most recent project, and what was the inspiration behind it? Opening Loews Coral Gables by our target date of Nov. 3! This was a project I couldn’t say no to — opening an elegant hotel in Miami’s nicest neighborhood, backed by a

brand that represents the values that are also important to me.

What is your favorite aspect of the job? People, people, people, in every sense of the word. To welcome guests like family at our hotel, we need to build our own family internally. That’s a genuine approach to hospitality. What’s the biggest business risk you’ve ever taken? I left a market in Paris where I was comfortable and crossed the Atlantic to rebuild everything from scratch. I moved to Miami eight years ago while working for another hotel brand, and I took on my first general manager role right before the pandemic started. Who is someone you admire professionally in the travel industry? I’ve had many mentors with lots of different personalities during my professional career. But Jonathan M. Tisch, chairman and CEO, Loews Hotels, had a vision and built upon it. Moving to Loews, it was the first time in my career I interviewed with the chairman. He texted me the day I signed the contract to congratulate me. He’s maintained the core values of a family business no matter how much the corporation has grown.

AS A TRAVELER

Tell us about a travel nightmare: Born and raised in Lebanon, my answer to this question represents both a nightmare and a dream. The worst travel experience of my life was escaping Lebanon in 1989 with my parents during the war in our country. When we landed in Paris and arrived at the hotel, I made my parents walk with me to the Eiffel Tower. That symbol represented safety; it reminded us we made it out safely.

Share a comical travel experience: I was traveling to Lausanne from Paris, and I had to change trains in Geneva. I asked an employee at the train station on which track I could find the 7:40 train to Lausanne. I was met with this response: “There is no 7:40, but there’s a 7:41.”

What is your preferred method of travel — planes, trains, automobiles, cruise ships — and why? It is 100 percent planes because it allows you to disconnect, no matter the flight length, and fully focus on sleeping, eating, reading and so on.

What has been the best example of customer service you’ve experienced during your travels? This also ties into my arrival in Paris after fleeing Lebanon. We stayed in a hotel for a while, and I remember to this day how much the hotel team took care of me — playing, spending time. I only realized very recently how much this stuck with me and influenced my career choices. Whenever I walk into a hotel, it represents safety, security and truly authentic experiences.

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Laurinda Rainey

Managing Director and General Manager, United Airlines Cobrand Cards

character development and think a hallmark of quality television is the buildup.

What historical figure, dead or alive, would you love to have dinner with? Martin Luther King, Jr. was my childhood hero. When I was 5, another classmate spit in my face and used a racial slur. After the incident, my parents taught me about King, Jr., and he always inspired me. I’d like to meet him at this time in history to get his perspective on how best to move forward.

THE BUSINESS

What is your most recent project, and what was the inspiration behind it? The launch of the Chase United Quest Card exceeded expectations. The card’s debut coincided with vaccine deployment and travel’s return, and we used our marketing to capture the feeling of wanderlust while still being sensitive to the state of the industry.

What is your favorite aspect of the job? Team leadership allows me to bring people together to help other people experience new places.

What’s the biggest business risk you’ve ever taken? I’d describe myself as risk-averse; my friends would say I take a lot of calculated risks. This may not be a risk in a traditional sense, but within my first month in this role, United Airlines approached me about assisting with its Aviate flight school. It did not fall within my job description, and it could have been a risk as far as time and outreach, but it was worth it as Chase created a scholarship program, with United matching our contribution, to help not only train but also diversify the future pilot pool.

Who is someone you admire professionally in the travel industry? Brian Kelly, founder, The Points Guy, as he changed the way travelers engage with loyalty programs.

THE BASICS

Name: Laurinda Rainey Title: Managing director and general manager, United Airlines Cobrand Cards Company, city: Chase; Wilmington, Delaware

First job: It’s a funny story, because my parents did not want me to have a job while in high school, so I intentionally took an Art of Work class so I had to get a job. My class schedule left me with afternoons free, so I worked half days at Walmart in the electronics department.

Where to next: I’m taking my 8-month-old daughter to Arkansas to meet family she hasn’t yet met!

A LITTLE BIT MORE

What actor or actress would play you in a movie of your life? While I can’t pinpoint an actress I think looks like me, I love Viola Davis and the way she dives into roles.

What would you be doing professionally if you weren’t in your current industry? I’d be a psychologist or life coach. I love people and come from a big family — I’m the youngest of 16, and my grandmother’s 92nd grandchild — so I’m able to find something in common with almost anyone. However, I might be too much of an empath for that profession. What is your favorite book, movie or television show? Game of Thrones, minus Season Eight! I love good

AS A TRAVELER

Tell us about a travel nightmare: I don’t really consider this a nightmare, but I stopped taking road trips after participating in a family caravan in two 15-passenger vans from Arkansas to Washington, D.C., for a family reunion. The youngest on the trip was a toddler, the oldest were in their 50s, and we had every decade covered in between across the two vans. There are many funny stories from that trip, but, in the end, I realized I prefer to get to my destinations a lot faster.

