TCT 45

The

Corporate Traveller

WINTER 2013 No. 45

Brussels Airlines, Beyond 2012-2013 CEO Bernard Gustin explains how the airline has avoided a crisis

 A good meetings policy is a major cost saver  Qatar Airways opens the door to Western Australia  Brussels Airport expansions help boost passengers to record numbers  Best Hotel Room for Corporate Travellers – 2013 Awards

THE

BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS

MAGAZINE

FOR

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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:

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

content Industry News The

Corporate Traveller

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER IN THE BENELUX www.thecorporatetraveller.be CIRCULATION 26.000 DIFFUSION Belgium, France, Luxemburg and The Netherlands PUBLICATION FREQUENCY 4 issues per year PUBLISHED BY LEO bvba 1, rue des Ixellois, 4000 Liège, Belgium Tel: 0032 (0) 4 224 7871 Fax: 0032 (0) 4 226 9484 E-mail: jp@eventbox.be PUBLISHER Erik De Ridder – E-mail: edr@eventbox.be MANAGING EDITOR Jean Paul Talbot – E-mail: jp@eventbox.be EDITORIAL TEAM Joanna Pays, Angela Antrobus, Jeroen Coteur, Jacques Legros 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. 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.

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ISSN 1387-2400

005 The Journal News from the travel industry

Hotels 021 Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel plays winning hand A flexible, quality product, excellent personal service and an outstanding central location are the winning cards that continue to attract guests to Antwerp’s Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel – and very successfully too.

023 B-Aparthotels in Brussels – a home away from home B-Aparthotels offer travellers the perfect solution for greater privacy and space, with luxurious apartments that benefit from the high-end services of a hotel.

025 Citadines Sainte-Catherine Brussels is latest Citadines residence to complete renovations Citadines Apart’hotels are serviced apartment properties, in city centre locations, particularly suited to corporate travellers on longer stays. The Citadines brand is undergoing renovations and transformations to its properties.

027 Locatel using technology in new ways to help hotels to greater profitability Locatel has been looking at new ways for technology to help hotels to improve profitability. With its latest innovations, Locatel provides hotels with one of the widest range of technologies for driving new revenues, improving customer satisfaction and reducing operational costs.

028 Interview with Salvatore Ferragamo CEO of Il Borro and 2013 Ambassador for Relais & Châteux Salvatore Ferragamo, grandson of the famous Italian footwear designer, has chosen a path outside of fashion.

CEO of Il Borro, a luxury hotel and vineyard set in the Tuscan mediaeval village of San Giustino, Salvatore Ferragamo was recently elected as Relais & Châteux ambassador for 2013.

030 Best Hotel Room for Corporate Travellers – 2013 Awards The Corporate Traveller magazine has launched the first edition of its competition to find the best hotel rooms and suites in Belgium for business travellers.

Travel Management 033 BATM appoints Geert Behets as new president The board of BATM has unanimously elected Geert Behets (UCB) as president. This was announced at the ceremony celebrating BATM’s ten-year anniversary and the election of the Travel Professional of the Year, 2012.

035 Amadeus Corporate Advisory Board Amadeus values its customers’ partnership. Early in 2012 Amadeus Benelux took the initiative to set up a Corporate Advisory Board.

036 A good meeting’s policy is a major cost saver Meetings can be organised more efficiently and at lower cost.

Diederik Banken and Peter Bregman at BCD Travel explain

the benefits of taking a closer look at how your business handles meetings.

039 Demand for meetings and business travel expected to be stable in 2013 According to Industry Forecast, consolidation is the latest trend in the management of business travel and meetings.

Air Ports 040 Brussels Airport expansions help boost passengers to record numbers Since its re-branding in 2006, Brussels Airport has been in constant evolution. The airport now hosts over 70 passenger carriers, has overtaken pre-financial crisis levels in terms of annual passengers and broke its own record for the highest number of passengers carried last summer.

043 Düsseldorf International Airport reports encouraging growth for 2012 Düsseldorf International Airport saw nearly 20.8 million passengers pass through its gates in 2012, an increase of 2.4%.

The airport offers 170 direct destinations around the world.

Air Ways 045 Asia and Africa strategic for AIR FRANCE KLM long haul route investments AIR FRANCE KLM benefits from a strong presence across five continents, as well as airport hubs in Paris and Amsterdam.

Over the next three years, new routes will focus on strategic regions, such as Africa and Asia.

046 Brussels Airlines, Beyond 2012-2013 Brussels Airlines flew through turbulent times at the end of 2012. In an exclusive interview, CEO Bernard Gustin explained to The Corporate Traveller how the airline has avoided a crisis, turned a corner in its history and is now looking to build sustainable growth with its Beyond 2012-2013 plan.

050 On a three-star flight to Brazil TAP Portugal clearly has a nose for growth markets. At the top of the list are the metropolises of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. During the long distance flights, the business traveller can enjoy the highest level of customer comfort and impressive in-flight connectivity services.

Destinations 052 Qatar Airways opens the door to Western Australia Western Australia is a region that carries a lot of economic weight and is one that is steadily increasing in importance.

The Corporate Traveller discovered a modern metropolis that has not lost its touch to nature.

056 Edinburgh – a vibrant city brimming with meetings and events solutions Edinburgh, a World Heritage Site steeped in history, is also a thriving cultural centre with a lively arts scene and festivals throughout the year. Marketing Edinburgh took us on a tour of just some of the hotels and venues that this exceptional destination has to offer.

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 3

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The Traveller Journal News from the travel industry

Boeing statement on Dreamliner Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney issued a statement on 16 January, following the emergency airworthiness directive issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for US 787 operators to temporarily cease operations. The FAA also recommended that other regulatory agencies to follow suit.

Qatar Airways starts daily flights from Brussels Airport On 1 February, Qatar Airways announced that it would be increasing its frequencies between Brussels and Doha. To celebrate the occasion, the airline invited 70 guests to Brussels Airport. Paul Johannes explained why this extra frequency is being added, only two years after the arrival of Qatar Airways at Brussels.

“It is hard to believe that it was only just 2 years ago that we proudly stood in this very spot, to mark the arrival of our first flight from Doha to Brussels, and since then as they say...we’ve not looked back!,” said Paul Johannes, Qatar Airways’ Vice President Commercial, N.S.W Europe. “The Benelux market has become an integral part of our European and our global operation. The increase of 2 flights a week to a daily service is testament to this and is a direct response to the need for fast and efficient connections from our network to this important European capital. We are also delighted about what this will mean for the local Belgian market...more flexibility and choice to both leisure and corporate travellers. It will offer seamless connections on top of our existing network to even more destinations in the Indian sub-continent, Africa and the Indian Ocean, including Amritsar, Goa, Mumbai, Kilimanjaro, Nairobi and the Maldives.”

As we have come to expect from this particularly dynamic airline, the news does not stop there.

“This is not where it stops!,” said Paul Johannes.

“Qatar Airways is and will continue to grow...At

the moment we are growing at a staggering rate and in 2012 alone we opened up 12 destinations, including Myanmar, Perth, Maputo and Kilimanjaro. 2013 is set to be just as ambitious with some exciting new routes already confirmed to be added to our portfolio including Phnom Penh, Chengdu and Chicago.Our commitment to expansion and to do it in style is what I hope you will agree, sets us apart. We were honoured to be recognised as the Skytrax World’s Best Airline for a second year running in 2012. And I’m pleased to say that 2013 has gotten off to a pretty good start itself, with us picking up awards in both Poland and the UK already.”

Before inviting guests to a lunch, with dishes as served on board Qatar Airways, Paul Johannes concluded his speech by underlining the important contribution made by his colleagues to the success of the airline.

“What makes us 5-star ladies and gentlemen, is above all else our people. Our teams, in the air and on the ground all share the same vision of excellence in all that we do. So I would like to say thank you to the local Benelux team, whose vision and drive has helped us to get here today. Under the stewardship of Eric Didier, Country Manager France and Benelux and Guy Ceunen, Commercial Manager Belgium, the team here have invested in building and nurturing valuable relationships with all of you, our partners. So a big thank you to you as well, for making today possible.”

“The safety of passengers and crew members who fly aboard Boeing airplanes is our highest priority” said Jim McNerney. “Boeing is committed to supporting the FAA and finding answers as quickly as possible. The company is working around the clock with its customers and the various regulatory and investigative authorities. We will make available the entire resources of The Boeing Company to assist. We are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity. We will be taking every necessary step in the coming days to assure our customers and the travelling public of the 787’s safety and to return the airplanes to service.

Boeing deeply regrets the impact that recent events have had on the operating schedules of our customers and the inconvenience to them and their passengers.”

All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines have also announced that they are grounding their entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger jets, after an ANA Dreamliner flight made an emergency landing at Takamatsu Airport in Kagawa Prefecture.

200 more seats in Restos du Coeur thanks to Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport Restos du Coeur, the charity which distributes meals and food packages to disadvantaged people, has started the year on a positive note, thanks to the generosity of the Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport Hotels who have contributed 200 chairs to the organisation.

“We recently have modernised our meeting rooms, with new modern chairs replacing the former classical chairs” said Edward Kreft, the General Manager of the hotel. “What do you do with 200 chairs which easily can help someone else? We thought of Restos du Coeur as those chairs could maybe make their dining area more comfortable?

One week later our entire team helped them to collect the chairs in their truck. We hope that these chairs will increase the dining pleasure for the guests of Restos du Coeur.”

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 5

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

SIR Plantin Hotel Antwerp recognised

by Germany’s Geo Magazine The trendy SIR Plantin Hotel Antwerp, opened in 2011, has been recognised by renowned German Geo Magazine as one of their TOP 55 favourite Hotels in Europe under 100 €.

The hotel has also introduced a new ‘SIR’s Cocooning Time’ Package.

The SIR’s Cocooning time package includes one overnight stay in a trendy double room, a bottle of Bernard Massard ‘Cuvée de l’Ecusson’ in the

Virgin Atlantic Airways Appoints Craig Kreeger as Chief Executive

room, a box of delicious Belgian chocolates, SIR’s breakfast buffet, a welcome drink in the elegant bar or living room, a Cocooning Time Lifestyle book, complimentary high-speed Wifi, complimentary minibar (6 bottles), complimentary 24/7 Hospitality Corner, city map and late check-out upon request and availability. The double room package is available from 139 euros.

For more information visit www.sirplantin-antwerp.com

European Commission awards Amadeus top sector ranking as R&D leader Amadeus has again maintained its top sector ranking as one of the leading companies in Europe for investment in Research & Development (R&D) according to the European Commission (EC).

The 2012 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, an annual report published by the EC, examines the largest 1,000 European companies investing in R&D during 2011 and ranks them according to the total amount invested. Amadeus invested €347.5 million during 2011, an increase of 6.7% on 2010, to research and develop technologies for use in the travel sector.

This investment represented 12.7% of revenues and helped the company maintain its number one position in Europe by total R&D investment in the area of travel and tourism.

“Naturally we are very pleased to see that our investment in R&D has been highlighted again by

this important European Commission study” said Hervé Couturier, Executive Vice President, R&D at Amadeus. “Equally we are very proud to be ranked again as a leader in the travel and tourism area. This further emphasises our reputation for innovation, with many years of experience in pioneering travel industry products and initiatives such as Altéa and, more recently, Amadeus Featured Results. Nonetheless, our desire for innovation has not yet been satisfied and R&D will continue to inspire our evolution as a large-scale technology pioneer.”

This news follows the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Union’s long-term financing institution, in May granting a €200 million loan to Amadeus to finance the research and development of a variety of projects in the area of IT for airlines, airports, hotels, and rail between 2012 and 2014.

Turkish Airlines

opens operations to Cameroon’s Yaounde and Douala Turkish Airlines has added the 96th country to its network by beginning service to two cities in Cameroon, Yaounde and Douala.

This brings the total number of cities served by Turkish Airlines to 216. With the addition of Yaounde and Douala, the airline now flies to 33 destinations in Africa alone.

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WINTER 2013 |

Craig Kreeger - Chief Executive Virgin Atlantic Airways

Virgin Atlantic Airways has appointed Craig Kreeger as its new Chief Executive.

He assumed the role on 1st February 2013.

Craig Kreeger joins from American Airlines where he has held a 27-year career spanning commercial, financial and strategic roles in the US and around the globe.

Kreeger, 53, succeeds current CEO, Steve Ridgway, who is retiring from the airline. Last September, Virgin Atlantic announced Steve Ridgway would retire in spring 2013, once a successor was in place. Steve has had a 23year tenure with Virgin Atlantic and became Chief Executive in 2001. During his time at the airline, Virgin Atlantic has grown from two 747s to a fleet of 40 long haul aircraft, flying six million passengers a year all over the world.

Kreeger joins at an exciting time for the airline as Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic finalise their agreement for a new joint venture that will create an expanded Trans-Atlantic network. This new venture will materially enhance competition between the UK and North America, offering great benefits for customers travelling on those routes.

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Opening Park Inn by Radisson, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide and a member of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, has opened the Park Inn by Radisson, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

The 150-room flagship hotel brings the dynamic mid-market brand Park Inn

by Radisson to the Netherlands and strengthens Rezidor’s position as one of Europe’s leading airport hotel operators.

The group is present is at some of the busiest airports in Europe including London, Paris, Frankfurt, Zurich, Istanbul, Copenhagen, Moscow, Nice, Oslo, Stockholm and Amsterdam.

The brand new Park Inn by Radisson, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is located in a converted office building in the Schiphol-Rijk office park – home to many local and international headquarters and just 5 kilometres away from the terminals. A dedicated airport shuttle brings travellers to and from the airport in 10 minutes; and the hotel has 150 parking spaces for attractive “park & fly” packages. Amsterdam city centre is only 15 kilometres away, and also cities like Utrecht and The Hague are within easy reach.

The 150 contemporary standard or superior rooms in fresh, colourful designs offer all desirable modern amenities including free high-speed, wireless internet access, individual climate control, flat-screen TV with a wide selection of international channels, a large window and a spacious work desk.

The Livingroom is the hotel’s core area for socializing.The Livingroom Restaurant serves delicious international dishes with a Dutch flair – plus a hot and cold breakfast buffet, featuring over 100 international start-the-day-well items.

A special kiosk provides a selection of sandwiches, salads, snacks and drinks around the clock. Throughout the day, guests can relax and enjoy a freshly brewed coffee or snack in The Livingroom Lounge featuring comfortable armchairs.

In the evening, a range of drinks, wines and beers are available in the chic surroundings of The Livingroom Bar. The Livingroom also offers free high-speed, wireless internet access.

With its excellent location and private Meeting Wing, the Park Inn by Radisson is the ideal choice for business gatherings and events. The state-of-the-art wing comprises 4 versatile meeting rooms, a special prefunction lobby and a small outdoor area.

