TCT 47 by LEO bvba

The

Corporate Traveller

summer 2013 No. 47

The Corporate Traveller’s Annual Airline Business Class Survey

 How Low Cost Carriers have changed the face of European travel  Ten myths about online booking  Lounge luxury in reach of all travellers with Brussels Airport’s new Diamond Lounge

THE

BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS

MAGAZINE

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THE

CORPORATE

TRAVELLER

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 nowâ&#x20AC;Ś Amadeus delivers everything you need:

Look forward to total control of your corporate travel programme; intelligent solutions that are compatible with the service, technology and content providers of your choice; superior duty of care and enriched traveller experience; intuitive IT that sources, searches and books all the content you need; plus unrivalled competence and a proven track record in migration, support and security. Discover a Brighter, Bolder, Better world of corporate travel today! To find out more, contact us or visit www.amadeus.com/corporations tdebruijn@benelux.amadeus.com - M: +31 (0)62 383 2269

content Turkish Airlines - Business lounge

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. ADVERTISING ERIK DE RIDDER Tel: 0032 486 13 13 13 E-mail: edr@eventbox.be TRAFFIC HILDE DE RIDDER E-mail: Traffic.leo@telenet.be DESIGN LEO BVBA PRINTING Schaubroeck, Nazareth COVER Turkish Airlines - Business lounge COPYRIGHT No extracts from this publication may be used, repeated or copied without express authorisation from the editor. Except The Corporate Traveller, LEO bvba also edits Experience Magazine, My Land Rover Magazine and Toys & Games Magazine. ISSN 1387-2400

Industry News

Air Ports

005 The Journal

038 Lounge luxury in reach of all travellers with Brussels Airport’s new Diamond Lounge

News from the travel industry

Hotels 020 Hotel Amigo Brussels – winner of The Corporate Traveller Best Hotel Room Awards Hotel Amigo in Brussels is having a busy year. A member of the prestigious Rocco Forte Hotels group, in March the hotel appointed Philippe Spagnol as its new General Manager. Just one month later, it was announced as the winner of the 5 Star hotel category in The Corporate Traveller Best Hotel Room Awards.

Travel Management 025 Passenger rights: the AFTM received by the European Parliament The French Association of Travel Managers (AFTM) has recently taken a position on the proposals of the European Commission to reform passengers’ rights.

026 Corporate Travel Management in Western Europe: Opportunities and Challenges Amadeus commissioned Hermes Management Consulting to carry out an investigation in order to identify savings opportunities for travel managers.

028 The Belgian traveller is among the best protected

Lounge luxury is now within reach of all travellers passing through Brussels Airport’s Pier B terminal – whatever airline or cabin class they are travelling with.

Air Ways 040 Lufthansa’s new Sales Manager for BeLux, Robert Mamone, on latest services and developments 044 Changing the face of European travel The rise of Low Cost Carriers has forced many airlines to rethink their strategies for short haul networks. The Corporate Traveller looked at some of these trends and interviewed three of the largest European low cost carriers on their positionning…

046 Hainan Airlines marks 20th year with new General Manager An Ting to pilot Benelux operations 048 Helsinki - ideal gateway to Asia At an international press conference at Helsinki Airport, Finnair presented its strategy for the coming years.

050 TAP Portugal moves further along the digital trail 052 Turkish Airlines, the world’s largest network of countries, celebrates 80 years’ flying

The Corporate Traveller spoke to Mark De Vriendt, General Manager of the Travel Guarantee Fund, and got to know more about this organisation, which is an initiative of the travel sector itself.

031 Ten myths about online booking Jean-François De Mol, Director Sales & Account Management Belgium at BCD Travel, counters the ten most common myths about online booking.

032 Helping companies get more for their travel budgets AirPlus International’s suite of payment, reporting and billing solutions for business travel are gaining new customers worldwide, by bringing them significant cost savings and streamlining accounting systems.

Rail Ways 034 ICE connects Brussels to Germany For more than 10 years the InterCity Express –the ICE –of the Deutsche Bahn (DB) has connected Brussels with the most important German cities. The Corporate Traveller interviewed Maité Jagau, head of sales and marketing Benelux of DB, about the success of this connection.

036 Thalys offers the ideal business trip to Paris, Amsterdam or Cologne in Comfort 1 class

055 The Corporate Traveller’s Annual Airline Business Class Survey The Corporate Traveller has announced the results of its annual survey of readers, on their overall business class experiences with airlines. As well as noting their preferred airlines for business class, respondents gave their views on which services they found improved and where they would like to see more advances.

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Choose your favourite seat comfortably online. Print out your boarding pass at home. And have more time for your most important meetings. All for this one moment.

Now, save time with Lufthansa`s easy-to-use online services. Select your seat on your computer screen from an interactive seating plan. Pick up your boarding pass from your home printer and proceed directly to your gate at the airport. For further information, visit lufthansa.com

The Traveller Journal News from the travel industry

Accor launches its first iPad app exclusively for business travelers

Citadines Toison d’Or Brussels After Citadines Sainte-Catherine Brussels last year, Citadines Toison d’Or Brussels has undertaken a 2.7 Million euros in renovations, in order to provide corporate and leisure guests with more comfort and space together with numerous hotel services. Ideally located only a few steps away from the famous Avenue Louise and the Justice Court and a few minutes from the Royale Place, the new apartments have been cleverly configured. They accommodate fully-equipped kitchens and well-defined spaces for work, entertainment and rest in the residence. Parquet flooring, high quality fabrics and modern furniture add a chic and welcoming style. Every lodging offers new air-cooling system, flat screen TV and complimentary WiFi. Renovated studios, one and two bedroom apartments now look and feel warm and cosy giving a “Home Away from Home” touch.

With flexible services menu, guests are free to customize their stay here, just as they can at any Citadines Apart’hotel around the world. The living room multi-tasks from home office to afterwork lounge with space-saving features and modular furniture, with the handy space and facilities to whip up a quick meal, surf the net or simply relax and daydream in comfort. The property also offers a meeting room with an amazing panoramic view on the European capital and a terrace. Citadines Toison d’Or Brussels is the perfect place for extended stays- whether a week or year but also just for one night . The renovations will be fully completed in the two Belgian residences in March 2014.

TAM Airlines nominates Claudia Sender as new CEO Claudia Sender has been named CEO of TAM Airlines Claudia Sender joined TAM Airlines at the end of 2011 and was formerly Vice-President of the carrier’s Brazil Domestic Business Unit. She takes over the position of CEO from Marco Antonio Bologna, who remains however CEO of the group’s holding company, TAM SA.

Accor has strengthened its digital strategy with a new, free and innovative iPad app that allows business travellers to create their own interactive, customized business travel planner. In 30 international metropolis, ranging from New York to Paris and Shanghai, Away on business by Accor allows travellers to book stays in Accor hotels, manage their schedules and use a wide range of additional services so they can combine business obligations with leisure activities. Away on business by Accor provides a wide range of tools and advice to help business travellers to optimize their schedules and enjoy the benefits of tips and suggestions on what to do in town. Functions include the local weather forecast, a travel expense management device, Linkedin contacts in the vicinity, a landmark map and a geolocation service. “Our new Away On Business by Accor iPad app offers a high added value service for business travellers that are extremely connected and one of our key target clientele,” explains Grégoire Champetier, Accor Global Chief Marketing & Distribution Officer. “Travellers’ needs are evolving. The frontiers between work and private life are becoming blurred. That’s what this application is all about. Away On Business by Accor is an all-in-one solution that makes business travel simpler and more user-friendly,” says Mathieu Saccharin, Accor Mobile Director. This application, the first of its kind in the hospitality sector, forms an integral part of Accor’s 360 degree digital ecosystem. Accor has made its presence on the Internet and in the new media the spearhead of its distribution strategy with a focus on its website Accorhotels.com, its mobile applications and its growing influence on the social networks.

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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Sandton Grand Hotel Reylof Etihad Airways increases flights from Ghent is awarded Green Key Abu Dhabi to Malaysia to twice daily for environmental efforts The Sandton Grand Hotel Reylof in Ghent has received the Green Key award.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has added a new daily flight between Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur to offer a double daily service. The new schedule will add 1400 new seats per week to the route

“We are really proud of this award as we are now one of the 4 Green Key hotels in Ghent” commented a hotel spokesperson. “Besides the Green Key we also have a BREEAM certificate and a free chargingpoint for electric cars in our parking garage. We feel responsible for the environment and with these features we try to help and think about the future.”

“We have enjoyed strong support from business and leisure travellers at both ends of the route” said Etihad Airways’ President and CEO James Hogan. “More than one million passengers have travelled with Etihad Airways to and from Malaysia since the commencement of services in January 2007. The airline’s new double daily schedule caters for the growing demand for travel between Abu Dhabi and Malaysia and gives our guests a greater choice of travel times.

Situated in the heart of Ghent, with 9 meeting rooms, the Sandton Grand Hotel Reylof is an ideal location for meetings, events and seminars. All meeting rooms benefit from natural daylight and are fully equipped with the latest multimedia technology, including WiFi.

The double daily flights are operated by two Airbus A330-200 aircraft with a twoclass configuration of 18 seats in business class and 236 in economy class.

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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Delta Air Lines acquires 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic Etihad Airways and

Air France strengthen ties with expanded codeshare network Strategic partners Etihad Airways and Air France have announced a number of new codeshare destinations in Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe for summer 2013. The expansion of codeshare services follows last October’s strategic agreement between the respective national carriers to foster closer commercial ties, build an expanded global network, and deliver unrivalled travel options for customers.

Delta Air Lines has a acquired a 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. This announcement coincides with a detailed a codeshare agreement between the two airlines across 108 routes. These announcements mark towards a full joint venture between the two carriers. Virgin Atlantic will place its code on 91 Delta routes, including both trans-Atlantic and domestic US routes. Delta will place its code on 17 Virgin Atlantic routes, including the recently launched Little Red domestic UK services. “This is a strategic investment that enhances Delta’s network with greatly improved access to London Heathrow, the leading marketplace on the trans-Atlantic” said Ed Bastian, Delta’s president. “As we unite two leading global airline brands in an innovative partnership that focuses on delivering enhanced benefits and services for our customers, we also become a more formidable competitor across the Atlantic.” “As new shareholders in the airline, Delta is an important ally in the all-important trans-Atlantic market” added Craig Kreeger, Virgin Atlantic CEO. “We can stand firm together against the competition and can now offer more destinations, a smoother connecting airport experience and ultimately the best trans-Atlantic on board experience. Virgin Atlantic’s award-winning customer experience is loved around the world and we look forward to sharing our unique Clubhouse and in-flight hospitality with many Delta passengers over the years.” The two airlines announced their intention to enter into a joint venture agreement in December 2012.

Now placing its EY flight code on Air France flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Oslo and Stockholm, Etihad Airways expects to build on the existing joint codeshare routes from Paris-CDG to Bordeaux, Copenhagen, Madrid, Nice and Toulouse. Subject to further regulatory approvals, Etihad Airways expects to be able to place its EY code soon on Air France flights between Paris-CDG, Lisbon and Marseilles. The UAE flag carrier flies twice daily between Abu Dhabi and Paris. Air France is placing its AF code on Etihad Airways’ daily flights from Abu Dhabi to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, and to two cities in Australia – Melbourne and Sydney. The French carrier expects to be able to place its AF code shortly on Etihad Airways services between Singapore and Brisbane (Australia). Furthermore and subject to regulatory approvals, Air France foresees placing its AF code on routes between Abu Dhabi and Kathmandu (Nepal). “Our strategic partnership with Etihad Airways continues to flourish and, as a result of the expansion of codeshare services, our travellers now have enhanced access to Abu Dhabi and to key cities in Australia and Asia” said Dominique Patry, Vice President International Affairs and Alliances at Air France.

Next Phase of JFK Terminal 4 Extension ready to begin Delta, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and JFK International Air Terminal will continue expansion at John F. Kennedy International Airport with a $175 million project that will add 11 gates and 75,000 square feet to Terminal 4’s existing Concourse B.

The new project is in addition to the $1.2 billion redevelopment at Terminal 4 that opened on 24 May. The first phase expansion features nine new and seven renovated international gates; improved and renovated check-in areas, including a dedicated Sky Priority check-in area; a centralized security checkpoint; new dining and retail offerings; a new 24,000 square-foot flagship Delta Sky Club with

the first ever Sky Deck outdoor terrace; dual taxiways for less congestion and shorter taxi times; and improved Customs and Border Protection and baggage claim facilities. The expanded Terminal 4 Concourse B will house 27 Delta gates, improving the customer experience for the 11 million passengers Delta serves at JFK annually

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travel smart

achieve more

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Experience SWISS services with new online video SWISS Air has published a new online video which gives viewers the opportunity to ‘virtually’ experience the quality of its services in all cabin classes. The new SWISS movie, available on youtube, accompanies the viewer through the whole travel experience, starting with quick and easy reservations on line and the possibility to receive a mobile boarding pass. The video also shows SWISS first and business class lounges and all services on board in first, business and economy class. Free Internet at Zurich Airport! At Zurich and Geneva Airports, SWISS passengers can now enjoy free Internet in SWISS lounges. The SWISS lounges feature work stations with lap tops and printers, or passengers can access the network with their own device. Zurich Airport also offers 60 minutes of free Wi-Fi and a 60 minute free access to Internet stations located at various places in the Airport. SWISS and Zurich Airport both took first place as Europe’s leader at the 2012 World Travel Awards. SWISS now serves Singapore daily SWISS has been enhancing its long haul offer this year, adding Singapore to its network. Singapore, one of Asia’s prime business hubs, will now be served by the airline daily. Singapore is SWISS’s eighth Asian destination, after the introduction of Beijing in 2012. SWISS will operate the new route with Airbus A340-300 equipment offering 219 seats.

Singapore Airlines partners with illycaffè to serve the perfect brew Singapore Airlines is introducing world-renowned illycaffè coffee on board, for Suites, First Class and Business Class customers across its network. SIA will be the first airline worldwide to serve the single-origin Monoarabica beans in its premium cabins. The original illy blend of high quality coffee, made of nine kinds of pure Arabica, will also be featured on board. “The appointment of illycaffè came after months of intensive research and sourcing of coffee products that will satisfy the increasingly sophisticated and discerning palette of today’s premium travellers” said Singapore Airlines’ Vice President Inflight Services, Ms Maggie Li. “We developed a customised coffee menu for Singapore Airlines, offering our original illy blend and introducing, for the first time worldwide in the airline industry, the new Monoarabica coffee assortment” said the President of illy Asia, Mr Fabrizio Dosi. “Now, Singapore Airlines customers will be able to sip illy coffee on every flight, enjoying a moment of pure pleasure. We wish all SIA Suites, First Class and Business Class customers many sips of happiness!”

Qatar Airways voted world’s best business class Qatar Airways took home three honours at the annual Skytrax 2013 World Airline Awards held during the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget. The airline was awarded World’s Best Business Class, World’s Best Business Class Lounge and, for the second consecutive year, Best Airline Staff Service in the Middle East. The World Airline Awards are a global benchmark of airline excellence. Skytrax is survey monitoring airline standards and is excellence in the airline industry. Travellers year in the world’s largest airline passenger winners

the only global independent passenger considered the ultimate testament for from over 160 countries take part each satisfaction survey to decide the award

“These awards are highly rewarding as they are judiciously voted by passengers – a true account of the overall experience felt by customers who have travelled with the airline,” said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker, speaking after the awards ceremony “We would like to thank our passengers for their continued support for choosing to fly with Qatar Airways. Amid the fierce competition that is out there globally, we recognise that you count on us to deliver on our Five Star promise each and every time you fly with us.”

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The heart of the city is mine.

Discover the newly refurbished apartments of Citadines Toison d’Or Brussels… Citadines offers a unique stay concept in the heart of major cities, with a wide choice of personalised hotel-style services and free WiFi in all properties. Staying with Citadines offers you flexibility and independence. Want to cook your favourite meal? Stay for a night? A month? It’s your choice. Experience independent city living in more than 60 Citadines properties in the world.

www.citadines.com

Citadines Toison d’Or Brussels 61-63 avenue de la Toison d’Or, 1060 Brussels +32 2 543 53 53 • toison@citadines.com

Citadines Apart’hotel is managed by The Ascott Limited, a member of CapitaLand. It is the largest international serviced residence owner-operator with more than 200 properties in over 70 cities spanning more than 20 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Gulf region. It operates three award-winning brands Ascott, Citadines and Somerset.