Share a comical travel experience: The majority of my travel has been positive!

What is your preferred method of travel — planes, trains, automobiles, cruise ships — and why? Definitely planes, and United ones, at that! But I also love travel by electric car.

What has been the best example of customer service you’ve experienced during your travels? On a business trip, I experienced several delays; and when I got into my hotel room, I found a spread of chocolate, fruits and more — all put out because the hotel knew I’d had a long travel day.

PHOTO: © JOHN RYAN, J&J STUDIOS, LLC

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Flight Path

Down-to-earth training provides the framework for pilots to earn their wings. BY DEBRA

Spectacular dreams of soaring through the heavens, unbound and untethered, exist among populations and cultures around the world. Possessing the ability to fly also ranks high as a desired superpower: Who among us wouldn’t love to swoop in from an aerial position to rescue the frightened child and bedraggled dog from being swept down the heartless, raging river?

Up in the Air: The joy of flying

PHOTO: © VASYL CHIPIHA | DREAMSTIME .COM

Capes and wings aside, training to be a licensed pilot is one way to realize magnificent dreams of being airborne. In the real, waking world, however — whether the ultimate goal is to pilot private jets, cargo planes, fighter planes or transcontinental passenger craft — preparing for an aviation career requires a blend of dedication; skill; and rigorous, exhaustive training.

Wondering what, exactly, it takes to sit in the pilot’s seat? Details

BOKUR

differ depending upon the specific type of certification program to which a prospective pilot is applying, but age, physical condition and level of education are factors. Practically, prospective aircraft pilots (excluding balloon and glider pilots) are required to pass a physical examination administered by an aviation medical examiner autho rized by the Federal Aviation Administration. Medical certificates are first-class (required for airline transport pilots), second-class and third-class. Student pilots must achieve a third-class certificate. Once this initial barrier has been crossed, actual training includes a host of components. Students learn to read instruments, to take off and land, to master the skills associated with turning and climbing, and how to accomplish tasks such as maintaining a specific altitude. Aviation education also mandates acquiring the necessary skills to read displays and operate automatic systems and to safely navigate a

wide variety of weather conditions and landing situations, all while mastering every possible angle of approach.

Pilot Ray Phillips, who flies a Boeing 787 for a major airline oper ating out of Denver, has an M.S. in aeronautics and serves as the flight training manager and affiliate professor at Metropolitan State Univer sity Denver. One of his projects was to interview industry leaders to learn their expectations of graduates from aviation programs.

According to Phillips and the flight professionals he interviewed, there’s more to being a great pilot than simply earning a license. These additional components may border on the intangible, but they’re nev ertheless crucial to success in the role. Phillips said a personal survey among his peers revealed a high value placed on qualities including honesty in communications, humility, service and leadership — components that prove critical in a setting where safety depends upon the ability to work effectively as a team.

While the lift, climb and pitch of it all remain a magnet for many a would-be aviator (or, if you’re at a retro airline party addressing a female pilot, an aviatrix), the first decision to make is what kind of pilot a student hopes to become. Becoming a cargo pilot, for instance, requires different training than what’s demanded of a Certified Flight

Instructor. Additionally, commercial pilots are generally required to have a minimum of an undergraduate degree, though many of the pilots who captain national and international carriers, like Phillips, earn advanced degrees.

Next, locate an FAA-approved flight school and apply. Programs endorsed by the FAA exist throughout the country, including large schools with their own aircraft fleets and regional schools that lease planes or partner with local airlines. In January 2022 United Airlines opened United Aviate Academy, its own flight training school in Goodyear, Arizona. Programs include private pilot training, instru ment rating, flight instructor training, and various levels of pilot certification that include single- and multi-engine craft.

The next hurdle is to earn a Private Pilot License, or PPL, allowing the operation of single-engine aircraft under Visual Flight Rules flying in fair-weather conditions. Among the many skills acquired at this stage are how to use roads, bodies of water and other physical landmarks as navigational aids.

Training to become a commercial pilot means learning to control an aircraft without actually being able to see the outside world, explained Kevin R. Kuhlmann, associate chair, aviation and aerospace

Essential Skills: Pilot instruction of young student

PHOTO: © VITALDRUM DREAMSTIME.COM

science department, MSU Denver. Which leads to the next stage: earning an Instrument Rating during ground school training. The IR allows flight by instrument reading, even in poor weather conditions. After this step, students move on to train for their Commercial Pilot License, which involves a minimum of 250 hours of flight time and passing an FAA “checkride,” an oral exam and practical test during which an authorized pilot examiner determines competency and assesses the pilot candidate’s skills in the air. The final part of training involves earning a multi-engine rating.

