TCT 40

The

Corporate Traveller

summer 2011 No. 40

Brussels Airport unveils 460 million euro development plan

“This is ground control” Interview with Steve Lewry, Air Traffic Controller

CityJet

back on course Interview with CEO Christine Ourmières

Flights into the US The latest developments

Business Class

Special

Eurostar – new identity, new competitors and new ambitions Interview with CEO Nicolas Petrovic THE

BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS

MAGAZINE

FOR

THE

CORPORATE

TRAVELLER

IN

THE

BENELUX

Corporations

Discover total travel control and a world of new opportunities Managing global and local corporate travel requirements efficiently and effectively has always been a challenge. Until now‌ Amadeus delivers everything you need:

Look forward to total control of your corporate travel programme; intelligent solutions that are compatible with the service, technology and content providers of your choice; superior duty of care and enriched traveller experience; intuitive IT that sources, searches and books all the content you need; plus unrivalled competence and a proven track record in migration, support and security.

Discover a Brighter, Bolder, Better world of corporate travel today!

To find out more, contact us or visit www.amadeus.com/corporations tdebruijn@benelux.amadeus.com - M: +31 (0)62 383 2269

The

Corporate Traveller

content

Industry News 004 The Journal

THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER IN THE BENELUX

CIRCULATION 26.000

DIFFUSION

News from the travel industry

008 Eurostar – new identity, new competitors and new ambitions A new Eurostar was born last year. Now an

CityJet’s history has included a merger with former Belgian airline VLM and its own takeover by the Air France-KLM group. CityJet’s CEO Christine Ourmières tells us about CityJet’s positioning and the course she has set for the airline to return to profitability.

046 b.flex - the travel formula for the modern businessperson

PUBLISHED BY LEO bvba 1, rue des Ixellois, 4000 Liège, Belgium Tel: 0032 (0) 4 224 7871 Fax: 0032 (0) 4 226 9484

047 Flights into the US – the latest developments

E-mail: jp@eventbox.be

PUBLISHER

Carriers are optimising transatlantic networks

Erik De Ridder – E-mail: edr@eventbox.be

Joanna Pays, Angela Antrobus, Jeroen Coteur, Jacques Legros

043 CityJet back on course

between three rail companies.

4 issues per year

EDITORIAL TEAM

Air Ways

independent operator, no longer a joint venture

PUBLICATION FREQUENCY

MANAGING EDITOR

We spoke with platinum status frequent flyer Pieter Ceulen, who is based in Belgium.

Belgium, France, Luxemburg and The Netherlands

Jean Paul Talbot – E-mail: jp@eventbox.be

040 The Corporate Traveller Interview Pieter Ceulen

through alliances and some are even announcing

Business Class Special 012 Evolutions in Business Class Business class travel is enjoying a rebound and

cuts in capacity. We look at the latest news and trends in flights to the US.

Airports

airlines have been tailoring their products to fit with needs of today’s corporate traveller.

ART DIRECTOR Bert Wagemans

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions to The Corporate Traveller cost € 150 per year (excluding VAT). Costs of delivery to destinations outside of Benelux and France are in addition to this price. Student subscriptions cost € 90 per year (including VAT).

A student card is necessary to obtain a student subscription.

015 The Business classes preferred by Belgian travellers Which “business” products are most appreciated

by Belgian business travellers? How do they perceive the “business” products offered by airline companies?

The project includes new structures and facilities

Subscription requests can be made in writing, mentioning your name, job, title, company name and delivery address. Subscriptions are for a period of one year, and are automatically renewed until revocation. Revocation of subscriptions must be made in writing two months prior to the end of the subscription period.

ADVERTISING ERIK DE RIDDER Tel: 0032 486 13 13 13 – E-mail: edr@eventbox.be

050 Brussels Airport unveils 460 million euro development plan

016 Business Class Special Presentation of 15 business class experiences

to provide more passenger services and accommodate the airport’s expanding network.

Travel Management

Hotels

033 The new corporate traveler: social and smart

052 Designer Hotels – Christian Lacroix and Missoni

A new generation of corporate travelers is

Designer hotels, showcasing a total lifestyle concept

TRAFFIC

emerging. A generation that communicates 24/7

inspired by haute couture, are starting to spring up

HILDE DE RIDDER – E-mail: Traffic.leo@telenet.be

with natural flair and for whom being connected

around cities in Europe and the Middle East.

DESIGN LEO BVBA

always and everywhere is elementary.

034 Air Canada Executive First Suite

PRINTING Schaubroeck, Nazareth

COVER Istockphoto

COPYRIGHT No extracts from this publication may be used, repeated or copied without express authorisation from the editor. Except The Corporate Traveller, LEO bvba also edits Experience Magazine, My Land Rover Magazine and Toys & Games Magazine.

ISSN 1387-2400

Destinations 054 Mauritius - Island of Temptations Mauritius is above all an island endowed with

036 Centralised Meeting Management Soon to Be Indispensable?

unparalleled hotel infrastructure of the highest quality. This quality Mauritian hotel style has rapidly

Meeting management has the wind in its sails. It was

conquered another type of market: the incentive

carried over from America and has been a hot topic

travel market.

in Europe for a number of years already - not just for multi-nationals but for domestic large and medium-

Lifestyle

sized businesses that have specific incentives to use it.

056 Sennheiser CXC 700

Insider 038 This is ground control Interview with Steve Lewry, Air Traffic Controller

With the CXC 700, audio specialist Sennheiser is expanding its successful Travel Line with the addition of a set of ear-canal phones with active noise cancellation. | CORPORATE TRAVELLER.NET

summer 2011 | 3

The Traveller Journal News from the travel industry

Paris CDG Terminal 2 to undergo vast renovations Pierre Graff, CEO of the Paris Airports Authority, has unveiled a vast project of renovation works for Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airports’ terminals 2A and 2C. The plans include a futuristic new 16,500 m2 building to link two terminals 2A and 2C together.

The renovations and new building will bring customers additional comfort and services, as well as speeding up security formalities at the airport.

The plans include improvements to the shopping, passport control and boarding areas. To be

Artist Impression of new building at Paris CDG Terminal 2 completed by summer 2013, the project represents an investment of 106 million euros.

Lufthansa to fly daily A380 service to Singapore Lufthansa is launching its third A380 destination in Asia, with daily routes from Frankfurt to Singapore, as from the start of the winter timetable at the end of October.

The A380 on Lufthansa’s Frankfurt – Singapore route (flights LH778 and LH779) will replace the Boeing 747-400 currently used for the service.

The A380 can accommodate 526 passengers, with eight in First Class, 98 in Business and 420 in Economy. With a low fuel burn of 3.4 litres per 100 passenger-kilometres, the jet is about 30 per cent quieter than previous wide-bodied jets.

The airline’s current services from to Jakarta via Singapore are to change from Frankfurt to Munich Airport, also from the start of the winter timetable.

Europcar introduces Privilege loyalty program Romanian low cost carrier Blue Air has commenced direct services between Brussels and Bacau.

Blue Air already operates flights from Brussels to Bucarest and to Constanta but this is the first time that Bacau,

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summer 2011|

located in the Moldavian region of Romania, has been offered as a direct destination from Brussels Airport.

Blue Air is operating the direct flights between the two cities twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, using Boeing 737 aircraft.

GBTA survey of US business travel buyers shows positive outlook The business travel industry is faring better and the economic recovery is continuing to progress according to a recent survey of North American travel buyers by the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).

The annual report, entitled ‘2011 Industry Pulse: Business Travel Buyers’ Sentiment’, surveyed 253 North American corporate travel buyers in March 2011. It found that expected increases in air and hotel rates are major contributors to growing corporate travel budgets. “We’re seeing buyers bracing for higher fares by beefing up their budgets, while also looking to get more travellers on the road” said Craig Banikowski, GBTA President and CEO. “Corporate travel buyers will play an increasingly important role as stewards of corporate growth in the face of expected rate and fee increases” According to the report, international travel is gaining momentum. Buyers projected international spend would comprise 34% of total travel spend in 2011, up from 31% of total spend in 2010. 60% of travel buyers feel the economy is doing better than it was one year ago, and nearly as many feel it will continue to improve over the coming year. Although buyers said that more trips and more travellers will continue to increase travel spend, they most often cited increased airline fees and higher fares as contributors to larger travel budgets.

Blue Air inaugurates link between Brussels and Bacau Romanian low cost carrier Blue Air has commenced direct services between Brussels and Bacau.

Blue Air already operates flights from Brussels to Bucarest and to Constanta but this is the first time that Bacau, located in the Moldavian region of Romania, has been offered as a direct destination from Brussels Airport. Blue Air is operating the direct flights between the two cities twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, using Boeing 737 aircraft.

The Traveller Journal News from the travel industry

BCD Travel names Patrick Dom as Sales Director Benelux Business travel specialist BCD Travel has nominated Patrick Dom as Sales Director for Belgium.

He will manage the local sales team under the direction of Jean-François De Mol, Director Sales & Account Management for Belgium.

Etihad to fly to the Seychelles Etihad Airways is to commence operations to Mahé in the Republic of Seychelles, as from November 1 and subject to government approval.

Etihad will operate four return services per week from its home base in Abu Dhabi to Seychelles International Airport in Mahé, using Airbus A320 aircraft with a two class cabin configuration - Pearl Business and Coral Economy.

The Hotel, Brussels, hires renowned architects for room renovations The Hotel, formerly known as the Brussels Hilton, is to undergo renovations by the internationally renowned Spanish architect bureau, GCA. The hotel on the Boulevard de Waterloo was acquired in February, by the Swedish real estate group Pandox AB. The group plans to turn the establishment into a premium segment hotel exuding contemporary and stylish elegance. All 433 rooms will undergo thorough renovations to give a revolutionary layout and contemporary look. The Hotel will remain open throughout the renovations.

Among architect GCA’s many achievements is an impressive list of hotels, shopping centres and office buildings in New York, London, Paris and Dubai. Last year the bureau won the prestigious ‘Hostelco 2010 Award’ for their contribution to the Hotel Arts in Barcelona.

Mercure opens new franchise in Eindhoven Mercure has opened a new hotel in Eindhoven.

The former Amrâth Hotel Pierre has been renovated and renamed as the Mercure Eindhoven.

The four star Mercure Eindhoven offers 60 guest rooms, flexible meetings spaces and a restaurant. It is the 12th property to operate under the Mercure banner in the Netherlands.

Accor ramps up development in Indonesia with 21 new hotels Accor has announced further expansions to its network in Indonesia with 21 new hotels.

The hotels will be distributed throughout the Indonesian archipelago and will add over 4,500 rooms to Accor’s hotel offer in the country.

Accor currently operates 40 hotels in Indonesia, with an additional 13 in various stages of construction.

The 21 new properties just announced will expand the company’s Indonesian portfolio to 74 hotels.

| CORPORATE TRAVELLER.NET

summer 2011 | 5

The Traveller Journal News from the travel industry

From Abu Dhabi to the World Etihad Airways keeps growing!

Since we started out seven years ago, we have spread our wings from our home in Abu Dhabi to almost 70 destinations across the globe. In the future we will continue to add new destinations to our network, as well as strengthen our existing operations in cities such as Brussels.

More to Brussels As of June 2011 there are now eight nonstop weekly flights between Brussels and Abu Dhabi – the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi is a world class business and leisure destination and the gateway to modern-day Arabia. Dubai is also easily accessible from Abu Dhabi international airport, thanks to our Pearl Business complimentary chauffeur service and the luxury coach services for Coral Economy travellers. As World’s Leading Airline*, we offer fantastic flexibility and connectivity for the business traveller between Brussels and Asia, Australia, South Africa and the Middle East.

Tailor-made service for the business traveller Whether flying Etihad’s Diamond First Class or Pearl Business Class you can

Air Canada upgrades Brussels - Canada service Brussels Airport has welcomed the first Air Canada Airbus A330 to arrive at the airport, with a water salute to start the busy summer season.

Air Canada is upgrading its current five-times-a-week service, to offer daily flights from Brussels to Montréal, using Airbus A330-300 aircraft.

The new A330-300 services to Montreal offer 37 Executive First and 228 Economy Class seats. All passengers benefit from seat-back touch screens with over 300 hours of on-demand entertainment.

Travellers in the Executive First Suites enjoy direct aisle access for every seat and a fully flat bed.

6 | CORPORATE TRAVELLER.NET

IATA cuts Airline Industry 2011 profit outlook to $4 Billion The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has downgraded its 2011 airline industry profit forecast, revising it to $4 billion. According to IATA high oil prices, natural disasters and political unrest have been major contributing factors to reduced airline profitability.

The revised profitability estimate of $4 billion for 2011 represents a 54% fall compared with the $8.6 billion profit forecast by IATA in March. “Natural disasters in Japan, unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, plus the sharp rise in oil prices have slashed industry profit expectations to $4 billion this year” said IATA’s CEO Giovanni Bisignani. “That we are making any money at all

summer 2011 |

in a year with this combination of unprecedented shocks is a result of a very fragile balance.

The efficiency gains of the last decade and the strengthening global economic environment are balancing the high price of fuel.”

Volatility in fuel prices remains one of the industry’s major challenges. For each dollar increase in the average annual oil price, airlines face an additional $1.6 billion in costs. Fuel is now estimated to comprise 30% of airline costs—more than double the 13% of 2001. “We have built enormous efficiencies over the last decade” said Bisignani. “In 2001, we needed oil below $25 per barrel to be profitable. Today, we are looking at a small profit with oil at $110 per barrel.”

enjoy the following premium services that will certainly ease your journey: • Door-to-door chauffeur service*** • Flat beds** • Lounges • Food & Beverage Manager • Anytime Kitchen • Fast lane*** • Bonus miles Also in Coral Economy Class you can enjoy our fine dining, over 600 hours of on-demand in-flight entertainment and comfortable seats with built-in connectivity options for your laptop, mobile phone and iPod. Be our Guest! * World Travel Awards 2009 & 2010 ** Product availability may vary according to aircraft *** Service availability may vary according to airport

Airlines report growth in ancillary revenues to over 15 billion euros Recent studies carried out by IdeaWorks and sponsored by Amadeus, reveal that airline ancillary revenues grew to over 15 billion euros in 2010, almost double the figure recorded for 2008. United, Continental, Delta, American and Qantas were the top ancillary revenue carriers for 2010.

The Amadeus Review of Ancillary Revenue Results was carried out by IdeaWorks, a specialised consultancy in the field of airline ancillary revenues. To compile the report, Ideaworks researched the financial filings made by 104 airlines worldwide. The study shows that airlines already engaged in ancillary revenue activities are bringing more products to market and that many of theses airlines are becoming experienced retailers. Branding has been emphasised, pricing is more sophisticated, and an increasing number of features are presented during the booking process.

More specifically, the review revealed that strong revenues are being generated from baggage fees and co-branded credit cards.

The Traveller Journal News from the travel industry

TAP enlarges long haul focus Portuguese flag carrier, TAP Portugal, is now 66 years old.

That does not mean however that the airline is averse to new ideas. The latest long haul additions to TAP’s schedule indicate that the airline is enlarging the scope of its geographical outreach and strategy.

Over the last few years, TAP’s main focus has been on developing the ‘triangle’ connecting Brazil, Africa and Portugal. TAP is undisputedly the leading European airline for flights to Brazil in terms of destinations and frequencies, with over 10 daily flights and has won the World Travel Awards for ‘Leading Airline to South America’ for two years in a row. The introduction, in June, of flights to Porto Alegre, in Brazil’s south east Araci Coimbra, TAP General Manager for Belgium and Luxemburg

region of Rio Grande do Sul, brings the number of TAP’s Brazilian destinations to 10. Rio Grande do Sul is one of the richest regions in the world. Its strong manufacturing, mining and agricultural industries contribute towards Porto Alegre’s position as a key South American business city. TAP expects the majority of passenger traffic on this new link, served by four weekly flights, to be business travellers.

TAP Lounge TAP is also a strong player in flights to the African market.

With the introduction of two new destinations in June, Accra and Bamako, the airline now flies to 13 cities on the continent. “With a choice of 62 frequencies a week to Africa you can see that we intend to expand in this market, as it shows excellent potential for growth” comments Araci Coimbra, TAP’s General Manager for Belgium and Luxemburg.