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

The Ascott Limited on track to have 40,000 apartments worldwide by 2015 The Ascott Limited (Ascott), the world’s largest serviced residence owner-operator including three brands – Ascott the Residence, Citadines Apart’hotel and Somerset Serviced Residence – maintains its dynamic market position with more than 40 new residences scheduled to open over the next three years. Located in some of the world’s gateway cities, Ascott’s residences offer an accommodation concept that combines the comforts of a spacious ‘home-away-fromhome’ apartment with the convenience of hotel services, particularly suited to corporate travelers on longer stays. Citadines, Ascott’s largest brand in Europe, has continued to upgrade and exceed business client expectations. The brand now operates six Prestige residences in London (Holborn-

Covent Garden, South Kensington and Trafalgar Square) and Paris (Les Halles, Opéra Vendôme and SaintGermain-des-Prés). In Europe, Ascott launched a new label: Citadines Suites which to complements the Citadines Apart’hotel and Citadines Prestige labels. Citadines Suites is a unique concept of boutique serviced residences providing more options for discerning travelers and enabling guests to enjoy an exceptional experience combining privacy, total comfort and personalized and attentive service. Citadines Suites Louvre Paris was the first residence to open in the exclusive Paris Louvre area in March 2013. Meanwhile, Ascott continues to expand the Citadines Apart’hotel label and will open two new properties in 2014 in Frankfurt and Hamburg.

Brussels Airport – work now underway on the new Connector

Air Canada Named ‘Best Airline in North America’ for fourth consecutive year Air Canada has been named Best Airline in North America by the Skytrax 2013 World Airline Awards. This is the fourth consecutive year Air Canada has been recognized as a leader in North America and ranked among the best airlines in the world. “We are delighted that the Skytrax World Airline Awards has recognized Air Canada as the Best Airline in North America, making this the fourth consecutive year we have been named a leader in one of the most competitive markets on the planet. This award places Air Canada among the very best airlines in the world and confirms our ongoing commitment to excellent service” said Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive of Air Canada.

Turkish Airlines, the best in Europe in last three years Works are now underway for the construction of Brussels Airport’s new Connector – the building that will connect the departure hall of Brussels Airport to Pier A. The Connector represents an investment of € 71 million, the largest investment since the construction of Pier A in 2002. Once completed, the new building will make a world of difference in terms of passenger experience and comfort, used for all passengers departing from Brussels Airport. After passing the automated access control to the Connector, passengers then find themselves in the first part of the building where a spacious screening platform is located for security checks. These security checks will be faster in the Connector, with more comfort and with a unique view of the airport activity. After the security check, the passengers separate according to their destination - outside or inside of the Schengen area. Passengers will be able to use the Connector as from the first quarter of 2015.

Turkish Airlines has been chosen ‘Best Airline in Europe’, ‘Best Airline in Southern Europe’ and ‘Best Business Class Catering’ in 2013 Skytrax World Airline Awards. Assessing over 238 airlines and 148 airports based on passenger input, Skytrax publishes and ranks aviation providers based on these submissions. And again this year, Turkish Airlines scored a resounding success at the 2013 Skytrax World Airline Awards, with air travellers voting the airline as the “Best Airline in Europe”, the third year running. By adding ‘Flying Chef’ service for Business Class passengers on its long flights, Turkish Airlines has been also named as the winner in the category, “Best Business Class Catering”.

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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

United Airlines offers Flat-Bed Seats on all SkyTeam Opens New Lounge at long haul flights from North American hubs Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport Global airline alliance SkyTeam has opened its new lounge at Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport. The lounge is available to Elite Plus, First and Business Class customers flying from the airport on any of the alliance’s 10 airlines that serve Istanbul. SkyTeam anticipates more than 70,000 visits to the lounge each year. SkyTeam’s Istanbul lounge is a milestone in the alliance’s airportfocused initiative, SkyPort. Developed to realize synergies for SkyTeam members by sharing facilities at airports worldwide, SkyPort also aims to improve the travel experience for passengers. As part of this initiative, SkyTeam plans to open two more lounges: in Sydney by the end of 2013 and in Beijing in 2014. Other SkyPort projects include the co-location of check-in and airport ticket office facilities at a growing number of airports globally. The 350 square meter space seats up to 90 passengers and offers high-end hospitality with amenities including a business center, a relaxation zone with oxygen bar and massage chairs and a bar and buffet offering a selection of different cuisines.

United Airlines now features 180degree flat-bed seats and personal on-demand entertainment in the premium cabins on all scheduled, long-haul international flights from the airline’s eight North American hubs and between Seattle and Tokyo Narita. United has outfitted 183 international long-haul aircraft with United Global First and United BusinessFirst cabins, and offers more than 7,000 total flat-bed seats fleet-wide, more than any other US carrier. Customers in the premium cabins receive a higher level of privacy and comfort, a multi-course meal with complimentary wine options and more-personal attention.

United recently launched turn-down service for customers seated in United Global First, offering travellers an added touch of luxury and a better sleeping experience on long-haul flights.

SkyTeam airlines serving Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport are Aeroflot, Air France, Alitalia, China Southern, Delta Air Lines, Korean Air, KLM, Middle East Airlines (MEA), Tarom and Saudia.

United is also outfitting aircraft with satellite Wi-Fi, offering inflight connectivity on long-haul international flights. The airline expects to have more than 200 aircraft outfitted with satellite Wi-Fi before the end of the year. United recently deployed the 200th aircraft with live television, giving United the world’s largest fleet of aircraft equipped with live television

Amadeus brings industry-leading travel insurance booking technology to BeLux Amadeus Insurance now provides travel agents with a fast, accurate and profitable tool to book travel insurance in the familiar Amadeus Selling Platform environment. Amadeus insurance is also available in Web Services for integration in travel agents online booking tools. For travel agents, a quick and efficient insurance sale is yet another way to generate extra revenue – at no additional cost. Amadeus

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Insurance streamlines the insurance sell process as passenger and itinerary data are extracted from the booking and the sale is automatically reported to the insurance company with instant confirmation. It also simplifies the further handling thanks to the integration of the policy in the PNR as well as the seamless data flow to the back-office systems through Amadeus Interface Records. Allianz Global Assistance, one of the leading travel insurance provider in Belgium and

Luxembourg, is Amadeus’ launch partner and offers a comprehensive package through Amadeus Insurance. “Travel agencies have recognized the need and opportunity to provide peace of mind to their clients who rely on them for a positive travel experience. With Amadeus Insurance, travel agents can easily and seamlessly access and offer travel insurance using Amadeus fully integrated solution” said Luc Pannecoeck, General Manager Amadeus Benelux.

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Turkish Airlines’ network continues to expand with addition of Luxembourg Turkish Airlines has added new direct flights to Luxembourg into its portfolio, bringing it total destinations served to 234 With its unique geographical position astride ancient trade routes that connect Europe, the Middle East, North and East Africa, Turkish Airlines continues to bridge the globe by again expanding its network. Yet another country, Luxembourg--number 103, joins the network as Turkish Airlines’ 234th destination. Roundtrip flights between Istanbul and Luxembourg operate 4 times per week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Qatar Airways orders nine new Boeing 777s at Paris Air Show Qatar Airways announced an order for nine new Boeing 777 passenger aircraft during the Paris Air Show. The additional aircraft will help the airline open up new routes and add capacity to existing markets in its rapidly-growing network. The airlines’ outstanding order for seven B777 will increase to 16 and boost its current fleet of 35 B777s to 51 aircraft. The Doha-based airline already has an outstanding order for seven Boeing 777s. “We have already shown a desire to open up new destinations in the US and the Boeing 777 will further feature in our expansion plans in this part of the world, in addition to increasing frequency to other destinations” explained Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker. “The 777 has proved popular with our passengers being an aircraft of choice and it has made a positive impact on our operations, now established as the flagship aircraft of our long-haul flying programme.”

Singapore Airlines introduces world’s most advanced in-flight entertainment system Customers will soon be able to experience the next generation KrisWorld, the world’s most advanced in-flight entertainment system to date. The new system will be available on new Boeing 777-300ERs entering Singapore Airlines’ fleet over the coming months.

B-Apart opens fitness room in Ambiorix property B-Aparthotels is a chain of serviced apartments. With five residences in different key locations in Brussels, they bring an added value to the Brussels corporate traveller market. B-Aparthotels is currently highlighting its B-Aparthotels Ambiorix property. For those who like to exercise when they travel, they will be pleased to discover a new equipped fitness room on the ground floor. After its success in the group’s Regent residence, B-Aparthotels has decided to use the same “Life fitness” machines to refurnish this room. The fitness room is just the beginning of full redecoration of the lobby area – more to come soon….

The new KrisWorld, based on a Panasonic Avionics hardware platform, will initially be available on eight new B777300ERs that will begin to enter service from September. It will also be introduced on new Airbus A350s scheduled for delivery in the coming years, in line with the terms of an agreement valued at nearly US$400 million that was signed with Panasonic Avionics in 2012. “We are constantly looking to improve the in-flight entertainment experience for our customers. Last year, we introduced Internet and mobile data connectivity services, and with this next generation KrisWorld, customers can expect advanced hardware, an innovative yet intuitive user interface, and a wide selection of thoughtfully curated content to suit our customers’ preferences and prevailing trends” said SIA’s Senior Vice President Product & Services, Mr Tan Pee Teck. Twenty-one aircraft have been equipped to date and the service will be rolled out to the rest of the Airline’s Airbus A380-800 and B777-300ER aircraft by the end of next year.

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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Amadeus partners with Munich and Copenhagen develop IT products for airports Amadeus has reached agreement with Munich and Copenhagen airports to jointly work in the development and implementation of two new airport IT solutions. The products - Amadeus Airport Sequence Manager and Amadeus Airport Fixed Resource Optimiser – will form part of Amadeus’ new suite of solutions for airports. In collaboration with Munich Airport, one of the busiest European airports with nearly 400,000 aircraft movements in 2012, Amadeus will launch its Airport Sequence Manager. The solution optimises the flight departure runway sequencing and provides a common situational awareness for all participants in airport operations. Accurate data, improved predictability and on time performance are all assured, even in adverse conditions. Working with Copenhagen Airport, Scandinavia’s main airport, Amadeus will develop Amadeus Airport Fixed Resource

Optimiser. This solution is designed to determine the best possible fixed resource allocation against the flight schedule and attributes based on an airport’s and the airlines’ business drivers, including passengers. In the planning mode, the solution improves infrastructure utilisation through an optimised use of stands and gates leading to reduced costs. When it comes to operations, the solution permits an enhanced passenger and airline experience with a speedier turnaround process, or an easier and quicker transfer, diminishing the risk of flight delays. “Operational efficiency improvements can only be transformational in an airport if all the interconnected players; airport operators, ground handlers and airlines ‘speak the same language’” commented Christian Poulsen, Vice President and CIO, Copenhagen Airport. Amadeus’ community approach to technology has improved the way airlines and ground handlers work together, and we keenly anticipate the day when airports too can be part of this integrated approach to operations.”

Singapore Airlines unveils next generation of cabin products Singapore Airlines has launched its next generation of cabin products. Customers travelling on select flights between Singapore and London will be the first to experience the new cabin products from September, in First, Business and Economy classes. The new seats and KrisWorld inflight entertainment system will be progressively rolled out Singapore Airlines is investing nearly US$150 million to introduce the new products on an initial eight Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The investment programme will be extended as the new products are introduced on Airbus A350

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aircraft scheduled for delivery in the years ahead. “The significant investment in our next generation of cabin products reaffirms our commitment to product innovation and leadership, and demonstrates our confidence in the future for premium full-service air travel” said SIA’s Executive Vice President Commercial, Mr Mak Swee Wah. “Special attention has been given to ergonomics, comfort, convenience and design, as well as to our customers’ interests and lifestyles. The task that we gave ourselves and our design partners when we started the process was to make ‘A Great Way to Fly’ even better. We are confident that we have delivered.”

SNCB Europe Greenpoints Get rewarded for travelling green! www.sncb-europe.biz

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Eva Air from Taiwan joins Star Alliance EVA Air from Taiwan has joined the Star Alliance network, further strengthening the Alliance’s presence in Asia/Pacific. As part of their Star Alliance membership, EVA Air now participates in several of the Alliance’s fare products. For the business travel sector, EVA Air flights can be included in Star Alliance Corporate Plus agreements which are aimed at large multinational companies. For the Conventions and Meetings market, EVA Air now offers Star Alliance Conventions Plus and Meetings Plus, the dedicated products for the meetings and conventions industry, which holds more than 200 events in Taiwan per year.

Corporate Travel demand continues on slow and steady growth path Corporate travel demand will continue to grow at a slow and steady pace in most markets around the world, predicts corporate travel consultant Advito. The projected growth comes despite a weaker than expected economic performance for the first half of the year, according to Advito’s June Update to the 2013 Industry Forecast. While demand for travel has been only modest so far this year, we nevertheless expect small price increases due to suppliers’ success in controlling their inventories of available airline seats and hotel rooms. Knowing whether economic forces are pushing prices up or down in a given market is important when negotiating corporate discounts with suppliers. The forecast provides companies a benchmark they can use

to project a price range for airline tickets and hotel rooms in major markets around the world. Advito is adjusting its earlier prediction for intercontinental fare hikes in North America — from 2% to 0%. This adjustment is because industry suppliers haven’t reduced their inventories quickly enough to keep pace with weakening demand. Only Latin America and the Middle East are forecast to see year-overyear growth above 10%. The picture in EMEA is mixed. In the Middle East, airlines and airports are expanding to keep up with growth. Elsewhere, large companies are restricting travel while smaller ones are encouraging it. The result is a growth in overall demand in the region. Meanwhile, in APAC, fares are going up slower despite high

demand because of the high capacity in that market. Other key findings in the update include: • Intercontinental business and economy class fares in Australia will remain flat during 2013, and regional business and economy class fares will increase by only 1%. • Softened demand is making it difficult for hoteliers to raise rates in some markets in Europe and North America. • With the right approach, travel managers can influence travelers to make decisions that align with their travel program. The update includes a spotlight on how to use behavioral economics to drive compliance, save money and increase efficiency.

Ryanair finalises firm order for 175 Boeing 737-800 aircraft Ryanair has finalised a firm order with Boeing for 175 new 737-800 aircraft in a deal worth $15.6 billion at current list prices. The order will allow Ryanair to grow its fleet to more than 400 aircraft, serving more than 100 million passengers a year across Europe by the end of the delivery stream in 2019. The deal, which was originally announced as a commitment in March, is Boeing’s largest ever firm aircraft order from a European airline. The deal was concluded by Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, and Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive, Ray Conner, during the Paris Air Show.

Hotel Amigo DJ and Live Music evenings Hotel Amigo is hosting stylish new evenings of live entertainment, seasonal cocktails and canapés in the heart of Brussels. From the latest lounge tracks and jazz classics to international pop, folk and rock music, guests will be able enjoy live music and DJ sets on Thursday evenings at Bar Amigo, accompanied by a limited edition menu of cocktails and canapés inspired by the evening’s musical style. Information on guest artists and dates can be found on the hotel’s facebook page and at www.amigo-music.com

TAP announces new flights to Tangiers and Boa Vista TAP has more than tripled the scale of its operations to the Africa continent over the last 10 years. In October the airline will inaugurate two new routes, to Tangiers in Morocco and Boa Vista in Cape Verde. In 2012 TAP carried 47,000 passengers to its Moroccan destinations, a 30 per cent rise on the previous year. From this October, TAP will begin offering twice weekly flights to the island of Boa Vista in Cape Verde and five flights per week to the Moroccan city of Tangiers. TAP already flies to the cities of Casablanca and Marrakesh. With the opening of the new routes TAP will offer a total of 15 flights to Morocco, rising to 17 in the high season.

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2013 | 15

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Etihad Airways takes off on maiden flight from Amsterdam Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has commenced services from Amsterdam. The launch of the service is an important development in the strategic partnership between Etihad Airways and KLM. First announced in October 2012, the partnership involves the two airlines codesharing on multiple routes across each other’s networks. The new daily service between Abu Dhabi and Amsterdam complements KLM’s flights on that route, which carries Etihad Airways’ EY code, ensuring the two airlines will offer a combined double daily service from the summer.

Etihad Airways’ A330-200 aircraft used on the route are configured to carry 262 passengers, with 22 in Pearl Business Class and 240 in Coral Economy Class. The first flight into Amsterdam was greeted with a ceremonial water cannon salute by Dutch fire engines as it taxied to the gate at Schiphol. Disembarking passengers were presented with wooden tulips as a gift from Schiphol Airport to mark the historic flight. Amsterdam joins a group of 17 leading European cities that Etihad Airways flies to including Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, London and Paris.