Though pilots are not mechanics, they are educated to recognize any irregularities or anomalies when conducting their pre-flight walkaround. Among the long list of details a pilot considers are the

wear and tread of the plane’s tires, the condi tion of gear struts and hydraulic lines, the op eration of external lights and the vessel’s actual airframe. This includes the fuselage, wings, flaps, spoilers and other design components specific to the individual plane they’ll fly.

If you’re one of the many travelers who’ve been left stranded — or never got off the ground to begin with — because of flights canceled due to pilot shortages, you may be wondering where all the pilots are.

COVID, as we’ve all learned, posed a challenge to travel regardless of the angle from which it’s approached. The sudden screech ing to a halt of outlets catering to wanderlust saw planes parked and shuttered, their wings drooping in light of the pandemic. Because cutting operational costs often proved a necessary strategy to ensure the survivability of airlines, many aviation specialists — including pilots — opted for the early retirement being offered.

As travel comes back on line, the need to staff up often results in big carriers pulling from the ranks of regional pilots to fill empty cockpit seats. The lure of legacy carriers — and the trap pings of glamor that still cling to them — can prove an effective enticement for many pilots working at regional airlines who accrued the necessary flight hours to qualify. The trickledown effect of these job moves, however, means your international flight may depart without you if you first need to make a connection on a regional carrier to reach your international departure gate at a distant airport.

“Flights went away during the pandemic,” said Kuhlmann. “While airlines got a govern ment bailout, more was needed, and many offered their pilots the option of early retire ment. Now, as we come back to 2019 levels, they’re having a hard time keeping up with the training. After they’re hired, pilots also have to be trained into that airline’s system. It’s a pipeline issue at the major airlines.”

While scooping up available pilot resources at the regional level proved a successful tactic for larger carriers, many regional carriers found it necessary to park their aircraft and suffered the most with canceled flights. In response, charter companies, such as FLYJETS, that act as travel aggregators, stepped in to fill the gaps in travelers’ plans.

“We view charter aircraft as a viable alternative and/or comple mentary service to commercial airline services,” said Jessica Fisher, CEO and founder, FLYJETS, “and hope to include commercial airline options, in addition to charter aircraft, on our platform in the future. By promoting access to the charter landscape and effective

routing among flyers and aircraft providers alike, FLYJETS will continue to contribute to accessing ‘harder to reach’ destinations impacted by regional flight cancellations.”

Meanwhile, as news stories surface speculating the required number of flight training hours for commercial certification may be lowered (the FAA did not respond to a direct question on this matter), many travelers express concern that pilots of the future may be less qualified.

“Flight education and training is a vital part of aviation and will of course continue to be with new (and less costly) aircraft coming online in the future,” said Fisher, who attended Danny Waizman Flight School. “Via FLYJETS’ marketplace, flyers and aircraft providers are connected directly to initiate the booking process, and the safety rating associated with the fleet of specific aircraft is always listed up front. While exact pilots are sometimes booked closer to the date of specific flights (and sometimes assigned after, rather than before, charter contracts are completed), flyers can always receive direct information — including hours of training logged and other details — about the pilots in each operator’s fleet prior to and at the time of booking.”

New incentives to attract prospective pilots into flight programs are underway. Earlier this year, the FAA awarded $5 million in

grants to fund aviation classes at the high school level. Additionally, the FAA partnered with organizations such as Women in Aviation International, Dreams Soar, the National Air and Space Museum and USA Science and Engineering Festival (SciFest).

Recruitment efforts, mentoring programs, scholarships, funding and better education about what an aviation career entails are all necessary to attract future pilots and aerospace professionals and help them to narrow their education focus.

“I think many students in aviation programs know they want to be a pilot, while some just want to be in the aviation field,” said Phil lips. “I learned recently that one of the women in my class specifically wants to fly for United Parcel Service (UPS). I asked her if she’d ever talked to an actual UPS pilot about what that career path entails. She hadn’t, so I called one of my more senior pilot friends who works in this area of the industry so that my student could ask questions.”

That mentoring effort allowed Phillips’ student to adjust her expectations and tailor her studies to meet her personal goals. If the future of the evolving aviation industry — in all its incarnations — is to be cleared for takeoff, a new generation of qualified pilots and flight professionals will be needed. For aviation professionals working hard to secure that future, the message is clear: Received Order Given, Expect Results. Or, in pilot-speak, ROGER that.