Until recently TAP’s sole destination in the US was New York. The introduction of five weekly frequencies to Miami, also in June, indicates that the airline is starting to develop its North American offer. “The new Miami route, in addition to our existing New York offer, is significant to our growth strategy” agrees Araci Coimbra. “It illustrates that our previous triangle of Brazil, Africa and Portugal is enlarging, with the addition of North America, to form a four point focus of development for us.”

“Our objective is clearly to develop our long haul offering and the fact that we have a number of A350 aircraft awaiting delivery confirms this” says Coimbra. “The weight of long haul flights in our network schedule is becoming stronger and stronger and that is where we want to move. In this market, 40% of our revenue and 20% of our travellers are long haul passengers transiting via our hub in Lisbon.

Our membership of Star Alliance brings us further transfer traffic and from Brussels Airport we offer four daily flights to our hub, giving corporate travellers an excellent choice and timed to fit well with our onward connection possibilities to Africa, Brazil and the US.” TAP Portugal’s new routes to Miami and Porto Alegre are operated using A330 aircraft configured with economy and lie-flat business class cabins. Business class passengers also benefit from the use of a lounge at Brussels Airport, as well as a state of the art lounge in Lisbon during transit.

| CORPORATE TRAVELLER.NET

summer 2011 | 7

Industry News

Interview with CEO Nicolas Petrovic Joanna Pays

Eurostar – new identity, new competitors

and new ambitions

A new Eurostar was born last year. Now an independent operator, no longer a joint venture between three rail companies, Eurostar is readying itself to face tough competition, following EU legislation to open up the European rail market. “Not a threat, but an opportunity” says, Nicolas Petrovic, CEO of Eurostar.

UU new Eurostar livery

ZZ Eurostar CEO, Nicolas Petrovic

UU Standard Premier

E

urostar was created, in 1994, as a partnership between SNCF, SNCB and London & Continental Railways.

To meet changing times, Eurostar International Limited, a single corporate entity was formed in September 2010. The rebranding of Eurostar sees the deployment of a new visual identity and a wider reaching strategy.

“The formation of the new company was essential for us as the first step in our more European-wide strategy” says Nicolas Petrovic. “The opening up of the market will bring us competitors in the form of other rail operators but at the same time it gives us opportunities to expand in Europe. The integrated company means we can better manage our service offering, simplify our business and reduce our cost base. Most importantly, and at the core of our strategy, being integrated means that we

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can further invest in our assets, especially in our rolling stock.”

700 million pounds sterling investment in rolling stock

Eurostar has announced a 700 million pounds sterling investment in rolling stock, to include refurbishment of its 27 trainsets and the delivery of 10 interoperable trains designed to run over different European high speed lines. The first train refits will be completed by 2013, while the new e320 trains will be delivered in 2014. “Our aim is to give the best possible comfort per seat in Europe, with the best onboard service” says Petrovic.

For the time being Eurostar is not ready to confirm the destinations to be served by the cross border trains but Amsterdam has been mentioned as one possibility. “Yes Amsterdam is a big market so we would certainly look at that” says Petrovic “but we will look at a variety of options.”

European rail market open to competition

Eurostar currently captures 80% of the passenger traffic on the two routes between London and Paris and London and Brussels, while the remaining 20% fly.

Competition is about to arrive in another guise, from continental high speed rail carriers.

At the beginning of 2010, new EU legislation on rail, known as the Third Railway Package, broke down national barriers

and opened up the European rail market. Operators such as Deutsche Bahn are already talking of plans to introduce routes to the UK. How will Eurostar face this new competition?

“It will serve to create more interest from continental customers about travelling by rail in general and my view is that if we grow the overall market that is a good thing” says Petrovic.

“The market is open for competition, so we expect the whole market to grow. Its no longer the same playing field of London, Paris and Brussels, its about the link between the UK and the continent. With the opening of competition and our new rolling stock, we have the opportunity to go directly on to the continental markets with different destinations. Even before that happens, we are being pragmatic and looking at opportunities for development such as codesharing, which doesn’t exist yet with railways.

We are already in partnership with some operators in the UK and on the continent with Thalys and TGV. We want to push this further and are already in talks with some other rail carriers.

Our objective is for people to travel further by rail instead of taking planes for short haul.

Already one quarter of our passengers travel beyond our core destinations, with connecting trains. This is already quite a lot but we want to double this figure and reach a wider market.”

Innovations

As it prepares to meet the competition, Eurostar has made a series of announcements on innovations to attract the business customer. Over the last

three months, Business Premier class has seen the introduction of menus from Michelin-starred chef Alain Roux and a guaranteed boarding service for passengers who want to be sure they have a place on the first available train.

Business Premier passengers can check-in just 10 minutes prior to train departure and benefit from lounges in Brussels, Paris Gare du Nord and London St Pancras International stations. Enhancements to the lounges at Paris Gare du Nord and Brussels Midi station are in the pipeline, as are improvements to the Eurostar terminals themselves, in order to improve passenger flow.

Eurostar was an early adopter of the intermediate cabin class, between economy and business with its Leisure Select offer.

Leisure Select has recently been modified to offer greater ticket flexibility and renamed Standard Premier. Although the concept remains the same, Standard Premier offers greater appeal to corporate travellers whose travel policies do not extend to business class, but who find economy class inadapted to their needs. “When we introduced the intermediate service, quite a few people were surprised but it was the direct result of customer feedback in terms of what they wanted” says Petrovic. “Its all about doing what the customers ask us to do, so we are segmenting and delivering that. The refurbishments and new trains are also about delivering what our passengers want. The next step we are focusing on is the digital area and as part of this we will be introducing mobile check in, later this summer. Its all about constantly innovating.”

UU Eurostar Business Premier Lounge

A key link between the UK and the continent

Currently around 70% of Eurostar’s traffic emanates from the UK, but the operator’s plans are to attract more passengers from the continent.

“We have been working a lot on this over the last two years and our growth in customers from France, Belgium, Holland and Germany has seen a double digit rise, so this

continental traffic is catching up with our UK traffic” says Petrovic. “20 million people a year fly between the South East of England and Belgium, France, Germany, Holland and Switzerland. Eurostar carries 10 million passengers, so there is a lot of potential for us. With the new open market and our new company, our objective is to position ourselves as really the key link between the UK and the continent.”

| CORPORATE TRAVELLER.NET

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management

Rebuilding Direct Corporate Contacts Amadeus is a company that is constantly in motion. Standing still is the same as going backwards, especially when it comes to technology. Amadeus is constantly looking for opportunities to strengthen its team of co-workers and recently brought in Thomas De Bruijn as Business Development Manager. The Corporate Traveller spoke with him about his past, his new challenges at Amadeus, and his objectives for the years to come.

What was the career path of Thomas De Bruijn prior to Amadeus?

T

homas De Bruijn: “I studied Small Business & Retail Management. It was a really broad course covering all the facets encountered in business - including the commercial, marketing, sales, and even legal and accounting aspects. Before Amadeus, I was responsible for direct and indirect sales for the entire software portfolio of an international software company.

While working in that capacity, I dealt with the larger corporate entities in the Benelux countries, Scandinavia and Germany.”

How did you arrive at Amadeus?

“Amadeus contacted me to ask if I would be interested in coming to work for them. Amadeus is of course a really great company with a tremendous reputation with a huge position in the market.

On top of that, the role of Business Development Manager allows me the opportunity to branch out more broadly than my previous position, in which I dealt more with commercial sales. Business Development is somewhat more extensive, because in addition to sales and marketing, it’s also about building products from scratch and making them into a successful product on the market. That’s where I saw the big challenge, especially given the new strategy of Amadeus Benelux.”

Can you tell us a little bit more about the new strategy of Amadeus Benelux?

“In the past, Amadeus had already established direct contacts with corporations, in which the

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ZZ Thomas De Bruijn

clients were serviced by our resellers in the Benelux countries. Between 2003 and 2008, the contacts were handled by the so-called e-Travel division. At the end of last year, Amadeus Benelux set up a Business Development unit tasked with the goal of finding new opportunities and revenues. One of the important pillars of this unit is the renewed expansion of direct relations with the corporate market in order to improve synergy with our clients: to understand better what our clients are facing, what’s possible and not possible and what the needs of the market are. We are then able to take a look at the technology needs and use the information - together with feedback from our resellers and the trends in the market - to develop new products that bring solutions to our customers’ requirements.”

What does your set of responsibilities encompass?

“My set of responsibilities is comprised of different elements. One of them is building direct contacts with corporations in the Benelux countries. I work towards expanding my network with companies that use the Amadeus e-Travel Management solution, but also with other companies that can help us understand the market better.

Another of my areas of responsibility is setting

up partnerships and developing new products for corporations on the basis of information we get from the market. I am also tasked with expanding the partner strategy with our resellers.”

What have been you been working on during your first six months at Amadeus?

“The training period was rather short, as I pretty much started work right away. Of course, as I was not previously active in this industry, the most important thing to do was to get the best possible overview of the travel sector. I did so by reading a lot of things, but also by speaking with different businesses, visiting trade shows, making contacts with the NATM, BATM, and so on, all with the aim of learning about everything that’s going on. So that’s how I obtained a better picture of the industry. In addition to that, I participated in a number of training sessions to get to know Amadeus products better.”

“Right now, we have a product on the market that was developed locally a number of years ago that we will continue to expand further and relaunch for corporations. So for corporate entities, we offer a complete platform for an end-to-end travel process. Expanding our local development figures very high on the agenda of Amadeus and I am very closely involved in this activity.”

What does Thomas De Bruijn’s typical working day look like?

“I would say that the typical working day does not exist. No single day is ever the same. The elements that keep recurring are direct contacts with corporations in the Benelux countries, working with sales and with resellers and continuing research of demand in the marketplace. And I spend a great deal of time visiting with clients, or with other companies.”

I imagine it’s not so simple getting accustomed to the rich inventory of products and systems that Amadeus has.

“I had the great advantage that I came from the realm of software and technology sales. So I have a great affinity for technology. I noticed immediately that Amadeus products were put together in such a way that they are actually very easy to understand in principle. Since everything is portrayed graphically - what you see is really what you get - getting to know it all went very well.”

What are the strongest points of Amadeus that you highlight to your customers and contacts?

“Amadeus is a technology provider with many years of experience in planning technology and successfully launching it onto the market.. The large number of customers that Amadeus has worldwide is proof of its success. Everyone in the travel world knows Amadeus. It is a company that really needs no further introduction.”

What do you see as your own strong points?

“Of course, it’s always really hard to talk about yourself. But I do think that my affinity and background in technology are certainly assets. I also think that I bring a fresh new view to the travel industry with me. That is something that is quite unique. I don’t really have a background in travel, and that’s why I often look at things very differently from some people who have been active in the industry for a while and know much more about it. This interaction often leads to a creative process. The combination of knowledge about the travel world - which has a very strong presence within Amadeus - with a new perspective makes for truly fruitful synergy.”

| CORPORATE TRAVELLER.NET

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management

Business class travel is enjoying a rebound and airlines have been tailoring their products to fit with needs of today’s corporate traveller. Whether by increasing comfort levels - or by introducing intermediate cabin classes for those with reduced travel budgets, airlines are finding new ways to tempt passengers to upgrade. Here are some of the latest evolutions.

Evolutions in Business Class Revamped business class

I

UU Air France Premium Voyageur

n March KLM launched a revamped business class for European flights.

The new product provides travellers with more seat comfort and, as the middle seat will always be left empty, 50 percent more room per passenger than before. Priority ground services and catering have been improved, with high quality menus offering a range of choices. “Extensive research among KLM business class passengers revealed a clear need for a better, more comfortable service to enable passengers to work or relax on board” says Erik Varwijk, Executive Vice President KLM Commercial. “Europe Business Class is being introduced on all flights in Europe that are operated by KLM or KLM cityhopper. This amounts to around 500 flights a day, to more than 60 destinations.”

Delta too is making investments, in its BusinessElite class. Improvements include the installation of 180 degree lie flat seats on its entire wide-body fleet by 2012. “The real game changer is our one-two-one seat configuration for business class, which really means direct aisle access for all passengers” says Frank Meditz, Delta’s Product Director EMEA. “Around 30% of our transatlantic fleet is already fitted with the new seats. In addition we have contracted renowned chefs to make sure food and wine are top notch. We have seen a revival in business class travel but these customers are price conscious and looking for extra comfort elements, like the lie flat seats. That’s why we are making these investments - to offer a good price-quality ratio that makes business class attractive to customers.”

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Air France worked with ergonomics specialists and customer panels for the design of its new seats for ‘Affaires’ business class. The seats, which are being installed on all of Air France’s long haul aircraft, are wider, longer and have fitted footrests. After three months of operations and a survey carried out among customers, the new long-haul business class seat has been praised by 97% of them, who consider the seat’s comfort in sleeping position as ‘good’ to ‘excellent’.

Added value ground services

Since the opening of the separate Arrivals Terminal at Doha International Airport in December 2010, Qatar Airways has further enhanced it’s

VV Delta Sky Club Bar

YY Delta BusinessElite

on the ground services for premium travellers with the launch of a dedicated Premium Arrivals Lounge. The Premium Arrivals Lounge, which caters for Qatar Airways’ First and Business Class passengers, is located landside, after immigration. It reflects the same style and decor of Qatar Airways’ successful Premium Terminal, which was launched four years ago. The Premium Arrivals Lounge allows travellers to freshen up or prepare for business meetings before exiting the airport.

Passengers are greeted with complimentary amenities ranging from all-day dining and a 24-hour breakfast, to business centre facilities and showers where travellers are provided with luxury toiletries and fluffy bathrobes and towels.

United Continental Holdings, formed from the merger of United Airlines and Continental Airlines, is rolling out an array of new services for business class, both in the air and on the ground. Continental’s ‘Concierge Service’ is now available on most of airline’s international routes offering its ‘BusinessFirst’ cabin. The Concierges are a team of over 300 staff especially trained to provide personalised ground services for BusinessFirst customers at 35 key international airports. The Concierges are located at the ticket counters, departure gates, arrivals terminals and at Continental Presidents Clubs and Business Class lounges. More new ground services come in the form of United Continental’s ‘Premium Access’, a package of priority airport services for business and first class passengers. Announced in May, Premium Access is being rolled out at airports across United Continental’s global network over the next few months and should be available at all its airport locations by mid-2012.

United Continental Holdings is well on its way to completing the equipment of all business class cabins in its international fleet with 180 degree flat-bed seats. Continental Airlines’ Boeing 757200 (which operate principally between New York and Europe) and 777 aircraft have already been retrofitted with the lie flat seats in BusinessFirst.

United completed fitting of its Boeing 747-400 and 767-300 with the flat bed seats in 2009 and is currently putting the seats into its 777 aircraft. The seats come complete with power ports, headsets, USB plugs and iPod connectivity for passengers to view their personal videos and music. “With reconfigurations completed on 116 aircraft, United and Continental together offer more flat-bed premium cabin seats than any other US airline” says United Senior Vice President of Marketing Mark Bergsrud.

Continental also has a popular alternative for those BusinessFirst passengers that wish to sleep or work during the scheduled meal service. An ‘Executive Meal Option’ allows them to dine at anytime during the flight.

The new class

One of the major trends in front of cabin has been the new class of passenger comfort introduced by airlines. This new class, positioned between business and economy, is gaining popularity with those looking to maximise comfort despite reduced travel budgets.

VV Qatar Airways Premium Arrivals Lounge

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management

Air France has now deployed its intermediate cabin class, Premium Voyageur on nearly all its long haul networks. Premium Voyageur is doted with specially designed seats with fixed shell and 123 degree recline. They offer 40% more space per seat than in regular economy and come equipped with extras such as larger TV screens and tables, amenity kits and PC power sockets. Passengers benefit from separate check in desks and higher baggage allowances. Access to lounges is possible (for an added fee) but catering is the same as for Air France’s Voyageur economy class. “Our marketing research shows that if passengers have to choose, space and comfort are more important to them than catering” explains Air France-KLM’s Bernard Castel. “Our key target markets for Premium Voyageur are corporate travellers working for small to medium sized companies. It means that even with a travel policy that does not permit business class, these passengers can enjoy a higher level of comfort and services, be able to work on board and arrive in good shape. Our market research showed real demand for this cabin class and we introduced it just before the economic crisis hit, so it was excellent timing for companies with their changes in travel policy.”