United Airlines offers New Yorkers all flat-bed seats in premium cabins United Airlines now features 180degree flat-bed seats and personal on-demand entertainment in the premium cabins on all scheduled, long-haul international flights from the airline’s eight North American hubs and between Seattle and Tokyo Narita. United has outfitted 183 international long-haul aircraft with United Global First and United BusinessFirst cabins, and offers more than 7,000 total flat-bed seats fleet-wide, more than any other US carrier. Customers in the premium cabins receive a higher level of privacy and comfort, a multi-course meal with complimentary wine options and morepersonal attention.

United recently launched turn-down service for customers seated in United Global First, offering travellers an added touch of luxury and a better sleeping experience on long-haul flights. United is also outfitting aircraft with satellite Wi-Fi, offering inflight connectivity on long-haul international flights. The airline expects to have more than 200 aircraft outfitted with satellite Wi-Fi before the end of the year. United recently deployed the 200th aircraft with live television, giving United the world’s largest fleet of aircraft equipped with live television

The Made In Louise … the new boutique hotel where grace and charm are a way of life. Where guests enjoy the kind of hospitality that can only be experienced in a family owned and operated hotel. Discover this unique and relaxing environment in a historic 20th century building on a quiet street. The ideal boutique hotel in Brussels, the Made In Louise offers personalized and unique service. Entirely refurbished in 2012, the hotel’s 48 rooms in Brussels Belgium are bright, comfortable, and full of character. The perfect choice for leisure travelers and for the business travelers that can enjoy FREE WIFI and Premium rooms. At Made In Louise, our family welcomes you as a privileged guest. Enjoy the grace and intimacy of a private residence, and the distinctive touches of our Made in Market & Bar and our Made in Breakfast, where you’ll enjoy the authentic tastes of Belgium. Soon we will have our meeting room ready that will suit up to 30 PAX. It will situated on the ground floor with a direct access to the courtyard.”

HOTEL MADE IN LOUISE - RUE VEYDT 40 B-1050 BRUSSELS - BELGIUM - T +32 2 537 40 33 - F +32 2 534 40 37 - INFO@MADEINLOUISE.COM - WWW.MADEINLOUISE.COM

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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into business class ﬂat beds

Announcing Etihad BusinessConnect, our loyalty program for businesses that links your employees’ Etihad Guest accounts to an equally generous company scheme. So while they’re racking up points for themselves, they’re also amassing them for your company, earning even more free ﬂights and seat upgrades. Sign your company up now (very easily done at etihadbusinessconnect.com) and be immediately rewarded with a welcome bonus of 5.000 miles*. The only reason not to is if you really don’t like getting something for nothing. *These miles will be credited onto your company’s BusinessConnect account.

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BUSINESSCONNECT

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

London rises up in world’s business tourism rankings New figures just published by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) show that London has risen in the world rankings as a major centre for business tourism. The UK capital is now in 6th place worldwide in terms of the number of association events hosted in the city. The ICCA report showed London ahead of competitors such as New York, Beijing, Hong Kong, Chicago and Sydney whilst overtaking some of its closer European rivals such as Rome, Athens, Munich, Brussels and Edinburgh. Last year, in addition to hosting the Olympics and Paralympic Games, London hosted a record number of global business events which has now elevated the city’s status to sixth place globally. The city has also recently secured some of the most prestigious medical congresses and annual general meetings. Events of this scale typically bring up to £80 million in economic benefit to the host city and support the business events industry which is worth £40 billion to the UK overall economy.

“London’s popularity as a host for major business events continues to rise thanks to a concerted effort to capture more of the fiercely competitive business tourism market” commented Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London. “We have the expertise, the transport system, venues and accommodation to ensure these events will receive a world class experience. The city’s extraordinary success in hosting last year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games will only build on this success.” “Last year was a phenomenal year for London where we showcased to the world that the city can successfully deliver the world’s greatest event – The Olympic & Paralympic Games” added David Pegler, CEO, ExCeL London. “Moving up to 6th place is a great achievement and is testament to the attraction of London as a leading events destination and we are proud to have played a crucial role in helping our city to deliver and continue to move up the rankings.”

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Etihad ups services on new Sao Paulo route to daily Etihad Airways is increasing its Abu DhabiSao Paulo service from three flights per week to a daily schedule from August 1, 2013. Etihad Airways launched flights to Sao Paulo, its first destination in South America, earlier this summer. The additional flights build on the success of the existing service, driven by the demand from business and leisure travellers and will strengthen the already strong ties between Brazil and the UAE. The daily service will increase to 3360 the number of seats per week between Abu Dhabi and Sao Paulo and significantly improve convenience in flying with Etihad Airways. The airline will continue to operate ultra-long range Airbus A340-500 aircraft on the route, seating 240 passengers in a spacious three-class cabin – 12 in Diamond First Class, 28 in Pearl Business Class, and 200 in Coral Economy Class.

4 min

23 min

THEREFORE, BRUSSELS – PARIS 1H22

CMJ

DISCOVER “LE SALON” A PRIVATE AREA DESIGNED FOR YOU TO MEET, WORK OR RELAX. This “business lounge”

offers optimal working conditions: comfort, quiet, privacy and all services offered in Comfort 1 such a meals served at your seat, free Wiﬁ*, international press, taxi reservation service… to make you spend a useful as much as pleasant journey.

*Service delivered by 21Net and activated by Nokia Siemens Networks. Subject to technical availability. Service free of charge in Comfort 1 and henceforth in Comfort 2 with the Semi-Flex rate.

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2013 | 19

Hotels

Hotel Amigo Brussels

winner of The Corporate Traveller Best Hotel Room Awards

20 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2013 |

Hotel Amigo in Brussels is having a busy year. A member of the prestigious Rocco Forte Hotels group, in March the hotel appointed Philippe Spagnol as its new General Manager. Just one month later, it was announced as the winner of the 5 Star hotel category in The Corporate Traveller Best Hotel Room Awards.

otel Amigo’s palatial style architecture dates back over five hundred years, but it was only in the year 2000 that it was taken over by Rocco Forte Hotels. Under the management of group’s Director of

Design, Olga Polizzi, the hotel then underwent a complete refurbishment inside and out, to restore it to its former glory. As with all Rocco Forte Hotels, the Amigo is a five star property and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.

Sophisticated Italian dining

Hotel Amigo features one of the best known Italian restaurants in the Belgian capital with its Ristorante Bocconi. The kitchen is overseen by Executive Chef Marco Visinoni, in partnership with renowned Italian chef Fulvio Pierangelini whose philosophy is centred on simplicity being the most important thing in the kitchen. Together they have compiled a menu that, through its honest and authentic dishes, represents an eclectic alchemy between Belgium and Italy. Awarded best Italian restaurant in the city, the restaurant Bocconi is popular with locals, guests and celebrities alike. With its restaurant, bar and lobby lounge, Bocconi offers a relaxed and sophisticated escape from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding streets. The hotel has also just introduced a new range of menus, giving guests a further choice of healthy eating options. Each item on the new menus underlines some of the health benefits attributed to its ingredients. Main courses comprise options such as Risotto with Courgettes for ‘Vitamin A and antioxidant properties’ or Turkey with soya honey and chicory salad ‘a source of Vitamins K, C and E’.

½½ The lobby

New Detox Meetings Package!

The healthy eating options extend to Hotel Amigo’s meetings and conference packages. With its new Detox Meetings Package, the hotel’s chef has developed a range of menus for conferences and banqueting, focusing on health and wellbeing benefits. These special meetings packages include a meeting room with Wifi and technical equipment, a healthy lunch buffet or seated 2 course lunch and two Detox Coffee breaks. The Detox Coffee breaks comprise hot beverages, juices, berry salads, coconut cake and vanilla milkshake. In addition, a range of other coffee break options are available. Hotel Amigo benefits from six fully equipped meeting rooms, including the hotel’s ballroom and smaller private meeting rooms. Each of these spacious rooms is air-conditioned and equipped with the latest audio-visual technology, such as video conferencing and web casting.

Award winning room design

Hotel Amigo’s 191 rooms and suites have been elegantly designed with a timeless quality. The hotel’s style combines the fresh, modern interiors synonymous with the Rocco Forte Hotels’ brand, with a distinct Belgian flavour which reflects its character and history. Silk curtains with embroidered velvet detail, leather brass-nailed headboards and ornate Flemish furniture are just some of the more localised elements featured in the décor. Wall tapestries from the 18th century have been used alongside surrealist prints by Marcel Broodthaers and René Magritte. Throughout the hotel, the design has been carried out with a nod to its location. Authentic paving

½½ executive room

½½ new healthy menu packages

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Hotels

stones originally used in the hotel’s surrounding streets now adorn the lobby, while all antiques and other furnishings have been locally sourced in Brussels. Latest technologies have been incorporated into this rich design scheme, with room facilities such as two-line telephone systems, fax lines, broadband WiFi and interactive satellite television. In addition, guests benefit from details such as 24-hour room service, twice daily room servicing, same-day laundry and fast check-in. Upon request packing and unpacking services, pressing and car transfers are also available. Each room and suite has its own unique theme. The hotel’s spacious Royal Suite Armand Blaton was the winner of The Corporate Traveller Hotel Room Awards in the five star category. Situated on the top floor of the hotel, the suite has a large terrace with views over the rooftops of Brussels, its own entrance hall, bedroom, sitting room, dining room and spacious working desks. The suite can also be used as a private meeting room. “We are honoured to receive the Corporate Traveller Hotel Room Award for the Blaton Suite, which is the jewel in Hotel Amigo’s crown” said Philippe Spagnol, General Manager of Rocco Forte’s Hotel Amigo on receiving the award. “As befits the capital of Europe, we have ensured we offer business travellers the latest facilities and technology throughout the hotel, from the bedrooms to our conference suites. Combined with our high levels of service and our location in the heart of the city, this makes Hotel Amigo the first choice for business travellers visiting Brussels.”

½½ Le Bocconi at Hotel Amigo 22 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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hotels

Hotel Amigo Brussels appoints Philippe Spagnol as General Manager Rocco Forte Hotels recently appointed Philippe Spagnol as its new General Manager of the Hotel Amigo in Brussels. The luxury hotel enjoys a prime location in the heart of the old town close to the famed Grand Place and caters to both an international and locale clientele.

hilippe Spagnol’s role will include further development of corporate, leisure and meetings business segments, while maintaining Hotel Amigo’s trademark attention to detail, high quality and immaculate service.

With over 26 years’ hospitality experience, Mr. Spagnol brings significant skills to the role, combined with considerable knowledge of the international luxury hotels market from an operational perspective. He joins Rocco Forte Hotels from the Lapa Palace in Lisbon where for two years he was General Manager. Prior to this, Mr. Spagnol spent four years as the General Manager at Orient-Express’ Hotel Monasterio in Cusco, Peru. A graduate from the Ecole Hôtelière Lausanne, Mr Spagnol started his career in Food & Beverage and has held roles at, among others, the Beau Rivage Palace Lausanne, Claridges in London, Negresco in Nice and the Grand Hotel Europe in St Petersburg. Born in France, Mr Spagnol is fluent in French, English, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.

½½ Philippe Spagnol

“We are delighted that Philippe will be taking the helm at Hotel Amigo” commented Ivan Artolli, Rocco Forte Hotel’s Operations Director UK, Belgium and Eastern Europe. “He is a seasoned hotelier and brings with him a blend of luxury hospitality expertise and operational experience. I am confident that under his guidance, Hotel Amigo will continue to flourish as Brussels’ leading luxury hotel.” | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2013 | 23

Who puts Brussels at your feet?

The Hotel. Brussels Boulevard de Waterloo 38 . 1000 Brussels . Belgium T +32 (0)2 504 37 30 . F +32 (0)2 504 37 50 www.thehotel.be

Management

Passenger rights:

the AFTM received by the European Parliament The French Association of Travel Managers (AFTM), who has recently taken a position on the proposals of the European Commission to reform passengers’ rights, was received on 29 May by the offices of three parliamentarians from the Transport and Tourism Committee of the European Parliament to defend the specificities of the business traveller.

fter having taken note of the advances proposed by the European Commission on 13 March last, in the context of the revision of its regulation, (EC) No 261/2004 which governs the rights of air passengers, the French Association of Travel Managers has made four proposals to integrate the business traveller and business in the new standards.

Thus, a delegation composed of Michel Dieleman, President of the Association, Claude Lelièvre, VicePresident, and Thibault Barat, General Delegate, has been received by the parliamentary offices of Dominique Riquet (European member and ViceChairman of the Committee on Transport and Tourism), Christine de Veyrac and Michel Dantin (MEPS and members of this committee). In addition to an AFTM presentation and of its representativeness within the ecosystem of French business travel, this rich and productive exchange has particularly helped to identify the best approach to adopt in view of the filing of amendments which will have the best chance of being granted positive opinions by parliamentarians during the vote in the Commission which will be held on 14 November next. Strengthened by this meeting and by the very favourable reception it has received, the AFTM intends to intensify its action and reaffirm its position: • Better calibrated compensation: the AFTM hopes that the new regulation establishes a more equitable compensation base floor which goes

beyond the 20% of the price actually paid for a flight which has been cancelled or has undergone a significant delay; • Compensation to be paid directly to the physical or legal person who has actually paid for the ticket; • In the case of inability to effect a flight to the departure point which is reserved within the framework of a package, the AFTM would like the business traveller to benefit from a right of boarding which is extended to connecting flights • In the case of significant delay or cancellation of a flight, the AFTM accepts the limitation of the support to 3 overnights but requests the removal of the ceiling set at 100 Euro per night In order to strengthen this approach and to ensure its success, the French Association of Travel Managers has already made contact with its Belgian, German, Spanish and Dutch counterparts, with the aim of establishing a united European front in favour of the business traveller. The AFTM, power-engine of this dynamic, will then propose that these associations co-sign a manifesto of proposals, which will be sent to all the European parliamentarians who are members of the European Parliament Transport and Tourism Committee as well as the rapporteur George Bach, MEP for Luxembourg. The tabling of amendments being fixed for October 3, 2013, the AFTM intends to mobilize European travel management in order to reintegrate something missing into the new regulations: the business traveller, who is a source of important profitability for airlines in the entire transport and tourism sector.

AFTM The French Association of Travel Managers is the first association in France to represent the leaders of business travel (travel managers, buyers of business travel ...... ). Chaired by Michel Dieleman (travel manager and director of the professional travel activity of the group Orange Monde), favoured by the big names of the sector and accompanied by key partners of choice, the AFTM has as its main mission to give its acclaim to a complex business which combines the world of procurement, information technology, human resources, and competence in the organization of business travel. The AFTM is also involved in the training, exchange of knowledge and reception of those who are or will be responsible for business travel within French, European or international companies or organizations.

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2013 | 25

Management

Corporate Travel Management in Western Europe:

Opportunities and Challenges The world of business travel is constantly in flux. That is why it is important for companies such as Amadeus to keep abreast of developments. For this reason, in order to gain a better understanding of how corporations manage their travel activities and identify savings opportunities for travel managers, the technology provider commissioned Hermes Management Consulting to carry out an investigation. Eleven Corporations in Western Europe participated in the project, and numerous executives and travellers from these companies were interviewed. The study findings have been compiled in the report ‘Corporate Travel Management in Western Europe: Opportunities and Challenges’.

¼¼ Luc Pannecoeck - amadeus

he project methodology entailed conducting a significant number of interviews with selected personnel in the corporations, and in completing information requests. The study analyses corporate travel

management on the basis of actual visits to corporations, and includes an activity-based costing (ABC). The results provide an in-depth description of the travel management process. “At Amadeus we have our own corporate products such as Amadeus e-Travel Management”, says Luc Pannecoeck of Amadeus. “This is a product that is constantly evolving and with which we try to follow market trends, and this is part of the reason for us to commission the study.”

Policy compliance

Given the current market situation, T&E Policy is currently the key area for achieving cost savings. Enforcing strict policy compliance allows corporations to save around 23% of their T&E costs. Luc Pannecoeck: “Since the crisis, travel budgets are increasingly under pressure. This relates not only to the travel itself, but also to the total T&E budget. In recent years Travel Managers have been strongly focused on negotiating better rates from airline companies. In the meantime the airlines have begun to consolidate, but the margins are still very limited. The gains that could be achieved in this way have almost all been used up. So of course, you must start to handle travel expenses in a different way. Instead of negotiating about rates, the focus is shifting to the totality of T&E, and also to compliance with policy. In our opinion, there is still much to be gained through better compliance with travel policy. We think that 20% to 25% can still be trimmed from the total costs. For this, companies must ensure that travellers conform strictly to travel policy.”