Sir Plantin Hotel Antwerp sponsors premier Belgian sports teams With the city of Antwerp named the ‘European Capital City of Sports’ for 2013, Sir Plantin Hotel Antwerp has also become the sponsor of two of Belgium’s premier professional sports teams.

“Sir Plantin Hotel Antwerp is really proud to become sponsor of the Belgian Pro League Soccer Team Beerschot as from the 26th of January till end of season 2012-’13” said Wim Van Respaille, General Manager of Sir Plantin Hotel Antwerp. “We are also very proud to become sponsor of the Belgian Pro League Volleyball Team VC Argex-Duvel Puurs.”

Brussels Airport’s reports record number of passengers for 2001 Brussels Airport ended 2012 with nearly 19 million passengers, representing an increase of 1 percent compared to 2011 and a record in terms of traffic since 2001.

The number of passengers who board locally – otherwise known as originating passengers – has remained more or less stable with a minimal decline of 0.1%. The number of passengers on intra-European flights has remained unchanged compared to 2011. In terms of long-haul flights, however, Brussels Airport booked 6.3% growth. The number of transfer passengers has increased by 7.7%. The proportion of transfer passengers to the total number of passengers has risen by one percent to 15.6%.

These results – and the positive evolution in transfer traffic in particular – show the importance of the development of Brussels Airport as a hub for Star Alliance, which has positively counterbalanced the impact of the economic crisis on the general willingness to travel. The results of passenger traffic at Brussels Airport are comparable to those of other large European airports in 2012.

In 2013 the long-haul network will be further reinforced with extra flights from Qatar Airways and THAI, and the use of larger planes

by Jet Airways and United Airlines. Brussels Airlines has also announced growth plans for its transatlantic network too. Within Europe additional frequencies or new destinations have been announced by a number of companies, including Croatia Airlines, Jetairfly, Meridiana, Thomas Cook Airlines and Vueling.

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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Singapore Airlines unveils 59 million euro upgrade of Boeing B777-200ER Cabins The cabin upgrade programme will provide greater product consistency across the Airline’s long-haul fleet, with Business Class seats that convert into full-flat beds and larger in-flight entertainment screen sizes for both Business Class and Economy Class.

In Business Class, the richly upholstered leather seat reclines up to 125 degrees and unfolds into a 76-inch full-flat bed.

Also featured on the Airline’s Airbus A340-500, A380 and B777-300ER fleets, the forward-facing, four-abreast 1-2-1 configuration offers all customers direct access to the aisle. The award-winning KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system also features a 15.4-inch LCD monitor and an extensive selection of audio and video programmes.

The first refitted B777-200ER commenced operations Singapore and Amsterdam on 13 January. Upgraded B777-200ERs will be deployed to more destinations in Europe and to points in India, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand as additional aircraft are refitted.

In Economy Class, personal LCD monitors will be upgraded to 9 inches from 6.5 inches. Seat covers, designed by Givenchy, will also feature soothing colours as well as richer and softer fabrics, similar to those found on Singapore Airlines’ A380s and B777-300ERs.

Singapore Airlines will be investing nearly 59 million euros to refit ten Boeing 777-200ER aircraft with new long-haul cabin products to provide customers with additional space and comfort.

Air France Premium Economy meets objectives Three years after its launch, Premium Economy has successfully met its objectives of winning over 1.5 million long-haul customers over the period.

Air France has received very satisfactory results for its Premium Economy product, the intermediate cabin class situated between Business and Economy cabins on board long-haul aircraft.

Premium Economy, a tool for winning back business, is popular among customers and is proving to be a highly attractive product which perfectly complements the Air France range of solutions tailored to its customers’ changing requirements. In 2012 alone, the additional revenues generated by Premium Economy largely exceeded the initial investment. This cabin class offers a particularly tailored solution to small and medium-sized companies and to leisure customers seeking enhanced travelling comfort on long-haul flights at attractive fares. Customers appreciate the comfort and calm of this cabin as well as the privacy of the fixed-shell seat.

“Premium Economy has rapidly won over both business and leisure customers throughout our long-haul network” stated Bruno Matheu, Chief Commercial Officer Air France. “Since its launch, we have been in constant contact with our customers to adapt our services in line with their requirements. Premium Economy currently represents a key product in our offer, which is a reference for supporting Air France in its strategy of commercial recovery.”

Olivier Harnisch, Rezidor Hotel Group’s new Exec VP and Chief Operating Officer The Rezidor Hotel Group has announced the appointment of Olivier Harnisch as Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer. Harnisch will succeed Wolfgang M. Neumann who is taking over from Kurt Ritter as the company’s new President & CEO. Harnisch previously served as Vice President, Northern and Central Europe at Hilton Worldwide.

In his new role he will be based at Rezidor’s corporate support office in Brussels. He will also be a member of the group’s Executive Committee, chaired by Wolfgang M. Neumann.

Harnisch will head Rezidor’s optimized, decentralized operational organization comprising the areas Nordics, Eastern Europe & Russia, Western Europe & North Africa, Central Europe, UK & Ireland, and Middle East & sub-Saharan Africa under the leadership of Area Vice Presidents. Across all these territories Rezidor’s portfolio of hotels in operation currently features 335 properties with 73,184 rooms.

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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

United announces new international and domestic routes from hub cities United Airlines plans to launch new international and domestic routes in spring 2013, subject to government approval.

On April 13, United plans to add a new weekly yearround service from Washington-Dulles to Guatemala City and to San Jose (Costa Rica) along with new weekly year-round flights from Chicago-O’Hare to San Jose, using Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The airline serves both cities from New York and Houston as well.

Qatar Airways celebrate commercial introduction of new aviation jet fuel Qatar Petroleum (QP), Qatar Airways and Shell have celebrated the first commercial introduction of a new aviation jet fuel – the first to be approved globally in over two decades.

The innovative GTL Jet Fuel blended with Synthetic Parafinic Kerosene from the world’s largest Gas to Liquids plant - Pearl GTL in Qatar - is now flowing into aeroplane tanks at Doha International Airport.

An Airbus A340-600 will make history by being the first to fly outbound from Doha International Airport, en route to London Heathrow using GTL Jet Fuel.

This is a significant milestone for the giant onshore Pearl GTL complex, which is jointly developed by QP and Shell and is the largest energy project in Qatar. Fully approved for use as an aviation fuel, GTL Jet Fuel is a blend of up to 50% GTL Synthetic Parafinic Kerosene and conventional crude oilderived standard jet fuel.

As an alternative to conventional crude oil-derived jet fuel, GTL Jet Fuel offers a number of attractive benefits for airlines and airports. The synthetic blend component - GTL kerosene – contains virtually zero Sulphur and has been shown to produce lower emissions than conventional crude oil-derived jet fuel. This means that once blended with conventional jet fuel to create GTL Jet Fuel, it can be attractive to airlines and airport authorities keen to improve local air quality at busy airports by reducing local emissions. GTL kerosene also has a higher energy density than conventional oil-based kerosene, thus reducing required fuel payload need for aircraft.

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Starting May 1, a new United service will begin between New York-Newark and Edmonton, Alberta, operating six times a week with an Airbus A319 aircraft. The airline also serves Edmonton from its hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, and San Francisco. June 6 will mark the start of daily United flights from Denver to Fort McMurray, Alberta. This will be United’s 18th destination in Canada. Two days later, United will launch a seasonal service from Washington-Dulles to Vancouver, operating twice a week through August 25.

United serves Vancouver year-round from Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and seasonally from New York-Newark.

Additional domestic routes are to commence from Chicago and Washington, DC. United will add a daily United Express service between WashingtonDulles and Grand Rapids (Michigan) as from May 1 and daily flights between Chicago and Fairbanks (Alaska) beginning on June 6.

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Air Canada reports record load factors for December and full year 2012 Air Canada has announced record load factors for December 2012 and the full year.

Orient-Express to launch associate hotel programme

first member hotel announced

Orient-Express Hotels have launched the Orient-Express Associate Hotels programme. The founding member of the new programme is the iconic Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz, France.

“The Associate Hotels programme is an opportunity to enhance our portfolio of iconic travel experiences by partnering with independently owned and/ For the month of December 2012, Air Canada or managed luxury hotels” said David Williams, reported a record system load factor of 82.1 per Chief Marketing Officer, Orient-Express. “In cent, versus 81.0 per cent in December 2011, an return for providing access to our highly valued increase of 1.1 percentage points. System traffic international sales force and strategic marketing increased 3.2 per cent on a system-wide capacity channels, this initiative enables us to curate increase of 1.8 per cent. For the full year 2012, new destinations for our guests to discover. Our load factor was a record 82.7 per cent, versus 81.6 boutique collection is uniquely positioned to work per cent, an increase of 1.1 percentage points. with like-minded hoteliers who wish to preserve their established individual brand reputation, In 2012, Air Canada was ranked for a third but who share the vision of the Orient-Express consecutive year ‘Best International Airline in umbrella brand, offering an equal standard of North America’ in a worldwide survey of more authentic experience, revenue return and service than 18 million airline passengers conducted by as our owned independent research firm Skytrax.

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Associate hotels will have access to Orient-Express’ full suite of sales, marketing and public relations support in 17 key geographic markets, global voice reservations and dedicated distribution under the Orient-Express GDS code “OE”, and a fully aligned online presence with next generation websites.

Available strategic partnerships include the Bellini Club, Orient-Express’ preferred agent programme.

The Orient-Express Associate Hotels programme is by invitation only and partner hotels are selected according to criteria, including having an established and iconic reputation, being a market leader in their respective destination, being a complementary fit with the existing Orient-Express portfolio, and meeting very high independently assessed quality standards.

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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

PwC Euro Hotel Forecast anticipates slower growth in 2013 PwC’s annual European Cities Hotel Forecast 2013 expects revenue per available room (RevPAR) growth to slow in 2013 due largely to the prolonged economic downturn.

Nevertheless, some cities, such as St Petersburg, Paris, Moscow and Frankfurt, are expected to demonstrate robust RevPAR growth in 2013, with more modest increases expected in Berlin and Dublin.

Featuring 19 of Europe’s most important gateway cities, PwC’s 2013 forecast provides a breakdown of revenue and occupancy forecasts, opportunities driving tourism and investment in 2013 and the economic outlook for each city. Collectively, the 19 centres of culture, finance and commerce account for over 650,000 rooms and host over 85 million annual international arrivals.

Despite some notable performances exhibited in select cities in 2012, the hotel industry faces a more challenging landscape in 2013 with continuing economic issues likely to hold back growth. RevPAR growth is expected to abate and no double digit gains are expected in any of the cities surveyed. The report compares the 19 cities in terms of both euros and in local currency, with some slight variations in results.

The forecast in terms of euro currency include St Petersburg with expected 7.3% RevPAR growth over 2013, followed by Moscow (5.2%), Paris (5.0%), Frankfurt (3.5%), Berlin (3.2%) and Dublin (3.1%). In local currency terms, Paris is the frontrunner with predicted 5.0% RevPAR growth –followed by St Petersburg (4.8%), Edinburgh (4.0%), Frankfurt, Berlin and Dublin.

“A return to a steady state of economic growth is not likely in the short term and the hotel industry has to adapt to this ‘new normal’ as well as to new trends and challenges facing the sector” said Robert Milburn, PwC’s UK Hospitality & Leisure leader. “Our 2013 forecast depends largely on how the eurozone crisis evolves. Though currently we do expect steady growth in many cities, if the crisis escalates, we may see even less promising results for the hotel industry.”

Average European hotel occupancy rates in 2012 showed a small decline for the year to September, notably in Southern European destinations. By contrast, a report from the European Travel Commission shows clear and continued gains in some Eastern European countries. Four cities appear likely to see double digit RevPAR growth in 2012 - St Petersburg (14.1%), Dublin (13.9%), Prague (13.1%) and Moscow (12.9%), with almost double digit growth in Berlin (9.6%) and Paris (9.0%).

Etihad Airways to fly Abu Dhabi – Amsterdam route Etihad Airways is to introduce daily flights to Amsterdam from its home base of Abu Dhabi. The maiden flight will take off on 15 May and will carry the KL code of Dutch national carrier, KLM. The daily flights will complement KLM’s current service between Amsterdam and Abu Dhabi which will increase to daily frequencies from the summer and carry Etihad Airways’ EY code, ensuring that the two airlines can offer a combined double daily service. Etihad Airways will operate a two-class Airbus A330-200 aircraft on the new Amsterdam service, configured with 22 seats in Pearl Business class and 240 in Coral Economy class, offering a total of 3,668 seats between the two capital cities each week.

Strong demand for the Etihad Airways service is anticipated from the Dutch community in the UAE which counts more than 5,000 Dutch nationals and 300 Dutch companies.

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Bilateral trade between the Netherlands and UAE is currently valued at US$3.6 billion.

“It is great news for KLM, Schiphol Airport and the Netherlands that Etihad Airways will launch its own daily service between Amsterdam and Abu Dhabi and that we have expanded the codeshare agreement and forge even closer ties between the two cities” said Peter Hartman, President and Chief Executive Officer of KLM. “KLM’s Abu Dhabi service has been very successful and it is welcoming news for air travellers that will increase to daily and also place our KL code on Etihad Airways new daily flights which will start on 15 May.” Etihad Airways and strategic partner Air France-KLM unveiled plans to work together on codeshare routes, commercial development and cost synergies in October 2012.

The agreement expanded the UAE flag carrier’s network to 337 destinations.

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Alitalia wins ‘Best Airline Cuisine’ award for third consecutive year Alitalia has, for the third year in a row, been recognized as the best airline in the world for the quality of its innovative onboard dining program in its Magnifica Business Class. The prize of ‘Best Airline Cuisine’ was awarded by American magazine Global Traveler.

The recognition rewards Alitalia’s efforts to upgrade its onboard service, through enhancing

menus to reflect the culinary excellence of Italy and offering accessories designed by some of the most famous Italian brands. The menus offered in Magnifica Business Class are inspired by the traditions of the Italian regions and are achieved in collaboration with ALMA, the International School of Italian Cuisine, directed

by Gualtiero Marchesi. The menus are served with wines selected in collaboration with the Italian Sommelier Association.

Air France, leader in Japan Air France intends to increase services to Tokyo by introducing a new daily flight operated with its own aircraft and crew to the downtown airport of Tokyo-Haneda as from summer 2014.

Near the city centre, this new destination will make connections to other domestic airports in Japan with many national services on offer on departure from Tokyo-Haneda. Since 2010, Air France has been selling seats on a code-share basis on flights operated by Japan Airlines between Paris-CDG and Tokyo-Haneda.