In June, Delta finalised equipment of its own version of the intermediate class on all its long haul international aircraft. Delta’s Economy Comfort class offers more seat recline, more legroom and individual power sockets, along with added value services like early boarding and complementary spirits. “We have made upgrades to economy comfort easy and priced them attractively” says Delta’s

14 | CORPORATE TRAVELLER.NET

summer 2011|

Frank Meditz. “For between 80 to 160 dollars, passengers can upgrade a one way ticket to economy comfort before their flight, or at the boarding gate. Customer feedback has been very positive.”

United’s intermediate class, Economy Plus, is to be retained following the merger of United and Continental. It will also be expanded to the Continental fleet as from next year. “Our customers value Economy Plus and the additional personal space that it provides” says Jim Compton, chief revenue officer of United Continental Holdings.

“Customers who sit in Economy Plus are significantly more satisfied with their travel experience, as are travellers who choose other options that enable them to tailor their travel to their liking.”

UU United’s new Premier Accesss

Could these intermediate cabin classes spell the beginning of the end for true business class?

“Not at all” says Bernard Castel. “Business class has returned to pre-crisis levels and we are keeping the same number of seats in business class. For us Premium Voyageur is encouraging more upgrades from economy and we are not losing traffic in business class because of it. The gap between economy class and business is growing as more services are added. Business class has totally evolved over the last 10 years and details that were previously the exception are now considered as standard. This means we have to continue to innovate on all aspects of business class whether it be seats, comfort, space or new technologies.”

VV Air France Business Class

Air Ways

Evaluation study 2011

The Business classes preferred by Belgian travellers Business classes have evolved a lot over the past few years, to the point that they have become products to be marketed separately. Even the term “business class “seems to be disappearing and is being replaced by names specific to each airline company. So, which “business” products are most appreciated by Belgian business travellers? How do business travellers perceive the “business” products offered by airline companies? That is what Corporate Traveller is trying hard to discover…

O

ver the course of the months of April and May last, the editorial staff at the Corporate Traveller gave a Belgian Marketing agency the task of sounding out 500 business travellers in order to identify their preferences in terms of products that we will call generic “business class”. In this general framework, it asked them to spontaneously cite the products they preferred, without any particular aspect, but from the point of view of the global travel experience.

Several findings emerge from the survey. With its first place, Lufthansa shows that it remains a strong and reliable airline company. It is also noteworthy that established airline companies from neighbouring countries are countries are largely praised, including – of course – Brussels Airlines.

From a more general point of view, one may also pick up that the majority of the airline companies occupying the highest positions have put a lot of effort into developing the “business” segment, notably by proposing original and modern products that offer travel experiences that are specific to their company.

With its 9th place, Qatar Airways shows up as the airline that has

made the most progress in relation to the same study which was carried out by us last year. The Qatari company thus confirms its second place received in the category “World’s Best Business Class Airline for customer Product and Service Quality” in the latest Skytrax world-wide study, behind Singapore Airlines and in front of Etihad Airways, both of whom also figure in the Corporate Traveller 2011 rankings.

Having only returned to Belgium since June 2010, Air Canada makes a noteworthy appearance in the national Belgian rankings in 15th place, and this comes after picking up the 1st place award in June in the category of Best Airline North America from the 2010 Skytrax World Airline Awards. One also notes the 16th and 19th places respectively of the Austrian Airlines and Alitalia companies.

Travellers and the business classes

Apart from this ranking of the best business classes, the study also focused on their way of travelling as well as their more general perception of “business” products. In this framework, it also is to be noted that 63% of the business travellers questioned declared that their company had modified their travel policy over the course of the last three years.

In this context, more than half

of these businesses (55%) have restrained long haul business travel. Only 16% of them have affirmed that the modification of the travel policy of their company had not modified the use of the business class.

(24%) came out on top in the sample group response. This was closely followed by the on-

board service (22%), the comfort of seats (22%) and the catering (18%). Check-in facilities (15%), business lounges (12%) and the in-flight entertainment (8%) complete the list of points that the business travellers would like to see improved.

Despite the best efforts made by numerous airline companies to raise the standard of the business class experience, 66% of the travellers surveyed considered that these services had not been improved upon in the last three years. For the 34% of travellers who estimate that the quality of these services were raised during this period, the principal points improved upon were the seat comfort (31%), 2011 Belgian’s on-board service (16%) and Favorite Top 10’ the catering (15%). Others, less numerous, picked up 1 Lufthansa on the efforts of the airline 2 KLM Royal Dutch Airlines companies for the standard Etihad Airways of their airport lounges Singapore Airlines (13%) and check-in facilities 3 Brussels Airlines (12%). Only 2% of the trav4 Air France ellers surveyed estimated

Jet Airways that in-flight entertainment 5 SAS Scandinavian Airlines had been improved.

6 British Airways

Finnair Finally, it had been asked 7 Continental airlines of the total sample group

Japan airlines to cite the points that 8 American Airlines they would wish to see 9 Qatar Airways improved upon in the Swiss International Air Lines domain of business classes 10 Thai Airways in the future. No surprise EL Al Airlines there, as the price factor (14 Austrian - 15 Air Canada - 19 Alitalia)

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factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY AIR CANADA

» COORDINATES Address : Mommaertslaan 20A 1831 DIEGEM Belgium Tel / Fax: 070 220 100 e-mail: Sales@aircanada.nl - Website: www.aircanada.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) A330-300 & B767-300 » NAME BUSINESS CLASS Executive First Class » FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Aeroplan

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes: Maple Leaf Lounges

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No » PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE 3x32 kg

» CATERING An inviting atmosphere, attentive service, presentation that tempts the palate and the senses and, above all, an exquisitely-prepared meal using only the freshest ingredients. For an experience that raises contemporary in-flight dining to new heights, discover Executive First Class.

» BUSINESS SEATS In the Air Canada Executive First® Suite, your comfort is our highest priority. From the moment you settle in, your personal space is exactly that. Every seat has direct aisle access, giving you the freedom to come and go without disturbing anyone. Sleep, work, relax, dine or just stretch out and enjoy the space. At the push of a button, your seat folds to a 191 cm fully flat bed.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT The Air Canada In-flight Entertainment system has been created to make your flight as enjoyable and relaxing as possible. Beginning with a touch-screen TV at your seat, choose from over 300 hours of on-demand entertainment. XM Satellite Radio, movies, TV shows, sports, games, fastforward, rewind, pause, the choice is yours.

» EXTRAS We’ve paid careful attention to the things you’ll notice, but just as much to the things you might not. The cabin lighting, for example, mimics different times of day, to ease you into the next time zone, and minimize jet lag. When traveling internationally, the Executive First Suite offers more than something a little different to put your feet up on. It’s another league of comfort.

» OWN DESCRIPTION The minute you set foot aboard an Air Canada flight, you start to experience the vast difference that is Canada. Room to move. Room to breathe. And no matter where you’re heading, we do our best to provide a welcome that makes every trip feel like coming home Air Canada is the revitalized cost competitive carrier focused on an innovative approach to customer relationships.

Recognized around the world for its customer’s safety, Air Canada’s expanding network provides access to European Travelers to 118 cities in North America and Canada.

Our five star experience is available on the entire international fleet with the Executive First Suites. This concept offers customers very high comfort and sophistication with spacious 180° lie flat seating, featuring video screens with personal video choice, while enjoying a sumptuous choice of menus served in a restaurant style.

Those wanting to work onboard have in-seat laptop power supply and global access telephones.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY AIR FRANCE

» COORDINATES Avenue Louise/Louiza laan 149, 1050 BRUSSELS - Belgium ( Administration) Brussels Midi/Zuid railway station (City Ticket Office ) Brussels Airport (Airport Ticket Office ) Tel/Fax: 070 222 466 E-mail: through www.airfrance.be, “contact us” - Website: www.airfrance.be

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) • AIRBUS 318-319-320-321-330-340-380 • BOEING 747 – 777 • Regional fleet

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Affaires » FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Flying Blue

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes 530 Air France or SkyTeam lounges worldwide, including arrival lounges in selected airports

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes in Brussels for tickets sold in Belgium ( special conditions apply)

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE 1 additional piece checked bags + 2 pieces hand baggage ( max 18kg) on long haul flights

» CATERING Refined details, considerate service, intense flavors, and porcelain tableware. Menus updated every 10 days from Paris. Main course to choose from 4 daliy suggestions. Two reserved bar areas with buffets and refreshments on long-distance flights.

» BUSINESS SEATS The Affaires seat is designed to provide optimal comfort. It transforms into a spacious bed up to 2 m in length. It takes on the shape of the body and guarantees quality sleep.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT 600 hours of programme on wise-screen personal TV’s, including 85 films in 9 languages, popular TV series, 3000 songs, 17 games, language courses, 4 themed TV channels, news and geovision.

» EXTRAS Air France Connect is a new exclusive free service, without subscription or membership, that informs customers of changes and irregularities concerning their trip. Air France and KLM are the first airlines to offer such an extensive proactive information service toon their entire network. This service is free of charge and is available in 8 languages.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Whether customers just want to relax or make the most of their time at every stage of the trip, from booking through to baggage delivery, Business class constitutes a privileged travel experience.

Every stage of the trip has been carefully studied to ensure that Air France customers receive professional, streamlined and efficient service.

At each airport, Business class customers benefit from dedicated check-in desks and priority service at security checkpoints where equipment and legislation make it possible. Once check-in is complete, Business class customers can relax away from the bustle of the airport, enjoy a meal, work in tranquillity or simply rest before take-off.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY ALITALIA – COMPAGNIA AEREA ITALIANA S.P.A

» COORDINATES Avenue Louise 149 Box 30 1050 BRUSSELS – Belgium Tel +32 2 551 11 28 – Fax +32 2 551 11 43 e-mail: marketing.bru@alitalia.it – Website: www.alitalia.be

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) Short/Medium Haul: Airbus A319/A320/A321 - Bombardier CRJ 900 – Embraer E170 Long Haul: Boeing B767, B777 – Airbus A330

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Medium Haul: Ottima – Long Haul: Magnifica » FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM MilleMiglia

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes 5 in Rome Fiumicino: Bramante, Giotto, Borromini, Canova and Le Navi

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No » PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE Magnifica/Ottima baggage allowance: 2 pc/32 kgs » CATERING Magnifica Class menus with specialities of regional traditional Italian cuisine, prepared with fresh products DOP and IGP prepared by internationally renowned Italian Chefs and accompanied by wines chosen by the Association of Italian Sommeliers. Alitalia has won the award for “Best Airline Cuisine” as the best airline company in the world for the quality of its in-flight meals conferred by Global Traveler.

» BUSINESS SEATS Magnifica Class has been completely redesigned with new “full flat” leather seats which extend into a fully flat bed position, with a massage function and an individual 15.4 inch screen.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Our individual in-flight entertainment system offers a variety of on-demand audio and video features (audio channels, films, documentaries, sitcoms, video games, cartoons and TV series). USB ports provide a direct connection for watching videos stored on personal devices.

» OWN DESCRIPTION With the new Airbus A330 aircraft, Alitalia has also introduced the completely renovated “Magnifica” Business Class.

From the moment you arrive at the airport you will begin enjoying the privileges of Magnifica Class.

Exclusive check-in desks and priority boarding allow you to sweep through check-in and board at your leisure. Your Magnifica tickets gives you access to our Exclusive Club lounges where you can relax in a warm and inviting atmosphere before your flight.

Our new multi-function seats are designed to offer you maximum comfort. They recline to a fully-flat position, extending to a length of 74.5 inches. If you want to work or sleep without being disturbed, a handy screen allows you to fly in perfect privacy.

Our individual entertainment systems offer large 15.4 inches LCD screens to access a variety of on-demand audio and video features. USB ports provide a direct connection for PC use or for watching videos store on your personal devices. An individual satellite phone is also provided and a new “Connecting Flights” system lets you view the status of your connecting flights departing from Rome Fiumicino airport directly from your seat.

Our Magnifica Class Menus cater to sophisticated palates, featuring specialities of Italian regional cuisine. Menus are designed by Italy’s leading Chefs and vary from season to season, giving you the opportunity to taste the dishes of a different Italian region each time you fly with us. All meals are accompanied by a selection of fine wines chosen by the Italian Association of Sommeliers. To finish your authentic Italian meal, you will be offered a real espresso coffee and delectable desserts.

In addition to new Airbus A330, a reconfiguration program of the Boeing B777 fleet is also planned, which will lead to an harmonization of the entire Alitalia Intercontinental fleet.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY AUSTRIAN AIRLINES AG

» COORDINATES Austrian Head Office, Office Park 2, A-1300 Vienna Airport Website: www.austrian.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) A319/320/321, B737, B767, B777

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Miles and More

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Lounge access according class of travelling and/or FFP status card (FTL, SEN,HON) Name of the lounge: Austrian Senator Lounges, Austrian Business Lounges, Austrian HON Lounge

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT red|cab- transfer service (paid additional service as part of Austrians red|services; www.red-cab.com)

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes

» EXTRA LUGGAGE 2X32kg, 158 cm per piece maximum, HON/SEN/Star Gold+1 additionalpiece+1 golf equipment except to/from via USA

» CATERING Restaurant service with flying chef o/b; catering partner Do&Co; Viennese coffee house service;…

» BUSINESS SEATS Individual adjustable lie flat sleeper seat with massage function and personal videoscreen

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT LR: 12 video channels; 12 audio channels (video on demand not available)

» EXTRAS Turn-down bedservice on night flights; Austrian care kit, Bordsommelier; noise cancelling headphones; special catering and service on routes to/from Japan.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY BRITISH AIRWAYS

» COORDINATES Website: ba.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) BA777 / BA747 » NAME BUSINESS CLASS Club World » FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Executive Club

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes Galleries lounges

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No » PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE Club World: Checked- in baggage: Three bags - Up to 32kg each BA will waive the heavy bag charge

» CATERING The very best in local and international cuisine is served, along with expertly sourced wines, and if customers are still hungry they can help themselves to tasty treats from the Club Kitchen. Club World’s menus are inspired by some of the world’s top chefs.

» BUSINESS SEATS The Club World seat converts to a fully flat bed and guarantees complete comfort, whether customers want to sleep, eat or relax. In-seat power combined with comfortable design means working onboard could not be easier.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT On-demand entertainment: Customers watch what they want, when they want, with control over their very own entertainment system and noise-cancelling headset offering over 100 movies, TV programmes, 50 music CDs, audio books and 20 interactive games.

» EXTRAS The Galleries Club lounge of Heathrow Terminal 5 offers luxury, fine wines and food and a relaxing Elemis Spa. The Club World London City all-business class service offers a luxurious and productive experience between London City and JFK, with a late check-in, a fast immigration process and an internet access onboard.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Your seat, your bed, your space. Leave the outside world behind you The Club World seat has been specially designed to adapt to your needs, whether you are working, sleeping, eating, or relaxing. It offers four preset seat positions, as well as the flexibility to create your own using the fine adjustment buttons. The 201cm (six feet six inches) “Z” position is perfect for relaxing. Sleep well.

Stretch out in total comfort and privacy on our luxurious bed with the following features: • 63.5cm (25 inches) wide bed • soft mattress • memory-foam headrest • cosy quilt • touch button privacy screen

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES

» COORDINATES 28 rue de la loi - 1040 Brussels BELGIUM Tel/Fax: 02/23 10 103 e-mail : elalbelgium@elalbelgium.be - Website: www.elal.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) BOEING 737

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM

» BUSINESS SEATS Spacious and comfortable seats that supports the entire body and feature a wide footrest to make our passengers feel at home , away from home

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT EL AL offers a full entertainment programme: new films, Emmy winning American series, and Music audio channels.

» OWN DESCRIPTION EL AL is proud to present it’s business class which offers our passengers an upgraded flight experience. Our Business class features comfortable seats, and a great atmosphere to relax or to work during the flight.