Training the super-users

Trip planning and booking have changed considerably over the last few years, with the implementation of online booking tools (OBTs). Although the arguments for and against the use of OBTs may be the same, the main reason for imple26 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2013 |

menting an OBT is to enforce, control, and monitor T&E Policy. “The adoption of OBTs must be increased further, and then for us that means specifically by the super-users. This is because we have established that 80% of the spend is attributable to 16% of the employees. So there’s no sense in rolling out an online booking tool to everyone and stating that it is mandatory to conform to this policy. It really has to be more focused on the people who travel very frequently and who generate the greatest costs. With them it is necessary to work more thoroughly: by training them, making them more aware, etc. When that happens we shall really achieve higher adoption rates. But at present these are still below 50%. In some cases even much lower.”

Expense management

Expense management accounts for 46% of total indirect costs. Any simplification of expense management would generate considerable savings for corporations. The use of mandatory corporate credit cards linked to expense systems is the easiest way to save time in expense reporting and to improve efficiency. “Expense management and travel management should be integrated. At present companies still have too many different systems in operation. This means that there is no coherence in the data collected, and also no coherence in policy. It follows from this the control of total expenses is then also much more difficult. In the interviewed companies, we established that expense management accounts for no less than half of the total T&E costs. Clearly, an answer to this has to be found in technology.”

The future

The interviews with the various travel managers gives an interesting picture of the present situation in the sector. But Luc Pannecoeck admits that the situation might soon appear very different. “Everyone talks about generation Y, and that in the future people who might have more difficulty implementing policy will move up within companies. But our analysis is a snapshot of today’s situation. It is difficult to predict the impact of generation Y. But it is clear to me that the strict application of policy and improvement of adoption rates of the online booking tools provides an opportunity for further significant cost savings.” | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2013 | 27

Management

Travel Guarantee Fund

“The Belgian traveller is among the best protected” It is every traveller’s worst nightmare: just before or in the middle of the trip the tour operator goes broke. Money lost, and locked out? There is no need for that. The Travel Guarantee Fund (Garantiefonds Reizen/Fonds de Garantie Voyages) can ensure that you get your deposit back or that you can simply continue with your trip. So when making a booking it is important to check that the tour operator is affiliated with such a guarantee fund. The Corporate Traveller spoke to Mark De Vriendt, General Manager of the Travel Guarantee Fund, and got to know more about this organisation, which is an initiative of the travel sector itself. ½½ The New Logo of the Travel Guarantee Fund

n the travel sector, payment in advance is the norm, although the services still have to be provided. So it can happen that the tour operator has already received payment, but goes broke. In

the past this meant that the travellers simply lost their money or became stranded at their holiday destination. In the meantime, much has changed. Mark De Vriendt: “The Travel Guarantee Fund was set up in 1995 by the travel sector as an insurance company. This was in reaction to a European directive that was implemented in Belgian law in 1994, which states:” “The travel operator and/or travel agent that is party to the contract shall demonstrate that it has sufficient guarantees in place to continue to fulfil its obligations towards the travellers even in the event or financial insolvency. It shall ensure that the sums already paid can be refunded to the traveller and, if the travel has already started, it shall repatriate the traveller.”

(Article 36 of the Travel Contract Act of 1994)

“By affiliation with the Travel Guarantee Fund, a travel operator satisfies this requirement. The fund provides the traveller with total protection. It guarantees that travellers are refunded 100% of their deposit or that they can continue their travel without problems.”

Double cover

There have recently been some changes in the legislation. Mark De Vriendt outlines the situation for us. “There are two main kinds of legislation that apply to the travel sector. The protection of the user is regulated federally and concerns the information obligations of the tour operator, their duty of care, the after-care, the obligatory insur28 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2013 |

½½ General Manager Mark De Vriendt ance against civil liability, and finally also the obligatory guarantee insurance described above. At regional level there are the regional decrees on travel agents, which include the conditions for entering the profession. These have recently been completely revised. In Flanders it has now been decided that from 1 January 2014 there is no requirement for a licence for starting up as a travel agent or tour operator. This is a relaxation of the rules, but does not mean that we have now landed in a jungle. The federal Travel Contract Act remains in force, and the Belgian traveller is still among the best protected in the world.”

Foreign players

“It is true that foreign players can now operate somewhat more easily in our market. So it is very important when making a booking to check that it is covered by a guarantee

The Traveller

½½ New Chairman Geert Raes, new Vice-Chairman Geert Gaens and General Manager Mark De Vriendt

fund. The Dutch guarantee fund has already announced that it will not cover .be websites of Dutch providers. In principle, all trips that can be booked in Europe should be covered by a guarantee insurer, but in practice that still seems difficult to achieve. One should therefore always check carefully for the logo of a guarantee insurer, and preferably a Belgian one.”

Sector initiative

The Travel Guarantee Fund is a private initiative financed completely by the travel sector itself. “But, since we are an insurance company, we are also monitored by the national bank. The members deposit money in a pot, and if something goes wrong, money from this pot is used to cover the damages. This is all designed to protect both the consumer and the reputation of the sector. We also have a very specific company form, a cross between a cooperative organization and a non-profit organization. A flexible structure without shareholders and dividends, with no financial advantages. If this had been taken up by an external insurer, since 9/11 they would have had many opportunities to increase the premiums. If there are few damages payments, we can even make refunds to our members.”

No more cowboys

The Travel Guarantee Fund maintains relatively strict conditions for its members. Anyone who wants to organise travel must have a good financial basis. “There is a Royal Decree from 1997 that sets minimum conditions for a travel agent (solvency, own resources, etc.). We have added even more conditions to this. We actually have relatively strict conditions. Travel organisers must have at least 30,000 Euros net own resources. And the

own resources must represent at least 15% of the balance total. The application of these rules has indeed led to a clean-up of the sector. There has been some reduction of the cowboys.”

Keep alert

Stories about bankrupt tour operators keep coming up regularly. So the Travel Guarantee Fund wants to keep drawing attention to the responsibility and awareness of the traveller. “If you are travelling, it is not only a matter of how superb the hotel is or how beautiful the beach. It is also important to have the guarantee that you can complete the trip and get back. We don’t want to spread panic, but people go away without being alert to possible consequences. They don’t know whether they are insured, how they are insured… In the present economic situation it is vital to know where the trip has been booked, and this applies to both tourists and business travellers.”

Taking the balance of 17 years of operation

Over 17 years the Travel Guarantee Fund has helped many people out of difficulties. But this hardly ever gets into the news. “We live in a world where ‘bad news sells’. If several hundred tourists get stranded somewhere, this is reported widely. When we are able to repatriate them successfully, this gets no attention. In the past 17 years we have ‘rescued’ more than 24,000 travellers and arranged repayment of 9.2 million Euros. So it is definitely worth checking whether a tour organiser is affiliated with a guarantee fund. The Travel Guarantee Fund covers 506 companies that have 1012 sales outlets throughout Belgium. They can all be recognised through our new logo, and are also listed at www.gfg.be”, concludes Mark De Vriendt. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2013 | 29

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www.brusselsairport.be

Management

Ten myths about online booking A lot of bookers don’t order their tickets online. They come up with excuses like fear of higher costs, lack of overview or limited possibilities. But are these reasons legitimate? Jean-François De Mol, Director Sales & Account Management Belgium at BCD Travel counters the ten most common myths about online booking and explains how gamification can help vary and increase the amount of online bookings.



My company is too small to purchase its own online tool

Online booking is cost effective from 15 tickets per month. This means that not only multinationals can profit from an extensive - but yet easy - online booking tool.



I will lose sight on when and where my employees are travelling

On the contrary! The online tool lists all booked trips, so you can easily keep an eye on the whereabouts of your employees.



It’s faster to book by phone

When you book a ticket by phone, you first have to make a call to see what your options are. You hang up, compare, decide, and then you call back to take an option on a ticket. The budget needs to be approved, so you have to wait. Once you receive the approval, you call back to confirm the actual booking. And if you are unlucky, the ticket you requested is no longer available at that price and you have to start over again. Online booking provides an immediate overview of every option. With BCD Travel’s online tool, all you need if you want to book a trip, is a computer with online access. You do not need to install any software. You can even book your trip after office hours.

 If I book online, I have no control on my travel policy

A good online tool shows you all the information in a clear overview: the costs of travel, hotel and car rental. Having an overview leads to control.



Online booking is only useful for flights

Via an online tool you can easily book a ticket for Thalys, Eurostar and other international trains, as well as hotels and carrentals.



My employee is spending money in just one click

Yes, he is. But within the defined travel budget you decided up front. You can go as specific as you need, with budgets varying in function of the employees. An employee cannot spend money you did not put aside for him. Since he can clearly see how much budget is left for the entire trip, there’s no risk he will loose track of the limit and overspend.



I lack some information when I book online

If you book through BCD Travel’s Business Online, you get all the information you can possibly need: details of flight schedules, information on time difference, exchange rates and visa, as well as health recommendations. This tool even provides handy tips on how to behave locally and on business etiquette for each destination.



Online booking makes me lose control and become redundant

The online tool transforms a booker into an expert. No one will have a better overview of the different possibilities. For the booker it is easy to identify where money can be saved and how travelling can be made more pleasant for the employee.



I’ll pay more when I book online, since I cannot look for the cheapest option

You do not have to look for the cheapest option: the online tool does that for you. It provides an extensive overview of flights, including best-buy offers and special rates BCD Travel negotiated.



I have not enough technical knowledge to book online

The online tools are so user-friendly that they work intuitively, even for the technologically challenged among us. And since preferences are preprogramed, the error margin is smaller than with other booking methods.

Gamification helps comply with travel policy Were you convinced by these advantages of an online booking tool? Then the next step is to get your employees to participate. Maybe gamification will do the trick, as it does for brands like Coca-Cola and Google. For those who have never heard of it: gamification is adding game elements to every day processes, in order to motivate and inspire people. Ever been to Efteling? Holle Bolle Gijs saying thank you when you throw rubbish in his mouth is gamification for children. Frequent flyer programs are a great example of gamification for adults in the travel business. But gamification can also be used to help people book online more often and in a smarter way. Scorecards keep track of how people book, how far in advance, at which price, how well they comply with the travel policy... A ranking shows everybody how they are doing compared to their colleagues. After a while you can reward behaviours, for example when booking best-buy tickets. Keep in mind though that encouraging competition does not work in every company.

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Management

AirPlus International

helping companies get more for their travel budgets Business travel spend continues to grow, by just under 3 percent in 2012, but companies are managing their travel budgets more carefully. Supporting this trend, AirPlus International’s suite of payment, reporting and billing solutions for business travel are gaining new customers worldwide, by bringing them significant cost savings and streamlining accounting systems.

irPlus currently counts over 40,000 companies and organisations worldwide as its clients – and the number is growing fast. In 2012, the billing

turnover of AirPlus increased by 10%, far above the growth in business travel spend of 2.9%. AirPlus International’s business travel payment solutions include central billing accounts, corporate cards and complete Management Information Systems for accounting and reporting. “As an overview, AirPlus helps companies to optimise payment, accounting and reporting processes for all matters related to business travel expenditure” says Lian Wolfs, AirPlus International’s Benelux Director.

Centralised payment for all corporate travel

AirPlus International’s origins began in 1989 when its first systems were developed by the airline industry as a tool to manage costs incurred by credit card companies. The credit card cost management systems remain very much part of AirPlus International’s solutions as it has grown to become a financial institution. With the AirPlus Company Account, companies have one central payment account for all their travel bookings – whether airline, hotel or agency fees. This means instead of companies receiving an invoice for every ticket, they get one statement for all their travellers and all transactions paid via the AirPlus account. For business travellers that have a corporate credit card, data on spending can also be incorporated directly into the AirPlus reporting tools. All data concerning details of the trip, the traveller, cost centres and department codes are automatically entered into the management information system. Manual data entry is significantly reduced while all information can be directly integrated into multiple reporting formats – or even into other company IT systems, such as ERP and Customer Relationship Management.

Reporting systems

For reporting needs, AirPlus provides companies with more than just data, but a full Management Information System on their business travel expenditures. “We help companies to streamline payments, accounting and reporting, giving them full transparency on all business travel expenses” says Lian Wolfs. “With the AirPlus Information Manager, all data on spending is incorporated into consolidated reports - whether it concerns travel booked by the company or a travel management company, or expenses incurred by business travellers during their trips. The AirPlus Information Manager tool means that buyers and managers can gain a complete overview of all their travel expenses. This transparent analysis helps them to see exactly where they are spending, steer their travel policies and better negotiate rates with suppliers such as airlines, hotels and rental companies.”

Preferred payment partner

AirPlus is the preferred payment partner of many airlines and travel agencies. Besides national airlines, the AirPlus Company Account is directly accepted by over 30 low cost carriers. “We also work closely with travel agents and travel management companies and recently introduced for the Belgian market a integration with CIBT, a company which organises visa documents” says Lian Wolfs. “With our A.I.D.A. solution (an intelligent online payment tool, generating virtual MasterCard numbers) there is almost unlimited acceptance for our customers to settle any travel related transactions. AirPlus is an official issuer of Mastercard credit card numbers and as a result our solutions can be used to pay everywhere where Mastercard is accepted. The transactions are then routed to the AirPlus Company Account and all details incorporated into the reporting system. This means less expense reporting needs to be done by corporate travellers and more information is available for the company.”

Cost savings of up to 30%

Cost savings made by companies and organisations using AirPlus solutions can be significant. Economies made vary depending on the maturity of existing travel management processes in place, but if they are starting from scratch they can save up to 30% on their total travel spend. Some of this is achieved through improved efficiency – for example by eliminating manual processes of data entry and streamlining payment systems thanks to centralised billing accounts. With the optimised reporting, companies can better negotiate with travel suppliers, steer travel policies and control expenditure. 32 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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½½ Lian Wolfs - AirPlus International’s Benelux Director

Local companies to multinationals

AirPlus is present in over 60 countries and services more than 40.000 customers worldwide. These clients are organisations ranging from local companies, to some of world’s largest enterprises with 9 figure travel budgets. “Our own organisational structure mirrors that of our clients and we have dedicated teams for global, national and SME customers” explains Lian Wolfs. “AirPlus International is one of the market leaders in the Benelux and our customers here greatly appreciate that we have local teams in place to support and work with them, rather than servicing customers out of call centres. We make sure we offer our full range of solutions for all of our customers, available at all times. When a multinational company does not work with the same travel management companies in every country, we can help them consolidate the data on a global level. On the other hand, our SME customers don’t necessarily need this full range of reports and level of detail on data. Our new Reporting on Demand service – available for the Benelux

in Q4 of this year – has been developed especially with the needs of SME clients in mind. They can decide how often they want reports, and how extensive they want these reports to be.” The Reports on Demand service includes preset and predefined reports which clients can choose from. The package also includes a corporate account and the possibility of credit cards for business travellers. “AirPlus has been growing really fast over the last few years, expanding to new countries, investing in new people and broadening its product portfolio” summarises Lian Wolfs. “We are a specialist in Business Travel Management and a low cost company for the airline industry, but with high quality solutions and people. Our clients appreciate our personalised services and the way local account managers really work together with them to find more ways to optimise their budgets. With our solutions they have complete transparency on reporting to steer budgets, contracts and travel policies and companies recognise the added value of that.” | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Rail ways

Deutsche Bahn

ICE connects Brussels to Germany The international train is becoming increasingly important to business travellers. This is partly a matter of economics, but is also because the railway companies do everything possible to make the business traveller as comfortable as possible. For more than 10 years the InterCity Express –the ICE –of the Deutsche Bahn (DB) has connected Brussels with the most important German cities. The Corporate Traveller interviewed Maité Jagau, head of sales and marketing Benelux of DB, about the success of this connection.

n the 90s, DB in Germany expanded its network of high-speed links between the most important cities. Maité Jagau: “Prompted by Expo 2000

in Hannover, the first international ICE connection was brought into operation, from Frankfurt to Amsterdam. In 2002 the connection to Liège and Brussels was added to the network, initially with three, but now with four trains a day in each direction.”

The route

The Belgian branch of the ICE network starts in BrusselsSouth, and goes to the centre of Frankfurt via stops in Brussels-North, Liège, Aachen, Cologne (Köln), and Frankfurt Airport. “The Belgian market is very important to DB, and we are pleased that we can run trains directly to Brussels, because, of course, it is a very interesting destination. Brussels is the capital of Europe, and everyone wants to go there. And since other railway companies also have routes to Brussels, this makes Brussels an important hub in Europe.”