This announcement follows the visit of Alexandre de Juniac, Chairman and CEO of Air France, to Tokyo on 28 November to celebrate 60 years of Air France presence in Japan.

“I am very pleased to be celebrating 60 years of uninterrupted Air France service to Japan”

said Alexandre de Juniac. “Today, we want to strengthen our services on this strategic market by providing excellent service to Tokyo and Osaka, as well as the Japanese domestic network together with our partner Japan Airlines. In addition, we are striving to develop totally customer oriented Japanese routes.”

Air France-KLM is the leader in terms of the number of flights between Europe and Japan This winter, Air France-KLM is offering up to 51 weekly flights on departure from Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol, including some on a codeshare basis with Japan Airlines.

This offer will be expanded as from 3 April 2013 with the new service to Fukuoka operated by KLM with three weekly frequencies by Boeing 777-200.

United Airlines offers new baggage option for delivery to final destination United Airlines has introduced a new baggage delivery option which enables customers to have their checked bags delivered directly to their final destinations and thus skip baggage claim on arrival.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport opening postponed The opening of the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport, scheduled for 27 October 2013, has been delayed.

Following an evaluation completed at the beginning of January, Horst Amann, the airport’s Chief Operating Officer has informed the airport’s joint owners – Berlin, Brandenburg and the German government – that the airport would no longer be able to open on 27 October 2013 as planned. This delay is attributed to problems with the airport’s fire protection system. According to Mr Amann, it is too early to discuss on a new opening date.

The airport operator’s Supervisory Board will discuss further action at BER and the consequences of postponing the airport’s opening at its next meeting.

Baggage delivery by BagsVIP will initially be available to customers departing from any domestic airport and arriving in Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles and Orlando. The airline plans to expand the service to more than 190 domestic airports in the coming months. Luggage can be delivered to anywhere in a radius of 100 miles of the passenger’s arrival airport.

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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts opens its first property in Paris

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has launched its first hotel in Paris offering guests a level of upscale comfort that is as refined as the exclusive Neuilly district in which the hotel is based.

The Mövenpick Hotel Paris Neuilly is just three metro stops from the famous Arc de Triomphe, but light years from the capital’s hustle and bustle, situated in a residential oasis of calm and sophistication on Boulevard Victor Hugo.

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts took over the hotel on December 19. From summer 2013 work will begin on the remodelling of the hotel’s 281 rooms and 19 suites as part of a multi-million-euro refurbishment project. The renovation will be carried out on a floor-by-floor basis to ensure in-house guests are never disturbed during their stay.

Taking inspiration from the hotel’s prestigious neighbourhood, each room will celebrate Parisian style with custom designed chaise longues, soft tone French made fabrics and unique three-dimensional wall features inspired by traditional moulded wall coverings. The art works will emphasise Parisian finesse through subtle French motifs and contemporary flourishes.

A key feature will be the cutting-edge shower room with discrete glass panels allowing natural light to flood through from the bedroom. The glass shows an abstract frosted image depicting a map of Paris. Combined with integrated high-tech work spaces, the new room comes from a design concept created by London based international company Ara Design.

“The hotel is already a magnet for local residents as a result of the relaxed ambience and modern

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flavours of the Victor Hugo brasserie as well as the busy 58 Bar & Lounge” said Pascal Leprou, general manager of Mövenpick Hotel Paris Neuilly. “With Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts we are looking forward to building on this success”.

The hotel will be renovating its famous garden and terrace to provide a sanctuary of city calm in which to enjoy a relaxing lunch, drink or the new Sunday champagne brunch which will feature classic Swiss dishes and family favourites. For business travellers Mövenpick Hotel Paris Neuilly will introduce a complimentary ‘tuk-tuk’ service to provide a unique form of fast transport around the ‘golden business triangle’.

The hotel brings the European portfolio of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts up to 22 properties and a global portfolio of 77 hotels, resorts and Nile cruisers currently in operation.

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

US Business Travel

spend on international travel predicted to strengthen US Business travel spending growth slowed through the tail end of 2012 as companies postponed critical investment decisions. However, according to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the US business travel forecast for 2013 should be more positive. International travel for US business is also predicted to strengthen.

According to the GBTA BTI™ Outlook, the GBTA report sponsored by Visa, US business travel spending is expected to rise 4.6% in 2013 to $266.7 billion.

This is a slight -1.1% decline in trip volume to 431.8 million person-trips for the year. The key factors in 2013 business travel spending growth are projected to be increasing international outbound travel spending (projected to rise 5.9%), increasing group travel spending (projected to rise 5.2%) and very modest price inflation.

“Even with an agreement to avert the fiscal cliff in the near-term, there are still many issues that need to be addressed” said Michael W. McCormick, GBTA executive director and COO. “However, companies should now have somewhat greater confidence in their spending decisions. While companies will approach the first half of the year with some caution, pent-up demand to get back on the road should hopefully fuel accelerating growth in business travel spending through the end of 2013.”

Previously a strong driver of overall business travel spending growth, international outbound business travel stumbled badly in 2012, growing just 0.7% as challenges in the Eurozone impacted trade and business confidence, causing a ripple effect that reached the shores of the US. and Asia. Although the Eurozone remains troubled, increasing industrial production and retail sales in China signal an improving economy for 2013.

Among other factors, a stronger China will improve US export growth and help act as an engine for international outbound business travel. As a

British Airways to launch new route to Chengdu, China British Airways is to launch a new route to China’s Chengdu, as from September.

British Airways will be the only UK carrier to offer a direct service between Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and London Heathrow.

The thrice-weekly service, which is now on sale, will start on September 22, 2013. The route will be served by a four-cabin Boeing 777 with First, Club World (business class), World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and World Traveller (economy).

result, GBTA expects to see a 5.9% rise in international outbound spending for the year.

“The projections that we see for both international and group travel are encouraging” said McCormick. “Businesses will be looking to capitalize on growth opportunities abroad and spend more on in-person meetings and events as well. By nature, meetings are longer-lead investments that require greater confidence in the future.”

Waldorf Astoria Berlin opens for business At the beginning of January, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts unveiled its second European luxury hotel opening in recent months – with the highly-anticipated Waldorf Astoria Berlin.

The 31-storey, 118 metre high hotel features over 2,000 square metres of dedicated conference and meeting facilities, in addition to a lavish spa and wellness area, stylish restaurants bars and on-site parking. Its 182 deluxe or superior rooms and 50 suites all offer views of the city’s skyline, including the Memorial Church and Berlin Zoo. Setting a new standard in luxury for Berlin and the wider German market, the hotel marries the timeless elegance of the legendary flagship, Waldorf Astoria New York, with a unique design inspired by Berlin’s vibrant and contemporary personality. The hotels restaurant facilities include Les Soloistes where renowned Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire has created a contemporary restaurant for fine dining.

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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Airbus

increases prices for aircraft Airbus has increased the average list prices of its aircraft by 3.6 per cent. The new pricing came into effect on January 1st 2013.

“Our new pricing reaffirms the value of our modern, fuel-efficient aircraft” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer. “Our products consistently help our customers cut their operating costs and reduce their environmental footprint.”

Emirates

welcomes interim approval for partnership with Qantas Emirates has welcomed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCCs) decision to grant interim authorisation for the proposed Emirates and Qantas partnership.

“The interim approval clears the way for Emirates and Qantas to be geared up to provide customers with a unified experience from day one” said Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline. “The Emirates and Qantas partnership will provide customers unparalleled access to the respective networks and services including the A380 experience.”

The partnership still remains subject to final authorisation from the ACCC, a decision on which is expected in March.

New York City breaks tourism record in 2012 with 52 million visitors Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta have announced a new all time high of 52 million visitors to New York City in 2012 - a 2.1 percent increase over 2011.

Visitors to the city generated an estimated $55.3 billion in economic impact to the city’s economy, with direct spending reaching $36.9 billion. New York City continues to be the premier United States travel destination, with an overseas market share at a record high of 33 percent. In 2012, New York City welcomed an estimated 41 million domestic visitors and 11 million international visitors. In addition, New York City sold a record 29 million hotel room nights and generated a record $504 million in hotel tax revenue, and the overall hospitality industry across all five boroughs now employs 356,000 New Yorkers.

“New York City continues to attract people from all around the world who want to experience our unique culture, food, parks, shopping, arts and energy” said Mayor Bloomberg. “The tourism industry is thriving, creating thousands of jobs for New Yorkers at all rungs of the economic ladder. We are well on our way to achieving our new goal of 55 million visitors and $70 billion in economic impact by 2015.”

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg

Since 2006, when the Mayor created a new municipal marketing model by merging NYC & Company with the City’s marketing and big events groups, New York City’s share of overseas visitors to the US has increased from 28 to 33 percent. Each market share point represents an additional $750 million in direct spending by tourists in New York City. NYC & Company has been able to grow the City’s market share of international visitation by targeting nontraditional travel markets with strong economies and growing middle classes. International markets where NYC & Company has global outposts have yielded considerable returns in tourism growth, especially from emerging markets such as Brazil, China, Argentina and Australia, which have grown 447 percent, 442 percent, 258 percent, 157 percent, respectively, since 2006.

With the continued increase in visitation, New York City’s hotel room inventory continues to expand – with 91,500 active rooms. Even with the addition of new rooms, the city’s hotel occupancy remains strong at 87 percent, the highest in the nation.

United Airlines unveils new lounge concept at Chicago O’Hare Airport United Airlines has unveiled its new United Club lounge in Terminal 2 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. United is spending more than $50 million in 2013 to renovate several of the airline’s 51 United Club locations. The lounge is the first to feature a new design prototype that the airline will use when building and renovating lounges worldwide.

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The 13,300 square foot United Club lounge features a completely redesigned interior that reflects elements of flight and travel.

United has outfitted the club with an expansive bar and lounge area, dynamic lighting, redesigned furniture and additional workstations and power outlets. The new and improved furnishings enable customers to relax or work with greater ease and comfort. As with all United Club lounges, members have access to complimentary snacks, beverages and Wi-Fi.

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Emirates and TAP

announce commercial cooperation Emirates and TAP Portugal have commenced a reciprocal codeshare agreement enabling passengers from both airlines to benefit from seamless connections.

The agreement means that customers can enjoy the convenience of a single combined ticket for Emirates and TAP Portugal-operated flights, in addition to linking Emirates’ frequent flyer programme, Skywards, and TAP’s Victoria frequent flyer programme.

Under the agreement, Emirates’ flight number will be placed on TAP services from Lisbon to Porto, Faro and Funchal in Portugal as well as Seville, Madrid and Barcelona in Spain. TAP will place its code and flight number on several Emirates’ services between Lisbon and Dubai, to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Frequent flyers of both airlines will be able to accrue and redeem Skywards Miles with Emirates and Victoria

Bonus Miles with TAP and will benefit from one-stop check-in and baggage transfer to their connecting flight. Mileage redemptions will be available on a reciprocal basis, for both Economy and Business Class flights. Skywards members will be able to accrue Skywards Miles when flying in Economy or Executive Class with TAP. Victoria members travelling on Emirates’ flights will be able to accrue Miles in Economy Class, Business Class and First Class.

“By code-sharing with Emirates on their flights to Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, TAP will be able to provide its customers with a more direct, convenient and wider choice of services to Asia and the Gulf” said José Guedes Dias, TAP Portugal, Vice-President Alliances and External Relations. “The new offer will also make it more attractive for passengers to fly through Lisbon on their travels between points in TAP’s network and Dubai,”

Radisson Blu hotels launches ‘Experience Meetings’ Radisson Blu, has launched ‘Experience Meetings’, a new concept for meetings and events. Experience Meetings harmonizes all meeting essentials, such as breakout rooms, food and connectivity with the intangible elements such as service, satisfaction and sustainability.

our ambitious revenue generating activities. ‘Experience Meetings’ begins with an easier planning and booking process. Regardless of the size and location of the meeting, Radisson Blu has the right location. An enhanced online search tool, www.meetings.carlsonrezidor.com, allows users to search for hotels and to directly submit requests.”

‘Experience Meetings’ is the latest innovation to be offered at 255 participating Radisson Blu hotels with a total of more than 2,200 meeting rooms in 55 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Three elements mark Experience Meetings. The first is Brain Food, an innovative and responsible food and beverage solution developed by skilled chefs and nutritionists. The second is the Brain Box, a breakout room for participating hotels designed to elevate efficiency and to stimulate creativity. The third element is to enable connectivity, as all Radisson Blu properties offer free and fast WiFi for all meeting delegates. Intangible components ideally complement the new meeting concept: All Radisson Blu hotels follow the service philosophy “Yes I Can!” with a positive and pro-active service approach, and give a 100% guest satisfaction guarantee. For more information visit www.rezidor.com

“The meeting segment is our key business” commented Olivier Jacquin, Senior Vice President Sales, Marketing and Distribution at Rezidor, operator of Radisson Blu in EMEA. “’Experience Meetings’ provides our guests with a consistently high standard of products and services – from the first to the last phase of their booking – and supports

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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Etihad Airways launches ‘Etihad Wi-fly’ connectivity on flights from Brussels Austrian’s Business Class Etihad Airways has launched its new ‘Etihad Wi-Fly’ inflight internet and mobile connectivity service, powered by the Panasonic Avionics Global Communications Suite. On 3 December, the airline’s first aircraft equipped with the communications technology, flew into Brussels.

“Etihad Wi-Fly is a result of the 10-year, US$1 billion agreement we signed with Panasonic Avionics in November 2011” said James Hogan, Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer.

“We continue to invest in our product and consider ways to offer our guests the most engaging and dynamic inflight entertainment options. The broadband

Internet is high-speed, in line with what our guests would experience at home or at work, so we believe this will be hugely popular. By the end of Q1 2013, we will have 10 ‘Etihad Wi-Fly’-equipped aircraft, and I am pleased to announce that by the end of 2014, every single Etihad Airways aircraft will be equipped for inflight connectivity.”

All Etihad Airways narrow-body aircraft will be outfitted with data and mobile phone connectivity, while wide-body aircraft will be additionally equipped for broadband Internet services. Etihad Airways also currently operates six connectivity-enabled aircraft under an agreement with OnAir.

Virgin Atlantic brings Passbook support to mobile boarding cards

ready for take off on first flights

Austrian’s new Business Class is ready for take-off on flights to Dubai, Bangkok and Tokyo.

The conversion of Austrian’s long-haul fleet is forging ahead.

A Boeing 777 is already completed and has been flying to Bangkok and Tokyo in the new design since January, while a Boeing 767 has been fitted and is flying from Vienna to Dubai.

On-board highlights include comfortable Business Class seats featuring innovative details and a completely horizontal sleeping area of approximately two metres in length. The cabins also feature new entertainment systems with video-ondemand and award-winning service and choice delicacies from DO & CO.