At the Controls: Learning to fly

PHOTO: © ROBERT GERHARDT | DREAMSTIME .COM

Sky’s the Limit

Designers dream big when it comes to aircraft seating concepts. BY MARLENE GOLDMAN

Privacy, flexibility and sustainability are just a few key words in the future of airline seat design. Airlines across the globe reconfigure coach, premium, business and first-class offerings with concepts like sleep pods; adjust able seating panels; and lightweight, sustainable materials.

Some of the most unique concepts share the spotlight in the annual Crystal Cabin Awards, the only international award for excellence in aircraft interior innovation, as designers, engineers

and visionaries collaborate to create new cabin configurations. According to Angus Baigent, manager of marketing and communications, Crystal Cabin Awards, an important growth market currently trending for seating is economy plus, with airlines expanding their offerings in that category. “Another is premium offerings on single-aisle aircraft,” he said, as planes such as the extra-long Airbus A321-XLR will make intercon tinental routes possible on narrower aircraft. “Passengers will need to be kept more comfortable on smaller planes for longer flights.”

A winning seat design at this year’s awards comes from Teague/ NORDAM, offering Elevate, the world’s first single-aisle aircraft cabin that utilizes “floating furniture” for front row and businessclass passengers. The concept increases the bed size, living space and stowage capacity for passengers as well as enhancing privacy on single-aisle long-haul flights. The structures used are lighter in weight, making the design more fuel-efficient.

Other concepts, such as the Chaise Longue by Alejandro Núñez Vicente, focusing on a double-decker plane seat, appear less likely to be implemented. “It’s certainly innovative, but I personally doubt we’ll see it fly,” Baigent said.

Airline consultant Scott McCartney, who covered the industry for The Wall Street Journal for 30 years, concurs concepts like stag gered seating that require an airline to change the configuration of the coach cabin are not practical since it’s hard for airlines to completely replace all coach seats at once. “If a coach seat has a life of seven to 10 years, then you’ve got different airplanes configured different ways. That’s a level of complexity that makes it very hard for the airline, and it becomes very frustrating for the customer,” he said. “Airlines are really resistant to those kinds of massive change.”

McCartney noted the best option for selling totally new

designs for seating is with startup airlines. “They can do all their seating in the same way because they’ve got three airplanes. It’s different if you have 900 airplanes.”

One past entrant to the Crystal Cabin Awards now being phased into service is Air New Zealand’s economy sleeping pod concept, which it will introduce in its new Boeing 787-9 Dream liners, due to arrive in 2024. The Skynest pods will be the world’s first for economy travelers and feature two sets of three bunk beds. As of publication, the airline had not announced whether the pods will be available for an entire flight or blocks of time.

“I think others have talked about taking some space below the main cabin deck and creating sleep pods — similar to crews that have beds where they can sleep when they’re on break on a lot of international flights,” McCartney said. “Why not do the same for passengers, so you can leave your coach seat and go downstairs to your sleep pod and get four or five hours of sleep? You can probably do a couple of different shifts in the sleep pods, and people would pay extra for that.”

The Dreamliners will also include a new Business Premier Luxe seat, designed for customers looking for more space and privacy, with a sliding panel door allowing enough room for adjoining

Single-Aisle Cabin: Elevate seating design by Teague/ NORDAM

PHOTO: © TEAGUE

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passengers to share a meal. Depending on the configuration, Air New Zealand’s Boeing 787-9s will feature either four or eight of the elevated business-class seats.

Another seat receiving attention in this year’s Crystal Cabin Awards is the AirLounge from Collins Aerospace — a cocoon-like business seat Finnair, the launch airline for the design, compares to a piece of Nordic furniture. The scooped seat doesn’t recline but rather offers options on ways to sit, whether cross-legged or with feet el evated. There is also the option to lie flat. After takeoff, passengers can adjust different panels, including an option for shared dining space.

Emirates also announced a plan to upgrade the interior cabins of 120 Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft, including the seating. The multibillion-dollar project officially commences in November. The target is to completely retrofit four Emirates aircraft every month over the span of two years. With a completion date of April 2025, the project will install nearly 4,000 new premium-economy seats, refurbish 728 first-class suites, and upgrade more than 5,000 businessclass seats to a new design. The premium-economy seats, which began rolling out in June, feature wood panels, and each seat offers six-way adjustable headrests, as well as calf rests and footrests.

In 2021 Singapore Airlines launched new economy and busi ness class cabins on its Boeing 737-8 fleet. The aircraft’s 10 lie-flat business-class seats, created by London-based Factorydesign and built by Thompson Aero Seating, measure a generous 22 inches in width and can recline into a full-flat bed.