Brussels-Frankfurt in less than three hours

The ICE between Brussels and Frankfurt is one of the most heavily used trains of the ICE network, with, on average, 60% of the seats occupied. “Frankfurt and Brussels are both important business centres. We provide a

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½½ Maité Jagau - head of sales and marketing Benelux of DB

direct link of less than three hours between these cities. This is more convenient and faster than by air. No time is lost through security procedures, and you can simply carry on working. What is more, the train takes you right to the centre of the city, both in Brussels and in Frankfurt. The same train also stops at Frankfurt Airport. So if you have to take a flight from this important airport, the ICE provides you with a very comfortable option for getting there. In fact, we have noticed that many Belgian businessmen book a flight from Germany and travel to the airport by train.”

Focus on the business traveller

The business traveller is very important to the ICE. Maité Jagau also remarks that business travel by train is on the up. “In Belgium we sell most business journeys via the B2B agencies. And so far this year there has already been an increase of 50%. So business travel by train is expanding rapidly. In a period of crisis, people tend to take the train instead of flying because it is cheaper. But comfort and concern for the environment also play a part. So Deutsche Bahn is making an effort to emphasise the green nature of the train. For example, we have recently changed our policy on power, so that all ICE trains within Germany run on 100% green electricity.”

Comfort…

So, please describe travel in an ICE. “As with most trains, the ICE is divided into First Class and Second Class. In First Class you have the option of on-board food and drink service. There are also comfortable seats with substantial legroom. Moreover there is no luggage limit. Some important routes in Germany are also provided with Wi-Fi. In Second Class too the business traveller has all the space he or she needs to work comfortably.”

…and flexibility

A special feature of the ICE is the reservation and ticketing system that gives the traveller a great deal of flexibility. “It is not essential to make a reservation for the ICE. With a normal ICE-ticket you can simply choose which train to take. So you do not have to reserve a seat on a particular train at a particular time in advance. You can always take an earlier or later train, or even one a day later. This is of great value to business travellers. They sometimes have to alter their plans, and, if meetings go on longer than expected, they can simply take a different train with the same ticket.”

Easy connection to the whole of Germany

Every day, the first train to Frankfurt leaves Brussels at 6:30, and vice versa. There is then a train every four hours, with the last one leaving at 18:30. Once in Germany there are easy connections to other cities. “In Germany we have an extensive network of high-speed trains that usually depart every hour. So once you are in Germany, you can get everywhere relatively quickly and easily. From Cologne you can go directly to Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Berlin, and from Frankfurt you can then travel on very easily to Munich and Stuttgart, for example. The connections are good, but we continue to invest in the infrastructure to speed up certain lines even more. A great deal of work is being carried out at present on the Munich-Berlin line. This will enable the travelling time between these cities – at present six hours – to be reduced to less than four hours by 2017,” concludes Maité Jagau.

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Rail ways

Thalys

offers the ideal business trip to Paris, Amsterdam or Cologne in Comfort 1 class

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Travel with a speed of over 300 km/h, with complete comfort and service, such as an exclusive meal, internet connection, exclusive meeting area aboard and a choice of newspapers and magazines in several languages.

ith Thalys Comfort 1 travelling needn’t to be an interruption of work.

Comfort 1 class offers business travellers everything they need to travel in all quietness and simply continue to work on the way. Comfortable seats with sockets on the side enable using and charging, for instance, a laptop during the trip. Thanks to a Wi-Fi connection you can also use the internet on board. Comfort 1 also offers the possibility of meeting during the journey. This is possible in Le Salon: a special private area for four people. It has a large table, wide chairs, sockets and Wi-Fi connection, so you can meet and work in all peace and discretion.

The following is also included in the price of a Comfort 1 ticket: • A meal served at your seat. Each meal is put together with care from a varied assortment of tasty and fresh seasonal products, adapted to the time of day; • A choice of newspapers and magazines in several languages, including the Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, Le Soir, De Standaard and De Telegraaf; • Access to comfortable waiting areas; • Booking service for a taxi. Thalys employees ensure that a taxi is waiting for you upon arrival in Paris. This ensures that the ultimate destination in Paris, Amsterdam or Cologne is reached even faster!

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Air Ports

Lounge luxury in reach of all travellers with

Brussels Airport’s new Diamond Lounge Lounge luxury is now within reach of all travellers passing through Brussels Airport’s Pier B terminal – whatever airline or cabin class they are travelling with. Following complete renovations at a cost of 350,000 euros, Brussels Airports’ new Pier B Diamond Lounge was unveiled earlier this year.

he new Diamond Lounge is conveniently located just a few metres past customs and security check in, in the Pier B non-Schengen zone.

A lift takes passengers directly up to the lounge which is on the 4th floor, giving views over the airport. From there, travellers can enjoy a haven of peace in the airport, with a VIP lifestyle! The Diamond Lounge offers all the luxury of a business lounge, without the need for a business class ticket. No reservations in advance are necessary and, depending on the airline travellers are flying with, entry rate for lounge starts at between 20 and 25 euros. Offering excellent value for money, the Diamond Lounge provides a level and range of facilities that rival many airlinededicated business lounges.

Spacious and well designed, the 600 square metre Diamond Lounge offers ample privacy for working or relaxing. Comfortable seating and dining areas, adjacent to the food and beverage stations, look out over the tarmac. Newspapers and magazines are provided in several languages, while broadband WiFi is available throughout the lounge. Passengers can use one of the lounge’s work stations provided with PCs, or connect using their own device. Replying to requests from passengers, the lounge also features new shower facilities and a separate area, adjacent to reception, designed to give guests the possibility to sleep, meet or work in a quieter environment. With all Pier B aircraft gates within a short walking distance, guests can keep an eye on their departure time updates with the lounge’s Flight Monitor screens. 38 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Freshly prepared meals, a bar and Starbucks station – all complimentary!

All food and beverages in the Diamond Lounge are complimentary. Lounge guests can help themselves to a freshly prepared array of snacks, salads, fruit, desserts – or even breakfast throughout the day. Even better, hot soup and dishes have been added to the menu and are served at lunch time and in the evening. A wide range of soft drinks, wines and spirits are all freely available, as is beer on tap. Those who have a penchant for Starbucks will surely be pleased to find that the lounge has its own Starbucks coffee station, with a choice of hot beverages such as lattés. This is the first time in the world that Starbucks has been introduced into an airport lounge. Brussels Airport has a second Diamond Lounge, located in pier A, which is reserved for Schengen passengers. Both of the Diamond Lounges, along with Brussels Airport’s other food and beverage concessions, are operated by Autogrill, the world’s leading provider of food, beverage and retail services for travellers. Frank Seynaeve is the Operations Director for Autogrill in Belgium.

Upgraded services to attract more passengers and airlines

“Our objectives when renewing and upgrading the lounge were to attract more airlines and more passengers” explains Frank Seynaeve. “Before redesigning, we first carried out a survey with our clients to find out what type of services and facilities that they would find attractive.

Their requests included separate work stations, a more ‘loungy’ feel to the design and the usual requirements such as free newspapers, flight monitors and reception facilities. However the biggest demand was for more food in the lounge. We now offer a great buffet with changing products and snacks in the morning, noon and evening. We have also introduced hot food and soup, which is most appreciated.” “Finally, a big point highlighted in our survey concerned the question that passengers who did not have access to the lounge through their airline wanted to be able to pay to come in” adds Frank Seynaeve. “We have thus installed the possibility with credit cards and this is working well. With all these added elements, the positive feedback from passengers and contracted airlines show that we have really succeeded in our target of bringing luxury and comfort, to decrease the stress of airport travelling.” The Diamond Lounge is open 7 days a week, from 5am and 10pm, while closing time may vary depending on the time of the last flight. For more information visit www.autogrill.be

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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aIR WAYS

Lufthansa’s new Sales Manager for BeLux, Robert Mamone, on latest services and developments With its global fleet of over 650 aircraft, Lufthansa is Europe’s largest airline group in terms of destinations and passengers carried. Roberto Mamone, recently appointed as Lufthansa’s sales manager for Belgium and Luxembourg, gave an overview of some the airline’s latest services and developments.

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½½ Roberto Mamone, Sales Manager for Belgium and Luxembourg

»» inflight dining

oberto Mamone, Sales Manager for Belgium and Luxembourg, joined Lufthansa nearly 20 years ago. During his tenure

at Lufthansa he has managed nearly every aspect of passenger sales – from establishing procedures and productivity goals, to business development, business analysis and budgeting. Based in Brussels, Roberto speaks five languages, including his native Dutch. With his two decades of experience, Roberto has seen some seismic shifts in the airline industry. “Firstly, on the client side, I have seen European companies becoming much more price sensitive over the years” observes Roberto. “Their travel budgets are increasingly tighter controlled and we have seen more corporate travellers moving from business class to economy class and low cost carriers. Our recent announcement of our Germanwings subsidiary taking over all non-hub routes aligns with this. Secondly, and on a more global scale, we are looking a growing trend in airline organization. Whereas a few years ago, we saw the rise of airline alliances, we are now moving to a world of airline mergers and acquisitions. We can see many examples of this and within the Lufthansa group alone we have Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines.”

Global network

Lufthansa’s global network covers 286 destinations in 102 countries. Its large European hubs enable it to offer passengers convenient connections across the world. Besides Lufthansa hubs in Germany, through Austrian Airlines the group offers 91 destinations from Vienna, 70 destinations from Brussels via Brussels Airlines and 73 cities through Zurich-based SWISS. Lufthansa Group’s North Atlantic Joint Venture with Air Canada and United offers passengers even more simplicity, choice and value on North Atlantic routes, while the EU-Japan Joint Venture between Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian and All Nippon Airways covers a strategically important flow of traffic and expands the route portfolio of both Star Alliance members.

Germanwings subsidiary taking over Lufthansa’s point-to-point services

Lufthansa has a comprehensive schedule of feeder flights to its main European hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich and Vienna. From Brussels, 10 daily frequencies are operated to Frankfurt and 8 flights a day to Munich. Austrian Airlines brings four daily flights to the Vienna hub while Luxair brings six daily flights to Zurich. While the Lufthansa brand is focusing on its hub and long haul business carrier model, its subsidiary Germanwings is gradually taking over the group’s point to point services. Lufthansa continues to operate all domestic and European services to and from its main hubs in Munich and Frankfurt, as well as long haul routes from Frankfurt, Munich and Düsseldorf. Germanwings will fly all other point-to-point services on German and European routes, which are not to the hubs of Munich and Frankfurt. Under the ‘new’ upgraded Germanwings, the regional services are being repositioned as a reasonably priced, quality product, in the low-cost segment.

New service offerings

With over 650 aircraft, the group continues to invest in and maintain one of the world’s largest and most modern fleets. 236 new aircraft, with a list price of 22 billion euros, will be brought into service, focusing on increased passenger comfort, higher fuel efficiency and lower noise emissions. The fleet’s continued development includes the introduction of the most modern aircraft types in the world, such as Boeing 747-8s, as well as Airbus A380 and A320 neo aircraft. All long haul aircraft are being equipped with upgraded services in all cabin classes. The Lufthansa long-haul fleet is gradually being fitted out with the newest First Class, recently awarded 5 stars by Skytrax. The redesigned first class features a full two-metre long bed with high-quality mattress, luxurious bathrooms and the highest standards of cuisine, created by top chefs. On the ground, First Class Lounges and a dedicated First Class Terminal in Frankfurt cater to the demands of elite travellers. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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aIR WAYS

»» lounge

½½ First Class

Passengers travelling long distance in the new Lufthansa Business Class will find numerous innovations. The seat transforms smoothly into a 1.98 m long, fully flat bed. Retractable armrests increase the width of the sleeping surface, while the configuration creates more privacy and easier access. Larger 15 inch monitors and Sennheiser headphones, which minimise external noise, create the ideal conditions for enjoyment of the individual audio-video programme. By the end of 2014, 75% of Lufthansa’s long-haul fleet will be fitted out with the new Business Class, the remaining 25 aircraft will be completed one year later. Also in 2014, Lufthansa will reveal and introduce a premium Economy class, with wider seats, more legroom, more recline and other amenities, all of which target comfort-oriented passengers with a budget. More than 70 Lufthansa lounges worldwide offer passengers exceptional comfort, ideal working conditions and a variety of culinary delights. At Frankfurt Airport’s new Pier A passengers enjoy a completely new and significantly expanded range of lounges with one First Class, two Senator, and two Business Lounges. Over 900 partner or contract lounges worldwide are also available to customers. In Economy Class passengers experience agreeable comfort, friendly service and a variety of entertainment options. Ergonomic seats are equipped with adjustable headrests, a comfortable seat pitch and individual touch screen entertainment system, which includes a USB port and 30 of the latest films in up to 8 languages. Catering on long haul flights includes an apéritif service with cocktail snacks and a tray service with hot main course and digestifs. Even on board Lufthansa’s short- and mediumhaul aircraft for European flights, passengers enjoy plenty of personal space and comfort. The slimline and elegantly designed seat provides more room for the knees in Economy class and in Business Class the adjacent seat is always kept free.

Added value for Corporate travellers

For Lufthansa traffic to and from Belgium, the corporate traveller market segment represents over half of the airline’s turnover. As such, a number of services and products have been developed that have particular appeal to corporates.

More than 22 million members enjoy the benefits of Miles & More, the frequent flyer programme of Lufthansa Group airlines. Passengers can earn miles with around 350 partners, including Star Alliance partners, hotels and car rental companies. With Lufthansa’s PartnerPlusBenefit/Star Alliance Company Plus bonus programme, travellers can continue to earn their own Miles & More miles, while their companies earn rewards in parallel – such as free flights or upgrades.

Leveraging latest technologies

Lufthansa’s new innovations for passengers leverage the latest technologies in travel communications. With its new eFly Services passengers can check in from 23 hours before departure and choose their seats. They can even check in on their way to the airport via their mobile phone and receive the mobile boarding pass directly. To keep up-to-date while travelling, the Lufthansa smartphone app for iOS and Android with intuitive design and enhanced functions offers travellers direct access to the most important Lufthansa services at any time. One of its features is a personal storage system to save travel documents, while push notifications are sent to passengers in the event of flight changes. For onboard communications, over 90% of Lufthansa’s long haul aircraft have been equipped with FlyNet, a wireless network available for passengers in all classes. Passengers can surf the Net without limit and send emails. Sending and receiving SMS and MMS messages via mobile phones will soon also be possible. “Long haul and European sales are balanced and equally important for the development of Lufthansa as a global player” summarises Robert Mamone. “Via our Frankfurt and Munich hubs, our customers enjoy access to excellent connections to all the important business centres and cities in Germany, Europe and the world. We are continuing to work hard and make investments to retain our position as Europe’s number 1 airline and further improve the premium quality standards. To achieve this we are migrating to younger aircraft with greater efficiency and comfort, upgrading all our cabin classes and continually innovating with new products and technologies.” | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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aIR WAYS

Low cost carriers

changing the face of European travel The cost of air travel has fallen by 60% in real terms over the past 40 years, according to the International Air Transport Association. At the centre of the competition, the rise of Low Cost Carriers has forced many airlines to rethink their strategies for short haul networks. The Corporate Traveller looked at some of these trends and interviewed three of the largest European low cost carriers on their positionning… European Open Skies agreement has created opportunities

ccording to the latest reports from Advito, the travel management consulting arm of BCD Travel, capacity growth in European aviation is mainly been driving by low cost carriers. Even national carriers are transferring routes to their low cost

subsidiaries to be more competitive on the short haul market.

Looking at the some of the driving factors behind the rise of low cost carriers, the European Open Skies agreement has certainly had an impact, effectively allowing airlines to offer more point to point routes. “The liberalization of the European air transport industry has enabled significant growth in terms of new routes and the number of new airlines and business models, including low cost carriers” comments IATA’s Chris Goater. “According to the European Commission, the European Union saw a 310% increase in intra-EU routes that have more than two carriers between 1992, when the EU common aviation market went into effect, and 2009. Overall as this intense competition continues, so further declines in the cost of air fares are likely.”

From east to west - Wizz Air

Wizz Air, one of the main low cost operators from Brussels, has grown to become one of Europe’s leading low cost carriers. Over the last year its network has risen by 50 new routes, to 300. “easyJet and Ryanair have been fairly successful especially on routes between the north and south, such as between the UK and the Mediterranean” says Wizz Air’s Daniel de Carvalho. “One of the things that makes us stand out from other LCCs is our East to West route network positioning. We connect Western Europe with Central and Eastern Europe and the Near East, going as far as four destinations in Dubai. With our new aircraft, we are developing further east, with slightly longer routes of over six hours. We are studying further possibilities with with airports in the Middle East.”