The comfort, combined with quality personal service by a crew of skilled flight attendants, will ensure a perfect flight experience.

Matmid Club

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes British Airways lounge in Brussels.

In Tel-Aviv our own lounge-the King David Lounge

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No » PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE 10 kg (33 kg on total)

» CATERING Pampering meals form the Israeli cuisine, and a selection of fine Israeli wines, aperitif and cocktails

EL AL provides an array of exclusive services for our Business passengers: • Special Check-in Counters – Speedy check-in with the assistance of a professional team of • Diversified Culinary Experience.

• State-of-the-Art Individual Entertainment Experience • The King David Lounge in Tel Aviv: The King David Lounge has already earned a reputation in the business community as a meeting place for business associates and a unique venue for conducting business.

The Lounge offers a Business Center equipped with a fax, telephones for local calls, connections for portable computers and internet services.

The Gallery Level of the Lounge features work stations, sitting corners, individual television monitors, showers and massage chairs for your enjoyment as well as the pampering Carmel Forest SpaIs at your disposal to enjoy a massage- free of charge- before your flight.

You are entitled to invite one accompanying passenger (over two years of age) to enjoy the Lounge hospitality as your guest.

The Shalom Service staff in the King David Lounge is at your service to assist in all matters connected to your flight arrangement..

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY ETIHAD AIRWAYS, THE NATIONAL AIRLINE OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

» COORDINATES Culliganlaan 2D Box 3, 1831 Diegem Ticketing desk only at Brussels Airport (near check-in row n°10) Tel/Fax: Tel. 02/714.58.30 Fax: 02/725.81.77 e-mail: brusales@etihad.ae - Website: www.etihad.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) A340-600, A340-500, A330-300, A330-200, A320-200, A319-100, B777-300ER New aircraft types to be delivered within the coming years: A350, A380, B787

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Pearl Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Etihad Guest (www.etihadguest.com). When flying Pearl Business Class, you receive 50% extra miles on top of the normal number of miles.

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes Etihad Pearl Business Class lounge in Abu Dhabi, Brussels Airlines lounge in Brussels

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes (Etihad Chauffeur).

No distance restrictions apply within Belgium and the UAE.

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE Checked luggage: bags with a total not exceeding 30kg. Etihad Guest Silver members receive 40kg.

Etihad Guest Gold members receive 45kg. Etihad Guest Gold Elite members receive 50kg.

Carry-on luggage: 2 bags with a total not exceeding 12kg

» CATERING Your Food & Beverage Manager will help you find the right dish to suit your mood and the perfect accompaniment for your meal. Dine as you like, when you like.

» BUSINESS SEATS Sit back and relax in luxurious seats with 49” seat pitch that stretch out into 6’1”full flat beds.

Placed in 1-2-1 configuration, the seats offer direct aisle access to every Guest.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Enjoy 600 hours of on-demand entertainment on our 15” individual LCD TVs. What’s more, you can recharge your laptop or mobile phone, or connect your personal devices to the system.

» EXTRAS Etihad offers the most convenient and fastest way to travel between Brussels and Dubai! Abu Dhabi International Airport is only a 45-60 minute drive away from New Dubai’s main hotel and business district. On your way back, you can check-in your bags at our dedicated Dubai city check-in, up to 24 hours before flight departure.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Welcome to our Pearl Business Class ; the most luxurious way to fly for business and pleasure.

Discover a style and space like no other, in the World’s Best Business Class as voted by Skytrax 2009 and its 16 million users. From limousines, to lounges, to onboard – experience comfort, luxury and an intimate atmosphere throughout your entire journey.

Explore Etihad’s Pearl Business Class right now by taking the interactive tour on our website.

Etihad currently operates 8 non-stop flights a week between Brussels and Abu Dhabi with convenient onward connections to our destinations in Asia, Australia, South-Africa and of course the Middle East.

Be our Guest!

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY FINNAIR

» COORDINATES Address: Tietotie 11, 01053 FINNAIR Tel/Fax: 24h customer service +358 600 140 140 Website: www.finnair.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) Airbus A340, A330, A321, A320 and A319 Embraer E190 and E170

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Finnair Plus

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes At Helsinki Airport there are two Finnair Lounges and an exclusive Finnair Spa & Saunas

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No » PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE in Business Class; checked-baggage allowance is two pieces (max weight per bag 23kgs), carryon allowance two pieces with a maximum combined weight of 10 kg

» CATERING Finnair’s kitchen is a combination of Nordic cuisine and the best international tastes with an award winning wine cellar. On long-haul flights departing from Helsinki you may pre-order a gourmet menu on the Internet.

» BUSINESS SEATS Comfortable lie-flat or full-flat seats on board Airbus A340 and A330 fleet with space for both work and privacy for an enjoyable flight.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT On board Airbus A340 and A330 a personal entertainment system with 24 music channels, 34 movies and a collection of hit TV programmes in every seat.

» EXTRA’S At Helsinki Airport all departure gates are under one roof in one terminal building with the new lounges and Finnair Spa & Saunas, a unique oasis right next to the gates for the flights to Asia.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Finnair is the fast airline between Europe and Asia. Via Helsinki you will reach 10 magical destinations; Bangkok, Beijing, Delhi, Hong Kong, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai and Singapore comfortably and in style. And in May 2012 we will open our 11th destination in Asia, Chongqing in China. Flying via Helsinki on our modern fleet means fewer emissions and less fuel so Finnair is also your eco-smart choice. Finnair is part of the oneworld alliance, bringing the whole world closer to you on the wings of 11 of the best airlines in the world. Finnair – Designed for you.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY JET AIRWAYS (INDIA) LTD.

» COORDINATES Brussels National Airport - PO Box 10 1930 ZAVENTEM Belgium Tel.: +32 2 709 09 09 - Fax: +32 2 709 09 00 e-mail: infobenelux@jetairways.com - website: www.jetairways.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) • • • •

10 Boeing 777-300 ER aircrafts 12 Airbus A330-200 aircrafts 55 next generation Boeing 737-700/800/900 aircrafts 20 modern ATR 72-500 turboprop aircrafts

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Première » FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Jet Privilege

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Première and First Class passengers have access to the Jet Airways lounges (Jet Airways lounge and Amber lounge)

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes, for Première passengers travelling from Luxembourg » PRIORITY BOARDING Yes, for Première passengers » EXTRA LUGGAGE Allowance to India: 28 kg in economy - 69 kg in Première Allowance to North America: 1 piece max 23 kg in economy - 3 pieces of max 23 kg in Première Extra luggage to India: Mumbia & Delhi: 45€/kg - Chennai: 50€/kg

Extra luggage to US & Canada: 1st piece extra: 50€ - 2nd piece extra: 150USD If extra piece is between 23-32 kg: extra 50USD

» CATERING Our gourmet meals are prepared under supervision of two-stars chef Yves Mattagne and for the Indian Cuisine by Bombay Brasserie, special meals are on request. Jet Airways only uses the freshest and best quality ingredients for all dishes.

» BUSINESS SEATS Our Première has a “herringbone” seat configuration that gives easy aisle access from every seat. It features a revolutionary 180° lie-flat bed. Other facilities include laptop plug-in sockets and telephony

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Individual large screen with integrated on demand entertainment system, with a selection of, best of Hollywood and Bollywood films, television and music.

» EXTRAS Jet Airways service is second to none with a touch of Asian hospitality. Jet Airways aims at excellence in all areas of service on ground and on board: high quality of comfort, service, ondemand entertainment and fine dining. Jet Airways also offers enhanced connectivity, frequency and flexibility.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Jet Airways operates 7 direct daily morning or evening flights to Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai in India from Brussels, London Heathrow or Milan Malpensa. Jet Airways offers seamless connections to 51 destinations within India and 24 international destinations. From Brussels daily direct fligths are offered to New York JFK and New York EWR in the US and Toronto in Canada.

The level of comfort makes the investment for travel in Business versus travel in Economy more attractive, as Jet Airways’ guests arrive at destination relaxed and rested, enabling them to conduct their business appointments without delay and without losing time.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY KLM

» COORDINATES Avenue Louise 149 B-1050 BRUSSELS - Belgium (Administration) Brussels Airport (Airport Ticket Office) Tel: 070 225 335 - Fax: 00 31 20 201 31 45 E-mail: Through www.klm.be , Customer Support/contact us - Website: www.klm.be

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) AIRBUS 330-200, BOEING 747-777-737, MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD-11, Regional fleet

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS World Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Flying Blue

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes KLM Crown Lounge or SkyTeam lounges worldwide

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes In Belgium for tickets sold in Belgium (special conditions apply)

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE 1 additional piece checked bags + 2 pieces hand baggage (max 18kg) on long haul flights

» CATERING Customized top quality of service, Three-course meal devised by world renowned Dutch Top Chefs, including choice between three main courses. Wines selected by an expert “sommelier” Asian meals to/from China, Korea, India & Japan devised together with renowned local Chefs

» BUSINESS SEATS The World Business Class Sleeper seat with privacy canopy is 190cm long and 175 degrees reclinable. A massage unit integrated in the seat provides optimal comfort.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Interactive entertainment thanks to more then 300 CDs, video games, and over 85 movies on wise-screen personal TV’s on demand.

» EXTRAS KLM Connect is a new exclusive service that informs customers of changes and irregularities concerning their journey. Air France and KLM are the first airlines to offer such an extensive proactive information service to their entire network. This service is free of charge and is available in 8 languages.

» OWN DESCRIPTION The KLM World Business Class offers business or leisure customers flexibility and a wide range of choices. Every stage of the trip has been carefully studied to ensure KLM World Business Class customers a professional, streamlined and efficient service. The strong transfer product offered by KLM at Amsterdam-Schiphol airport is the foundation of a high-quality network of direct European and intercontinental connections. At each airport, Business class customers benefit from dedicated welcome and check-in desks and can access our Business class lounges.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY LUFTHANSA GERMAN AIRLINES

» COORDINATES Brussels National Airport Tel: 070 35 30 30 Website: www.lufthansa.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) A380-800/A340-600/A340-300/A330-300/B747-400

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Lufthansa Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Miles & More

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes Business Class Lounge

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No » PRIORITY BOARDING Priority check-in and boarding

» EXTRA LUGGAGE General: 2 bags up to 32kg each Senators/ HON Circle Members/ Star Alliance Gold Members: 3 bags up to 32kg each

» CATERING As your host above the clouds we spoil you with mouth-watering meals: thanks to our cooperation with luxury hotel chains and regional star chefs to ensure that our Business Class passengers aboard selected intercontinental flights to Germany enjoy delicious regional delicacies.

With top-quality menus, these masters of the culinary art shape Lufthansa’s sophisticated concept of in-flight service “Connoisseurs on Board”.

» BUSINESS SEATS The newly developed sleeper seat – the PrivateBed- awaits you. The PrivateBed deserves to be the longest bed in its class: ample of room for shoulders and arms, a completely flat bed with an impressive length of 2m (only a small incline of 9degrees) and last but not least an integrated back massage function. Relaxation, epecially on long flights is guaranteed.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Lufthansa Media World: a wide variety of audio/ video and demand.: cinema films in eight languages, radio and TV programmes, music magazines, CD’s and audio books on demand.

Boundless/ wireless communication on long-haul flights with the Flynet portal.

» OWN DESCRIPTION In our Business Class on long-haul routes you will gain a completely new travel experience. We have created an environment for you in which you can sleep soundly, relax or work. From now on your journey in Lufthansa Business Class will be even pleasanter - as thanks to comfortable innovations in our on-board service you can now enjoy greater exclusivity, flexibility and peace on your flights.

For example, we now offer a choice of three starters. The culinary delights on board are suitably complemented by new tableware designed by Rosenthal. And an individual Express Menu, as well as the optional ‘Breakfast-to-go’, means you can rest for longer, especially on night flights - just one of the ways in which we ensure that you arrive at your destination feeling as relaxed as possible. Sensational comfort awaits you in Business Class on long-haul routes, so you can simply sit back and enjoy your flight.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY QATAR AIRWAYS

» COORDINATES BASTION TOWER, LEVEL 21, PLACE DU CHAMP DE MARS 5 1050 BRUSSELS Tel: 02 511 85 30 - Fax: 02 550 34 09 e-mail: reservationbru@be.qatarairways.com - Website: www.qatarairways.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) A330-200

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Privilege Club

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes Brussels: Business travellers have access to the British Airways Lounge at Brussels Airport Doha: access to the Premium Terminal (arrivals and departures)

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No » PRIORITY BOARDING No » EXTRA LUGGAGE 15kg in cabin 30kg on hold

» CATERING Fine dining on demand with a three-course meal where you have the option to choose from our à la carte menu with an award-winning premium selection of the world’s fine wines and Champagne

» BUSINESS SEATS 24 seats in a 2-2-2 configuration with 170 degree recliner, including a built-in back massage, telephone and laptop power port. 152 cm seat pitch and 52 cm seat width providing plenty of room to relax and stretch out.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Fully interactive on demand in-flight entertainment system featuring - amongst 900 options - a wide range of movies, TV shows and even a personal jukebox to create your own audio list

» EXTRAS At Doha International Airport, Business Class customers can dine, rest or work as they please in our dedicated Premium Terminal.

The Premium Terminal offers full conference facilities, a medical centre, a dedicated duty free shopping, private showers, dedicated attendants and a nursery and videogames room to keep children occupied

» OWN DESCRIPTION Consistently rated as a top-tier Business Class product worldwide, Qatar Airways prides itself in the level of quality and comfort provided to its Corporate Customers.

Qatar Airways is proud to have earned some of the travel industry’s highest accolades for product and service quality: • Skytrax, 2010 - World’s Best Business Class • World Travel Awards, 2010 - Leading Business Class Airline in the Middle East • World Travel Awards, 2010 - Leading Airport Lounge in the Middle East • World Travel Awards, 2009 - World’s Leading Airline Business Class In 2011, Qatar Airways has been named “Airline of the Year” for its outstanding inflight product and operational excellence Experience a liberating sense of comfort and space on board Qatar Airways Business Class.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES

» COORDINATES J.E. Mommaertslaan 20 A – 1831 Diegem Tel/Fax: 02 643 69 20 / 02 643 69 09 E-mail: sales.belux@sas.dk - Website: www.flysas.be

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) A340 / A330 / A321 / A319 / Boeing 737 / MD82/ CRJ900 NG Coming soon: Boeing 737 NG / A320NEOs

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business Class » FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM EuroBonus

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes SAS Business Lounge Lounge access: • SAS Business Class passengers • EB Pandion irrespective of carrier or class • EB Gold travelling on SAS / STAR Alliance, irrespective of class • Star Alliance gold card holders travelling on a Star Alliance partner irrespective of class • Star Alliance Business class passengers • OA passengers holding a lounge invitation • BT Business class passengers and Airbaltic Miles Vip Card holders travelling on BT or SK flights

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes Our SAS Business Class passengers flying on SAS Intercontinental flights can enjoy a free limousine service from and to home (only in Belgium) directly to and from Brussels Airport.

» PRIORITY BOARDING No

» EXTRA LUGGAGE 2 baggage x 32 kg / 2 hand luggage -8kg

» CATERING Enjoy SAS’ renowned Scandinavian World Cooking: superior meal service, carefully selected wines and premium spirits!

» BUSINESS SEATS The SAS Business Sleeper on our long haul flights offers passengers a 52cm wide seat, 155cm seat pitch and 200cm of living space. Seat features include audio/video-on-demand entertainment, a built-in massage function and clever storages for laptops and other items.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT SAS offers a wide selection of music, movies & games on long haul flights. Each seat - SAS Business Sleeper - is equipped with a 10.4” screen and also features a laptop power outlet for added convenience.

» EXTRAS EuroBonus: SAS EuroBonus members receive 200% EuroBonus points when travelling in Business Class.

SAS Credits: SAS Credits gives you as a corporate customer the possibility to collect and earn points called SAS Credits, every time one of your employees travels. Those SAS Credits your company can use for purchasing new flights. Your new flights can be booked in any booking class, even Economy.