Qantas announced in May it is purchasing a dozen new ultra-longrange Airbus A350-1000 aircraft to service the world’s longest flights, including Sydney or Melbourne to New York and Sydney to London. The plane will feature 238 seats in an aircraft designed for more than 350 seats, and its coach seats will offer 34 inches of pitch (the distance from seat back to seat back). As a reference, many U.S. airlines’ coach seats offer much less pitch — 17–18 inches — on domestic routes. The Qantas business-class seats will offer doors.

Lufthansa Group also focuses on upgrading its premium economy, and British Airways’ new Club Suite product features reverse herringbone-configured seats with sliding doors. All of them feature direct aisle access and recline fully flat to become beds.

According to airline consultant McCartney, U.S. airlines made a big push to upgrade business-class seats like United’s Polaris product, and more airlines provide suites, including JetBlue’s Mint, which

Cocoon Comfort: Collins Aerospace AirLounge seat in Finnair’s Airbus A350 business class

PHOTO: © FINNAIR

features the longest fully lie-flat seats on a domestic premium flight.

“The history is that international airlines had really nice businessclass products and the U.S. airlines really didn’t, and so, in alliances, savvy travelers would book on the foreign airlines to get better service,” McCartney said. But U.S. airlines have been improving premium and business-class products.

Delta Air Lines, for example, this year began taking delivery of its first narrow-body Airbus A321neo, the first jet in the fleet to feature the airline’s new first-class seat with larger, improved privacy space. Also, two business-class Throne seats will feature additional tabletop and stowage spaces.

This year’s edition of the Crystal Cabin Awards also revealed an emphasis on reducing the environmental impact of aviation by using lightweight and sustainable materials, including seats.

“The changes we’ve seen in recent years have really been remark able,” McCartney said. “The problem for travelers is that when you use thinner materials for seats, you create extra room, so did that go to the traveler, or did it go to the airline? The answer is that it went to the airline,” he noted, as airlines were able to squeeze in more seats.

McCartney said the tighter seating arrangements in coach started after 9/11 and the financial crisis of 2008, as the consolidation in the industry created a push to increase seat density. As an example, he noted American Airlines used to fly the Boeing 737-800 with 145

seats, and now the capacity is 172 people.

The FAA began a regulatory review process that could lead to establishing both size standards for commercial aircraft seats and standards for space between rows. In 2018 Congress directed the FAA to issue rules for minimum dimensions for passenger seats that are necessary for passenger safety.

In January 2022 consumer group FlyersRights and its founder and president, Paul Hudson, filed a petition to order the FAA to promptly begin a rule-making process to establish minimum seat width and pitch standards and to issue final rules by a certain date. The FAA this summer opened a 90-day window for public comments.

Hudson said in a statement, “Seats have continued to shrink by some airlines, and people are continuing to get larger. Our estimate is that only 20 percent of the population can reasonably fit in these seats now. It’s beyond a matter of comfort or even emergency evacuation; there are serious health and safety issues when you’re put in cramped conditions for hours on end.”

There is hope, according to McCartney. “The one airplane that has real promise for comfortable seating is a smaller one — Airbus A220. That’s a nice roomy cabin, and I think that’s a good sign for future airplane development. But to really have improvements in coach seating, it’s going to take manufacturers coming up with new airplanes.”

Privacy Plus: Delta Air Lines’ Airbus A321neo first-class seat

PHOTO: © DELTA AIR LINES

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Savvy Travel Tools

These clever gadgets and apps make getting there … and staying there … more fun.

BY KELLY MAGYARICS

Great travel gear makes packing more convenient, the journey more comfortable and passengers less stressed; it can even elevate your experience during your stay. Upgrade your vacation with these must-have products (and technology) that go the extra mile.

BRIGGS & RILEY ESSENTIAL CARRY-ON SPINNER

Chock-full of features, this suitcase is up for both short jaunts and around-the-world adventures. Inside, one-touch CX expansion gives you more room at the touch of a button, a tri-fold garment folder and garment panels prevent wrinkles, and mesh lid zip pockets keep accessories accessible. Outside, the aircraft-grade aluminum telescoping handle, shock-absorbing 360-degree spinner wheels and corner-guard protection are built to last; and thoughtful details include dedicated pockets for phones and passports. $699. briggs-riley.com

BASMARY CLOTH INFLATABLE POOL HAMMOCK

Tired of buying overpriced, poor-quality floats on every beach vacation, only to have them barely last the entire week? Tote along this inflatable hammock on your next allinclusive tropical trip for hours of fun in the sun. The mesh fabric center comfortably sus pends you in the water while the buoyant pillows support your neck and legs. Designed for water lovers aged 15 and up, the float deflates to fit into its carrying case. $31.99. basmary.com