Air France-KLM

and Amadeus renew agreement

Virgin Atlantic has become the first UK based airline to integrate Passbook into its mobile boarding cards. This allows passengers a paperless journey through the airport with their iPhone or iPod touch.

During the online check-in process, passengers will now have the added option of sending their boarding card directly to Passbook on their iPhone or iPod touch. This means they can by-pass checkin kiosks and head straight to security, or via baggage drop if carrying luggage.

After using online check-in and selecting to send the boarding card to Passbook, an email is sent to the passenger containing a Passbook attachment. When the attachment is opened the boarding card is securely loaded into the app, ready to be scanned at the departure gate ahead of boarding the plane.

Passbook and mobile boarding card technology is available to use at key UK airports, selected airports around the world and will be rolled out to more airports as authorities approve it.

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Air France-KLM and Amadeus, a leading technology partner for the global travel industry, have renewed their content agreement.

Thanks to the agreement, travel agencies worldwide will continue to have guaranteed access to the full range of fares and inventory relating to more than 74.8 million seats and 90.000 flights operated annually by Air France and KLM through the Amadeus system. The agreement also includes the content of regional airlines in the group.

Travel agents will continue to offer optional services to their customers such as Economy Comfort for KLM or Seat + for Air France using the Amadeus Airline Ancillary Services solution, a fully integrated end-to-end solution which enables airlines to merchandise their ancillary services. Furthermore, Air France has launched the ‘New Economy Offer’ available to 58 destinations on the short and medium-haul network, allowing travel agents to give the customer an option that will allow choosing between the all-inclusive fare and a MiNi fare.

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Brussels Hotels Association Delta and Virgin contributing to recruitment in Brussels tourism The Brussels Hotel Association (BHA) is directly contributing to the promotion and support of recruitment in Brussels. The BHA has thus inaugurated, with the support of BECI and VISITBRUSSELS, a new platform for recruitment.

According to the BHA, the professional organisation for the hotel sector, there are a number of employment vacancies and student trainee positions available in the region of the capital.

The platform, BHA Careers, is available at www. bhacareers.be. Those seeking work can freely post their CVs and consult employment and trainee opportunities. Hotels have access to an online

database where they can sort information based on the types of candidate profiles they are looking for.

They can also post their employment and trainee positions on line.

The objective of the new recruitment platform is to connect offers and demand for employment in order to support development in the tourism sector.

“While we are in the midst of an economic crisis, there is in Brussels a sector that is recruiting – tourism” said Rodolphe Van Weyenbergh, the BHA’s Secretary General. “This sector could represent a serious alternative to the decline in the industrial sector”.

Air Canada’s Calin Rovinescu elected chairman of the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada, has been elected as the new Chairman of the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board (CEB). He succeeds Rob Fyfe, CEO Air New Zealand, who held the post for the last two years.

In his role as CEB Chairman, Rovinescu will conduct the two annual board meetings and act as the designated spokesperson for the board.

Rovinescu said he was looking forward to working with the board over the next two years to deepen the alliance and pursue shared priorities. These would include strengthening the global network, focusing on providing a seamless travel experience and maintaining the loyalty of customers through superior service and convenience.

“Partnerships are essential to succeed in this business and few partnerships have been as beneficial to their members and customers as the Star Alliance” said Rovinescu. “It is my determination to see that we continue to foster commercial cooperation among member carriers to further strengthen our position as the leading global airline network.”

The CEB is the controlling body of the Alliance and each of the 27 member airlines is represented by their respective CEO. The CEB provides the overall strategic direction of the Alliance, approves the appropriate funding and votes on the admittance of new member airlines.

Atlantic to form strategic alliance

Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. have reached an agreement for a new joint venture that will create an expanded transAtlantic network and enhance competition between the UK and North America, offering greater benefits for customers travelling on those routes.

As part of this joint venture agreement, Delta will invest $360 million in Virgin Atlantic, acquiring a 49 per cent stake currently held by Singapore Airlines. Virgin Group and Sir Richard Branson will retain the majority 51 per cent stake and Virgin Atlantic Airways will retain its brand and operating certificate.

Highlights of the agreement include a fully integrated joint venture that will operate on a ‘metal neutral’ basis with both airlines sharing the costs and revenues from all joint venture flights.

Reciprocal frequent flyer benefits will mean shared access to Delta Sky Club and Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse airport lounges for elite passengers.

Delta and Virgin Atlantic customers will be able to earn and redeem miles across Delta’s SkyMiles and Virgin Atlantic’s FlyingClub frequent flyer programmes.

The airlines will file an application with the US Department of Transportation for antitrust immunity, which will allow a closer relationship and coordination on schedules and operations.

The transaction also will be reviewed by the US Department of Justice and the European Union’s competition regulator and other relevant authorities. The share purchase and the joint venture are expected to be implemented by the end of 2013.

Air Europa

connecting Brussels and Madrid Air Europa has commenced services between Brussels and Madrid, operating two flights a day between the two capitals.

Air Europa, Spain’s largest private airline, is a member of the SkyTeam alliance. With the opening of the new routes, is enlarging its international network. Flights leave Brussels at 11.05 and 17.45 each day.

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Direct to China, connecting Asia Brussels-Beijing, Connecting Hong Kong, Shanghai and 80 cities of Asia.

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hotels

Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel plays winning hand

½½ Radisson Blu Astrid Antwerp - Standard room

A flexible, quality product, excellent personal service and an outstanding central location are the winning cards that continue to attract guests to Antwerp’s Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel – and very successfully too.

F

ollowing a thorough renovation of its rooms in 2007, 19 apartments were added in 2008 and the hotel was renamed Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel in the same year. Today the hotel has 247 rooms and 18

meeting rooms. “This makes us one of the biggest hotels in the centre of Antwerp”, said general manager Didier Boehlen. “The location of the hotel is an additional, major advantage. It’s an ideal base for a visitor to Antwerp.

An increasing number of guests are also looking for transport alternatives. Having the Central Station right by our door is therefore an absolute blessing. In combination with the hugely improved international rail connections, that include Amsterdam and our own national airport, this station adds incredible value when it comes to attracting the international business traveller.”

In addition to these location benefits, the Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel also has many inside its walls. “We’re very flexible, thanks to our large, plenary meeting area (with a capacity of 650 people) which can easily be converted into four, smaller meeting rooms. We also offer various types of room at different levels of comfort, as well as fully equipped apartments. The parking garage, managed by the hotel, is the largest private facility in the centre of Antwerp. It has space for 130 cars and is very secure.”

Yes I Can!

Boehlen rates good personal service at least as important as a quality product: “The ‘Yes I Can!’ programme is used to train each staff member to strive for the highest possible level of customer satisfaction. This creates enormous trust among our clients who, in turn, reward us with a high level of loyalty.

Our social media monitoring shows that we receive a huge number of reviews - an average of 800 to 1,000 a month.”

The good news is set to continue, as the future looks bright for the Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel. “The nearby Koningin Elisabeth hall will have a large congress centre when its renovations are complete – but will need break-out areas. We are keen to provide these. We also plan to renovate our ballroom to incorporate a glass roof, as our guests prefer as much daylight as possible. Ongoing investment in our events facilities is one of our absolute priorities. A good example of this is closer cooperation with Antwerp expo, who wish to increase capacity and attract more international trade shows.”

In conclusion, this central Antwerp hotel also carries a Green Key rating, guaranteeing its environmental responsibility. “We are constantly trying to reduce our CO2 footprint and reduce energy consumption. In fact, our hotel chain aims to reduce consumption by 25% by 2015. This is a big hurdle but one that we are absolutely ready to take”, says Boehlen with conviction. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 21

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Hotels

B-Aparthotels in Brussels a home away from home

½½ White apartment B-Aparthotels Regent

B-Aparthotels offer travellers the perfect solution for greater privacy and space, with luxurious apartments that benefit from the high-end services of a hotel. With its latest opening of the B-Aparthotel Regent, B-Aparthotels now counts five residences with over 200 apartments in the centre of the European capital.

B-

Aparthotels, a Belgian company created in 2007, has five residences in Brussels – the B-Aparthotel Ambiorix, Montgomery, Grand Place, Louise and Regent. The brand plans to expand to other European capi-

tals in the near future and further destinations for openings are foreseen in the Benelux, France and Northern Italy.

Accommodation ranges from Luxury Rooms and Studios, through to three bedroom apartments and penthouses.

“B-Aparthotels are ideal for business travellers as most accommodation is equipped with working facilities such as fax, Wi-Fi and desk” says Filip Schlup, General Manager B-Aparthotels. “As many have a separate bedroom it means that there is even the possibility to hold meetings in the living room and kitchenette.” Luxury rooms have all the facilities of hotel accommodation and feature spacious bathrooms and a mini-bar. Studios, at around 35M2, are larger and have their own kitchenette for cooking or warming up dishes. The majority of B-Aparthotels’ accommodation is in the form of apartments. The apartments are fully equipped and range from one bedroom (for up to four guests) to three bedrooms (for up to 8 people). The larger apartments have additional bathrooms. Each B-Aparthotels residence also has at least one Penthouse apartment on the top floor, with a private roof terrace.

“The idea to create B-Aparthotels was inspired by the growing requests travellers were making for temporary housing accommodation” says Filip Schlup. “In Brussels this is especially the case due to all the European institutions, organisations and embassies that are based here. There was

a marked demand for apartments, for short and long term stays, with full services such as breakfast. Our objective is to give our guests a perfect stay in a luxury environment, offering the space and comfort of an apartment, and the services of a hotel.”

The B-Apart Regent, B-Aparthotels’ fifth residence in Brussels

The newly opened B-Aparthotel Regent, is the brand’s fifth luxury residence to open. The Regent is located at the prestigious Regentlaan, in the centre of Brussels close to the Botanical Gardens, European Institutions, Belgian Ministries and the Embassy district.

The Regent has 45 design apartments, penthouses with private roof terrace and spacious luxury connecting studios.

The interior architect has created a uniquely pleasant and comfortable atmosphere with a combination of black and white room interiors, such as might be found in an upscale urban design hotel. Each apartment features furnishings by international design brand Moooi, luxury bathrooms and terrace furniture by Knokke – for relaxing moments with a skyline view. The in-house fitness room is accessible around the clock and a ‘Virtual concierge’ serves guests in the residence lobby. An Italian restaurant, Pomo, located on the ground floor serves breakfast and lunch. Guests can also order room service dishes and after a pre-order the restaurant will deliver all dishes to the fridge of the guest’s apartment.

For more information visit www.b-aparthotels.com | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 23

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Hotels

Citadines Sainte-Catherine Brussels is latest Citadines residence to complete renovations

Citadines Apart’hotels are serviced apartment properties, in city centre locations, particularly suited to corporate travellers on longer stays. The Citadines brand, which belongs to The Ascott Limited – the largest international serviced residence owneroperator with more than 200 properties in over 70 cities across Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Gulf region - is undergoing renovations and transformations to its properties. ½½ Studio at Citadines Sainte Catherine Brussels

T

he Citadines brand comprises over forty residences in key European cities. Nearly all

residences are in city centres, near public transport and congress centres. Guest accommodation can be chosen from spacious studios, to one or two-bedroom apartments. All are fully equipped with their own kitchen facilities including cooker hob, microwave, dishwasher and fridge.

Citadines provides a range of hotel services to its guests such as 24 hour reception and international newspapers.

Wireless internet is free for guests and onsite business centres provide iMac stations and printers. Additional services such as breakfast, dry cleaning, daily apartment cleaning and delivery of meals can also be provided.

Since 2010, The Ascott Limited has started an extensive renovation programme in Europe. By 2015, 90% of its properties in Europe will be completed. “We have been refurbishing and upgrading the Citadines brand, to make it even more attractive to the needs of business travellers” says Frédéric Carré, The Ascott Limited’ Area Manager for Brussels and North of France. The upgrades include the creation of Citadines’ new Club Apartments, which offer superior levels of comfort, space and services. Some are

½½ Living room of a 1 bedroom apartment

equipped with their own private terraces and additional complimentary services include continental breakfast, a welcome pack, daily housekeeping, iPod docking station and an extended range of welcome amenities. “Our new Club Apartments are an ideal option for corporate travellers, especially for short stays” explains Frédéric Carré.

Citadines Sainte-Catherine Brussels

In Belgium, the Citadines brand operates two properties in Brussels: Citadines Sainte-Catherine Brussels and Citadines Toison d’Or Brussels, both well-located in the city-centre.

Citadines Sainte-Catherine Brussels, which enjoys a prime location near the Grand Place, is one of the latest properties to be redesigned. Its 169 studios and apartments have been completely redesigned to render a contemporary but welcoming feeling. The interior design features parquet flooring, while warm colours and materials have been used throughout. Beds are larger and more comfortable, while triple glazing has been added to insulate against outside noise. Citadines Sainte-Catherine Brussels benefits from its own private car park and a meeting room is available for hire on the premises.

“Citadines residences fulfil a need in the market for travellers looking for a home away from home, with more space and comfort than they would normally find in a hotel” says Frédéric Carré. “Citadines is the ideal option for short, medium and long stays, and suitable for single travellers and families. This percentage of business travellers has increased especially due to the number of companies who have introduced travel policies where serviced residences are recommended for stays of 4 nights or more. We offer decreased rates on a sliding scale depending on the length of stay, and guests can reduce their expenses for dining out as they have their own cooking facilities. In fact they can even invite guests round to dinner in their apartment. However our attraction is not just an economical choice – our objective is to make guests feels as comfortable as if they were in their own home.”

For more information visit: www.citadines.com | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 25

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hotels

Locatel using technology in new ways to help hotels to greater profitability

½½ Pierre Lestage - CEO locatel

Locatel, one of Europe’s leading providers of in-room hospitality entertainment systems, has been looking at new ways for technology to help hotels to improve profitability. With its latest innovations, acquisition of Intertouch Europe and partnership with Hoist Technology, Locatel provides hotels with one of the widest range of technologies for driving new revenues, improving customer satisfaction and reducing operational costs.

“L

ocatel has been working with the hospitality sector for over thirty years” explains the company’s Pierre Lestage, Pierre Lestage. “We soon realised that in addition to providing hotel

guests with multimedia on demand content such as movies, there are other ways technology can drive room revenues. One example that has been very successful with our clients, is by using the TV screen as a platform for promoting and selling hotel’s services – such as its spa and food and beverage offerings. Overall, in terms of increasing hotel revenues, we have seen some cases where hotels have achieved as much as an additional 150 euros per room by month using our solutions.”

Locatel also recently launched a turnkey package that hotels can offer their clients who are organising meetings and events in their properties. The meeting organisers benefit from a secure web portal for all delegates where they can communicate and share documents.