Ultra Low Cost Carriers

“The tendance in the low cost sector in Europe seems to be an emerging distinction between Low Cost Carriers such as EasyJet and Ultra Low Cost Carriers (ULCCs) such as Ryanair” comments Daniel de Carvalho. “Many low costs have become more expensive and are no longer radical fare providers. At Wizz Air we believe we make a difference by positioning ourselves as a high quality, but ultra low cost airline. We are a good mix between Ryanair and easyJet with both primary and secondary airports. The primary routes suit our business travellers and the secondary routes allow us to bring prices even further down.” Ryanair positions itself as Europe’s only ultra-low cost carrier or ULCC. “From our point of view, the key trend in the low cost carrier sector at the moment is offering the lowest fares - and no one offers lower fares than Ryanair” says Ryanair’s Robin Kiely. “We have guaranteed no fuel surcharges, with the most on-time flights, the fewest cancellations and the least mishandled bags. We’re the number one airline in Ireland, Italy, Spain and Poland and will continue to grow across Europe and North Africa. The order we recently confirmed at the Paris Airshow for 175 new Boeing 737-800 aircraft will allow us to grow even further and we are currently in discussion with over 75 airports on new route possibilities. Our aim is to carry 110 million passengers annually by 2019.” 44 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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½½ Daniel de Carvalho Wizz Air

½½ Robin Kiely - Ryanair

Of Ryanair’s 57 aircraft bases, Brussels Charleroi is one of its four largest. Along with its flights from Eindhoven, Groningen and Maastrict airports, the airline will carry 7.5 million passengers in the Benelux region this year.

Strategies for targeting business travellers

Business travellers on short haul flights are increasingly flying with LCCs. easyJet is one of those who are developing their offerings for corporates. Already 12.5 million of its 60 million passengers a year are on business trips or commuting. “Business travellers are especially attracted by our network of routes to convenient primary airports” says easyJet’s Paul Moore “Of the Top 100 most important European pair routes, easyJet operates 49 of them. Our positioning is that we have the best network of any European carrier. We are also cheaper and more environmentally friendly. Our direct internet bookings services are popular with smaller businesses. “However a subtle change we made in the last two or three years, to encourage larger companies to book with us, was to make deals with most of the Global Distribution Systems. We have also introduced flexible tickets and fast track security options, both of which are particularly interesting for corporate travellers.” “We see a high percentage of business travellers on our routes from Brussels, so over the last twelve months we have been introducing new products to appeal to them” says Wizz Air’s Daniel de Carvalho. “With our new Premium Bundle services, we have taken the services needed by business travellers and bundled them together to make them about 30% cheaper. The bundled services include things such as a larger cabin bag, extra leg room and express security access in certain airports. With some of the premium packages, we also have agreements for lounge access in some airports, through our partners. Another useful service we have introduced for business travellers is our Wizz Air app, which offers mobile check in and mobile boarding passes.”

Competitive pressure on ancillary fees

According to Advito the rise in ancillary fees such as extra costs for luggage and credit card use, as instigated by many low cost operators, is now spreading to some national carriers. “The size of the market for ancillaries was estimated at 36 billion dollars in 2012, an 11% increase on 2011” adds IATA’s Chris Goater. “So it is reasonable to assume that ancillaries are taking on an increasing importance in the industry. The trend continues for ancilliary fees to make up a growing part of air travel costs. However, over time prices for ancillary services will become subject to the same competitive pressures as the underlying fares.”

½½ Paul Moore - easyJet

“Looking ahead its likely that within five to ten years, all short haul routes will be operated by low cost carriers or subsidiaries of national carriers – as in the recent example seen with Lufthansa and Germanwings” summarises easyJet’s Paul Moore. “However from a passenger perspective, we view the term low cost as being irrelevant. What corporate travellers are looking for is what they always look for – value for money, punctuality, good frequencies and access to primary airports.” | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Hainan Airlines

marks 20th year with new General Manager An Ting to pilot Benelux operations As Hainan Airlines marks its 20th year, the airline has appointed a new General Manager for its Benelux operations. Mr An Ting, who took up the new role on the 8th July, spoke to The Corporate Traveller about the airline’s impressive evolutions, its 5 star airline status and plans for the future.

From small local carrier to international airline and travel corporation

ainan Airlines is the largest non-state owned airline in China. With 118 aircraft it serves nearly

90 destinations with 500 routes. Passenger numbers are rising too. In 2012 it carried 22 million passengers, a rise of 10% compared to the previous year. However the airline started from much smaller origins, as a purely local air carrier in 1993. By the year 2000, Hainan Airlines had become an aviation group, flying to almost all of the primary and secondary cities in China, with bases in a further nine Chinese cities. Hainan Airline’s first scheduled international flights began four years later, with its Beijing to Budapest route. Brussels was added to airline’s map in 2006. The group to which Hainan Airlines belongs, HNA Group, has evolved into one of China’s largest non-state owned enterprises. It counts a number of businesses including 13 airlines (one of which is Hong Kong Airlines), tourism companies, a shipping company and even hotels. Of its hotel properties, HNA Group currently owns three hotels in Brussels, managed by Best Western. HNA Group also recently merged with NH Hotels in Europe and one of the next steps for the group will be to further develop its hotel segment.

which include Hong Kong Airlines, it serves many more cities in the region. As to intercontinental routes, Hainan Airlines flies to Brussels, Berlin, and Zurich in Europe, as well as Moscow and St Petersburg in Russia. Angola’s Luanda is the airline’s first city on the African continent and two cities are served in North America.

5 star airline eyes further route expansions

“One of our strengths has been our ability to quickly react to changes in the market and passenger demands. This is how we manage and develop our route network” says An Ting, “Hainan Airline’s new General Manager Benelux. “We are studying new possible international destinations at the moment and in Europe we are considering the UK. However, it is North America which is highest on our agenda for network expansions. We already fly to Toronto and Seattle and, as from September, we will be introducing a new route between Beijing and Chicago, using our newly delivered Dreamliner aircraft. More North American cities are in our network pipeline and these could potentially include Boston and Dallas.”

Besides cities in China, Hainan Airlines serves a multitude of destinations in South East Asian countries such as Thailand, Singapore and Korea. Through its sister companies,

In April 2013, Hainan Airlines was awarded the SkyTrax ‘5 star airline’ accolade for the third consecutive year. “The 5 star airline award is given to only a handful of airlines around the world, and this is a significant recognition of the quality of our services and operations” says An Ting. All the aircraft we use on our European flights are very new. Over the past years, we have made investments to

½½ Hainan Airbus A330

½½ Hainan Business class seat

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½½ Economy class seat

enhance all of our services, including new business seats and upscale food and beverage services. In business class our In-flight Gourmet Restaurant offers a choice of Chinese and Western cuisine, with a very good selection of wines and champagnes. With our investments in cabin products, in business class we have ergonomic, completely lie flat seats and in economy class all passengers have their own individual entertainment systems.”

New General Manager Benelux looks forward to more frequencies to Brussels

Just days before his interview with The Corporate Traveller, An Ting took up his new position as General Manager of Hainan Airlines Benelux. An Ting has been with Hainan Airlines since 2004, based in both Brussels and China. During this time he spent three years in the Belgian capital as sales manager.

½½ Business class meal

“Although I have only been in my new role as General Manager for three days! it is clear there is a major new role for Hainan Airlines to play in the Benelux” observes An Ting. “We have evolved from a small local carrier to a major international airline in just 20 years. Our network now covers four continents and our service has gained a reputation as being exceptional, proven by our 5 star airline award from SkyTrax. I know Brussels and Belgium well and I think the Brussels route is one of Hainan Airlines’ best flights. We have a very stable operation and market share here. My objectives will be to increase the frequencies, attract more business class passengers and grow our revenues. In August we will have daily flights and 6 flights a week from September on the Brussels to Beijing route and I hope in the coming years we will raise this further.”

½½ Hainan Business Class Sleeper | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Helsinki ideal gateway to Asia At an international press conference at Helsinki airport, Finnair presented its strategy for the coming years. The Finnish airline company will continue to profile itself as a specialist in connections between Europe and Azië. However, sustainability and customer satisfaction will play an even greater role in the future. It is noticeable that Finnair still manages to emphasise certain typically finish accents.

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innair has a long history of connections to Asia. Thirty

years ago it was the first airline to fly non-stop between Europe and Tokyo. Five year later, a connection to Beijing was added. With the recent addition of Xi’an in China, and Hanoi in Vietnam, the number of Finnair Asian destinations has now reached 13. The choice of this geographical niche has to do with the unique location of Helsinki Airport. That makes it possible to fly to Asia and back within 24 hours, which enables the optimal use of the fleet. Because of this, Finnair is able to provide a daily connection with a single aircraft.

The efficiency of Helsinki Airport

At present, 40 million passengers a year fly between Europe and Asia, half with a connecting flight. This represents an enormous potential for Finnair, which via Helsinki Airport provides the link between Asia and more than 60 European cities. An important trump card in this is the extremely reliable reputation of Helsinki Airport. The airport has two terminals under one roof, enabling fast transfers – taking as little

as 35 minutes! So, with a connection reliability of 98.8%, Finnair has an extremely good record. Airport operator Finavia also plays an important part in this. In spite of the severe Finnish winters, Helsinki airport has not had to shut down since 2003… And then only for half an hour.

Uniform Airbus fleet

Finnair’s fleet is predominantly made up of Airbus aircraft. For the European flights, 25 aircraft from the A320 family are employed, and for the long-haul flights there are 15 wide-body A330/A340 aircraft. There is a high level of trust between Finnair and Airbus, confirmed by the fact that Finnair was the first airline in the world to order the Airbus A350XWB. The first of the 11 ordered planes is to be delivered in 2014. (The A350XWB made its first test flight in June). The large proportion of Airbus planes also gives an extremely practical advantage. All the flight decks have the same layout, enabling pilots, crew, and aircraft to be used more flexibly on the various different connections. Finnair can increase or reduce the capacity on a particular route according to demand. Training time for the crew is also reduced because of this.

½½ Airbus A330

Sustainability in all possible areas

½½ Business class meal

Sustainability is a subject that is gaining increasing attention within the airline industry. Because there is concern for the environment, and also because flying sustainably can reduce costs. So the Sustainable Development department within Finnair receives a great deal of attention. “Fuel consumption is our most important cost item, so it is in our interests to keep this as low as possible”. Finnair has committed itself to reducing CO2 emission by 24% in the period 2009 to 2017. The aim is to achieve this by, among other things, renewing the fleet, and building a new energy-efficient headquarters. Finnair is attempting to deal with these issues proactively, because “if you wait until certain measures become compulsory, they often turn out to be more expensive.” Finnair also has another trump card where sustainability is concerned: Helsinki airport has three runways (Hong Kong and Heathrow, for example, have only two), so that aircraft can take off and land efficiently, and there is no need to circle the city before landing.

The Finnish nature of Finnair

½½ Silver Wings Lounge

Let us return to the Finnish nature of Finnair. We experienced it for the first time. A press conference scheduled for nine o’clock that actually started at nine o’clock. Good timekeeping is one of the characteristics of the Finnish mental-

ity, something that also shows up in the Finnair punctuality figures. Finland has also always had an affinity with design. Finnair has expressed this through collaboration with Marimekko. This iconic Finnish design and fashion house has designed a line of textiles and tableware for Finnair entirely according to the requirements of the airline. To demonstrate this collaboration an aircraft that was given the Marimekko ‘Unikko’ print in October is flying between Helsinki and Finnair’s 13 Asian destinations. In the culinary field, Finnair also presents the best home-grown products. From September 2013, Business Class travellers will be able to enjoy the new Signature Menus created by the well-known Finnish chefs Pekka Terävä and Tomi Björck. Terävä uses typical Scandinavian flavours, while Björck has a particular affinity for the Asian cuisine.

Powerful alliance is a major benefit for business travellers

In conjunction with the partners of oneworld, Finnair has access to more than 840 destinations in 155 countries. Moreover, the 12 partners focus on an excellent quality of service and advantages for business travellers, and Finnair is no exception to this. From 2014, practically all long-haul Finnair aircraft will be provided with Business Class seats that can be adjusted to fully flat beds. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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TAP Portugal

moves further along the digital trail In the last few years, TAP Portugal has developed into a modern airline company that has invested heavily in technology and innovation. The latest addition in this area is the digital version of the Victoria frequent flyer card. So it is not surprising that TAP Portugal was recently chosen as ‘Best Business Class Airline – South America’ by the respected magazine, Business Destinations.

AP Portugal recently launched the digital version of its Victoria frequent flyer card that is available for smartphones and tablets via the airline’s app. This signifies a considerable improvement in

the frequent flyer programme because customers no longer need a physical boarding card. Moreover, they can call up the digital card repeatedly on their mobile device. The digital Victoria card can be used for all possible services: lounges, check-in, partners,... and, thanks to the use of a QR code, even for services that you can normally access only via a magnetic strip. The TAP Portugal app provides all customers with access to their Victoria account to check things such as their Airmiles balance or the time of a next flight. The digital version of the Victoria card can be stored in the Passbook application on both iPhones and iPads with the iOS6 operating system. This can be done in the same way as is currently done with boarding cards via mobile check-in.

By continuing to introduce new mobile applications, TAP Portugal is taking a further step in its constant efforts to create a “mobile ecosystem” in which customers can make contact with the airline at any time of the day or night. 50 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Thanks to this new function, TAP Portugal also confirms its leading position among the airlines in the use of frequent flyer customer cards in Passbook and apps.

Top position to South America

TAP Portugal was chosen as ‘Best Business Class Airline – South America’ by Business Destinations. This is a prestigious and widely available British travel and business magazine that is delivered quarterly to travel and business professionals. For the third year running, the Business Destinations Travel Awards have been presented in various categories: airlines and airports, hotels, conference centres, destinations (MICE, luxury, eco, and cultural), sports tourism, museums, travel management,... Thanks to this award, the international prestige and fame of TAP Portugal in the demanding travel and business sector is increasing still further. And then particularly on the axis Europe-South America, one of the regions that is characterised at present by the greatest growth and development in the world. TAP Portugal has undoubtedly achieved a significant position in this region, thanks to its top position over many years in the number of flights between these two continents, with an average of 74 weekly flights to ten cities in Brazil.

By achieving the title ‘Best Business Class Airline to South America’, TAP Portugal underlines its leadership in this competitive market. A leading position that is a result of many years of consistent, dedicated efforts by our airline to provided products and services of the very highest quality.

• At the end of last year, TAP Portugal business class was given a complete upgrade to provide business travellers with every opportunity their make their flight as relaxed and/or productive as possible. In particular the new meals appeal especially well to the taste of our passengers, both literally and figuratively.

A whole range of trump cards

• Finally, passengers who fly business class (tap|executive), enjoy access to our TAP Portugal Premium Lounge during their transfer in Lisbon. This is, without doubt, our company’s showpiece: a modern area with WiFi, workstations, international newspapers, and high-quality catering.

Thanks to all these advances, TAP Portugal has developed into a modern airline company that has a perfect feeling for the demands of the business traveller anno 2013 and anticipates them as creatively as possible. We would like to summarise for you once again our most important strengths:

Fly with TAP Portugal: what are you waiting for?!

• TAP Portugal is market leader on the BRU-LIS/OPO route, with more than four daily flights to Lisbon (three in the winter) and one daily flight to Porto. • TAP Portugal possesses a very extensive network in Africa with destinations such as Luanda and Accra, and also Senegal. • TAP Portugal is the leading company for destinations in South America, with a network of ten Brazilian cities with even up to two flights a day. Absolute toppers are Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Brasilia. Only a few airlines have direct flights to these destinations from Europe. But that’s by no means all, because our company also flies to Venezuela (Caracas), and the USA (Newark and Miami). | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Turkish Airlines

the world’s largest network of countries, celebrates 80 years’ flying Turkish Airlines has achieved a number of major milestones this year, as it celebrates its 80th anniversary. The airline, which operates up to 45 flights a week from Brussels, is now the world’s largest carrier in terms of countries served. 2013 also sees Turkish Airlines presented with the Skytrax award for Best Airline in Europe for the third consecutive year. Every year, Skytrax, the world’s largest airline passenger satisfaction survey, asks millions of passengers to choose their favourite European airline.

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Up to 45 flights a week from Brussels

urkish Airlines’ flights to Brussels have seen tremendous growth.

In just a few short years, the airline has increased its frequencies from a few flights a week between Brussels and Istanbul, to four flights a day in the winter - rising to five a day in the summer schedule. It has also added routes between Brussels and other major Turkish cities, with daily flights to Eskisehir, and three flights per week to Ankara. From Istanbul, passengers are connected to a large network of 235 cities worldwide. Travellers from Brussels particularly appreciate the airline’s range of connections to destinations in the Near East, Middle East, Africa and the Far East.