HONEYDEW SLEEP SCRUMPTIOUS TRAVEL PILLOW

Lumpy or flat hotel pillows don’t make for a restful night’s sleep, leaving you sore and salty instead of ready to tackle the city’s sights. This cloud-like yet dense pillow, designed especially for a side sleeper’s spinal alignment, is the answer. Its curve and shoulder cutout support neck and shoulders, and the copper-infused foam fill is naturally antibacterial and can be removed or added depending on your plump preference. It also works in transit and comes with a carrying case. From $99. honeydewsleep.com

BEE&YOU SUNSCREEN

If you are headed to swim with sea lions in the Galápagos Islands or snorkel with reef sharks in Bora Bora, you’ll need toiletries that won’t hurt the region’s delicate ecosystem. These natural mineral sunscreens made with non-nano mineral zinc oxide are coral reef-safe and free from harmful chemicals, and they won’t leave white residue. Anatolian propolis (a rich bee product) protects, Vitamin E prevents sunburn spots, and shea butter and jojoba oil keep skin smooth. $11.99–18.99. beeandyou.com

SOLO LEROY ROLLING DUFFEL

For those trips where a suitcase is unwieldy but a regular tote bag might be too small or heavy, this rolling duffel offers the perfect compromise. It meets the carry-on requirements for most major airlines and has two front zippered pockets and a separate shoe/ laundry compartment. The shoulder straps are comfortable, but the push-button telescoping handle system and easy-glide wheels make heavier packing effortless. It’ll quickly become your go-to weekender. $141.99. solo-ny.com

MOZZIE STYLE MOSQUITO NET CLOTHING

Are mosquitos keeping you from enjoying your beachfront balcony, campsite or cabin deck at dusk? Rather than douse yourself with toxic chemicals or light all-butuseless citronella candles, try this mesh clothing that works just like a wearable screen. The line includes jackets, pants and blankets made of a super-lightweight, insecticidefree recycled polyester mesh fabric that will keep the bugs at bay. $28.99–42.99. mozziestyle.com

LECTROFAN MICRO2

If paper-thin walls or a room a little too close to the resort disco are keeping you awake, this littlebut-mighty piece of technology will be a lifesaver. The all-in-one sleep sound machine and portable Bluetooth rotating speaker can pair with your smartphone for streaming a relaxing spa-like playlist. Or pump out one of five digital fan sounds; four variations of white, pink and brown noise; and two ocean surf sounds. $34.95. soundofsleep.com

POKE A DOT ORGANIZER

From Bluetooth speakers and phone chargers to point-and-shoot cameras and extra lenses, travelers pack a lot of technology these days. Keep it all tidy and in one place with this organizer. The rigid box with a lid has rows of holes along the bottom into which eight included plastic dividers can be configured horizon tally, vertically or diagonally. It’s also perfect for beauty junkies to keep brushes, makeup and hair products at the ready. $19.95. pokeadotorganizer.com

ALLTRAILS APP

When you find yourself away from home with some time to take a hike but don’t know where to start, this app will show you the top trails, no matter your location. Filter by distance, difficulty, length, elevation, traffic or rating; or seek out spots that have waterfalls, lakes, views or are suitable for kids, dogs or wheelchairs. User reviews and photos tell (and show) exactly what to expect. GPS-based navigation ensures you don’t get lost, and a download feature on the premium version proves helpful in remote areas with poor cell signal. Regular version free; premium version $35.99/year. alltrails.com/mobile

FLIGHTAWARE APP

Plane nerds geek out at this app, which provides real-time flight tracking details includ ing the airline, aircraft, flight number, origin, destination, altitude, ground speed, and departure and arrival times. It’s a must if you are sweating it out on the plane wondering if you are going to just make — or just miss — that close con nection, or if you are picking up someone at the airport. It’s also great fun to armchair travel and daydream you’re on that flight to Fiji. Free. flightaware.com/mobile

DAYUSE APP

There is nothing worse than getting to your hotel after a long-haul overnight flight and finding out your room won’t be ready for another few hours or more. Rather than stumble around a city jet-lagged, book a hotel accommodation for a few hours for up to 75 percent off an overnight rate. With more than 7,000 hotels in 25 countries, you’re bound to find a place to rest, and you can cancel for free up until the last minute. Free. dayuse.com

REBTEL

Rather than relying on WiFi to make a call or buying a local SIM card when overseas, download this helpful app. It connects your cellphone to local phone lines in 51 countries so you can make that restaurant reservation when you are out and about or call to check on the family at home without worrying about hefty per-minute charges. Price varies according to calls. rebtel.com

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The Beverly Hills Hotel announces the reopening of Bar Nineteen12.

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Lisbon offers travelers an array of cultural attractions. Add these 10 spots to the list for your next visit.