Meeting organisers also gain online support to help them with all pre-meeting logistics and technical matters, as well as reporting and billings options.

Higher quality WiFi and more services on mobile devices

Travellers are becoming increasing sophisticated in their expectations from in-room entertainment, information and connectivity systems. Locatel’s recent survey, via researchers OpinionWay, shows that high quality reliable WiFi is must have for over 86% of business travellers when choosing a hotel. “Going further, business travellers want to arrive at their hotel and connect immediately – with access to all information and hotel services at their fingertips whether through the TV screen, their laptop or mobile device” says Lestage. “Following

our recent acquisition of Intertouch Europe, hotel guests have access to premium quality WiFi, as well as access to the hotel’s entertainment and information services on their own mobile devices. A lot of travellers watch movies on their tablet, now with ‘Locatel Air Video’ they can continue watching it on the Hotel TV.”

Property Management Systems for more efficiency and reducing costs

The technology portfolio expansion continues. With its recently announced partnership with Hoist Technology, Locatel now provides complete Property Management Systems such as ‘Serviator’ for improving hotel productivity. As well as managing guest transactions and reservations in real-time, the systems mean streamlined internal communications, stock management and allocation of maintenance and housekeeping tasks. Using a mobile tablet, hotel staff are directly informed from a central database on all the tasks that need to be carried out. Hotels using this are gaining an average reduction of 5% in housekeeping and maintenance costs. As tasks are managed more efficiently, it also means rooms are more quickly available for guests.

“Hotels face increased expectations from clients and growing competition, whilst at the same time they need to keep a tighter control on costs” concludes Lestage. “They can meet these challenges by adopting a global strategy on the way they leverage technologies, information systems and entertainment contents. By adding the right contents and services to their system, hotels can make technology systems self-financing by providing new revenue streams and improving efficiency.” | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 27

Hotels

Interview with Salvatore Ferragamo CEO of Il Borro and 2013 Ambassador for Relais & Ch창teux

28 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Salvatore Ferragamo, grandson of the famous Italian footwear designer, has chosen a path outside of fashion. CEO of Il Borro, a luxury hotel and vineyard set in the Tuscan mediaeval village of San Giustino, Salvatore Ferragamo was recently elected as Relais & Ch창teux ambassador for 2013. He spoke to us about his lifestyle, passions and career.

What led you into the hospitality sector?

M

y interest in the hospitality sector grew through my passion for wine. Both are important

to the Ferragamo family way of life. Before being involved with the Il Borro estate, we had not worked directly in viticulture or in hospitality, but we always had a deep interest and relationship with wine. When my father, Ferrucio Ferragamo, purchased the Il Borro estate twenty years ago, we realised that there was great potential here.

My studies and work in other countries prior to Il Borro were inspiring, but I always wanted to follow my passions.

When the opportunity arose to create something new and different with Il Borro, I immediately decided to dedicate myself to this.

I am very happy that Il Borro became a member of Relais & Chateaux. It will help our estate and our products become better known. In my new role as ambassador of Relais & Chateaux we will become even more part of this great family and help to carry our important message around the world.

How has the family heritage influenced your tastes in food and hospitality?

I deal only with the Il Borro estate, but the taste and elegance of the family fashion business has certainly influenced the characteristics of the estate and that of our wines. This taste is shown in the type of furnishings and the philosophy of restoration that has been chosen. It is a classic Tuscan style, but always elegant and sober.

What type of traveller is attracted to Il Borro?

Il Borro is a unique place not only for the magical environment that surrounds it, but because of its attractions for all types of traveller. It is ideal for sports lovers, but also for people who want to relax and be absorbed in silence.

Moreover, being very close to large cities such as Florence, Arezzo or Siena, it is perfect for those who love cultural siteseeing or shopping.

Can you tell us about your tastes in cars?

We sometimes host vintage car rally events at Il Borro, and I do very much like cars from this period. However as I also like the country and hunting, I need a car that allows me to move freely on all types of terrain and that has large interior spaces, both for my children and for my dogs.

What are your three main passions in life?

My three main passions are wine, polo and hunting, but these are all secondary in importance to spending time with my family.

What is your idea of a perfect day in Tuscany?

Even when not working, Il Borro is where I most like to spend my time. A perfect day for me here is to be gently awoken by birdsong, then take a nice breakfast with a typical Italian espresso. In the morning a stroll on foot, or on horseback, through the woods and vineyards of Tuscany. The afternoon would be devoted to well-being, with a hot turkish bath or even a relaxing massage. I would then finish off the day in front of a fireplace with a glass of wine ... and if the wine is also from the Il Borro estate, even better!

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 29

hotels

Best Hotel Room for Corporate Travellers 2013 Awards

The Corporate Traveller magazine has launched the first edition of its competition to find the best hotel rooms and suites in Belgium for business travellers. The winning hotels will be announced in the spring edition of The Corporate Traveller.

T

here are many excellent hotels in Belgium but it is an ensemble of qualities that travellers look for in a hotel room when travelling for business. We thus invited hotels to submit their entries for the ‘Best Hotel Room

for Corporate Travellers 2013 Awards’. Rooms submitted will be inspected by our panel of six experts and judged on a number of criteria including Functionality, New technologies, Design & Ambiance, Quality, Bathroom and Amenities. Hotel rooms will be judged within the five star, four star and three star categories, with the key prize for the winner being an advertisement campaign worth 10,000 Euros in ‘The Corporate Traveller’.

Before the judges make their selection, here follows an overview of our finalists. More information can be found on our website at www.thecorporatetraveller.be

Five star hotels Crowne Plaza Liège

The Crowne Plaza Liège is a city centre hotel which blends contemporary and classic design. The hotel benefits from a large south facing garden, wellness spaces and a swimming pool. Accommodation ranges from spacious rooms at 32m2 to the prestigious Royal Suite at 98m2.

Kempinski Hotel Dukes’ Palace, Bruges

The Kempinski Hotel has entered its historically listed Mary of Burgundy Suite. The spacious suite features high ceilings, a 15th century fireplace and original frescoes in line with the castle’s history.

The suite’s impressive marble bathroom with Jacuzzi overlooks the garden.

Rocco Forte Hotel Amigo Brussels

Rocco Forte Hotel Amigo Brussels has entered its 180m2 Armand Blaton Suite. Located on the top floor, the suite enjoys private terraces with views over the historic city. The suite includes a large sitting room, open fireplace, dining room, kitchen and bedroom with a four poster bed.

Four star hotels Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport

The Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport’s 80m2 suite is located on the hotel’s Club Floor, with easy access to the Club Lounge and a magnificent view over the park. Offering a separate sitting area, guests can relax in the evening or invite business colleagues for an informal meeting.

Crowne Plaza Brussels - Le Palace

The Crowne Plaza Brussels Le Palace was the first luxury hotel built in Brussels. The hotel was fully renovated in 2006 and its spacious guest rooms blend modern style perfectly with its Art Nouveau heritage.

30 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Lindner Hotel & City Lounge, Antwerp

The Lindner Hotel & City Lounge is a synthesis of contemporary design, friendly service and cosmopolitan flair in the heart of the city. The hotel recently inaugurated four large and stylish new suites.

Sandton Grand Hotel Reylof, Ghent

The Sandton Grand Hotel Reylof’s rooms include a Presidential Suite, on the top floor of the hotel, overlooking Ghent. The 130 square metre Suite has two bedrooms each with private bathroom.

Original works of art have been used throughout.

The Hotel, Brussels

The Hotel’s Deluxe panorama guest rooms feature kingsize beds and bathrooms with a wonderful ‘rain-shower-view’ of Brussels.

Guests can work in comfort and ease from their window sofa, with all media facilities including a mediahub.

Three star hotels Citadines Sainte-Catherine Brussels

Citadines Sainte-Catherine Brussels’ studios and one bedroom apartments were completely redesigned in 2012. Studio Club apartments offer fully equipped kitchens, bathrooms with an extended range of amenities, iPod docking stations and free WiFi access.

Hotel Made in Louise, Brussels

A family owned and managed hotel, the Hotel Made in Louise offers an ideal solution for frequent business travellers. Both convenient and affordable, Executive Rooms feature luxury brand amenities, a large working desk and wired and wireless internet connection.

Sir Plantin Hotel Antwerp

When designing the Sir Plantin Hotel Antwerp, general manager Wim Van Respaille was inspired by the city’s rich cultural and artistic heritage.

The design of the hotel’s bedrooms takes a modern and graphic twist to Flemish works of art.

The Park Inn by Radisson Brussels Midi

The new Park Inn by Radisson Brussels Midi hotel is located next to the international rail station. Its guestrooms include 40 Business Friendly rooms.

Technologies include High-Speed Wifi and self check-in desk. The hotel also offers a top-floor health and fitness centre. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 31

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Management

½½ “Travel management is no longer just a personnel department task.

The role is becoming increasingly less isolated.” [Geert Behets]

BATM appoints Geert Behets as new president The association celebrates its tenth anniversary and elects Travel Professional of the Year, 2012

The board of BATM (Belgian Association of Travel Management) has unanimously elected Geert Behets as president. Geert Behets is Director Global Travel and Fleet Management of biopharmaceutical business, UCB. He will replace Pascal Struyve as of January 2013, when the latter’s five year appointment concludes. This was announced today at the ceremony celebrating BATM’s ten-year anniversary and the election of the Travel Professional of the Year, 2012. The happy winner and Belgium’s best business travel specialist is Kristel Cologne, travel coordinator at Ansell Healthcare.

“I

t’s a real honour to be appointed president of BATM by one’s colleagues”, said Geert Behets. “My two predecessors, Pascal Struyve and Nora Buysschaert, excelled in the task. It’s going to be a real challenge to meet the expectations created by the work they’ve done. BATM has been bringing travel managers together for ten years. I am confident that we will succeed in reaching even more people in the future. Travel management is no longer just a personnel department task, but also involves financial administration, purchasing and IT. The role is becoming increasingly less isolated. There is also a move towards integration of complementary tasks. It’s now an everyday matter that meetings and fleet management are seen as part of a single, total mobility concept. I am extremely happy to be able to help in shaping BATM for the next generation.”

BATM aims to provide a network and resources for those who manage travel, in the broadest possible sense. The organisation wishes to increase its presence in social networks to support that network. For this reason the association will soon appear on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Cooperation with ACTE (Association of Corporate Travel Executives) will also help support those who are internationally active, enabling members to look beyond our national borders. In addition, it will give them access to resources made available in cooperation with ACTE. Pascal Struyve: “I have had five very full years as president of BATM. We succeeded in consolidating our position in the marketplace thanks to our ability to provide relevant content to our members and at the same time offer them a meeting place. We provide a platform for open discussion of changes in the travel sector that could have a big effect on the way businesses organise travel. Our membership continues to grow and consists of both companies (60%) and suppliers (40%). This means that BATM is an association managed by people active in business travel. I have also been fortunate to work with a committee that has enabled the association to book some enduring achievements.”

Travel Professional of the Year

Members elected Kristel Cologne as Travel Professional of the Year, 2012. Kristel is a travel coordinator at Ansell Healthcare, a world leader in the area of health security and protection. The award is made to an employee of a Belgian business who has been responsible for innovations that lower the cost of business travel and meetings. Kristel Cologne, a tourism graduate of the Catholic University in Leuven, has worked for Ansell Healthcare since 2006. In 2008 she became their travel coordinator & procurement specialist for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The election process for Travel Professional of the Year is extremely transparent. Belgian travel managers’ nominations are anonymous, to avoid influencing the jury. The winner is then chosen by the BATM Supplier Committee on the basis of initiatives, achieved results, evaluation and monitoring of results, achieved cost savings and supplier relationships.

Geert Behets’ profile After studying Languages and Communication in Antwerp and finishing military service Geert Behets started work with the American Express Card Division in 1988. In 1991 he joined American Express Travel, working at their Place Louise office in Brussels as a Travel Counsellor.

In 1992 he moved to Corporate Sales and, after working in Sales and Operations on larger accounts, ended up heading the Relationship Management department in 2001. From 2005 to the beginning of 2007 he was Head of Relationship Management, Benelux.

In March 2007 Geert Behets joined UCB’s Purchasing department. In September 2007 he became Associate Director, Global Travel Management, Purchasing Travel & Fleet.

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 33

SLOVENIA

Green. Active. Healthy.

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management

Amadeus Corporate Advisory Board

We value your opinion!

At Amadeus, we value our customers’ trust in our partnership. We focus our efforts on providing the tools necessary for efficient and cost-effective travel management. Early in 2012 Amadeus Benelux took the initiative to set up a Corporate Advisory Board.

T

he aim of the Amadeus Corporate Advisory Board is to better understand the needs of our customers and to translate these needs into solutions. The board enables selected representatives of Benelux corporations to

share information on trends in corporate travel and to discuss their needs for corporate travel solutions. The aim is for a fixed group of approximately 10-15 people to gather twice a year. This forum provides an excellent way for Amadeus Benelux to prioritise and translate travel needs into new and enhanced solutions, based on feedback from the travel industry.

The second meeting of this forum took place last month. The following topics were covered: data & reporting requirements, social media in travel and the need for technology to simplify pre-, in- and post-trip activities and enhance the traveller’s experience.

Information was shared on the recent and future evolution of Amadeus’ corporate tools, e.g. Amadeus e-Travel Management’s new GUI and the current and expected requirements of corporations in relation to trends in corporate travel. The results of this interactive session were extremely useful.

Said Daniëlle Gerrits, Associate Director Travel EMEA/SBS Collaboration Services & Solutions, MSD, “Participation in Corporate Advisory Board with Amadeus Benelux and other businesses has enabled us to address optimisation of the Amadeus tools we use for travel reservation - in such a way as to best meet the wants and needs of our customers.

Amadeus Corporate Advisory Board is open, professional and constructive and in the last year has made a positive contribution to how we use technology in travel management.”

“We highly value the input we receive from our partners. It enables us to continue to design and build the solutions that address their needs!” said Caroline auf dem Brinke, Unit Manager Products & Solutions, Amadeus Benelux and driver of this event.

Are you ready for the “Empowered Traveller”?

Amadeus will be present at ACTE/BATM Executive Forum on February 22nd in Brussels. Schedule it now and discover the latest trends!

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 35

Management

BCD Travel A good meeting policy is a major cost saver In times of crisis, businesses are increasingly on the lookout for cost savings. The adoption of an efficient travel policy has proved to be an effective way for businesses to lower costs.

And this approach can be taken a step further. Meetings can also be organised more efficiently and at lower cost - using the same, structured approach. Diederik Banken and Peter Bregman at BCD Travel explain the benefits of taking a closer look at how your business handles meetings.