More countries served than by any other airline

In the 1933, when civil aviation was gaining worldwide importance, the young Republic of Tur-

key, created the State Airlines Administration. This institution, which would later be renamed Turkish Airlines, initially had a fleet of five aircraft with a total seating capacity of twenty-eight. 80 years on, with 223 aircraft, Turkish Airlines currently flies to 104 countries around the globe, more than any other airline in the world according to the Official Airline Guide. More than thirty new routes were added in 2012 alone, bringing a total of 235 destinations. As one of the fastest growing airlines in the world, Turkish Airlines is continuing to expand its network in Europe, Russia, Central Asia, Far East Asia, the Middle East, Africa, North and South America. Turkish Airlines has gained further recognition with its membership of Star Alliance, its sponsorship agreements with world famous sports clubs and by being voted ‘Europe’s Best Airline’by Skytrax for the past three years.

Added-value comfort solutions

To achieve its Best European Airline status, Turkish Airlines has been investing in all of its added-value comfort solutions, including catering and on board technology. Flight Entertainment Systems offer up to 450 films and short programs, 600 albums, radio channels, games and over 1200 hours of media. In some aircraft, connections are provided which enable passengers to listen to, or watch content on their personal iPods or USB devices. Turkish Airlines is the first airline to have a Global Communications System which has the ability to provide Wireless Internet and Live TV features to passengers. This particular service is available on B777 aircraft during transatlantic flights. In-flight catering is an art at Turkish Airlines and the carrier also received the Best Business Class Catering award from Skytrax this year. All the prod-

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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aIR WAYS

½½ business lounge ucts used in in-flight catering are fresh (not frozen) and completely homemade, with no artificial flavouring or additives. Business class meals on longer flights start with a choice of seven hors d’oeuvres, presented by a ‘Flying Chef’ with an elegantly designed service cart. Business class catering includes an à la carté service and passengers may request food service whenever they wish, excluding take-off and landing. As to ground services, Turkish Airlines’ beautifully designed lounge in Istanbul Ataturk International Airport, was completed renewed two years ago. Covering 3,000 square metres, its features a billiard hall, library, a cinema style TV lounge and a fully equipped business centre. Other amenities include private relaxation rooms and showers with special toiletry kits. A play room and private infant room are available for passengers travelling with children. Passengers can also enjoy an extensive range of hot and cold dishes. The lounge is located in the International Departures and is open to Business Class passengers, Miles&Smiles Elite Card holders and Star Alliance Gold members. 54 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Turkish Corporate Club

The Turkish Corporate Club has been designed to offer a range of benefits to both companies and their business travellers. As a member of the Turkish Corporate Club, companies save money each time they make bookings with Turkish Airlines, with exclusive discounted fares in all cabin classes. Club membership also offers greater flexibility with the possibility to change flights without incurring penalties. When companies attain the minimum required annual travel volume, a further range of awards are opened up. Benefits for corporate travellers under the Turkish Corporate Club scheme include generous baggage allowances and the use of a Turkish Corporate Club Card (depending on volume of flights) which gives them access to a range of pre-boarding benefits at the airport. These benefits include use of Business Class check-in counters and Business Class lounges. Even better, they can still earn and spend points through their individual Miles&Smiles rewards program membership.

46 million passengers targeted for 2013

“Many things have changed and developed in 80 years”said Temel Kotil, Turkish Airlines’ CEO. “In the 1950’s we had a fleet of 30 DC-3 Dakota aircraft. By 2002 we had grown to 65 Boeing and Airbus planes and in the space of the last decade the number of our aircraft has soared to 223. Not only that, we are going to receive deliveries of 276 more planes by 2021.” “It is impossible to know today what will happen in 80 years’ time, but it is not difficult to predict that man’s need to change place quickly and easily is going to increase, indeed that interplanetary travel may even get under way” said Temel Kotil. “But there are also things that have not changed in 80 years. As well as the importance we place on our employees, our desire to constantly improve the quality of our service and to serve with a smile has not changed. We therefore extend our appreciation to the 39 million passengers who chose us in 2012 and look forward enthusiastically to the 46 million guests we are targeting over 2013.”

air ways

The Corporate Travellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Annual Airline Business Class Survey The Corporate Traveller has announced the results of its annual survey of readers, on their overall business class experiences with airlines. As well as noting their preferred airlines for business class, respondents gave their views on which services they found improved and where they would like to see more advances.

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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s each year in our annual survey, the respondents were asked to make a spontaneous classification of the three airlines with whom they had had the best overall business class experience over the past six months.

2012 was a year when many airlines introduced new products and cabin designs into their business class services. This, naturally, had a strong influence on the readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; preferred business class airlines. Consequently, nearly every airline classed in the top ten has changed its ranking since our previous survey.

European airlines performed well

Our 2012 enquiry showed a strong prelevance of non-European based airlines in the first two positions of our best business class survey. This trend is somewhat reversed with the enquiry results from this year. Of the two airlines classed in first place, and the two in second place, Etihad is the only non-European-based carrier. At the top of the league table of preferred business classes, Lufthansa has moved from 2nd to equal first place, joined by Air France, up from third place last year. KLM, British Airways, SWISS and Turkish Airlines have all progressed to higher positions, while Brussels Airlines has performed exceptionally well in our survey. The Belgian national carrier, which launched direct flights to New York in 2012, has risen from sixth position to joint third ranking amongst reader preferences.

Improvements to business class services

Asked about the improved aspects in business class cabins, respondents were allowed to cite more than one answer. Over half (55%) said that business class seats were the major recent advance in this travel segment. Onboard catering was noted as enhanced by 27% of travellers, as were general onboard services by 9%. On the ground, 29% of business class passengers commended improved check-in services. This was the second highest score after better business class seats. Surprisingly, despite investments by many airlines in their inflight entertainment systems, none of the readers ranked this in their top three improved services.

1st place Air France/ Lufthansa 2nd place KLM/ Etihad 3rd place Brussels Airlines/ SWISS/ British Airways/ Turkish Airlines 4th place Jet Airways/ Singapore Airlines 5th place Qatar/ SAS 6th place Thai Airways/ Hainan Airlines/ Alitalia

So where do airlines still have most room for progression in their business class products?

7th place Air Canada/ United Airlines/ Austrian Airlines

Perhaps tied in with inflight entertainment systems, over two-thirds of those surveyed said that they would like more facilities for working and communicating while travelling. A fifth of those questioned said they would like to be able to take more carry-on luggage on board.

8th place Finnair

The business class rankings

The survey was based on interviews with 339 business travellers, all of whom are based in Belgium. Two thirds of those questioned travel mostly on long-haul flights, while the remainder fly mainly within Europe. The results of the 2013 Corporate Traveller Annual Airline Business Class rankings are as follows: 56 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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9th place China Eastern Airlines 10th place Lot Polish Airlines/ Iberia/ TAP Airlines (11th to 15th rankings available but not published)

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY AIR FRANCE

LOGO AIRFRANCE Nº dossier : 2007399E Date : 09/12/08 Validation DA/DC : Validation Client

P296C P032C NOIR P280C

» COORDINATES Address: Avenue Louise/Louizalaan 149, 1050 Brussels Belgium (Administration) Brussels Midi/ Zuid railway station (City Ticket Office) Brussels Airport (Airport Ticket Office) Tel BE: +32 (0) 70 222 466 - Tel LU: +352 27 30 20 06 e-mail: through www.airfrance.be, “contact us” Website: www.airfrance.be

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) Airbus A318-319-320-321-330-340-380 / Boeing 747-777 / Regional fleet

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business » FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Flying Blue

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes 530 Air France and SkyTeam lounges worldwide, including arrival lounges in selected airport.

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

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE 2 baggage items weighing up to 32 kg each at no extra fee (and up to 3 bags for Flying Blue Silver, Gold or Platinum members or holders of SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus cards) + 2 pieces hand baggage (max 18kg) on long haul flights.

» CATERING Refined details, considerate service, intense flavours, and porcelain tableware. Menus updated every 10 days by French Top chefs for flights departing from Paris. Main course to choose from among 4 daily suggestions. Two reserved bar areas with buffets and refreshments on flights of more than 10 and a half hours.

» BUSINESS SEATS The Business Lie flat bed seat is designed to provide optimal comfort. It transforms into a spacious bed up to 2m in length. It takes on the shape of the body and guarantees quality sleep. Already available on two thirds of the long haul fleet.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT A total of 600 hours of programming on an individual screen, including close to 100 films in 9 languages, popular TV series, news, themed channels, a jukebox of 200 to 300 CDs, radio stations and 20 interactive games.

» EXTRAS Since summer 2012, Air France has been welcoming its Business customers into the largest lounge in its network located at the heart of the new boarding satellite located in pier 2M at ParisCharles de Gaulle 2E. This lounge area over 3,000 sq. m is dedicated to customers’ well-being, allowing them to make the most of their time before flight or during transit.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Air France makes every effort to offer Business class customers a seamless travel from arrival at the airport until they are seated on-board. At each airport, travellers benefit from dedicated checkin counters and priority service at security checkpoints where equipment and legislation make it possible. Once check-in is complete, customers can relax away from the bustle of the airport, enjoy a meal, work in tranquillity or simply rest before take-off. A trip in the Business cabin of Air France is a high-end travel experience, featuring optimal comfort, pleasure and efficiency. Both at the airport and on board, Air France strives to bring its Business customers well-being and serenity.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY AUSTRIAN AIRLINES AG

» COORDINATES Address: Austrian Head Office, Office Park2,A-1300 Vienna Website: www.austrian.com

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

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Miles and More

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes Austrian Senator Lounges, Austrian business lounges, Austrian HON lounge

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes red|cab transfer service (additional service to be paid as part of Austrian red|services: www.red-cab.com)

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE 2X32kg, 158 cm per piece maximum, HON, SEN, Star gold+ 1 additional piece, +one golf equipment, except to/from the USA

» CATERING Restaurant service with flying Chef on board, catering partner Do&Co Viennese coffee house service.

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

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT 12 video and audio channels

» EXTRA’S The fleet has been totally refurbished

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY BRUSSELS AIRLINES

» COORDINATES Address: Brussels Airport / Airport bld 26 / General Aviation-Ringbaan B-1831 Diegem Tel/Fax: +32 2 754 19 00 e-mail: info@brusselsairlines.com Website: www.brusselsairlines.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) Airbus A330-300; Airbus A330-200; AVRO RJ100; Airbus A319; Airbus A320; Bombardier DH8 Q400

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Miles & More

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes : Sunrise Lounge & Business Class Lounge

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes, for travels between Africa and selected regions in France, Germany, Luxembourg and The Netherlands (minimum fare applies)

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes

» CHECKED AND HAND LUGGAGE Checked luggage: 2 pieces of 32 kg Hand luggage: 2 pieces of 8 kg

» CATERING Brussels Airlines offers its passengers travelling to the US and Africa a genuine “wine & dine” experience that represents its brand (Belgian hospitality) while taking into account the different nationalities of its guests.

» BUSINESS SEATS The premium seat can be turned into a ‘flatbed’ of two meters equipped with a pneumatic cushion and relaxing massage function. 10 of the 30 Business Class passengers have no adjacent seat.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT The on-demand entertainment system offers over 100 hours of entertainment including a threedimensional view of the flight course. Passengers can connect their own devices to their individual touchscreen monitor of 38.9 cm.

» EXTRAS With the ingenious cabin configuration, 24 of the 30 seats have direct aisle access. The flatbed offers LED mood lighting and plenty of storage space for shoes or reading material. Seat belts carry an airbag. The on-demand entertainment system is wirelessly connected to every individual screen offering extreme reliability.

» OWN DESCRIPTION The cabin provides a new dimension to the term ‘passenger comfort’. With its new cabin, Brussels Airlines is a real trendsetter of quality in terms of seats, relaxation possibilities, legroom and entertainment technology. With the seat-centric IFE system, the passenger gets instantaneous access to the content, and fast-forwarding or rewinding the chosen programme is extremely quick thanks to a user-friendly touchscreen interface similar to popular electronic tablets. In addition to headset and USB power ports for recharging MP3 devices and smart phones, the seat also provides a laptop power port and personal video port for watching films stored on the passenger’s device.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY DELTA AIR LINES

» COORDINATES Address: Louizalaan 149 Avenue Louise - 1050 BRUSSELS Tel/Fax: +32 (0) 70 300 872 CTO: Air France Brussels Midi Ticket Office Reservations: +32 (0) 70 300 872 Website: www.delta.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) Boeing 767-300ER aircraft

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS BusinessElite

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM SkyMiles

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes – British Airways Club (Terminal B – 4th floor)

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes – through the Sky Priority lane.

» EXTRA LUGGAGE Delta allows one carry-on bag and one personal item (such as handbag or a laptop) and two checked bags up to 32kg each

» CATERING A personalized five-course menu produced by celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein. This upscale culinary experience is complimented by a wine programme from Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson, which contains 24 wines, an award winning champagne and a dessert wine. In between the meal offerings customers also have access to a wide variety of snacking options.

» BUSINESS SEATS Delta offers a full flat-bed seat on services from Belgium to New York-JFK (year-round) and Atlanta (summer only). Each seat converts to a 180-degree fully flat-bed and offers direct aisle access in a 1x2x1 configuration. The new seats are forward-facing and 22% wider than the seats they replace. Delta will offer more than 1,000 of these seats between Belgium and the United States during the summer season.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT The seats all feature a 10.6” individual screen in addition to a 110v AC power source and USB power. All passengers have access to state-of-the-art personal entertainment system with thousands of choices, including Delta on Demand — an advanced, touch-screen digital entertainment system with up to 100 movies, HBO, an extensive music library with up to 4,100 songs, MP3s, and in-flight trivia.

» EXTRAS Delta already operates the world’s largest Wi-Fi-equipped fleet of aircraft within the USA with more than 3,000 flights daily, offering more than 400,000 customers per day access to the internet above 10,000 feet. In late 2013, this service will be extended to passengers on long haul international flights including Belgium.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers annually and was named by Fortune magazine the most admired airline worldwide in 2011 and 2013. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 328 destinations in 64 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates more than 700 mainline aircraft. The airline is a founding member of SkyTeam and including its worldwide partners offers customers over 15,000 daily flights. Delta is investing more than $3 billion to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on delta.com, Twitter @Delta, Google.com/+Delta and Facebook.com/delta.

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

» COORDINATES Address: Culliganlaan 2D Box 3, 1831 Diegem Tel. 02/200.88.80 – Fax: 02/725.81.77 e-mail: brusales@etihad.ae Website: www.etihad.com

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

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Pearl Business Class » FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM For individual travellers: Etihad Guest (www.etihadguest.com) For companies: BusinessConnect (www.etihadbusinessconnect.com)

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

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes (Etihad Chauffeur) You can enjoy our chauffeur service for free within a driving distance of 60 km from Brussels Airport. Please consult our website to learn where else we offer the chauffeur service and to read the terms and conditions.

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE Checked luggage: bags with a total not exceeding 40kg.

Etihad Guest Silver members receive 50kg. Etihad Guest Gold members receive 55kg. Etihad Guest Gold Elite members receive 60kg. Carry-on luggage: 2 bags with a total not exceeding 12kg.

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

» BUSINESS SEATS Sit back and relax in luxurious seats that stretch out into 6’1” full flat beds. Placed in 1-2-1 configuration, the seats offer direct aisle access to every guest.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Enjoy over 650 hours of on-demand entertainment on our 15.4” individual LCD TVs. What’s more, you can recharge your laptop or mobile phone, or connect your personal devices to the system.

» EXTRAS Etihad Airways offers the fastest way to travel between Brussels and Dubai! Abu Dhabi International Airport is only a 1 hour drive away from New Dubai’s main hotel and business district. On your way back you can check-in your bags at our dedicated Dubai city check-in, up to 24 hours before flight departure.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Welcome to our Pearl Business Class ; the most luxurious way to fly for business and pleasure. From limousines, to lounges, to onboard – experience comfort, luxury and an intimate atmosphere throughout your entire journey. Etihad Airways operates non-stop flights between Brussels and Abu Dhabi with convenient onward connections to our continuously growing number of destinations in Asia, Australia, Africa and of course the Middle East. Thanks to our numerous codeshares and our strategic partnerships we can offer you a wider network of destinations to choose from and at greater convenience too.

The World is our Home, You are our Guest

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY FINNAIR

» COORDINATES Address: TIETOTIE 11, 01053 FINNAIR Tel/Fax: 24h Customer Service +358 600 140 140 Website: www.finnair.com

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

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Finnair Plus

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes At Helsinki airport there are two Finnair lounges.

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No » PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE In business class, checked-baggage allowance is two pieces (max weight per bag 23kgs) carry-on allowance two pieces with a maximum combined weight of 10kgs.