Global Traveler recently debuted its redesigned app, making it easier than ever for subscribers to access the magazine. Available to download from the App Store or Google Play, the app offers subscribers a digital version of our magazine along with special features including on-demand narra tion and article-sharing options.

Soak up the end of summer in Southern California at Pendry San Diego, where you can explore the city and its glorious sunshine with a special 15 percent savings on the hotel’s best available rates with any booking made 14 days or more in advance. Pool, dine, drinks (repeat) — all while stay ing in the heart of the city at Pendry.

The luxurious beachfront Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa sits in a central Cabo San Lucas location within walking distance of the marina and Medano Beach. Enjoy opulent rooms, many with private balconies and hot tubs, as well as two infinity pools and the area’s highest rooftop bar.

Azamara offers Taste of New Atlas Bar across its entire fleet.

New and Noteworthy

Set your sights on the unique and upscale hotel openings of 2023. BY

MARK CHESNUT

As the world continues to emerge from the pandemicera slowdown, hoteliers move aggressively to satisfy the evolving tastes of upscale travelers with an array of new hotels.

According to a recent report from Lodging Econometrics, the top countries for new hotel development are the United States and China, but luxury-seeking travelers will find a variety of enticing new options around the globe.

Here are some of the most noteworthy openings in the pipeline for 2023.

IN THE UNITED STATES, the nation’s capital prepares to welcome several new hotels next year. Among the largest new

properties is Marriott Washington DC NE, which opens in spring 2023 at NoMa CNTR, a mixed-use development with ex tensive dining and shopping venues as well as luxury residences. The 235-room hotel will feature a restaurant and a rooftop bar.

French industrial architect and designer Philippe Starck will make his mark in Washington with MOB Hotel, the first of five hotels planned for North America. The property will exude a decidedly artsy vibe, with a variety of cultural programming and

Height of Sophistication: Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences exterior and sky lobby fine-dining restaurant

PHOTOS: © THE ARCHITECTURAL TEAM, IMAGE BY BINYAN STUDIOS, © STONEHILL TAYLOR

concerts scheduled throughout the year. Also about to open next year in Washington, D.C., are Arlo, a 420-room boutique property located near the H Street corridor, and a second Royal Sonesta, a 274-room hotel that opens in spring 2023 near Union Station.

Farther up the Northeast Corridor, check out one of the newest upscale hotels in Boston, Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences. The 147-room property features five food and beverage outlets, a spa, indoor pool and rooftop garden terrace.

Travelers to the Windy City, meanwhile, will find a new luxury option when The St. Regis Chicago opens its doors in early 2023, complete with a spa, indoor pool and a 5,000-square-foot ballroom.

In central Florida, new hotels in the works include the 433-room Conrad Orlando, which opens in summer 2023 on Evermore Bay as part of Evermore Orlando Resort, a fresh revamp of the former Villas of Grand Cypress development. Guests will enjoy access to two Jack Nicklaus-designed, 18-hole golf courses, among other amenities.

San Antonio, Texas, is yet another city experiencing hotel growth. New properties for 2023 include The Otis Hotel San Antonio, the city’s first Autograph Collection property; Arista San Antonio, a 112-room property in the River Walk area; and a new InterContinental property that’s the result of a $50 million overhaul of the

former Wyndham San Antonio River Walk.

Foodies may want to head west in 2023 to sample the works of Chef Charlie Palmer, who partnered with hotelier Christopher Hunsberger to found Appellation, a new hotel brand that aims to blend culinary and hospitality elements in new ways. The launch properties include Appel lation Sun Valley in Idaho and Appellation Healdsburg in California’s Sonoma County.

Also on the West Coast, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts prepares to place its highly regarded brand on a classic hotel in Long Beach,

Ready to Relax: Conrad Orlando spa garden (left), and The Otis Hotel San Antonio guestroom (below)

PHOTOS: © HILTON, © THE OTIS HOTEL SAN ANTONIO

In the Swim: Cabot Saint Lucia (top), Son Bunyola Hotel exterior rendering (bottom left), and Sandals Dunn’s River SkyPool Suite (bottom right) PHOTOS:

California, when Fairmont The Breakers, Long Beach opens its doors following a massive upgrade to the original 1920s structure, which once attracted celebrities from around Southern California. Nature lovers, meanwhile, won’t have to give up on creature com forts when they visit Utah’s Zion National Park next year. Spirit Zion will open in summer 2023 with 36 one- and two-bedroom suites and four five-bedroom homesteads along Clear Creek Mountain. Similarly surrounded by natural beauty is Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort, a renovated and rebranded property located on 81 acres along the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawai‘i.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN also score big with new luxury developments. In Los Cabos, Mexico, for example, a new Park Hyatt and Four Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas

at Cabo del Sol will both debut next year, while on Mexico’s Carib bean coast, new properties include The St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya, and Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai, both located within the new Kanai resort community. The St. Regis will entice guests with a 20,000-square-foot spa and wellness center, while Edition at Kanai will boast a 2,217-square-foot penthouse suite.