36 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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B

usinesses – certainly in these economically difficult times – are searching for ways to work more efficiently and at lower cost. In that context, many businesses have chosen

to define their travel policy. “We have noticed that businesses are increasingly well-organised in the area of travel management”, said Diederik Banken of BCD Travel. “They have a travel policy that’s followed in practice, they have made agreements with preferred suppliers and they make effective use of the available data and reports. This approach has lowered their costs considerably. However, the same cannot be said for meetings. The guidelines have often not yet been established. Businesses frequently have no idea of their expenditure on meetings, nor where and by whom they are organised. Instead of using preferred suppliers, they select venues on an ad hoc basis.”

The Travel AND Meeting Manager

Nevertheless, 2013 appears to herald a tipping point in this regard.

“An increasing number of organisations are showing a readiness to do something about their meeting policy. Meeting policy is often assigned to the Travel Manager. But this is not always the case. The meeting world is quite complex and people often don’t know where to start. As a result, we’ve noticed that many travel/meeting managers look for help in this area”, says Diederik Banken.

Preconceptions

There are many preconceptions about meeting management. And they appear to be totally incorrect. Diederik Banken: “People often relate meeting management to large meetings that take place abroad and have many participants. But large scale is definitely not a requirement. An afternoon business meeting for ten people in an hotel can also be arranged more efficiently. Travel Managers also don’t want to burn their fingers: meetings are often organised by secretaries or meeting planners who enjoy doing this. And Travel Managers don’t want to interfere.

However, there are various aspects to organising a meeting and not all of them are actually enjoyable. In fact, there are aspects that secretaries

½½ Peter Bregman »» Diederik Banken

don’t enjoy at all. The process of negotiating and contracting with an hotel or other venue springs to mind in this regard. This aspect is ideal for outsourcing to an experienced specialist who can also negotiate a far better deal.”

Drawing up a meeting policy

Drawing up a meeting policy starts with collecting information. “Meeting information is often fragmented and may be found in various places in the organisation: in marketing budgets, management budgets, sales budgets, etc. Our advice is to first of all get an insight into what is spent and by whom. Once this is known, a comparison should be made with travel policy. This enables a reasonably rapid evolution towards a meeting policy that defines what can and can’t be done. Existing travel policy work processes can be applied, using preferred suppliers and framework agreements. One can also examine whether meeting organisation can be further optimised. The head office of an organisation is often selected as a venue, even when this may be not the most ideal location for reasons such as costs or availability of venues. Such considerations are typical of what comes to light when one focuses on meeting management. And the trend is to increasingly see meeting management and travel management as a single package.”

The role of BCD Travel

BCD Travel can play an important role in this area by providing the meeting manager with extensive support. “We provide assistance in meeting management. We can organise a single meeting for a client, but we can also organise all their meetings and take on the organisation’s entire meeting management function. We can also just take over specific areas, so that not everything is outsourced. Our experience shows that meeting management can cost 15 to 20% less, without compromising venue quality or comfort. The benefits derive purely from better negotiation and better agreements with suppliers. These days very many businesses are seeking additional ways to cut costs. This may well be realised by implementing meeting management”, concludes Diederik Banken.

“More and more corporations see the benefit” The European meeting market experienced evolution in the past year and is set to experience further development in the form of a more efficient approach to meetings in 2013. “More and more corporations see the benefit of having a Strategic Meetings Management program”, says Peter Bregman of BCD Travel. “Buyers are seeing the corporate travel program as the next possibility for lowering costs. It has become the focus, although a lot of corporations need to first professionalise their internal setup. They see they can save between 15%-20% of their current meetings expenditure by using BCD Travel and at the same time keep their travel bookers happy. This is due to our unique approach: The meeting requester stays in charge, we take over the sourcing and contracting, and the client signs the contract and maintains contact with the meeting venue. This ensures that the meeting booker is very satisfied with the service, enjoying the benefits while retaining direct contact with the venue. We foresee an evolution in corporate professionalisation of meeting management. And the experience and buying power of BCD Travel can optimise savings in this area.

An example of the benefits of our centralised approach can be seen when a meeting is cancelled. We can then often arrange for another department within the same company to take over the meeting venue – thereby saving the company cancellation costs.”

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 37

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management

Demand for meetings and business travel expected to be stable in 2013 According to Industry Forecast, consolidation is the latest trend in the management of business travel and meetings At the end of December, Advito published a new update of its Industry Forecast for 2013. This indicates that the demand for business travel will remain stable this year.

There will be little change in the costs of air travel and hotels for travellers remaining in Europe. Hotel prices in South America, the Middle East, and Australia may well increase by an average of 10 per cent.

A

dvito bases its forecasts on, among other things, the analyses of the IMF. In its most recent

forecasts, the IMF amended the expected growth of the European economy from 0.3 to 0.2 per cent. The demand for business travel is intimately connected to the economic situation. While the economy remains unstable, travel managers will wait to see which way the wind blows before increasing their budget for business travel.

Plane tickets and hotel rooms

Although the demand for plane tickets is slackening, it still exceeds capacity. This capacity remains constant in North America and is growing moderately in Europe. It is growing significantly in the Middle East, where it is clear that the airline companies are strengthening their competitive positions by expanding and modernising their fleets. In combination with the stable oil prices, this means that the prices of plane tickets will not increase appreciably in 2013.

However, Advito does give a warning of very high seat occupancy. Travel managers and business travellers should allow for the fact that, as well as the North American airline companies and the low cost carriers, the European airline companies are also increasingly introducing extra charges, for example, for luggage and the use of a credit card.

The hotel forecasts remain unchanged: there will be a moderate price increase, lowest in Europe.

Meetings

The demand for meetings will remain high in 2013. Furthermore, Advito detects a trend towards consolidation in the areas of meetings and business travel. Just as for business travel, companies are looking for ways of holding down costs and of organising meetings more efficiently. That is no simple task: most companies lack an overall picture of the costs incurred through the organisation of meetings.

Just as for business travel, the sector is working hard to get companies to introduce a clear meetings policy. Not only would that have financial benefits, but it is also important for the safety of the participants.

The complete Industry Forecast-report is available at www.bcdtravel.be

About Advito Advito provides consultancy services in the field of business travel to support clients in this market. Advito’s focus on consultancy delivers proven added value, objective advice, and a customised approach for every client and every situation, together with market expertise and access to data that promotes quantifiable decision making. Advito is an independent unit of BCD Travel, the world’s third-largest travel organisation, and part of BCD Holdings N.V.

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 39

Air Ports

Brussels Airport

expansions help boost passengers to record numbers

Since its re-branding in 2006 under the tagline ‘European, Efficient and Welcoming’, Brussels Airport has been in constant evolution. A Star Alliance hub, in 2011 the airport began a programme of expansions with one of the key objectives being the growth of its long haul network. The airport now hosts over 70 passenger carriers, has overtaken prefinancial crisis levels in terms of annual passengers and broke its own record for the highest number of passengers carried this summer.

B

russels Airport’s Head of Aviation Marketing, Leon Verhallen, has been working on a number of initiatives to attract both airlines and passengers since the rebranding. “Brussels Airport has numerous attractions for air carriers and

passengers. Our logistics at Brussels Airport are part of our appeal.

Besides excellent external transport connections to the airport, we are exceptional for a European airport as we benefit from three runways, as well as very short aircraft taxiing times. This has contributed to making us one of the most punctual airports in Europe. Brussels is a major economic and political centre, a Star Alliance hub and we have a large population in our catchment area. We are leveraging these advantages and investing in our infrastructure to attract further business and long haul destinations.

Catchment population of 20 million with high percentage of business travellers

With Belgian and cross border passengers from the South Netherlands and Northern France combined, Brussels Airport has a catchment population area of 20 million people within a 90 minute radius. Passenger traffic is boosted by Brussels’ importance as an economic and political hub. As the seat of the main EU institutions such as the European Parliament and the European Commission, over 32,000 foreign staff are employed by these organisations in Brussels. In addition, 120 intergovernmental organisations and 1,400 non-governmental organisations have offices located in the European capital. Economically, despite its small size, Belgium is one of the world’s leading trade countries, with centres of excellence in the pharmaceutical, automotive and chemical industries. The country ranks 18th in the world for gross domestic product, 10th largest in the world for export and the 6th largest in numbers of international meetings hosted.

“In the past airlines were often underestimating the potential of Brussels Airport but we have had many successes since our rebranding – just look at Thai Airways and Etihad who have both had excellent results in their premium cabins” says Leon Verhallen. Thai

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Airways began services from Brussels when it became a Star Alliance hub in 2010. The airline’s route to Bangkok has performed well.

“The load in Royal Silk Class (business) is beyond expectations and in order to meet the high demand from the corporate side, a fourth frequency will be launched as from 16 February 2013. This will add a further 30 business class seats to our weekly services from Brussels” confirms Thai Airways’ Katrien Depauw, the District Sales Manager for Belgium and Luxembourg.

Master Plan 2016 – building for the future

Brussels Airport began a 460 million euro programme of developments in 2011, to run through to 2016, which will bring more aircraft stands, faster transit times and improve services. Additional stands to accommodate more widebody aircraft will support the airport’s strategy of developing more long haul routes.

The airport’s two passenger boarding piers, A and B, currently provide 55 gate positions, 22 bus gates and 54 remote stands for aircraft. In 2012 Pier B, used for non-Schengen flights had its widebody gates increased from 14 to 16. In 2013 Pier A will grow its wide positions from 5 to 7. In the final phase of developments, after 2016, Pier A will be extended westwards. This will further increase the number of gates for direct boarding, including for larger aircraft. The Pier A extension, to be called Pier A West, will allow airlines to concentrate their hub activity largely within the same zone, while Brussels Airlines and its Star Alliance partners will be grouped together. All of this will reduce walking distances for transfer passengers.

The developments also include a new Connector building which will be an above-ground link between the terminal and boarding piers.

The Connector will replace the existing escalators and tunnel with a light, spacious area allowing easier and much faster transit between gates. Scheduled for opening in early 2015, it will offer views of the aircraft and provide plenty of space for faster security controls and further retail, food and beverage services. Brussels Airport already

has 29 food and beverage outlets (including the first Starbucks in Belgium and a gourmet seafood restaurant), as well as 58 stores.

Record passenger numbers

Brussels Airport welcomed 2,054,000 passengers in July 2012, a new record. Although the total number of aircraft movements was down by 2.5%, this further confirms the trend that the airport is anticipating with its development plans - to accommodate larger aircraft with higher occupancy ratings. Over 2011 passenger numbers grew by over 9%, outperforming pre-crisis levels, to reach nearly 19 million passengers. Brussels Airport expects 2012 total figures to show a further passenger increase of between 1.0 to 1.5%.

Access and transportation Well connected by road networks, Brussels Airport has 12,500 parking places located near the departure hall, with a range of parking formulas adapted to travellers’ needs. The airport’s own train station, located just below the terminal, operates four services an hour to the city centre and two trains an hour to Leuven. In 2012 the station completed developments to accommodate high-speed trains. A new rail service to Brussels Airport to Antwerp (and beyond connections to the Netherlands) was subsequently launched, which connects passengers to Antwerp in just 25 minutes. One international train service on Thalys now also arrives directly at the airport from Paris Gare du Nord, further increasing Brussels Airport’s convenience for passengers from France.

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Hilton Rotterdam board room

BUILDING NEW HORIZONS IN GUEST SATISFACTION In 2012, Hilton Worldwide in the Netherlands celebrated the 50th anniversary since the company’s founder Conrad Hilton cut the ribbon of the first Hilton hotel - Hilton Amsterdam.

Today, that portfolio continues to grow, introducing new brands – DoubleTree by Hilton in Amsterdam and most recently Hilton Garden Inn in Leiden which opened in August 2012.

If all of that wasn’t enough, the first quarter of 2013 sees the culmination of a full refurbishment of Hilton Rotterdam meaning that the city will have a brand new Hilton hotel including a state of the art all new meeting facility.

Many things may change, but one thing will always remain the same – our desire to build on the past to create truly exceptional moments for the future.

Find out more about our hotels: www.hiltonbenelux.nl

air ways

Düsseldorf International Airport reports encouraging growth for 2012

Düsseldorf International Airport saw nearly 20.8 million passengers pass through its gates in 2012, an increase of 2.4%. From its privileged position in the centre of the world’s seventh largest economic region – Germany’s North Rhine Westphalia – the airport offers 170 direct destinations around the world. ½½ Lufthansa’s third largest hub, Dusseldorf International

“T

he traffic results for 2012 reflect the good cooperation between our airport and the airlines” said Christoph Blume, CEO of the airport management. “We seized our opportunities successfully in

2012. While many airlines are consolidating their coverage, they still bank on hubs like Düsseldorf International Airport.

Last year, the two largest German airlines, Lufthansa and Air Berlin, have made a clear commitment to our airport.

Other airlines, including Air China, Emirates or Etihad continue to put their trust in Düsseldorf International because they have come to value the economic power of our entire region and the resulting market demand. As a part of Air Berlin’s Oneworld partnership, we were able to add American Airlines and their route to Chicago, a new airline in the long-distance segment.”

In total seventy airlines from around the globe serve nonstop flights from Düsseldorf to 190 cities worldwide. Intercontinental destinations include key business cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Beijing, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The airport has three interconnecting terminals, as well as an executive terminal for private and corporate jets.

SkyTeam, Oneworld and Star Alliance are all represented.

Terminal A is used by Lufthansa, its airline partners and fellow Star Alliance members. Terminal B is used mainly for domestic and EU-flights by Air Berlin and SkyTeam and Oneworld members, while Terminal C is used exclusively for non-Schengen-flights operated by non-Star Alliance airlines.

The attraction of Düsseldorf for airlines is surely its population and business catchment area. Home to over 100,000 German and international firms, the Rhine-Ruhr is Europe’s third strongest economic region, and the world’s seventh largest, in terms of gross domestic product. The city’s Messe Düsseldorf conference centre organizes nearly one fifth of all world’s premier trade shows and the tourism infrastructure includes over 220 hotels.

Over 18 million people live within a 100 kilometres of Düsseldorf International and a growing amount of passenger traffic emanates from Belgium and the Netherlands – with whom the North Rhine Westphalia region shares its borders.

The airport benefits from extensive ground transportation infrastructure, including its own motorway and two railway stations. Three hundred and fifty trains stop at the airport station daily, from regional rapid transit to the ICE highspeed express trains. Cologne, Bonn, Aachen, and Münster can all be reached within a maximum travel time of one hour. Düsseldorf central train station also offers Thalys high speed rail links to Paris and Brussels.