Fast Track Security: Business passengers and Economy Extra are entitled to use SAS’ Fast Track Security in Brussels Airport.

SAS is Europe’s most punctual airline! *(Flightstats 2009-2010)

» OWN DESCRIPTION Time is important for you as a traveler. Time is money. Our promise is to minimize your time related to travel and to maximize your value of the time spent with us. SAS guarantees one of the best travel experiences in the industry; from Fast Track security and the unique lounges, to the Scandinavian touch onboard. No one flies more to Scandinavia than we do ... Fly Europe’s most punctual airline!

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY SINGAPORE AIRLINES LTD.

» COORDINATES Evert van de Beekstraat 26 - 1118 CL Schiphol THE NETHERLANDS Tel: +31 88 1618618 - Fax: +31 20 5488829 e-mail: AMS_info@singaporeair.com.sg - Website: www.singaporeair.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) Passengers who wish to travel from Brussels Airport can do so by using the code share services operated by Star Alliance partners through the Singapore Airlines Gateways in Frankfurt (B747/777300), Munich (B777-300), Zurich (A380), Milan (B777-300), London Heathrow (A380) and Barcelona (B777-300).

Passengers can also depart from Amsterdam (B777-200) or Paris Charles de Gaulle (A380).

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business Class » FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM KrisFlyer

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes. Either Singapore Airlines’ own SilverKris lounge in Amsterdam, London, Singapore or any other airport where Singapore Airlines has its own facilities. At all other locations passengers are invited to our partner lounges.

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No » PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE Check-in baggage allowance: 30 kgs - Hand luggage allowance: 2 pieces of 7 kgs

» CATERING Each menu, specially created by our International Culinary Panel of celebrated chefs from around the globe, is complemented with champagne, wines, spirits, liquors, beers and choice beverages carefully selected from around the world.

» BUSINESS SEATS Our latest Business Class seats are the widest in its class. The unique 1-2-1 forward-facing seating configuration offers each passenger unrivalled personal space, direct access to the aisle and the luxury of a high-resolution 15.4 inch widescreen LCD. Each leather seat unfolds to reveal the largest full-flat bed in business class.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT KrisWorld, our inflight experience even other airlines talk about, offers an exhaustive range of over 1,000 entertainment options. This includes audio- and video-on-demand features (audio channels, films, TV series, sitcoms, dramas, variety shows, travel programmes and 3D games). USB ports provide a direct connection for watching videos, pictures or listening to music stored on personal devices.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Singapore Airlines is the first Airline to put the world’s largest passenger aircraft into service, the Airbus A380. Our fleet is among the youngest, most modern and comfortable in the world.

In Business Class, passengers experience the 34-inches wide Business Class seat. The unique 1-2-1 forward-facing seating configuration offers you unrivalled personal space to work. Each leather seat unfolds to reveal the largest full-flat bed, with more room to stretch.

Business Class menus are created by our International Culinary Panel of world-renowned chefs.

Passengers can also select from our list of premium Book the Cook dishes and make their request through our reservations office or a travel agent at least 24 hours before flight departure.

The all-in-one business panel includes an in-seat power supply and USB ports. And when it is time to unwind, a wide array of captivating entertainment options from KrisWorld await on an impressive 15.4-inch high-resolution wide LCD screen. This inflight experience even other airlines talk about, offers an exhaustive range of over 1,000 entertainment options. Featuring 140 movies, 80 actionpacked games and a wide selection from over 170 TV shows including popular sitcoms, dramas, variety shows, sports and travel programmes. For the music lover, there is an extensive selection of 740 CDs and over 22 radio channels, spanning all genres.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIR LINES

» COORDINATES Address: Brussels National Airport c/o Brussels Airlines Departure Hall Tel/Fax: + 32 78 15 53 19 Website: www.swiss.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) A340, A330-300, A321, A320, A319 Avro RJ100

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS SWISS Business

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Miles & More

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes SWISS Business Lounge

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No » PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE 2 bag x 32 kg, 150 € per extra bag, hand baggage: 2x 8kg

» CATERING “SWISS taste of Switzerland” is an innovative culinary concept created by SWISS. A top Swiss chef from a particular canton develop specialities which are then served on board for a three-month period.

» BUSINESS SEATS The SWISS Business Seat features a unique pneumatic air cushion whose firmness can be adjusted to individual taste and which can be also converted into a totally lie-flat two-metre bed.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Wide selection of Newspapers, Magazines and SWISS magazines, Telephone, laptop connections, In-flight entertainment (Music channels, Movies, TV programmes, Video games)

» EXTRAS Furthermore regarding Catering, SWISS passengers can enjoy creatively prepared meatless dishes created by Hiltl, the most renowned vegetarian restaurant in Switzerland.

» OWN DESCRIPTION SWISS Business provides a thorough quality service: in the air and in the ground, throughout Europe and on long-haul routes. Separate check-in, priority boarding and baggage delivery, business lounge access and a wide choice of carefully –selected inflight specialities are just some of the highlights. SWISS is also steadily adopting an innovative seating concept which sets new benchmarks in Business Class comfort throughout its Airbus A340 and A330-300.

The concept includes a new seating arrangement that gives customers high degrees of privacy, room and the freedom to move around, along with greater stowage space. SWISS has been voted “Best Business Class to North and South America” by the readers of Business Traveller Award 2010.

OUR SUMMER OFFERS WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO DRIVE A VOLKSWAGEN www.europcar.be

This summer, drive a Volkswagen and get up to 20% discount by making a reservation, prepaid at least 15 days before departure !

Info & reservations : 02/348 92 12 or www.europcar.be

advertorial

Ramada Plaza Antwerp

invests 1.65 million Euros in the renovation of rooms Since February this year, Ramada Plaza Antwerp has been working hard on redecorating its 210 rooms, bathrooms, corridors and boardrooms. So far, 5 out of 10 floors and a total of 100 bed rooms have already been finished!

T

he ‘Deluxe Rooms’ – the name for the spacious standard room type – are being thoroughly restyled with warm and earthy colours, dark wood, crisp white linens and luxurious fabrics. In case you are not staying in one the many rooms overlooking the fabulous Antwerp skyline, a frame with a black and white picture of Antwerp will surely remind you which city you are staying in!

The facilities of the Deluxe room include free wireless internet, coffee and tea making facilities, complimentary bottled water, flatscreens with a wireless keyboard to check your mails on screen, a safe, a small fridge and even an iron and ironing board.

And did we mention you are spending the night in a brand new Hypnos bed with a comfortable width of 1.80 meters?

VV deluxe room

Perhaps you prefer staying in one of the “Executive Rooms”.

For a small supplement of €25 you are pampered with extras like a bathrobe and slippers and a very handy reading light.

But, more importantly, when booking an Executive Room you are granted free entrance to the Executive Lounge where you can quietly read your newspaper, check your emails, and enjoy complimentary snacks, coffee, soft drinks and even a beer or a glass of wine. Yes, all day!

Together with the rooms, the boardrooms are being renovated as well: smaller meeting rooms which one can use as a ‘break-out’ room, or for smaller meetings up to 10 participants.

As of July 2011 we offer 6 boardrooms.

Are you planning a brief meeting? Why not book a boardroom for € 50 per hour, for a maximum of 8 participants, including a coffee buffet.

“Hip & Healthy” all-in meeting package, only 54 euros per person

The hotel’s most popular meeting package is definitely the Hip & Healthy package. It’s fun, it’s light, it’s tasty and offers an excellent alternative for the more traditional sandwich buffet.

During the breaks, we serve fresh ground coffee, many variations of tea and fresh juices, but also fresh fruit, energy drinks, Danone Actimel, vitamin waters and yoghurt, and even Ben & Jerry’s in the afternoon!

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UU executive room

UU boardroom For lunch we serve a wide range of easy manageable items so you can enjoy your meal just as easy standing up as sitting down: ‘verrines’with original starters, gazpacho, roulades, ciabatta’s, wraps, sushi and vegetables. And because the delicious desserts are served in small portions, we do not mind you taking a selection of chocolate mousses back in to the meeting with you!

For more information about the renovations in the hotel, our room rates and meeting packages, please contact: Sales department: Conference department:

+32 3 2448262 +32 3 2448279

Or via mail: salesantwerp@premgroup.com Ramada Plaza Antwerp Desguinlei 94 - 2018 Antwerpen T +32 3 2448211 www.ramadaplaza-antwerp.com

management

The new corporate traveller:

social and smart A new generation of corporate traveller is emerging. A generation that communicates 24/7 with natural flair and for whom being connected always and everywhere is elementary. With social networks becoming important platforms for information sharing and smartphone adoption further accelerating for the next couple of years, corporate travel management will have to take a proactive stance on the challenges ahead.

T

here’s something about travel and technology that makes them such a perfect match. The travel business was the first to boost online booking and sales about a decade ago, and now traveling is the best way to experience the benefits of mobile technology.

At BATM, we are convinced of the need to provide our members with both awareness and understanding of social media and mobile technology to enhance their competitiveness.

First of all, social media and mobile technology are beyond any doubt drivers of efficiency.

To turn back to the economic downturn one last time, we all know that travel budgets were under pressure. But then again, “doing more with less” is a business adagio that guides all economic climates, good or bad. Social media tools and mobile technology allow the corporate traveller to achieve exactly that. For instance, through the optimization of business trip contacts and meeting locations in advance or by putting information in the cloud to prepare meetings on the go, added value can be created during each business trip.

ZZ Pascal Struyve

There’s a cost optimization opportunity here too: all sorts of pooling (even if it is just taxi sharing) and flexible adaptation to unexpected delays can all be easily realized on the go. As long as you connect with fellow travelers, there will be opportunities. Online networks are way faster in getting the word spread when, for instance, a carrier cancels a flight or temporary closes its airport stand. Online technology also reduces what I would call “sunk cost time” since even unexpected waits can be curbed into efficient time.

Now, that’s all strictly seen from the user’s point of view.

And you can rest assured that the “Facebook-generation” corporate traveller will not take corporate protocols and technology platforms as a given for his or her travel purposes. Business travel managers will have to figure out a way to set up new travel programs that integrate flexibility, compliance and still remain manageable. The latter can be achieved through a closed circuit implementation of the platform.

“Business travel managers will have to figure out a way to set up new travel programs that integrate flexibility, compliance and still remain manageable.”

Another way to reap the fruits of an integrated social media strategy is through learning curves. Social media platforms are well suited to share experiences that in turn serve as input for travel education.

Simultaneously, as this type of information sharing expands, it will present itself as a very useful evaluation tool for travel programs. And as these evaluations trickle down to useful adjustments in the program, the credibility of this new tool will be enhanced even more.

Corporate travel management companies might have mixed feelings in light of the fast development of mobile technologies for business travel purposes. It seems as if all their knowhow is going public without consent, in view of

all the new tools, peer-to-peer feedback and expertise available. In fact, this may very well be. But here’s a clear cut chance of defining and rethinking the capacities and strengths of the sector, of molding them into more client-oriented products and dispersing them through smart channels.

By the end of 2012, some six billion mobile devices will be active around the globe.

25 percent of those will be smartphones, and double that number for business purposes.

Corporate travel management has to be ready to offer increased travel security and relevant content, to create new savings and improve travel experience. The next generation of corporate travelers will expect nothing less.

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management

Air Canada

Executive First Suite As all frequent travellers know, there is Business class and then there is Business class. With its Executive First Suite, Air Canada demonstrates that it is among the best standard bearers in the market.

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omfortable and multifunctional cocoons. Thus, in a few words, one can summarise the 37 business seats on the Airbus A330-300 linking Brussels and Montreal. Comfortable cocoons, firstly, because they provide the traveller guaranteed personal space with an electric seat which is a “full flat seat”. Each seat reclines into a fully horizontal position with the touch of a button, offering a 191 cm (6’3) length bed, or it can be positioned for reading, watching films, working or for eating meals. The simple evocation of these different seat positions brings us to the multifunctional aspect of this truly Executive First Suite.

These seats are screened by curved walls with an oversized tray table, in-seat power and tethered remote control. There is also a 30cm touch-screen TV equipped with noise-cancelling “Sennheiser” headphones. Just a little scrolling allows navigation of a vast choice of videos on demand, sorted by language (English or French) and by subject matter: news, recent films, children’s programmes, games or T.V.

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series, to list only a few of the options. This is not continuous loop broadcasting of programmes, but a genuine system of video on demand (VOD). This system is of genuine benefit for passing the time when one is on a long-haul flight.

In the Air Canada Executive First Suite cabin, haute cuisine is an integral part of this concern for offering total comfort. At dinner, smoked salmon, beef fillet, sablefish, an assortment of cheeses and desserts succeed each other on the menu, to the passenger’s own preference and choice, with carefully prepared fresh vegetable accompaniments and an appropriate selection of excellent wines.

Moreover, the comfort of the trip on board the Air Canada Executive First Suite begins even before your departure. Besides the possibility of on-line check in, or the priority airport check-in specially dedicated to Executive First Suite passengers, your transit and waiting time through the airports of Brussels and Montréal will be comfortable thanks to the Air Canada Lounges. In Brussels, you will have full access to the Star Alliance lounge (of which Air Canada was a founding member). In Canada, the doors of the company’s Maple Leaf TM (Feuille d’ErableTM) lounges will be open to you.

In both cases, these lounges will offer you every amenity and commodity, with wireless Internet and with a wide selection of magazines, drinks, and snacks.

Documents and flight plan In summer, Air Canada operates daily flights with destination Montreal and Toronto. In winter, these flights are assured on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Each flight takes off from Brussels Airport (BRU) at 10.45 to land approximately 7 hours 30 minutes later at Montreal-Trudeau Airport (YUL). Local time on your arrival will be 12.25.

The return journey is an overnight flight which leaves Montreal at 19.45 to land in Brussels at 08.40.

The Canadian airline offers two classes in cabin: its Economy Class and its Executive First Class, fruit of the fusion of the old Business and First classes. The Air Canada Economy Class is well known for its excellent legroom and its “in seat” screens, equipped with the latest technology of video on demand allowing the viewing of many hours of films, documentaries, etc. Friendly and attentive service from the on board personnel also contributes to the pleasurable experience of travelling in Economy class.

For Belgian nationals, a trip to Canada requires the possession of an electronic Passport which is valid for the duration of their stay. No visa is necessary, but an entry document to the Canadian territory, furnished during the flight, must be filled out and given to the Customs authorities.

Why not Québec?

If your trip to Canada brings you downstream on the Saint Lawrence River, you should consider returning to your country of departure with a flight from Québec airport (YQB). This small ultra-modern airport offers you many not-insignificant advantages. To begin with, check-in and Customs clearance formalities are even faster. The Québec-Montréal flight follows the course of the river, on board a small plane of the Jazz Company (subsidiary of the National airline), so you will have an incomparable view of the Saint Lawrence and the vast forests that surround it from your porthole. In autumn, especially, the play of sunlight on this patchwork of multicoloured leaves is a wonderful sight that will not be easily forgotten. Just like your experience of your trip to Canada in fact!

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management

BCD Travel plays pioneering role Meeting management has the wind in its sails. It was carried over from America and has been a hot topic in Europe for a number of years already - not just for multi-nationals but for domestic large and medium-sized businesses that have specific incentives to use it. What are the reasons you should consider it? To save costs? To know where everyone is located when the next volcano erupts? In order to avoid business risks? To reduce the workload of your permanent staff? Or maybe because you find it better to work with specialists?

Meeting management goes further than you think

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Centralised Meeting Management Soon to Be Indispensable?

entralised meeting management - after a ‘pilot’ period - takes either a limited number or all steps to ensure that your meetings all over the world run seamlessly. Meeting management not only books the travel, the accommodations, and the appropriate meeting rooms, but also takes into account the small details of each contract as well as the savings possibilities that exist on a worldwide basis.

Saving time and money

Reduce your permanent employees’ workload with one new point of contact

Guy Verbist explains. “In some companies, different services or assistants are burdened with organising meetings. This often leads to less transparency and efficiency. We help such companies streamline their meetings and obtain savings here as well.”

By entrusting your meeting expenses to a travel partner, you enable a number of savings opportunities. BCD Travel negotiates prices for you that cannot be beaten -- as well as the most advantageous supplier contracts. This way, you can obtain great savings.