In the Caribbean top new properties include Cabot Saint Lucia, located on a 375-acre peninsula with a Coore & Crenshaw-designed 18-hole golf course. In Jamaica, Sandals Dunn’s River, slated to open in May 2023, features a private catamaran, villa-style accommodations and SkyPool suites with private infinity pools.

New hotels in Central America include Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo –Panama City, a 159-room property set partially in a restored historic building in Panamá City’s trendy Casco Viejo neighborhood.

Ocean View: A look inside the Coyaba Sky Villa Swim-Up Rondoval Butler Suites (top) and Tufa Terrace One Bedroom SkyPool Butler Suites (bottom) at Sandals Dunn’s River

PHOTOS: © SANDALS RESORTS INTERNATIONAL

EUROPHILES WILL FIND lots of new reasons to travel next year. The Peninsula Hotels, for example, will debut two proper ties: The Peninsula Istanbul, which opens in February 2023 in the Turkish capital’s Karaköy district, and The Peninsula London, which opens in April 2023 with views of Hyde Park Corner and

Wellington Arch in the upscale Belgravia district.

Also new in London, Mandarin Oriental Mayfair debuts in early 2023 on Hanover Square with 50 guestrooms and 79 residences as well as a spa and a restaurant headed by Michelin-starred chef Akira Back. The company also prepares to launch Man darin Oriental, Costa Navarino, a 99-room property set to open in spring 2023 with 48 “pool villas” in Greece’s Peloponnese region.

Rosewood Hotel Group is also in growth mode in Europe; next year it will unveil two new properties: Rosewood Munich, which opens in early 2023 within two historic buildings on Kardinal-Faulhaber-Strasse, in the historic city center, and Rosewood Amsterdam, set within the former Palace of Justice overlooking Prinsengracht, one of the city’s legendary waterways.

Globetrotters looking for a stylish new option in Spain, meanwhile, might consider Son Bunyola Mallorca, a 26-room hotel, part of the Virgin Limited Edition portfolio, in Mallorca’s Tramuntana region. Scenic water views will likely also prove a big draw at Ikos Odisia, a resort slated to open in May 2023 on the Greek island of Corfu. The all-inclusive property will feature suites, bungalows and villas as well as menus created by Michelin-starred chefs and an array of spa experiences.

Water Views: Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino beachfront (top), and Ikos Odisia (bottom)

PHOTOS: © MANDARIN ORIENTAL, © IKOS ODISIA

London Calling: Mandarin Oriental Mayfair restaurant (top) and accommodations (bottom)

PHOTOS: © MANDARIN ORIENTAL MAYFAIR

Luxury Lifestyle: W Sydney WET Deck rendering (top), and Aleenta Retreat Spa (bottom)

LOOKING TO AFRICA and the Middle East, Tswalu Kalahari, billed as the largest privately owned reserve in South Africa, is prepar ing to add a third lodge that promises to be the reserve’s most luxuri ous: Loapi, offering six one- and two-bedroom villas. In Qatar new options include Rosewood Doha, to feature 185 rooms and suites, eight dining venues and an entertainment lounge. Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab will debut next year on one of Dubai’s private beaches with 386 rooms, four penthouses and views of the Arabian Sea.

OUTSTANDING NEW HOTELS in the Asia Pacific region include Bellustar Tokyo, on the 39th through 47th floors of the new Kabukicho Tower, billed as Japan’s largest hotel and entertainment complex ediface.

In Australia, W Sydney plans to open in the second quarter of 2023 on the Darling Harbour waterfront. The 585room property, set in a new development called The Ribbon, will be the largest W hotel in the world.

Visitors to China can choose from new properties including Hotel Nikko Changshu, located in Changshu National New & Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone in Changshu city, and Hotel Nikko Chengdu Yixin Lake, located in the center of business-popular Chengdu.

Wellness-minded travelers may consider an inspiring retreat at a new hotel in Thailand called Aleenta Chiang Mai Resort & Spa, set to open in January 2023. Part of Akaryn Hotel Group, the resort will offer a spa and wellness center focused on customized medical and wellness retreats, with holistic treatments and programs centered around diet, nutrition and mental well-being. On-site staff will include a doctor, nurse and “master healer,” assuring a visit that combines sumptuous amenities and healthful activities.

PHOTOS: © MANDARIN ORIENTAL, © ALEENTA

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