Düsseldorf International Airport is therefore excellently positioned for the year 2013. “Taking into consideration the structural changes airlines are undertaking, we don’t expect the coming year to be any easier for air traffic” adds Blume. “Despite all the insecurity, we have laid some good groundwork here in Düsseldorf, which means we can look to the new year with confidence.” | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 43

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air ways

Asia and Africa strategic for AIR FRANCE KLM long haul route investments

AIR FRANCE KLM benefits from a strong presence across five continents, as well as airport hubs in Paris and Amsterdam. The group’s network is constantly evolving in tune with the economic environment and over the next three years, new routes will focus on strategic regions, such as Africa and Asia. This will include consolidation of the AIR FRANCE KLM leadership on European routes to Japan and China.

African ambitions

A

frica remains a key focus in the AIR FRANCE KLM development strategy. The group and its partner

airlines, including Kenyan Airways, fly to over 50 cities and 40 countries on the continent. In 2012 Air France launched services to the Nigerian capital of Abuja, complementing its existing route to Lagos, while KLM recently re-opened services to the Zimbabwean capital of Harare.

More African destinations are under evaluation.

Reinforcing Asian leadership

Asia represents the largest number of new destinations in the AIR FRANCE KLM portfolio. Air France will begin services to Kuala Lumpur in April, in addition to existing flights operated by KLM from Amsterdam. However the majority of new Asian routes will be to cover further cities in the group’s network to China and Japan.

Air France recently celebrated its 60th anniversary of services to Japan. With up to 51 weekly flights from Paris and Amsterdam, including codeshares with Japan Air Lines, AIR FRANCE KLM is the European leader to Japan. Further additions are in the pipeline. In April, KLM will commence services to Fukuoka, one of Japan’s largest cities, with three weekly frequencies. As from its summer 2014 schedule, Air France plans to operate daily services, on its own aircraft, to the downtown airport of Tokyo Haneda. This will facilitate connections throughout Japan, as many domestic links operate from Tokyo-Haneda airport. Air France already sells seats, on a code-share basis, on Japan Airlines’ flights between Paris and Tokyo-Haneda. “We want to strengthen our services on this strategic market by providing excel-

lent services to Tokyo and Osaka, as well as the Japanese domestic network together with our partner Japan Airlines” explains Alexandre de Juniac, Chairman and CEO of Air France.

Focus on China

Air France and KLM are continuing to consolidate their leadership between China and Europe, with new routes and partnerships. The group operates 92 weekly flights from its Paris and Amsterdam hubs, to nine destinations in Greater China. In April 2012 Air France became the first Europe airline to fly nonstop to Wuhan, a major business city known as the ‘Chicago of China’. The services are operated three times a week by Boeing 777 aircraft, featuring new fully lie flat seats in business class.

Wuhan joins the group’s routes to Canton, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei and Xiamen.

“Our membership of SkyTeam further strengthens our position in the region” says Air France Press Officer Natascha Herisson. “With China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern and, most recently, Xiamen Airlines amongst its members, SkyTeam is the number one airline alliance to China.”

Long haul investments

Air France and KLM offer together 230 destinations and 2200 daily flights to 113 countries. The route expansions in the pipeline form part of major investments, of several hundred million euros, in the two airlines’ long haul networks. As well as additional routes, the investments mean a range of enhanced new services, including for first and business class customers, on Air France’s long haul services. For more information visit www.klm.be | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 45

aIR WAYS

Interview with CEO Bernard Gustin

Brussels Airlines, Beyond 2012-2013

Brussels Airlines flew through turbulent times at the end of 2012. In an exclusive interview, CEO Bernard Gustin explained to The Corporate Traveller how the airline has avoided a crisis, turned a corner in its history and is now looking to build sustainable growth with its Beyond 2012-2013 plan.

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½½ Launch of New York route

TCT: What were the main factors that led to Brussels Airlines’ financial losses?

B

ernard Gustin: Like many airlines, we face a challenging economic environment. The big-

gest factor that led to our negative financial result was our incapacity to transform our rising costs into consumer prices. The effect of horrendous fuel prices and the weak US dollar had an impact on our 2011 costs of 61.5 million euros.

2013 will be better, but we still have to cope with external factors such as further rising fuel prices. Fuel now accounts for nearly a third of all our overhead costs. Another burden is the airport charges we have to pay worldwide. These have increased by 15 million euros over the last twelve months alone. With our costs rising, it’s very difficult to pass the burden onto the customer, so we have to take these price hikes straight to our bottom line. As a national flag carrier, we have a heritage to manage, so quality of service is important for us and our customers. Despite our escalating costs, our average prices for 2012 were almost in line with 2011, so we remain very competitive.

Another area that hit us quite hard was the fact that we are very strong on African routes and the unstable political situation in some of the African countries had a negative impact on demand and, subsequently, our revenues.

Finally, as we are modernising and harmonising our fleet, we have had series of one-off investment costs. Besides the purchase of more fuel efficient aircraft and the retrofit of our long-haul cabin and European seats, we also had to retrain our pilots. These investments will, however, bring major cost savings thanks to greater fuel efficiency and reduced operational costs.

TCT: Can you give some details on your discussions with the government?

Bernard Gustin: The current Belgian and EU legislation is providing incoming competitor airlines with financial advantages in terms of social security costs. Airlines that have bases here in Belgium, but are headquartered in certain other countries such as Ireland, enjoy 20 to 30% savings in terms of social fiscal charges on salaries, as they do not pay salary charges in our country. This clearly creates a distortion of competition. What we asked the government for was that they enable a “level playing field” – in other words salary conditions for flying staff in Belgium and social charges for the employer that are competitive. This is a critical issue not only for Brussels Airlines but for the entire European aviation sector.

We have been in discussions with the Belgian government to help reduce these disparities. At the end of last year they decided to act on this and support the entire Belgian airline sector. While the rules will change in 2020 (as stipulated by the European Parliament who recognized that a level playing within Europe needs to be established), the Belgian government has decided to compensate the Belgian airline sector until the distortion of competition in terms of salary charges has been resolved. I would like to thank Mr Melchior Wathelet, Secretary of State of Environment, Energy, Mobility and Institutional Reforms, for his support in this matter.

TCT: Where would you like to see changes in legislation from the EU?

Bernard Gustin: The most obvious area where we would like to see advances from the EU, are on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for airlines. The ETS framework, as it currently stands, means that European operators face much heavier carbon emissions taxes than their nonEuropean counterparts. This is another area where legislation needs to be changed to avoid financial inequality and unfair competition.

We would also like to see progress from the EU on the Single European Sky project, which would allow us to optimise our flight paths over Europe and thus reduce CO2 emissions and fuel costs. The industry has already been talking about this for 20 years and it’s not moving fast enough. Single European Sky, if legislated, will mean a 15 percent reduction in fuel consumption.

TCT: What does your Beyond 2012 – 2013 plan involve?

Bernard Gustin: In these challenging economic times, companies need to adapt and adjust to a changing environment. With the support of our employees and shareholders, especially Lufthansa, we have embarked on a major turnaround plan entitled ‘Beyond 2012 – 2013’.

Beyond 2012-2013 hinges on the improvement of our cost control performance by 110 million euros a year, while continuing to grow on key routes for the Brussels market. Our ‘magic number’ is 15% as we want to achieve cost savings of 10 to 15% in all of our departments. By the end of 2012, we already achieved major advances thanks to our negotiations with all our stakeholders including our workforce, the unions, the government and suppliers. Our renegotiated contracts with our partners and suppliers, such as handlers | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 47

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aIR WAYS

½½ business class

and airports, will deliver us close to 30 million euros cost savings annually. In addition to this we are near completion of our fleet harmonisation programme towards mainly Airbus aircraft. This will deliver us a further 15 million euros of economies this year.

of long-haul potential, the second largest hub within the Lufthansa Group, and then there is our strong African network.

However Beyond 2012-2013 is not just about reducing costs. It’s also about important investment in our long-haul growth, as well as our products and services, in order to stay competitive.

Bernard Gustin: Brussels Airport is one of Europe’s busiest airports for long haul and clearly there are additional business opportunities we need to address. However we need a coherent strategy and that means we won’t fall into the trap of trying to emulate the largest international players. On our own scale, we will continue to offer an attractive and well balanced European and intercontinental network. We need to grab opportunities, rather than try to be everywhere.

TCT - How have you managed to restructure without making redundancies?

Bernard Gustin: From the beginning, our priority was to keep as many as possible of our colleagues on board. Our aim is sustainable growth, so we want to keep our experience and expertise in-house. Our problem is not caused by having too many staff – so its not ‘internal fat’, it’s more a question of adapting our manpower and cost structure to our present network.

One of our main achievements last year was the successful renegotiation of our collective labour agreements. The unions and staff understood that we need to restructure to prepare our company for profitable growth. They see the long term perspectives and appreciate the fact that we want to avoid, by all means, a social plan. The word ‘strike’ was not mentioned once in our discussions.

We have set productivity targets for staff and contracts include pay packages based on performance variables.

One example of productivity improvement is that the number of long haul flights a year for pilots and cabin crew will rise from 44 to 50 – once again here we will be achieving a target of 15 percent improvement. Some staff moved to 85% part time work, but at the end of our two year growth plan, I will need everyone back on board full time.

TCT - How is Lufthansa involved in your plan to return to profitability?

Bernard Gustin: As well as being our largest shareholder, Lufthansa is an important partner. This brings us all kinds of synergies, such as for supplier contracts, purchasing, leasing of aircraft and a common sales forces.

Lufthansa is very supportive of our hub strategy in Brussels and, thanks to them, Brussels Airlines became a part of Star Alliance. We also have a strong part to play within the Lufthansa Group. Brussels Airport is, in terms

TCT - What is your strategy now for long haul routes?

We have a very strong network to Africa, which is one of the world’s fastest growing regions, and we will continue to build on our expertise in this field. Another key market for us is the US and we have further projects for North America. The launch of our New York route last year was a big success - we immediately gained 30% of the market share from Brussels and two airlines that were operating on this route subsequently pulled out. This proves that if you have the network, the product and the marketing mix right, you can really make it happen.

TCT - Where do you hope to see Brussels Airlines within the next three years?

Bernard Gustin: In the shorter term, over 2013, I hope to see our financial performance has further improved and that we have increased our long haul network. I would like to see growth in our market share on European routes and load factor up by 4 to 5 percentage points. Most importantly I want to build on our position as a premium brand which offers competitive prices and high quality service. Further down the line, my objective is to see us ‘back in the black’ financially, with a strong position on the long haul markets to Africa and the US, as well as a very competitive set-up in Europe.

Although we need to restructure and reduce costs, we still need to grow and focus on our customers by investing in products and services. Brussels has a strong long haul market and we are the national airline, so we must to be even more present on it. We have worked hard and positively to pull through our financial situation and we have strong shareholder in Lufthansa. All of this together makes us confident in succeeding in our plan. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 49

aIR WAYS

On a three-star flight to Brazil TAP Portugal clearly has a nose for growth markets. That is evident from their range of flexible and high-quality business-class flights to Brazil, and it is certainly set to be one of the top economic performers for 2013. At the top of the list are the metropolises of Rio de Janeiro and S達o Paulo, the emergent business centres of this immense country. During the long distance flights, the business traveller can enjoy the highest level of customer comfort and impressive in-flight connectivity services.

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aIR wAYS

F

or years, Brazil has captured the imagination.

Since its remarkable market growth gained it entrance into the select BRIC club, the country finds itself in a position of strong economic momentum. It does not appear that this is going to slow down in the coming years, with the World Cup for football and the Olympics just around the corner.

It’s not surprising that more and more European countries are conducting business transactions in the land of samba, football and the most colourful Carnival celebrations in the world. And meanwhile, for comfortable, flexible transportation to Brazil, they can count on TAP Portugal. This Portuguese airline flies to 10 destinations in the largest country in South America.

With the exception of Brasilia, most of the destination airports are situated on the coast. TAP Portugal flies to these daily, and to some (Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo), they even fly more than once per day. Between Brussels and Lisbon, there are three daily connections in winter and four in the summer. In Lisbon, passengers have a connection to their flight to Brazil without too much downtime at all. Businessclass passengers can also make use of the TAP Portugal Premium lounge in Lisbon. There, they can enjoy a meal in peace, work for free (there is Wi-Fi and Internet) or even rest before they catch their long-haul flight.

Haute cuisine above the clouds

These travellers are also spoiled on board the airplane, because TAP Portugal injected an extra dose of comfort and quality into its business class sections. Cabin, in-flight and meals all received a considerable update. Chefs Vitor Sobral and Danio Braga created a broad series of new dishes in which they use traditional Portuguese and Brazilian cuisine in a modern and refined presentation. On the menu, there is a wide selection of the best fish, fowl and meat dishes, including Portuguese classics like salted cod and squid.

These are served on new tableware made from traditional Portuguese textiles, which underscores the high level of quality found on board a TAP Portugal flight.

TAP Portugal also tweaked the interior and made the lighting during the flight softer in order to provide the business traveller with an even better “feel good” experience. For those who can’t yet get to sleep, there are different relaxational kits on hand. These include art works by known Portuguese, Brazilian

and African artists consisting of 100% natural materials. And for those business travellers who are ready to sack out, can do so with ease by crawling under an available comforter.

Virtual connection from takeoff to landing

Furthermore, TAP Portugal is investing in modern technologies; in addition to a mobile platform, the airline offers Wi-Fi connections on selected flights (also to Brazil) for a fee.

Thanks to its OnAir Wi-Fi service, it is one of the first European airlines that offers in-flight connectivity services on its transatlantic flights between Europe and North and South America. These can be used by passengers on A330 aircraft.

The OnAir Internet System offers access to the Internet, including e-mail on your iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry and laptop.

The client can pay for the service used with just a credit card.

“The connectivity makes up an important part of the services package that we offer. Since we are fulfilling more or less a pioneering role in this area, this means we have a great competitive advantage compared to other airlines,” says Luís Monteiro, marketing director TAP Portugal. “We have noticed that passengers are using this service enthusiastically.

This offering will also be available on board the A350 aircraft, which will be in the air very soon.”

This is a prime example of the phenomenon that in-flight connectivity is “maturing.” “The fact that we can guarantee the business customers of TAP Portugal worldwide coverage explains the great business success we’ve had with it,” explains Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir, which currently holds the position of global leader in the area on on-flight connectivity services. Talk about a successful pairing!