BCD Travel thus provides significant time savings for your business and additionally allows you to have just one point of contact and supplier. This translates into an immediate benefit for your purchasing department, in that everything is centralised with BCD Travel.

Guy Verbist, Manager of the Benelux Groups Department, explains: “Above all, we reduce your risks in that we carefully scrutinise each contract and for instance zoom in on the cancellation and payment conditions so that you can avoid any possible financial impact from them. We are also able to proactively respond to crisis situations - and here, the advice of a specialist is very important.”

Where is everyone?

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Since BCD Travel not only runs your meeting management but also individual travel, you know at any time where your personnel are worldwide.

Even in cases of a terrorist attack or a volcano eruption! Through the consolidated overview that BCD Travel offers you, you know right away where your staff are at any given moment.

The savings are for you!

Verbist points out that “with a number of our reference customers, we have achieved 18% savings in their meetings budget. Naturally this is to the benefit of the client. Our price is based on the effective workload of the dedicated staff. The bill for annual direct and indirect costs is divided into 12 and calculated with the BCD Travel fee added to it. By working in this manner, we can be very transparent. We negotiate with the suppliers in partnership and in consultation with our clients.

Of course, another advantage is that after a bit of time, we know the needs, wishes and destinations of our clients very well and operate in a proactive manner here.”

Let us translate your vision and mission into your meetings policy.

As the environment and social responsibility are particularly topical, companies want to keep a handle on their meetings in regards to these areas too.

Guy Verbist lays out how this can be accomplished.

“Via meeting management, you can manage these easier and maintain oversight because all of your meetings are centralised with one partner. In addition, we can make binding agreements in the form of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and/or a fully developed meeting policy.”

How does it work?

During the “pilot” or implementation period, BCD Travel streamlines the request process, collects all of the meeting data and makes an analysis of the types of requests. Guy outlines the process. “It just so happens that we only do the procurement and contracting. For example we make three hotel proposals to the client, after which the client does the planning. Or we can also do the purchasing,

looking after the contract, negotiating the price, as well as the planning from A to Z.

How many meetings do you organise?

Companies do not necessarily have to be large to outsource their meetings management. Guy Verbist elaborates: “We also have companies that only do 20 meetings per year but still opt for our approach. Such a company might prefer a specialist, or has a strict policy of avoiding any kind of risk, or wants to obtain these extra services. Since the client wants to save money first and foremost, it is of course important that there is a minimum turnover to make this happen.”

American multi-nationals

Meeting management is relatively new. It started about ten years ago in America and was carried over to Europe about 3 or 4 years ago. The early adapters were mostly multi-nationals and companies in the pharmaceutical industry. These companies want to keep up with who travels where at any moment, both individuals and as a group. And they also have strict policies and ethical codes that are easy to pursue when working within a meeting management concept.

BCD Travel has the strongest advantages

• Since BCD Travel was the first company to launch meeting management in continental Europe, it has the most expertise and experience in this field.

• With BCD Travel you can organise individual travel as well as your meetings management.

• BCD Travel is one of the few meeting management players that can issue group rail and airline tickets from the same department.

• Through its many references BCD Travel can demonstrate in concrete terms that the system can be implemented easily and that it can save a considerable amount of money.

• BCD Travel has offices in most European countries and is able to roll out its concept at any time.

Interested?

Send an email today to grouprequest@bcdtravel. be and we will contact you in order to explore this concept further with no obligation, to answer your questions and to put the solution in concrete terms for your particular needs.

Contact information BCD Travel Posthoflei 3 B-2600 Antwerpen grouprequest@bcdtravel.be www.bcdtravel.be

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insider

Interview with Steve Lewry, Air Traffic Controller

This is ground control The Corporate Traveller gets to roots of the travel industry, interviewing the professionals behind the (normally) smooth running process of travel. Steve Lewry, air traffic controller at London City Airport, gave us his view from the tower.

TCT: Why and when did you decide to be an air traffic controller? What was the ‘driver’?

I

wanted a new challenge after being a tour guide for 5 years. I saw the advert and thought “That job looks incredibly difficult”, so I gave it a go and here I am. That was back in 2002, but I failed on my first attempt to get in. By then I’d become really interested in the job and kept hearing people working in the industry saying that it was the most fulfilling thing they’d done. After that, I knew I HAD to work harder and pass all the tests the second time around, as I wasn’t going to let the chance slide by.

TCT: What training did you undergo?

I undertook six months of training to get my Aerodrome licence that allows me to work at in the Tower, then another year and a half getting my Radar licence. It then took me another 5 months of live training at London City before I was able to control, unassisted by a mentor. It’s a tiring process and you have to be incredibly focussed to get through it. I’m lucky that when it come to studying book work I have a good memory, so I was able to concentrate more on the practical aspects of the job which can be very hard to master. It’s worth all the work though. It’s very rewarding to finish a shift and know you’ve nailed it!

TCT: What skills are necessary?

You have to be good under pressure. 95% of the job becomes second nature, but it’s that final 5% that you have to be able to tackle and remain composed. People always ask if it’s a stressful job and the best answer I’ve heard to that question comes from a colleague at London City who said “Not if you do it right”. A sense of spatial awareness is also vital, to keep a picture in your head of what’s happening. That’s key in Radar, but also important in the Tower. You have to have a good memory for rules and procedures, as well as an ability to plan ahead but you need flexibility to change your plan at a moment’s notice if things don’t work out the way you thought they would.

I also think that it helps to have little or no ego

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when it comes to controlling aeroplanes. Anyone that thinks they’ve learnt it all is fooling themselves. Someone will always have a better way of doing something and you should be capable of recognising that. My colleagues are among the best in the world and I learn from them everyday, even those that started later than me. Many of the skills in Air Traffic Control are not ones that you can learn - either you have the right qualities or not. Probably the most important is perseverance!

VV Air Traffic Controller Steve Lewry

UU View from the control tower

TCT: Could you summarise what your responsibilities are?

To provide a safe, orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic. Simple!

TCT: What do you enjoy most about your work?

It changes everyday and I have a real sense of achievement when I’ve worked a busy session and done it well. All air traffic controllers know when they’ve had a good session and when they could have done better, but that sense of dealing with everything thrown at you and exceeding expectations is addictive. You just want to plug back in and do it all over again. Probably the best way to describe it is like hitting the perfect drive in golf. Once you’ve felt everything go to plan, the thousand little things that need to come together at the right time, you’ll play for hours just to feel that way again.

TCT: What do you dislike most about your work?

Simple, early mornings! You have to be fresh and alert from the second you plug your headset into the socket.

TCT: What have been the highlights of your career?

The two major highlights of my career so far have been earning my licence and passing my validation exam at London City Airport.

When the instructors gather you and your fellow trainees together in a room then come in to tell you your result, it’s a very nerve wracking experience.

But when you and your new friends, who’ve worked closely together for a long time, hear you’ve passed, the feeling is electric.

My validation at London City Airport was the culmination of so much drive, determination and hard work, that when the examiner told me I’d passed, I was numb for a while. I almost couldn’t believe what he was saying! Then when I sat down on my own to control aeroplanes unaided for the first time it was an exhilarating and scary moment!

TCT:What is it like working inside the air traffic control tower? Can you describe it?

Working in the control tower at London City is hands down the coolest thing I’ve ever done. I get an amazing view out over Docklands and the Dome, I get to work with a great bunch of men and women that make almost any day and any experience that much better with their sense of professionalism and humour. It’s that sense of team spirit that keeps me coming back for more.We all work together to make sure that we provide the best service possible for the pilots and the passengers, working closely with the many dedicated people throughout London City Airport. It’s a great job and one that is always changing and evolving. I’m grateful every day that I get to be a small part of it with a bunch of people that are more friends than colleagues.

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insider

The Corporate Traveller Interview

Pieter Ceulen The Corporate Traveller Interview quizzes executives from a variety of industry sectors to get direct feedback on their business travel experiences, changing travel policies and where they would like to see improvements. For this edition we spoke with platinum status frequent flyer Pieter Ceulen, who is based in Belgium.

UU Pieter Ceulen

Pieter, please can you tell us a little about your background and your work?

D

utch is my native language, but I was born in Saigon. My father was a diplomat so we travelled a lot and I took my first intercontinental flight at the age of one. I now live in Belgium and my offices, where I run a financial asset management firm, are based in the Netherlands. In addition to our three sons in Belgium, my wife and I have adopted four children in Cambodia, where we have a house.

Where do you travel to and why?

When I travel for work it is usually to gather information about investment opportunities and to get a feel for the economy in specific countries. These types of trips are normally regional and will take in several destinations. For example if I go to South America I will visit a few countries such as Argentina, Mexico and Chile. The same applies to my trips to Asia and when I travel to the US, I will normally take in four or five cities. In addition to this there are regular trips to Cambodia, for family reasons.

For journeys in Europe I prefer to drive, unless it is more than six hours by car. When flying, I tend to leave from Amsterdam - or Paris CDG Airport as I

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like the seats on Air France and find the schedules convenient for long haul flights.

What is your company travel policy – low cost, regular airline or business class?

As it is my company, the travel policy is up to me but I use regular airlines and travel in economy class if I am going to a European destination. For flights of over four hours I travel business class. When travelling between Asian countries, for example from Bangkok to Manila, I also fly business class as it is much cheaper than flying business class in Europe.

I have not had to change my policy towards travelling as, fortunately, my company did not really suffer from the recession.

What are your preferences when looking for a hotel?

I probably only use hotels for about 30 nights a year but when I do I look for a hotel that has a club level, so I don’t have to take my breakfast downstairs and everything is included in the price.

It must be a nice hotel, but services are much more important to me than facilities. Of course I prefer hotels that participate in one of the loyalty programmes I belong to.

“When travelling between Asian countries, for example from Bangkok to Manila, I also fly business class as it is much cheaper than flying business class in Europe”

What was your worst travelling experience?

My worst travelling experience was definitely when I had my suitcase stolen, on the train between Antwerp and Amsterdam, while I was starting off on a journey to Cambodia. That meant I had no passport, telephone, keys or laptop. I also lost all the cash I had on me. Security on these trains definitely needs to be improved.

What could airports and hotels do to improve your life as a business traveller?

I think European carriers would benefit by comparing themselves to Asian airlines. Asian airlines seem to view passengers more as clients. The service on these airlines is normally excellent and it is generally a lot calmer on board their flights. Also business class travel is so much cheaper in Asia.

The difference between economy and business class in Europe is too much. It makes me think sometimes that business class fares are helping to pay towards financing economy class.

Also on the question of prices, I find that hotel prices in Europe are practically the same all the time, for the same class of hotel, even though its impossible that they are fully booked all year round. When Asian hotels see they are not getting fully booked, they prefer to go down with their prices quickly.

Finally, how many travel loyalty cards do you have?

The two hotel cards I hold are with Shangri-La and Starwood. I have two airline loyalty cards, one with Air France-KLM and one with Singapore Airlines.

I have maintained platinum frequent flyer status with the FlyingBlue programme for over seven years and currently have 1.5 million frequent flyer points. If I keep this up for another couple of years, I will have platinum status for life!

“I think European carriers would benefit by comparing themselves to Asian airlines�

VV Pieter Ceulen and family

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insider

Interview with CEO Christine Ourmières Joanna Pays

CityJet

back on course CityJet is the air carrier providing the largest number of routes between the UK and the Benelux, as well as being the leading airline at London City Airport. Its history has included a merger with former Belgian airline VLM and its own takeover by the Air France-KLM group. Christine Ourmières took up the helm as CityJet’s CEO, in October. She talked to The Corporate Traveller about CityJet’s positioning and the course she has set for the airline to return to profitability.

T

he CityJet of today operates nearly 500 flights a week, with a fleet of 38 aircraft based at London City, Dublin and Antwerp Airports. CityJet’s connections with these three airports go back to the airline’s origins and its subsequent merger with VLM. CityJet was originally founded at Dublin Airport, while VLM commenced its scheduled services with routes between Antwerp and London City. When CityJet acquired VLM in 2007, its strong links with London City and the Benelux continued. CityJet is currently the only scheduled airline operating flights to Antwerp Airport and its network also includes routes to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Eindhoven and Luxembourg.

Importance of London City Airport

2007 was a landmark year for CityJet. Besides the acquisition of VLM, it marked major expansions for CityJet at London City Airport. CityJet is now the premier airline at LCA, flying 17 European destinations from the airport and occupying 55% of slots.

“One of our unique selling points is the location and convenience of London City” says Christine Ourmières. “As well as being the most centrally located London airport, the kerb to boarding times are fast and the Docklands light railway gives reliable and frequent connections. The general development of London to its eastern side has meant that more travellers have become aware of the convenience of London City Airport. The Olympics will add to the increase in awareness of not only how near we are to the stadium, but also how close we are to the centre of the capital and the financial centre.”

UU Peter Bulckaert General Manager the Benelux

“The largest portion of our network emanates from LCA, but we have a number of other point to point routes, such as from Dublin and Antwerp. We also operate flights from Paris CDG through a franchisee agreement under the Air France brand. CityJet offers the group the type of smaller aircraft they need for certain destinations, such as Florence, which have runway constraints. To optimise use of our aircraft, in addition to our core business which

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insider

caters mainly for business travellers in the week, we fly scheduled services to leisure destinations and operate charter services at the weekend.”

Business Traveller Niche market

CityJet has created a niche position for itself on the European business traveller market. “We have no intention to position ourselves against low cost airlines, as in the airline industry you have to compete consistently with your assets” says Ourmières. “Low cost airlines work on larger volumes, using aircraft of 200 to 300 seats, with a very basic service offering. More than 65% of our customers are business travellers looking for convenient city centre to city centre European flights. Our fleet consists of 50 to 100 seat aircraft, which means we can offer more frequencies and greater convenience. We are a niche carrier, targeting the corporate traveller with a full service offering where everything is included in the price. That means no added extras for taxes, drinks, food or paying by credit card. Then there is our service and on time performance (93%), both of which we have won a number of industry awards for. Service, convenience and on-time performance are the three cornerstones of corporate traveller requirements and thus play essential roles in our strategy of winning repeat business from clients.

As part of this repeat business model, we hope to convince our business traveller passengers to use us for their leisure flights too.”

CityJet has a number of offers for corporates, many designed in conjunction with the Air France KLM group. Business offers include group travel rates, the Air France KLM BlueBiz scheme for small to medium sized companies and charter services. City Plus fares are available for added ticket flexibility and a transfer service at LCA was introduced earlier in the year.

Returning to profit

The last couple of years saw unexpected setbacks for CityJet, including the recession and the ashcloud crisis. Christine Ourmières’ plan is to optimise the airline’s performance and return to profitability by the end of the year. Since her arrival, she has put into place a number of iniatives to achieve this goal. “We now have a very good commercial team in place and we started to see the fruits of this last year. However in order to make a profit but still be competitive, costs need to be reviewed continually.

Everyone is aware of rising fuel costs, but there is an ensemble of operating costs that all need to be managed without making any compromise on safety whatsoever.”

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The two biggest initiatives implemented since Christine Ormières’ arrival have been the launch of a one year action plan and the streamlining of the senior management board.

“The smaller senior management team has allowed us to fully integrate the teams from CityJet and VLM and to speed up the decision making process.

In the airline industry you need to be flexible and, above all, you need to be agile. Today our senior management team comprises myself, our HR Director, the COO, the CFO, the Commercial Director and the Managing Director of Antwerp, Peter Bulckaert, so we are six. Peter Bulckaert is also the Managing Director of all our Benelux operations so he brings an important contribution to our board.”

CityJet’s one year action plan, Climb, was launched in February. Its principal objective is to return the airline to profitability. The strategy is concentrated around four pillars of excellence. For Christine Ourmières, the most important of these pillars is ‘Customer Excellence’. “Experienced travellers expect certain levels of service. Ours is not a luxury service, but its certainly the level you would expect

VV CityJet on board service

from a full service airline. Our crews have a real passion for their work and this is reflected in their attitude towards customers. As part of our action plan, we are encouraging staff involvement and increasing the ways we measure quality of service.