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

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

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT On board Airbus A340 and A330 a personal entertainment system with 34 films, 16 games, 24 music channels, 60 albums and a collection of hit TV programmes in every seat.

» EXTRAS At Helsinki Airport all departure gates are under one roof in one terminal building ensuring smooth transfer. The two Finnair lounges offer innovative design and peaceful atmosphere between your flights.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Finnair is the fast airline between Europe and Asia. Via Helsinki you will reach 13 destinations in Asia; Bangkok, Beijing, Chongqing, Delhi, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Xi’an comfortably and in style. Flying via Helsinki on our modern fleet means fewer emissions and less fuel so Finnair is also your eco-smart choice. Finnair is part of the oneworld alliance, bringing the whole world closer to you on the wings of the best airlines in the world.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY HAINAN AIRLINES

» COORDINATES Address : Brussels Airport, PO Box 39 – B-1930 Zaventem Tel/Fax : +32 (0)2 753 30 30/ +32 (0)2 753 30 36 e-mail : Belgium@hnair.com Website : http://global.hainan.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) Total fleet: 121 (Airbus A340/A330; Boeing 787, 767, 737) Brussels-Beijing: Airbus A330

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Fortune Wings Club

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes: VIP & Business Class Lounge. At Brussels Airport the British Airways lounge is used.

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes: Free limousine service is offered to business class passengers from Beijing Capital Airport to Beijing and v.v.

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes

» EXTRA LUGGAGE Business class: 40KG (01/01/’14: 2 PC, total 46KG) Economy class: 30KG (01/01/’14: 1 PC, 23KG) Weight concept will change into piece concept starting 01/01/2014

» CATERING Chinese and Western cuisine are offered on board. We can provide 21 types of specialized catering such as vegetarian meals, fruit meals, seafood meals, children’s meals, and more.

» BUSINESS SEATS The comfortable seats can recline 180° to a fully flat bed. We provide also home-like bedding services, including comfortable pajamas, slippers and Bvlgari amenity kits.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Every seat has its personal screen. An assortment of Hollywood, Chinese and other foreign films as well as TV episodes, musical albums, music channels, challenging games and electronic books are provided.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Hainan Airlines’ direct Brussels-Beijing flight offers the only direct service between Belgium and China. Beijing is Hainan Airlines’ largest international and domestic hub airport. With 43 cities across China, our international guests can connect in Beijing to all major cities, provincial capitals and business metropolises. For the third consecutive year Hainan Airlines was recognised in 2013 by Skytrax as one of the 7 airlines worldwide to offer a Five-Star airline service. Equally in both 2012 and 2013 Hainan Airlines was rated among the 10 safest airlines worldwide.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY JET AIRWAYS

» COORDINATES Address : Po Box 10 1930 Zaventem Belgium Tel : +32 (0)2 709 09 09 Fax : +32 (0)2 709 09 00 e-mail : infobenelux@jetairways.com Website : www.jetairways.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) Airbus A330-200/300

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Première » FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Jet Privilege

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes Jet Airways lounge Brussels Airport

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes (from Luxembourg only, conditions apply)

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE Yes 1 extra piece of 23 kg

» CATERING A choice of savoury Indian dishes by Bombay Brasserie (London) or Western meals designed by the Belgian two star chef Yves Mattagne

» BUSINESS SEATS Contour ‘Vantage 2’ 180° horizontal flat bed with pumped air lumbar support and a massage feature

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT A large 30.73 cm personal video monitor with touch screen offering a huge selection of entertainment including TV series, documentaries and the latest Hollywood/Bollywood blockbusters

» EXTRAS A unique eXport connection through USB to play own media on monitor and headphones. Individual or adjacent seats. Seatbelts incorporating an inflatable restraint for improved protection and safety. Lots of private storage facilities.

» OWN DESCRIPTION We pride ourselves in providing world-class service coupled with warm Indian hospitality. Our professional trained crew goes to extra lengths to ensure you have a comfortable and relaxing flying experience. With its first flight in 1993, Jet Airways has come a long way to becoming one of the fastest growing airlines in India with more than 100 aircraft - now all set to change the way you fly! Flying from Europe via Brussels, London or Abu Dhabi, Jet Airways offers the flexibility, the frequency and the combinability that travelers require by connecting 20 international destinations and over 50 destinations in India.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY KLM

» COORDINATES Address: Avenue Louise/Louizalaan 149, 1050 Brussels Belgium (Administration) Brussels Airport (Airport Ticket Office) Tel: +32 (0) 70 225 335 E-mail: through www.klm.be, “Customer Support/Contact us” Website: www.klm.be

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) AIRBUS 330, BOEING 737-747-777, MC DONNEL DOUGLAS MD11, Regional fleet

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS World Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Flying Blue

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes - KLM Crown Lounge or SkyTeam lounges worldwide » LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes - In Brussels for tickets sold in Belgium (special conditions apply)

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

» BUSINESS SEATS The new Full Flat seat* with a length of 2,07 meters offers Business customers optimum comfort. The seat can be reclined horizontally so the passenger can lie fully flat. The seat position in the cabin ensures more privacy and individuality, herewith providing a “home feeling”.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Interactive entertainment thanks to more than 300 CDs, video games, over 85 movies on wisescreen personal TV’s on demand.

» EXTRAS KLM is offering its Business customers a unique gift: a Delft Blue miniature traditional Dutch house, filled with Dutch gin, also known as genever. Each miniature depicts a real Dutch house. Over the years, the miniature houses have become desirable collectors’ items, generating a lively trade among passengers.

» OWN DESCRIPTION With its new World Business Class KLM aims to accentuate the at-home feeling for Business class customers and that calls for a new cabin interior. In this way, KLM is responding to its customers’ needs and wishes. The World Business Class offers luxury, attention to detail and personal care on the intercontinental flight. Every stage of the trip has been carefully studied to ensure Business class customers a professional, streamlined and efficient service. The strong transfer product offered by KLM at Amsterdam-Schiphol airport is the foundation of a high-quality network of direct European and intercontinental connections. At each airport, Business class customers benefit from dedicated welcome and check-in desks and can access the Business class lounges. And, with the SkyPriority service the journey is even smoother. The SkyTeam red carpet treatment offers a range of priority services at the airport, from check-in up to baggage delivery. SkyPriority will speed and guide the traveller through its journey with ease. * Intercontinental flights will be gradually equipped with the new Full Flat seat as from July 2013.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY LUFTHANSA GERMAN AIRLINES

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

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) A380-800/A340-600/A340-300/A330-300/B747-400/B 747-800

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Lufthansa Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Miles & More

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes Business Class Lounge

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

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

» CATERING Thanks to our cooperation with luxury hotel chains and regional star chefs to ensure that our Business Class passengers aboard selected intercontinental flights to Germany enjoy delicious regional delicacies. With top quality menus, these masters of the culinary art shape Lufthansa’s sophisticated concept of in-flight service “Connoisseurs on Board”.

» BUSINESS SEATS The star of the new Lufthansa Business Class is the new seat which, among other things, provides you with a completely horizontal surface to sleep on, ensuring you arrive at your destination feeling even more rested. The new seat is impressive in any position due to the high level of comfort it affords and it enables you to lie fully flat on its 1.98 m length. Currently, you can experience the new Business Class on board all new Boeing 747-8s and three A330’s flying out of Munich. It will be fitted in the entire Lufthansa long-haul fleet within the next four years.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Lufthansa media world: a wide variety of audio/video on demand: cinema in eight languages, radio and TV programmes, music magazines, CD’s and audio books o demand. Boundless/wireless communication on longhaul flights with the Flynet® portal.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Just being comfortable was yesterday — today you can look forward to more. The star of the new Lufthansa Business Class is the new seat which, among other things, provides you with a completely horizontal surface to sleep on, ensuring you arrive at your destination feeling even more rested. But it is not only the new seat that makes the difference and ensures you enjoy an excellent travel experience in Lufthansa Business Class. Be it flexible check-in with Lufthansa eFly services, the preferential baggage service or relaxing with a drink and a snack in the Lufthansa Business Lounge before departure, our promise of providing you with a special service is already apparent in many details on the ground too.

BEST CLASS BESTBUSINESS BUSINESS CLASS THE WORLD ININTHE WORLD

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY QATAR AIRWAYS

» COORDINATES Address: Avenue Louise 350, 8th FL Tel: 02 300 24 00 – Fax: 02 300 24 16 e-mail: reservationbru@be.qatarairways.com Website: www.qatarairways.be

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) A330 -200 – A330-300 » NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business Class » FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Privilege Club

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes, British Airways Lounge in Brussels, Premium Terminal in Doha Dedicated lounge in London Heathrow

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No » PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE 15kg in cabin - 40kg on hold for the baggage allowance » CATERING Individual service and dining at own convenience with option to choose from our à la carte menu with an award-winning premium selection of fine wines and champagne. 4 of the world famous Chefs (Nobu, Aikens, Bathia and Ramzi) have developed Signature Menus for dining in the sky and provides the very best inflight dining experience in Business class. Signatures Menus are available on flights departing from Doha and are also available on all flights operated by the 787 Dreamliner.

» BUSINESS SEATS Our Business class seat has been designed to provide the best comfort in the sky. From Brussels, we offer 24 seats in a 2-2-2 configuration with 170 degree recliner, including a built-in back massage, telephone and laptop power port. 152 cm seat pitch and 52 cm seat width.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Oryx Entertainment is a state-of-the-art fully interactive on demand system offering a selection of over 1000 entertainment options of world-class audio and video programmes in several languages.

» EXTRAS The airline was awarded World’s Best Business Class and World’s Best Business Class Lounge for 2013 by Skytrax. Passengers travelling in Qatar Airways’ Business Class will enjoy a selection of Ferragamo’s finest amenities that have been carefully compiled from the ‘Attimo’ range to revive and refresh passengers during air travel. In Doha, Business class travellers will enjoy a transit at the Premium Terminal. Dedicated to First and Business class travellers, this state of the art premises offers a unique experience to Qatar Airways passengers with working, dining, shopping and relaxing areas. Qatar Airways provides a mobile website to its customers using a mobile device to search for and book flights; check flight status, follow travel alerts and check in online.

» NEW AIRPORT Hamad International Airport in Doha will offer world-class travel efficiency and the highest possible standards of passenger care. Using innovative engineering and design, HIA will be the first airport in the world built to handle the Airbus A380. Qatar Airways has currently 13 Airbus A380s on order with plans to operate them on popular routes, especially in slot-constrained airports as London Heathrow or Paris Charles de Gaulle. In Europe, Qatar Airways currently operates the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich routes to Doha. It also operates from Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen. Qatar Airways will join the oneworld alliance during the second half of 2013. Our customers will be able to enjoy even more benefits and services including: a seamless travel experience with coordinated ticketing, check-in and transfers on a global network of more than 850 destination, earn and redeem rewards on eligible flights of all oneworld airlines, access to oneworld’s flexible and attractively priced Alliance fares, access to more than 550 airport lounges around the world for top tier Privilege Club members.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY TAP PORTUGAL

» COORDINATES Address: Hector Henneaulaan 144 B4 Tel/Fax: +32 2 70 98 400 e-mail: belgium@tap.pt Website: www.flytap.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) A319, A320, A321, A330 and A340 » NAME BUSINESS CLASS TAP Executive » FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Victoria

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes, TAP Premium Lounge Lisbon » LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No, but free parking and ValetXpress. » PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE One extra piece of checked luggage of 32 kg. Hand baggage allowance is 2 bags up to 16 kg, instead of one bag of 8 kg.

» CATERING End of 2012 TAP Portugal completely restyled its inflight service and catering. Now business class passengers can enjoy new menus created by chef Vitor Sobral, who is reinterpreting typical Portuguese cuisine in a contemporary, creative and sophisticated way. TAP introduced 24 new main course dishes for longhaul, 12 new main courses for short and medium haul, 18 richer and more

elaborate salad dressings, 12 chutneys to accompany the garnishes, six new soups, six delicious desserts and new cold snacks. Meals are still accompanied by award-winning Portuguese wines.

» BUSINESS SEATS The Recaro Lie-flat seats can be transformed into real beds, with anti-allergy pillows and covered with a soft-touch material. In all long-haul flights, your rest is now enhanced with new large and soft quilts. There are also new, improved head-rests for greater comfort onboard. Other features: laptop sockets, noise-cancelling headphones and amenity-kits.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT AVOD – Video on demand –The interactive touch-screen menu provides information on the 18 films and TV programmes, the collection of 50 CDs and 12 radio channels, maps and games in several languages.

» EXTRAS The new tap|executive class now has a standard décor with sophisticated fabrics in shades of blue and grey carpeting with lime green accents. The lighting is softer during flights to give the cabin a more welcoming feel. The traditional blankets have been replaced by fluffy, wrap-around duvets. The new recyclable and collectable amenity kits are decorated with works of art by renowned Portuguese, Brazilian and African artists and contain comfort items made of 100% natural materials. The creams are from the famous Institut Karité in Paris. Also TAP is one of the first European airlines to introduce OnAir WiFi on one of its A330’s allowing inflight connectivity.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Whether you’re at the airport or on board, exclusive personalized service and maximum comfort allow you to work or relax as you wish. With comfortable lie-flat seats, onboard connectivity, an interactive AVOD video on demand entertainment system and quality food and drinks TAP Executive caters to the needs and demands of the 21st century business traveller. At the TAP Premium Lounge in Lisbon airport Executive passengers can also enjoy a wide range of beverages and food before departure, catch up on some reading or work in a quiet environment. During the flight our cabin staff have only one goal: to make sure that you leave the plane a satisfied customer.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY THAI AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL

» COORDINATES Address: Avenue de la Toison d’Or 21 Tel/Fax: +32 2 502 47 44 e-mail: reservations@thaiairways.be Website: www.thaiairways.be www.facebook.com/thaiairways.belux

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) A380,B747, B777, B737, A340, A330, A300

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Royal Silk Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Royal Orchid Plus Silver, Gold or Platinum Status

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes 6 Royal Silk Class lounges at Bangkok Airport + own or partner lounges worldwide

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No » PRIORITY BOARDING Yes » EXTRA LUGGAGE Yes, Royal Silk Class has 30kg luggage on ticket. Extra luggage via Silver, Gold or Platinum Card of Royal Orchid Plus

» CATERING Taste our Royal Silk Class menus, which are changed regularly to create variety. Meals are served, restaurant style, in individual courses, always with a tempting choice of main dish. Presentation is also magnificent, with porcelain place settings, fine table linen and crystal glasses. Royal Silk Class Passengers travelling on Brussels-Bangkok-Brussels can pre-select their meal in business class via www.thaiairways.com with selection of 8 meals for their departure out of Brussels and Bangkok.

» BUSINESS SEATS Sleep in our capsule-style lie-flat seating, offering a pitch of 61” (155cm) between seats, maximum recline angle of 170° and a bed length of 70” (178cm). 2-2-2 seat configuration. Work on your laptop. Every seat is equipped with PC power outlets (110V AC) compatible with all standard PC plugs.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Enjoy the interactive Audio Visual on Demand entertainment system offers literally hundreds of channels, for movies, music, information and games.

» EXTRAS Non-stop flights from Brussels to Bangkok, only 11 hours flight and short connections to rest of South-East Asia. Relax and enjoy a 30 minute Traditional Neck & Shoulder Massage or Meridian Foot Massage in our Royal Orchid Spa at Bangkok Airport, free of charge for business travellers, before boarding Bangkok-Brussels.

» OWN DESCRIPTION As from 27 October 2013, THAI increases its frequency from 3 to 4 weekly flight, every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday (new). These flights are operated by Boeing 777-200ER. THAI also operates Airbus A380 between Paris CDG and Frankfurt to Bangkok. On board passengers will enjoy our brand new product, with the latest flat-bed business class seats in staggered layout. Daily flights with A380 via Frankfurt & Paris can be combined with non-stop flights from Brussels, 4 times per week.

WE ADMIT IT:

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From 29th May to the end of September the roof of the Santo Domingo Hotel is transformed into an oasis in the very centre of Madrid. An enticing retreat, where the sun of the city can be enjoyed differently. This is the perfect place to begin or end the day in the most refreshing and relaxing fashion, surrounded by stunning views, while savouring a drink or an amazing cocktail prepared on the spot. The largest vertical garden in the world, 200 rooms, each one decorated in a different style, authentic 16th century caves converted into an original cocktail barâ&#x20AC;Ś and now, in summer, a swimming-pool where you can soak up the magic of Madridâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful sky. Didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we say our hotel was different?

The hotel in the heart of Madrid

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