First in South America

With all of these additional efforts, TAP Portugal is not running a fool’s errand. The Portuguese airline, for the third year in a row, just received the title of “World’s Leading Airline to South America” during the grand finale of the World Travel Awards. These awards emphasise the world’s best brands in the travel and tourism industries and are awarded based on decisions of professionals from the tourism industry. This award confirms the leadership of TAP Portugal in South America in general and Brazil in parFor more information on TAP ticular. This is evidenced by the high flights, destinations and services, occupancy rate for its flights to Brazil, please visit www.flytap.com which lies at no less than 83%. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 51

destination

Qatar Airways

opens the door to Western Australia In July, Qatar Airways launched a new connection between Doha and Perth. This is the second Australian destination besides Melbourne that the Qatari airline has added to its offering. This is not just a “nice to have�; Western Australia is a region that carries a lot of economic weight and is one that is steadily increasing in importance. The Corporate Traveller climbed on board for the epic BrusselsDoha-Perth trip and discovered a modern metropolis that has not lost its touch to nature.

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½½ Qatar Airways flies to Perth since last July

½½ Fraser Suites Perth

O

ur journey began in Zaventem, where we left afternoon rain showers behind us and got on board for our first flight in the direction of Doha, which lasted a little over six hours. An hour and a half after our landing in Doha, we took

off in the air for the eleven-hour flight to our destination. During both flights, we were able to investigate all aspect of economy class on board Qatar Airways. We experienced the excellent culinary provisions and the extensive Oryx entertainment system during the first afternoon flight into the evening, and the comfort of the sleeping arrangements during the subsequent night and morning leg. In brief, this is an economy-class product that leaves little room for improvement in this category. After we set our watches ahead seven hours, we landed in Perth about 5:00 in the afternoon.

Fraser Suites Perth

Our first night on Australian soil was to be spent in the brand-new Fraser Suites in East Perth, located on the edge of the Central Business District. The hotel features 236 Gold Standard-service residences in studio and one-bedroom configurations. Adjacent residences can also be connected to form a larger apartment. Notably, all rooms are equipped with facilities such as a kitchen, a washer and dryer and a spacious bathroom. This makes the hotel suitable for longer stays in which people may want to cook themselves or do some laundry.

An economically strong region

It was high time to get to know the city. Perth is the capital of Western Australia, a region that is very sparsely populated but extremely rich in raw materials. Gold, iron ore, crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) are just some of the reasons why Western Australia is the most important region of the country for exports. Even though the actual exploitation of these resources takes place more in the interior, the headquarters of mining and oil companies are located in Perth. The Central Business District on the shores of the Swan River is the beating heart of the business activity in the city.

Kings Park

In spite what one might think, Perth is by no means a cold, grey, solely commercial city. Perth and the CBD itself are very smartly appointed, with constant variation between green spaces and concrete.

All across the city, you’ll see green spaces and areas that lend Perth a truly liveable and open appearance. The best example of this is Kings Park, an area of about 400 hectares to the west of the CBD. The park consists of grass turf, botanical gardens and natural bush land. It’s in fact one of the largest city parks in the world. The well-integrated bicycle and walking paths make for a lively atmosphere. The beautiful view of the city and the Swan River complete the panorama here. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 53

destination

½½ Kings Park

½½ Fremantle High Street

½½ The port of Fremantle ½½ One of the beautiful beaches around Perth

Aussie Tours: Carefree Travelling ‘Down Under’ With 18 years of experience, Aussie Tours has been the market leader in Belgium with regards to travel to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. Aussie Tours puts out its own catalogue, and sells custom-tailored tours to its customers, from simply airline tickets to highly detailed à la carte tours. Els Verhoest of Aussie Tours explains that expert advice is not a luxury when travelling ‘Down Under.’ “Australia is huge, and that is often underestimated. People want to do a lot in the time that they have, but they cannot dwell on the size of the continent and the enormous internal distances. Therefore, choices have to be made. That’s why we invite our customers to a discussion, listen carefully to their interests, and formulate some proposals that best suit them. We have a team of five people who have travelled extensively themselves and who know Australia very well. They certainly know what they’re talking about.”

Western Australia is the least populated part of Australia. Yet this area has an undeniable power of attraction. “Western Australia is the ideal region for those who want to avoid large streams of tourists and want to get to know the path less travelled. Here, you’ll find unspoiled nature in peace and tranquillity. The seclusion and openness of WA appeals to a great many people. You also have some fantastic national parks that are really impressive. To the south of Perth, along the Margaret River, there is also really nice wine country, which a lot of travellers appreciate highly,” relates Verhoest. www.aussietours.be

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½½ The brand-new Terrace Hotel

WINTER 2013 |

½½ An unforgettable bike ride on Rottnest Island

Fremantle

We then followed the Swan River to its mouth in Fremantle, just a short 20 km to the southwest of the city centre. It’s the most important port in the area, with a continuous on- and off-loading of container ships. But Fremantle is a city full of style and atmosphere with a number of nice restaurants, museums and art galleries, all located in historically authentic buildings that go back to the 19th century. A major attraction in Fremantle is the Western Australia Maritime Museum, which introduces you to the world of the sea. The port in Fremantle is also home to a replica of the Dutch ship Duyfken, which was commanded by Captain Willem Jansz to make the first recorded European landing in Australia in 1606.

Sunset Coast

A completely different face of Perth can be seen at the so-called Sunset Coast in the west. This is an area with no less than thirty white sand beaches, each with its own characteristics. Scarborough Beach is probably one of the most popular spots and is considered to be a paradise for surfers. Further inland lies Scarborough, which caters to tourists with hotels, shops, bars and a nightclub. Everyone can find the place that suits their desires: some people like the crowds, and others prefer to have the beach all to themselves. Here, one cannot help but notice that the beaches are extremely clean, and often surrounded by bicycle and hiking trails, playgrounds and picnic areas. This area is truly a wonderful option for any kind of outing.

The Terrace Hotel

After a busy day in and around Perth, we spent our second night in the Terrace Hotel on St. George’s Terrace, in the middle of the BCD and close by to the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. This is an historical building from the 19th century that has been completely renovated and has been open as a hotel since November 2012. The fifteen guest rooms and suites leave nothing to be desired, from the black marble bathtub to the iPad in the room which doubles as a guide to the hotel. However, the greatest luxury at the Ter-

race Hotel is perhaps the staff, who are ready and willing at any moment to help make your stay at the hotel (and your activities outside the hotel) as pleasant as possible.

Rottnest Island

Some twenty kilometres from the coast lies Rottnest Island, the destination on our last day in Australia. The island is a protected area that can be reached by ferry that takes about a half an hour from Fremantle. Rottnest got its name from the quokka, a small relative of the kangaroo that lives on the island. The Dutch sea captain Willem de Vlamingh thought the quokkas to be giant rats, and is said to have called the island “rattennest” (Dutch for rat nest), which became Rottnest. The breathtaking flora and fauna are the main attractions on Rottnest Island. Its 63 beaches make it an ideal place for swimming, snorkelling, diving or simply relaxing. A bike ride around the island is also an impressive experience. Rottnest Island attracts a good deal of tourists, but for business folk there are also accommodations to meet in relaxing surroundings.

Business Class Experience

Our visit to Perth and its surroundings was a jam-packed and exhausting two days. It was also pleasant to be able to take the 11:00 PM flight back in Business Class. After an outstanding meal (on real plates with real silverware) and a short movie, we put our spacious seats (with a massage function!) into fully horizontal position to sleep. We even had to be awakened as we approached Doha, which means that we had slept for a stretch of about eight hours - a unique experience on board an aircraft. During our connection in Doha, the business class experience continued in the separate Premium Terminal, where you can spend your transfer time as you like: you can work in the business centre, dine in the gourmet restaurant, freshen up in the shower, or just have a drink in the lounge. In addition, the Premium Terminal has its own spa for those who really want to take it easy. Travelling in style on the relaxing flight from Doha to Brussels, we arrived home well rested, in spite of doing the hellish Brussels-Perth-Brussels itinerary in just 100 hours. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 55

destination

Edinburgh

a vibrant city brimming with meeting and events solutions

½½ Edinburgh viewed from surrounding hills

Edinburgh, a World Heritage Site steeped in history, is also a thriving cultural centre with a lively arts scene and festivals throughout the year. As Scotland’s leading tourism destination and one of the European capitals for the financial and scientific industries, it has developed a strong infrastructure of high quality hotels and venues.

Exciting incentive solutions with a distinct Scottish flavour range from whisky initiations and highland games at stately homes, to salmon fishing and golf. Marketing Edinburgh took us on a tour of just some of the hotels and venues that this exceptional destination has to offer.

Hotels in Edinburgh

C

ity centre Hotel Indigo is a new 4 star boutique property set within five Georgian townhouses. Its stylish

contemporary interior design works well with the building’s many historic features which have been carefully preserved. Rooms offer state-of-the-art technology and bathrooms are equipped with built-in speakers to listen to music from the media hub. The room’s mini-bar provides complimentary snacks and soft drinks.

The Hotel Missoni Edinburgh is a 5 star hotel on the Royal Mile.

For designer Rosita Missoni, the idea behind the hotel was to make it feel as a larger version of the Missoni family’s own home -stylish and luxurious but friendly and fun. Breakfast, WiFi, mini-bar, on demand videos and two items of laundry are all included in the room rates. The Missoni’s Cucina restaurant has been voted best Italian restaurant in Scotland and Master Classes with executive chef Mattia Camorani are possible for groups. Three private rooms are available meetings and receptions.

Nestled in Edinburgh’s Old Town, the Hotel du Vin & Bistro is a welcoming boutique hotel with 47 individually designed rooms, suites and studios. There are two meeting rooms and a cosy ‘whisky snug’ in the style of a club room. As the Du Vin hotel group was created by a master sommelier, highlights are the Laroche wine tasting room, outstanding wine cellar and trademark Bistro du Vin restaurant with excellent French cuisine. An outdoor courtyard is used as a champagne garden during the summer months.

The Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa was re-launched in April 2012 following a multi million pound refurbishment. The city’s largest hotel, the Sheraton has 269 bedrooms and suites. Features include the famous Link@Sheraton, for connectivity, informal meetings and relaxing and the award winning ‘One Spa & Health Club’. The hotel’s meetings and conference centre is impressive. Connected by a large atrium, events halls are flexible with walls that can be moved at the touch of a button.

The largest function room is a pillar-free 500 square metres.

A former railway hotel, the Caledonia has just metamorphosed from a 24 million pound upgrade, re-baptised as The Caledonia, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The hotel’s reception areas include the impressive Peacock Alley lounge bar with its high ceilings, Galvins Brasserie Deluxe and the Michelin starred Pompadour restaurant.

56 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 |

½½ Sheraton Grand Hotel lobby

½½ Craigielaw Golf Course overlooking the sea

Meetings and events spaces range from board rooms to large reception halls. Latest additions to the hotel are a business centre and a luxury Guerlain spa.

with full facilities including WiFi and IT support, and enjoy views over Queen Street Gardens.

The Balmoral Hotel, a Grade A listed building which features Edinburgh’s landmark clocktower, recently completed full renovations. There are now 188 rooms and suites. Ten elegant conference and banqueting rooms provide flexible meeting spaces – all with views overlooking the castle. The hotel’s Number One restaurant has been earning Michelin stars for ten years and executive chef, Jeff Bland, was recently elected chef of the year at the Scottish Restaurant Awards. The Balmoral also features Hadrian’s Brasserie, two bars and a five star spa.

A short drive from the city centre is the East Lothian district. Its 30 miles of beautiful coastline reveal palatial stately homes and no less than 22 golf courses.

The Apex Waterloo Place Hotel has also undergone major enhancements, to the tune of 30 million euros. Purpose-built as a hotel nearly 200 years ago, the hotel was a centre for Europe’s intellectual and social elite in the Victorian era.

There are now 186 rooms and suites, an Elemis spa, fitness room and indoor swimming pool. The renovations have included the hotel’s meetings facilities. Original architectural features have been carefully retained whilst introducing the latest in meetings technologies. Smaller rooms are available for board rooms and dinners, while the largest function room can accommodate 180 delegates.

Unique events venues

Edinburgh has an excellent range of events locations.

Amongst the historic venues is the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, which recently completed extensive restorations and enlargements. The museum’s collection of portraits is a shrine to Scotland’s heroes and provides a superb introduction to the country’s history. Areas of the gallery that can be privatised for events include the Main Hall which features a breathtaking art nouveau decoration complete with a ‘minstrel’s gallery’.

Whisky-themed venues are well represented in the city. The Scotch Whisky Experience is an award winning visitor attraction, event space and restaurant beside Edinburgh Castle.

Start with an amazing virtual tour of how whisky is produced while seated in a moving whisky barrel! Corporate packages are available combined with courses in whisky appreciation.

From its premises in a beautifully restored Georgian Townhouse, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, offers the world’s widest selection of single cask, single malt whiskies for tasting. The SMWS is a private members club with elegant meeting rooms, bars and dining rooms that can be used for events such as Scottish themed dinners, ‘Ceilagh’ dancing and whisky initiation classes. Board rooms are equipped

East Lothian for stately homes and golf

Winton House is a castle which traces its history back to the 15th century. Its reception rooms, decorated with fine art and antiques, provide a unique backdrop for indoor events and banquets, while the ancient cellar is used for intimate candlelit whisky tasting. Winton House offers extensive outdoor activities such as highland games, husky racing, clay pigeon shooting, quad biking and car rallies. The manor also offers 19 guest rooms on site.

Gosford House is a stunning venue which was built by the 7th Earl of Wemyss to showcase his art collection and to be closer to his golf course! Gosford’s art collection is one of the finest in Scotland and includes works by Botticelli and Reubens. Corporate events can cater to 20 to 800 guests for gala dinners. Team building activities on the 5000 acre site include highland games, ceilidhs, clay pigeon shoots, treasure hunts, rugby matches and barbecues.

Archerfield Links waterfront golf course offers venues for events, onsite accommodation and a newly opened luxury spa facility. Fletchers Cottage Spa features a large and comfortable living room with roaring open fire, overlooking a picturesque herb garden. With champagne, gateaux, and magazines at the spa guests’ disposition it is perfect for partners of golfers who are looking for a day of pure indulgence.

The Craigielaw Golf Course, is one of the region’s most popular golf courses. In addition to their 18 hole championship course, Craigielaw’s six hole course is ideal for corporate events and there are 25 guest bedrooms on site. The clubhouse is open for lunches, dinners and meetings and the restaurant’s private terrace looks over the sea. “One of Edinburgh’s great attractions for event planners is the spirit of cooperation and understanding between hotels, venues and other suppliers here” remarks Craigielaw’s Derek Scott.

“We work together, rather than as competitors and events organisers really appreciate this.”

“Edinburgh has so much to offer MICE organisers and the figures speak for themselves” confirms the Director of Operations at Marketing Edinburgh, Sue Stuart. “Over 65% of corporate travellers to Edinburgh return on a leisure visit to the city within two years.” | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2013 | 57

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