For example we recently ran a campaign where we promised customers that they would get their flight for free if they were not happy with our service.”

“The Climb action plan ensures that all our teams know what are our priorities are as a company and how we will achieve them. To maintain high levels of service, it is vital to keep staff involved. At the beginning of the year we organised a series of roadshows for our management to meet with staff.

It was a fantastic opportunity to discuss what is going well, what we want to improve and to thank them for the high levels of service and ontime performance they have already delivered.”

reputation is growing and this positive customer experience is confirming our repeat business model.”

“We have a company vision for the future, but for now we are going back to basics. That means structuring our operations and networks to reach profitability. We are only a couple of months into our financial year but so far we are on track with the action plan. By November we will have an even clearer picture of progress and will launch a longer term plan to include details on our network strategy.”

“It will take another two or three months to work with the board on the longer term strategy but I am very confident about our future. Taking into account all the parameters I believe CityJet offers a really attractive experience for passengers. Our

UU CityJet CEO Christine Ourmières

Christine Ourmières – CityJet’s CEO Christine Ourmières has been involved in the aviation sector since the beginning of her career. Her passion for the industry is apparent. “In general, once people have worked in the aviation industry, they remain in the sector. There is something quite special about it and its always changing and evolving. In my own case, following a Masters Degree in Aeronautics, I commenced working in the aircraft maintenance and IT departments of Air France. So from my career beginnings, I was already in a male-dominated sector. But I haven’t seen it has as a disadvantage, in fact my experience has been very positive.”

Christine Ourmière’s career path traversed management roles in other departments, including purchasing and sales, before moving to corporate level to define Air France KLM’s policies for international markets. She then moved to the UK, as Air France’s General Manager for UK and Ireland, “in order to show that I was able to implement what I had been able to define as policy.” Christine was involved in the early talks on the Air France KLM merger before becoming the group’s VP for the US, where she worked on the Air France KLM Delta joint venture. She became CityJet’s CEO in October 2010.

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airways

Brussels Airlines

b.flex - the travel formula

for the modern businessperson Around 30 per cent of Brussels Airlines passengers opt for the innovative benefits that flying with b.flex offers. And that is no coincidence. Brussels Airlines’ b.flex is the travel solution par excellence for the modern business traveller.

W

hile other airlines traditionally offer business and economy class products, Brussels Airlines gives their customers on all European flights the choice of three formulas: b.business, b.flex and b.light. The b.business and b.flex formulas are specifically oriented towards the business traveller, who can choose between Brussels Airlines’ business class product and b.flex, an innovative value-formoney formula with numerous service benefits. b.flex came about following a study done by Brussels Airlines that involved 1,000 business travellers. The participants were asked what is truly important to them when they fly. The survey showed that the most important desirable items for these travellers are changeable tickets, saving time at check-in and in the security line, and full service on board.

With b.flex economy, Brussels Airlines completely meets this demand. The best advantages of traditional business class service are combined with certain economy class concepts, in turn creating a unique modern product. For instance, all b.flex tickets are changeable so that you can fly back earlier or later than originally planned. At the airport, there are special b.flex check-in counters that save time. Of course, if you are travelling b.flex, you can make use of various online check-in opportunities.

At most airports, those who travel b.flex do not have to queue up at the security checkpoint, because fast lane entrance guarantees smooth passage. In the b.flex section of the aircraft, passengers enjoy more privacy and space for hand luggage. When a flight is not fully booked, the empty seats are always situated in the b.flex section of the aircraft. B.flex passengers are served a delicious meal and a choice of free drinks. Reading material at their disposal includes international newspapers and magazines.

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Thanks to Brussels Airlines’ Miles&More loyalty program, b.flex passengers can earn or spend extra miles and achieve frequent flyer status even more quickly. Once this status is achieved, you can gain free access to Brussels Airlines’ airport lounges with a b.flex ticket.

BUSINESS TRAVEL, ECONOMY PRICE

b.flex is significantly cheaper than traditional business class service. This makes the b.flex product more attractive to companies that want to save money on their corporate travel budgets or do not allow their employees to fly in a traditional business class.

Thanks to the high frequency of Brussels Airlines flights to several different European destinations, it is also possible to make a day trip, for instance, to Madrid, Milan, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Berlin Vienna, Lyons, Stockholm or Hamburg, making hotel costs superfluous.

“Since the launch of the b.flex product in 2007, the number of passengers that choose this ‘value for money’ solution increases every year,” says VP of Sales for Benelux Francois Lagae. “This is the best proof that b.flex is a product of and for the corporate traveller, who wants full service but for economy class fares.”

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airways

Flights into the US The latest developments Transatlantic passenger traffic is continuing to grow, especially in the premium cabin classes so important for driving airline revenues.

Nevertheless rising costs, including runaway fuel prices, mean that carriers have been forced to take a cautious approach. They are optimising transatlantic networks through alliances and some are even announcing cuts in capacity. We look at the latest news and trends in flights to the US.

“w

e expect US international and domestic air traffic to grow by 4.4% during the course of this year but last year it grew 7.3%, so it’s a slowdown” says Chris Goater spokesperson for IATA, the International Air Transport Association. “Compared to other regions however, the US airline market is currently one of the best performing and the only region faring better is Asia Pacific.”

Consolidation is the leading trend and the wave of agreements, alliances and mergers on the transatlantic flight market is directly linked to cost pressures, with oil prices being the main driver. Facilitated by the EU-US Open Skies legislation, airline agreements are allowing carriers to coordinate flights, and to share costs and revenues. The lion’s share of the EU-US flight market thus now falls between the BA, Iberia and American Airlines accord, the Air France-KLMAlitalia Delta tie up and United Continental Holdings - formed from the merger of United and Continental last October.

Mergers and alliances consolidating networks

United and Continental are busy integrating customer services, marketing activities and airport processes, to provide a more unified face to their customers, with the goal of operating as a single airline by next summer.

A combined reservation system is planned for early 2012 and the two airlines are already starting to harmonise their operations, redeploying aircraft on some of their transatlantic routes. As part of these network optimisations, Continental’s Brussels to New York service will be taken over by United at the end of September.

Since the entry in October of Iberia into the transatlantic accord between British Airways and American Airlines, over 3,000 codeshares have been announced by the three carriers.

Five new transatlantic routes were introduced in March, with New York JFK-Budapest and Chicago-Helsinki operated by American Airlines, a London Heathrow-San Diego service from British Airways and Barcelona-Miami and

Madrid-Los Angeles flights from Iberia. British Airways added daily services to San Diego from Heathrow in June, marking the airline’s return to the route after eight years. As part of their strategy to rectify overlaps and gaps in schedule timings on prime transatlantic routes, the BA-AA-Iberia partnership has

UU Delta’s Frank Meditz

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airways

initiated a ‘Shuttle Service’. The new shuttle service means that flights offered on prime US-UK routes by the three operators are now more evenly spaced, with the biggest changes being on routes from Heathrow to Chicago, Miami and New York.

On a slightly smaller scale, Virgin Atlantic is yet another airline to enter into a new transatlantic partnership. Virgin Atlantic offers point to point routes between four airports in the UK, including Heathrow, and ten US gateway cities. As Virgin does not benefit from a hub in the US, its recent announcement of an agreement with JetBlue Airways, New York’s hometown airline, will give Virgin’s travellers the benefit of easy connections to JetBlue’s US domestic network.

Air France-KLM-DeltaAlitalia

With more than 260 daily transatlantic flights and a fleet of 144 aircraft, the mega-joint-venture between Air France-KLM, Delta and Alitalia owns over a quarter of all passenger capacity between Europe and the US. Their flight network is structured around seven primary and five secondary hubs located on the two continents.

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Newly introduced by the joint venture is a coordinated network of flights connecting Florida to London, Paris and Amsterdam.

Delta now offers daily non-stop services from Heathrow to Miami while KLM flies direct between Miami and Amsterdam. Air France completed the Florida network in June with the addition of non-stop services between Orlando and its Paris CDG hub.

However the four member airlines have announced the overall reduction of transatlantic passenger capacity, by up to 9%, for the upcoming winter schedule.

Once again, increases in jet fuel prices were cited as a significant contributing factor.

“Its too early to give details on routes but mainly there will be smaller aircraft with less capacity and in some cases fewer frequencies, rather than cutting of routes” said Air France-KLM spokesperson Bernard Castel.

“It should be borne in mind that this reduction is for the winter season, where there is traditionally less capacity, and by next summer we should be back to the same levels as this year. Globally the joint venture is still in a phase of development for its transatlantic routes. We are optimising networks for the

time being but we hope to have a better load factor. Competition has always been strong on these routes but with our joint venture and being part of SkyTeam we can bring a coordinated programme of flights that fits with our customers needs and the other members of the alliance.”

Good news for the joint venue is that Delta, positioned as the largest single US carrier between Europe and the US in terms of passenger seat miles, has announced a 2 billion dollar programme of investments over the next two years in airport facilities, products and services.

“We are very excited about this investment and it’s a big commitment for the company” said Frank Meditz, Delta’s Product Direct EMEA. “Core to these investments are improvements to our on board service, with Business Elite and Economy Comfort classes, as well as enhancements to over 50 of our Sky Club Lounges which will bring added amenities to business travellers.”

Delta’s spending spree includes major projects relating to terminals at New York La Guardia, a key airport for business travel-

“In the longer term, the trend going forward will be for more airline alignments and joint ventures to make sure the business traveller has a truly seamless experience on his journey from point A to point B”

lers, and New York JFK. “JFK is one of our most important hubs and a gateway for transatlantic passengers” says Meditz. “The investments will transform JFK 4 into the new terminal for Delta passengers. Basically what we are planning to do here is to create a premium international gateway for transatlantic passengers. The works, due for completion by 2013, will mean less airport congestion and considerable improvements to help streamline immigration and security procedures. All of this will mean significant time savings for our international passengers.

We are working hard to attract corporate travellers and from our recent surveys with passengers we have seen that the majority of them want to escape the hustle and bustle and unwind on their flight. They are looking for convenient schedule times and decent prices. We feel with our 2 billion dollar investment programme, we are dramatically increasing our customer service and the new business elite cabin class we are launching is one of the main components of this.”

vices to Miami. With its existing routes to New York Atlanta, Detroit and Minneapolis, Delta now offers ten flights a day from Heathrow. The Boston and Miami services, launched at the end of March, were made possible by the British Airways - American Airlines agreement which freed up some slots at Heathrow.

“In the longer term, the trend going forward will be for more airline alignments and joint ventures to make sure the business traveller has a truly seamless experience on his journey from point A to point B” says Frank Meditz. “There is not one single airline that can fly all the routes, so these joint ventures are key.

An integrated travel experience provides significant value to the business traveller.”

Some positive signs

The rebound in international trade between the US and Europe is driving passenger growth on transatlantic routes and an encouraging trend is the

rise in premium traffic. According to a recent survey of North American travel buyers by the Global Business Travel Association, outbound US international corporate travel is gaining momentum and should rise by 4% for 2011 compared to last year.

In addition IATA’s studies show that front-of-cabin travellers rose by nearly 29% this April compared to the same period in 2010. Although last year’s volcano crisis needs to be taken into account with these figures, premium traffic on transatlantic flights now accounts for 17.6% of passengers and 27.5% in terms of revenues.

“US carriers cut capacity strongly during the recession so they have emerged in relatively strong shape. They are doing reasonably well and load factors are good, at nearly 82%, so there are good signs” says IATA’s Chris Goater. “Despite this, 2011 profit margins on transatlantic routes, and for airlines in general, will be thin due to oil prices”

Earlier this year Delta expanded its schedule from Heathrow with the addition of a double-daily flights to Boston and daily ser-

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airports

Brussels Airport unveils 460 million euro development plan

Brussels Airport recently unveiled a 460 million euro plan for developments over the next five years. The project includes new structures and facilities to provide more passenger services and accommodate the airport’s expanding network.

W

ith the launch of summer air schedules, over 80 carriers now operate passenger services from Brussels Airport to a total of 220 destinations - the highest number ever for the airport. Cargo traffic is also rising, strengthening Belgium’s position in international trade.

“During 2010, we handled 17.2 million passengers” says Jan Van der Cruysse, Brussels Airport’s spokesperson. “We certainly expect to increase this figure during our five year expansion plan, but one of our key aims with the new construction is to ease pressure during our peak activity times, especially in the morning and evening. We have very good relationships with our carriers and to cater to these increased needs, Brussels Airport has been working alongside airlines and air transport organisations on its future strategy and development plans. The new project will offer not only more capacity, but greater convenience for passengers, with shorter walking distances, smoother transition through security and reduced need for escalators and lifts.”

Greater capacity, more convenience

Brussels Airport currently has two piers for passenger boarding, with a total of 54 contact gates for aircraft. Pier A is to be extended to form Pier A West by around 2015, thus increasing the number of gates

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for direct boarding. Pier A West will cater for long and short haul aircraft, allowing airlines and air alliances to further centralise their activities within the same zone. This will shorten walking distances for connecting passengers and bring cost effective benefits on the operational side for handling aircraft.

At present, Pier A is connected to the main terminal by a system of escalators and an underground tunnel. By 2014, this tunnel will be replaced by a new above ground connector to the terminal, with more light, customer facilities and space. Passenger screening will be centralized in this new connector. Other designs proposed in the plan include the redevelopment of one the airport’s UU Brussels Airport’s CEO Arnaud Feist administrative buildings into 30,000 m2 of contemporary office space. The building is to be known as the Gateway Business Centre.

“We also want to increase the use of public transportation, so we are working hard on this” says Jan Van der Cruysse “We already offer a good network of bus and train services and these are to increase.

As from Spring 2012 direct train links from the airport to Antwerp will be available. The Nether-

lands and Amsterdam should follow as well. We believe this will make us even more attractive for passengers from the north, as they will no longer need to change trains in Brussels.”

Reasons for growth

“The financial crisis and production delays have put delivery of new aircraft and route expansions on hold for almost two years” says Van der Cruysse. Now we are seeing our traffic growing again, with passenger figures rising every month.

New destinations that were waiting to be filled with new aircraft deliveries are starting to be launched.. Companies have realised that that they still need to travel to do business and the recent addition of Brussels Airlines to Star Alliance has been a big boost to us, drawing more flights from other airlines in the alliance.”

Of the three alliances Star Alliance has the biggest visibility at Brussels Airport, with the presence of Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, United Airlines, Air Canada and bmi. Last season Air Canada and United increased frequencies at the airport and Brussels Airlines added six new aircraft to its hub there. Most recently, at the end of June, Thai Airways International announced that they are to recommence direct flights between Brussels and Bangkok. “Our strategy of creating a Star Alliance hub at Brussels Airport is materializing and has led to passenger growth” confirms Brussels Airlines’ Bernard Gustin. “We will continue to invest in our Brussels hub in 2011 by adding capacity, opening new destinations and supporting the development of our Star Alliance partners”.

Geographical developments

“So far this year Brussels Airport has announced three new airline arrivals, including Qatar Airways, and ten new passenger destinations” says Jan Van der Cruysse “We have also seen increased passenger capacities and flight frequencies from many of our carriers. As the capital of Europe, we are very strong on the European continent in terms of destinations and thanks to the strong offer from Brussels Airlines, we have an excellent network to Africa. In fact many passengers travelling between African cities find it more efficient to transit via Brussels as we serve many unique destinations that nobody else does. There are currently 20 long haul Sub-Saharan African destinations from Brussels Airport and this will be a continuing vector for development.”

airlines are happy with the performance of their routes to and from Brussels and increasing their footprint here. Business links between Brussels and the Middle East are growing but in a way, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy as the more direct flights

UU Pier A Interior

there are between two cities, the more business links grow. These airlines also see great potential in offering traffic from Brussels transfer services on to Africa and Europe.”

Transatlantic passenger services are rising and we now have seven airlines flying to direct destinations in Canada and the east coast of the US. One of the biggest network challenges remaining now, is to offer more direct flights to Asia. We have good direct services to three cities in India, with Jet Airways and to Shanghai and Beijing with Hainan Airlines but we are working to see how we can bring more services to the region. The announcement of Thai Airways last week came as great news. ” “After two difficult years due to the economic and financial crisis, we have seen a clear recovery in air traffic” said Brussels Airport’s CEO Arnaud Feist during a recent press conference. “The prospects for the next few years are very encouraging. Brussels Airport has worked out a major development plan in consultation with the airlines that will allow the airport to offer a better air travel product to its passengers and airlines, placing it in a stronger international position than ever before. The benefits will be seen not only

by Brussels Airport but also by the airlines and our economy as a whole in the years ahead.”

VV Head Pier A

“One of our biggest successes in terms of geographical development over recent years is the interest we have drawn from airlines in the Middle East.

Royal Jordanian started the trend, launching services to Amman. We now have several operators to the Middle East, including Etihad, Middle East Airlines and, most recently, Qatar Airways. These

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hotels

For travellers looking for a change from the big name hotel chains, a new experience awaits them.

Designer hotels, showcasing a total lifestyle concept inspired by haute couture, are starting to spring up around cities in Europe and the Middle East.

Christian Lacroix has lent his design talents to three hotels in Paris, while Missoni has become the newest hotel brand within the Rezidor group.

ZZ Rosita Missoni

Designer Hotels Christian Lacroix and Missoni Christian Lacroix – blending past and present

F

rench fashion star Christian Lacroix has been given ‘carte blanche’ by a group of private investors to create the entire interior designs for four Parisian boutique hotels.

Hotel du Petit Moulin, in the historic Marais district, was the first Lacroix-designed property, followed by Hotel Le Bellechasse in Saint Germain, the Latin Quarter of Paris. Hotel NotreDame opened just last year, while a fourth location is still, as yet, under wraps.

The three hotels opened to date are in buildings classed as historical monuments, in the oldest areas of Paris. For Lacroix this has been one of the biggest challenges to overcome. “The Hotel du Petit Moulin, for example, is a restored 17th century building, formerly one of the oldest bakeries in Paris. Victor Hugo was even one of its customers” says Lacroix. “We had to work with the original façade and with the weird puzzle of spaces and volumes of the building. We have managed to transform these constraints to our advantage, to give a charming aspect to our hotels.”

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The Lacroix hotels have not focused on facilities, but rather on creating a retreat for travellers with opulent and unique room decors. Lacroix has drawn inspiration for the hotels from their surrounding neighbourhoods and history, blending contemporary and antique design elements.

“Hotel Le Bellechasse was inspired by the aristocratic,

UU Hotel Le Bellechasse

bourgeois spirit of Saint Germain, with its museums, antique dealers, cafés and fashion haunts, which sit side by side with embassies and government ministries” explains Lacroix.

“For Hotel Notre Dame I wanted to do something coherent with the magnificent and romantic view on the cathedral, river and surrounding medieval streets which I find so inspiring.”

“Mixing and matching past and present is my way of working for creative projects – whether it be for home design, fashion or theatrical costumes” says Lacroix. “I love the alchemy created from paradoxical meetings – pop art meets 17th century with a little bit of ethnic, black and white with pastel, or vivid colours. Or it could be traditional French furniture with 1960s and

UU Missoni Suite put forward and it seemed like the perfect place to start this new project. Edinburgh is a beautiful city steeped in historical architecture but when the sun comes out, it’s fun too and the Royal Mile, where we are located is a central meeting point for Edinburgh’s residents as well as tourists.”

UU Missoni Choco Café

“Just before the partnership between Rezidior and Missoni came about, Rosita Missoni had started to re-launch her homeware collection and was ready for a new challenge so the timing was perfect” explains Carina Svensen, General Manager of the Hotel Missoni Edinburgh.

UU Hotel Notre Dame baroque styles. It’s sometimes as if each room could be the setting for a novel, movie or a theatre play. Our hotel guests are looking for comfort, modernity and cutting edge style combined with genuine and authentic elements from this very special city of Paris and its ‘arrondissements’. When designing these interiors I didn’t try to compete with boutique or label hotels, but just expressed my own vision of hotels, Paris and decorating. For me travelling and staying in a hotel has to be special. People need to feel both ‘at home’ and ‘elsewhere’, as if decoration and design were like subtitles for understanding the city better.”

Hotel Missoni – the youngest Rezidor brand

Hotel Missoni, is a collaboration between the Rezidor Hotel Group and Missoni, the Italian design family. To date, two Missoni hotels have been opened, in Edinburgh and Kuwait. Both are five star properties offering full facilities, including spas, meeting rooms and restaurants.

“The idea of a Missoni Hotel was born when a family friend introduced us to the Rezidor Hotel Group” explains Rosita Missoni, Creative Director of the Hotel Missoni Edinburgh. “Edinburgh was one of the first locations

“The Missoni family are a true inspiration and really hands-on across all aspects of the hotel.

Rosita Missoni has even worked with the chef Giorgio Locatelli, Creative Advisor to the hotel restaurant Cucina, to create the restaurant’s menu to reflect some of her own home-cooked favourites. Hotel Missoni is about going somewhere that feels like home. It embraces all of the traditional Italian family values of warmth, comfort, and hospitality.”

Kuwait, the second hotel Missoni to be opened, is a stylish contrast from Edinburgh, with tropical gardens and an outdoor swimming pool designed in the iconic Missoni stripes. Missoni

Edinburgh and Missoni Kuwait both have a flavour of the local area and culture, as will each of the new hotels to open. The aim is to grow the Hotel Missoni brand globally and additional locations such as Oman, Brazil and Turkey are already in the pipeline.

“We are constantly coming up with new ideas, with the aim being to make the guest experience as comfortable, easy and enjoyable as possible – in fact to be the friendliest 5 star hotel in the world” says Svensen.

“The Hotel Missoni brand offers an all-inclusive package which includes complimentary internet, movies on demand, two items of in-house laundry, local calls and healthy minibar.

Missoni Hotels also provide laptop hire, printing and faxing facilities and will soon be adding iPhones, iPads and iTouches for their guests to borrow. It means travellers can relax in the knowledge that there’ll be no hidden extras.”

“For us a designer hotel is not just about appearances – it needs to be comfortable and functional, as well as warm and welcoming for guests” says Svensen. “People travelling nowadays expect something a little bit different and design boutique hotels offer a unique look and feel with a much more personalised experience.”

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destinations

Mauritius

Island of Temptations

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auritius is comparable in size and population to the province of Flemish Brabant. But, naturally, the comparison ends there. Nurtured by a long French-English past, the island saw its tropical landscapes complemented by colonial-style buildings, which are surrounded by vast fields of sugar cane that stretch as far as the eye can see. If the little island of the Mascarene archipelago is best known for its beaches that have come straight from advertisements for the most beautiful of exotic destinations, its tourist opportunities go beyond even the frontiers of its coastline.

Mautourco, the top Mauritian receptive agency, brought us here to discover some of its particular features, that put a value on its fauna and flora but also on its historical and architectural heritage.

Before penetrating further into this vast universe of experiences to be lived, let’s make some introductions first… Mautourco receptive agency employs 280 people and is not only one of the pioneers of welcome reception for groups of business people in Mauritius, but also the uncontested leader in this field.

The agency has forged a long experience in this sector over the course of decades and has put together a vast range of logistic

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The island of Mauritius is one of those destinations that people dream about. The general public mistakenly see it as playing with an image of exclusivity, a paradise island fringed with golden beaches and crystalline waters. The Island of Mauritius, known more simply as Mauritius, is all that, but it is also and above all else an island endowed with unparalleled hotel infrastructure of the highest quality where business men on holiday regularly rub shoulders with major sports, show biz or international political personalities. This quality Mauritian hotel style has rapidly conquered another type of market, the incentive trip, because of the unique combination of year-round sun, idyllic landscapes, European tradition and Creole culture to be found on the island. and organisational tools. In this respect, one can point out a notably large fleet of vehicles and drivers, but also a highly professional treatment of client requests, based on responsiveness and pro-activity.

Knowing the island inside out and totally au fait with the different tourist infrastructures, the agency can assure transport and the organisation of activities for the group, amongst which are theme-based excursions, business meetings, cruises, discovery rallies, sporting and nautical activities, not to forget private events in magical locations. In brief, Mautourco is an invaluable partner for organisers of incentive trips who are keen to exploit all facets of this Indian Ocean diamond…

We have had to bypass reviewing some tourist landmarks of Mauritius that one can discover in every guide, such as the famous Pamplemousse Botanical Garden. Mautourco brought us here to several original places, that offer all sorts of lovely possibilities for group activities (cocktail evenings, soirée, point of passage for discovery rallies…).

Austral cruises: unbeatable and appreciated by all, the catamaran cruise will bring you on a discovery of the little islands that border the Mauritian lagoon. With a little luck, some dolphins will accompany you on your day-long voyage, punctuated by a barbecue on the shore of an unspoiled island.

The Domain/estate of Bel Ombre: This imposing colonial-style residence is at the heart of a vast luxury estate, which opened its doors at the beginning of 2011. Its 2,500 hectares include in particular, very luxurious villas, an 18-hole golf course, a nature reserve to explore on quad or in a 4x4 and a top-range restaurant bathed in an East India

Company ambiance. Groups will also appreciate its beautiful terrace, in the shade of an enormous Steward’s building. At a few hundred metres, an ancient sugar mill can act as an open-air venue with an industrial feel for events. Finally, the estate also features a totally new trendy beach club with a St. Tropez ambiance.

Casela: Situated at the centre of the East coast, this nature park and leisure area proposes several “nature” activities which are original by their exotic nature: a walk with big cats, impressive death ride, safari by quad or Segway into the midst of exotic animals…

The Estate of Labourdonnais: Another magnificent colonial style residence, the Labourdonnais château reopened its doors at the end of 2010 after having undergone Getting there a major renovation. Passing along its imposing Steward’s Mauritius is served by air from Belgium via departure from London or Paris. For our visit, we chose Charles de Gaulle for driveway, the château reveals two principal reasons. Firstly, as the airport is situated North-East of the French capital, it is accessible in less than three hours by road (and by train), without having to cross Paris. Also, because the new Terminal 2 of Paris CDG has parking a museum where one can find available which means a vehicle can be left in a secure place, situated at less than 2 minutes walk from check-in desks. out more about the life of the estate owners of yesteryear With a double choice of carrier on offer, we chose Air Mauritius, the island’s national airline. Faced with 11 hours of and in particular, its ancient flight awaiting us after the airport formalities (don’t forget your passport!), we opted for an Economy-Class night flight occupants. on the way out and a Business-Class day trip for the return journey, to test the two options of the Airbus A340-300 L’Aventure du Sucre/Sugar Adventure: This museum is tailor-made for fans of History and of imposing industrial machines. The sugar cane industry is so closely linked to Mauritius that this visit will allow you to understand quickly the life and evolution of the island over the course of centuries.

charged with carrying us safe and sound, in a seat configuration of 34 Business-class seats and 264 Economy.

The choice of Economy-Class night flight was a fairly good one. We had the benefit of a personal TV screen offering a very good selection of recent films, broadcast in a French or English loop. In cabin, the meals were excellently made and sufficiently well-provisioned to help pass the time. Another advantage of this overnight flight was that the landing around 7a.m. local time brought out the first “wow” effect of the trip. When the plane began its approach to the airport situated beside the sea, it was possible to see the bottom of the lagoon from our seats!

The return trip in the “lie-flat” Business-Class seats naturally offers a totally different trip experience. Access to the airline’s lounge at the airport, personalised service and attentive gestures from the on-board personnel, travel kit, choice of menus and an excellent wine list, but also and above all much longer legroom and seats that could be inclined to horizontal, or almost, made the return journey pass much more quickly. It also brings you safely there in excellent form so that you can hold on longer to the feeling of rest from your days on the island before getting back to the daily grind!...

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lifestyle

Sennheiser CXC 700

With the CXC 700, audio specialist Sennheiser is expanding its successful Travel Line with the addition of a set of ear-canal phones with active noise cancellation.

As a completely new feature, the innovative NoiseGard™ /digital system offers travellers a choice of three noise-cancelling profiles – optimised for the wide range of surrounding noise encountered while travelling. This pioneering digital technology enables frequent flyers and travel enthusiasts to ‘switch off’ even better and enjoy Sennheiser’s proven top-quality sound.

Travelling with the future R

ail noise, roaring engines, screaming turbines and blaring loudspeaker announcements: travellers are always surrounded by irritating noise. Wherever you are, the new CXC 700 adapts to the environment at the push of a button.

One of three noise-cancelling profiles can be selected to adapt NoiseGard to the current surroundings. Mode 1 absorbs low-frequency noise in particular (100 to 400 Hertz), such as engine noise from trains, buses or small passenger planes.

Mode 2 focuses on cancelling noise in the medium frequency range (400 to 3,000 Hertz), which is caused above all by air-conditioning systems in large passenger aircraft or office buildings. Mode 3 has a particularly wide frequency range (100 to 3,000 Hertz), and combines the noise-cancelling effect in the medium and low-frequency ranges.

As a result, background noise with different noise

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components, such as that which occurs at airports, railway stations or underground stations, can be effectively suppressed, although with a slightly lower noise-cancelling performance than in the first two modes.

“NoiseGard /digital is the consistent further development of Sennheiser’s analogue NoiseGard technology,” explained Daniel Chee, Product Manager for the Sennheiser Travel Line. “The possibility to select one of three different modes that are optimised for different environments considerably improves the noise-cancelling effect. Precise filters generate a result that is up to five times better than that of the analogue system.”

Perfect sound wherever you go

To ensure that you can enjoy top-quality sound while travelling – even when the NoiseGard function is deactivated – Sennheiser’s proven acoustics

guarantees a balanced, detailed sound image with a frequency response of 20 to 21,000 Hertz. Whether with or without NoiseGard, the CXC 700 promises the same perfect sound quality at all times.

This means that you can still listen to music or enjoy a film even if the battery is flat. The earphones are perfectly matched to portable audio and video players and are also optimised for connection to in-flight entertainment systems.

guarantee a perfect fit and optimum passive noise attenuation. An in-flight adapter and a 6.35 mm jack plug adapter are also included to enable the earphones to be connected not only to portable players but also to in-flight entertainment systems. The 1.4 metre long cable offers sufficient freedom of movement in all situations.

In addition to a small carrying case, the set also includes a diaphragm protector, a cleaning tool and an AAA battery.

First-class comfort

Due to its compact size and ergonomic design, the CXC 700 not only fits into even the lightest luggage, it is also comfortable to wear when sleeping.

Travellers can either drift off into another world while listening to relaxing music or enjoy perfect peace and quiet with the NoiseGard function activated.

The CXC 700 is operated using a control unit integrated into the cable. The control unit is used not only to select the three NoiseGard profiles and to regulate the volume but also to activate the Sennheiser TalkThrough function. This allows users to conduct a conversation with the person sitting next to them or with the cabin staff without the need to remove their earphones. A particularly useful feature: changing between the NoiseGard profiles and activation of the TalkThrough function are indicated by both an acoustic and a visual signal.

The high-end ear-canal phones are, of course, also equipped with all extras for relaxed and trouble-free travelling. The CXC 700 comes with a set of ear adapters in three different sizes to

CXC 700 Presenting CXC 700 - Sennheiser’s inaugural travel headphones with NoiseGard™ / digital and TalkThrough function. Engineered for discerning business travellers and frequent flyers, these premium ear canal phones feature the latest incarnation of Sennheiser’s active noise cancelling technology - NoiseGard™ /digital – which identifies and reduces even more unwanted ambient noise. Moreover, its tri-mode design allows you to select from one of three different digital noise cancellation modes based on different acoustic environments.

• Highly advanced acoustic system for excellent audio performance • Audio transmission always works – even in passive mode and without the batteries • Integrated control box enhanced usability and convenience • Sleek ergonomic design with striking metalized components for a modern, sophisticated look • Optimised for inflight entertainment systems as well as MP3, DVD, mobile phones, iPod, iPhone and iPad

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Compromise?

Never.

Fully flat beds in Executive First®.

Flying to Canada and the U.S. has never been easier or more comfortable.

For more information, call us at 070-220 100.

Executive First Suites are available on overseas flights on all Air Canada-operated aircraft, except certain Boeing 767s. ®Executive First is a registered trademark of Air Canada.

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