TCT 48

THE

CORPORATE TRAVELLER

WINTER 2013 NO. 48 DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014

Test drive of SWISS premium travel experience Travel industry at big data crossroads

 COMPANIES LOSE 5% OF THEIR FOREIGN TRAVEL SPEND ON VAT  AVIATION SECTOR TRACKS CHALLENGING EMISSIONS CUTTING TARGETS  NEO AMBITIONS – STRENGTHENING BRUSSELS AS A WORLD-CLASS CONVENTION DESTINATION

THE

BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS

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BENELUX

CONTENT xxxxxxxx

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 www.be-able.be 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

DESTINATION 004 Neo ambitions: Strengthening Brussels as a world-class convention destination Brussels’ former Mayor Freddy Thielemans and Visitbrussels CEO Patrick Bontinck spoke to us about how the Neo project will bring Brussels a world class congress hub, worthy of the European capital

INDUSTRY NEWS 007 The Journal News from the travel industry

TRAVEL MANAGEMENT 013 Companies lose 5% of their foreign travel spend on VAT Jean-François De Mol (BCD Travel) explains how advances in technology have eased managing foreign VAT

015 Data Quality for more efficient Business Travel Business Travel is becoming increasingly important for Ontex. In order to make the costs involved more transparent and easier to manage, Ontex has been collaborating with AirPlus since mid-2013

031 Air France new Economy and Premium Economy mean optimum comfort for all Air France recently unveiled the new seats and services to be deployed for its Economy and Premium Economy customers on Boeing 777 long haul flights

032 Qatar Airways rules the skies Qatar Airways brings the Boeing Dreamliner to its BrusselsDoha route

034 Make the most of your trip to New York with Delta’s new BusinessElite The Corporate Traveller tested Delta’s new BusinessElite class, on return flights from Brussels to New York

037 Queen of Comforts Lufthansa’s Boeing 747-8 offers a completely new travel experience

DESTINATION 038 High speed rail direct to Frankfurt, city of surprising contrasts for corporate travellers

018 Travel industry at ‘big data crossroads’ Businesses must make big data an urgent priority in order to truly maximise its benefits - and ensure a more intelligent and responsive travel experience in the process

AIRLINES 021 AIR FRANCE and KLM continue to improve their Air&Rail services from Belgium 024 Smart Upgrade The Austrian Smart Upgrade offers travellers the opportunity to determine their own price for a Business Class upgrade by submitting an offer

026 Swiss quality at its best The Corporate Traveller test drives the SWISS premium travel experience

041 Fast, effortless travel to Frankfurt, with ice high speed rail 042 Modernity and tradition united on the Huangpu The beating heart of China’s spectacular growth lies in Shanghai, the economic and financial centre of the country.

The Corporate Traveller visited this metropolis, and found many sights not to be missed, both modern and traditional...

AIRLINES 044 Turkish Airlines named Best Airline in Europe by Skytrax for the third year 046 Not just hot air Aviation sector tracks challenging emissions cutting targets

AIR PORTS 052 Interparking’s innovations for corporate travellers at Brussels Airport Interview with Interparking’s CEO Roland Cracco

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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DESTINATION

Neo ambitions – strengthening Brussels as a world-class convention destination Interviews with Freddy Thielemans and Patrick Bontinck

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russels has big plans for developing its position as an international convention destination. The Heysel plateau, in the north of Brussels, is the location for a massive expansion and rejuvenation programme under the codename ‘Neo’. Brussels’ former Mayor Freddy Thielemans and Visitbrussels CEO Patrick Bontinck spoke to us about how Neo will bring Brussels a world class congress hub, worthy of the European capital.

The Brussels region is now the third largest hub in Europe for economic growth. The city has identified the need to reinforce this status with the construction of an international-scale congress centre. “Our original plan for the development of the Heysel plateau focussed mainly on our need for an international conference centre” explains Freddy Thielemans. “We soon realised that we needed to enlarge this vision with a more holistic infrastructure and the beginnings of the Neo development came to life. From then we started toying with idea of a commercial centre and from one idea we moved to several other ideas. Soon we were really planning a whole new borough for the city.”

900 million euros for redevelopment and new constructions

The Heysel plateau already includes the iconic Atomium, the Roi Baudouin national stadium and Brussels Expo – the group of 12 exhibition halls which covers over 115,000m2. The exhibitions halls,

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originally constructed in 1958 for the World Trade Fair, have undergone constant renovations and all are equipped with the latest in events and exhibition logistical technologies. Neo will complete the business tourism and leisure offering, redeveloping 70 hectares with new build constructions and renovated infrastructures. The new constructions will include the convention centre, two hotels, apartment blocks, a 70 000 square metre shopping centre and 50,000 square metres of restaurant and leisure facilities. All will link up with existing exhibition halls at Brussels Expo. Green spaces on the plateau will also be enlarged and enhanced. The overall budget for the transformation of the Heysel plateau is expected to be in the region of 900 million euros, with the majority of investments assured by private companies and consortiums.

“There are numerous factors that make the NEO project particularly favourable” says Freddy Thielemans. “Already the Heysel plateau welcomes over 5 million visitors a year through the Brussels Expo exhibition centre and the Atomium. Already we have become a well known exhibition centre for hosting large events such as Seafood and Batibouw. The success of these events is making our publicity for us. With its close proximity to the airport and the centre of Brussels, it is really an ideal location which would be impossible to beat.

Another great advantage of Heysel is its strong transport infrastructure, which includes three underground train stations, trams, buses and motorway links. The existing metro and tramway lines will be

DESTINATION

still further improved and extended as part of the Neo development project. Furthermore, as the land belongs to the city of Brussels it means we can accelerate all the administrative procedures such as permits.”

Palais 12 and the Convention Centre

“Neo will be a refreshing new type of experience, rather than the type of isolated convention locations that we often see in capital cities” explains Patrick Bontinck. “Neo will be an area with its own vibrant atmosphere, complete with hotels, restaurants and all leisure facilities.”

Neo toasted its first inauguration in September, with the opening of the completely transformed Palais 12. Palais 12 is now a state of the art venue with a multifunction vocation for hosting musical, business and entertainment events. For the next phase of Neo, selections are currently in process for the design, finance, construction and management contracts of the other facilities, including the convention centre. “Brussels is looking for a project of outstanding urban planning and architectural quality” says Freddy Thielemans.

“Environmental factors and the sustainability of the project are of particular importance, including integration with existing facilities and the local community.”

Developing the international image of Brussels

Construction of the convention centre is planned to commence around 2016/2017. Although the architectural designs are not yet selected, it is expected to include a plenary hall for up to 5,000 delegates, divisible into two smaller halls, and a full series of sub-commission and meeting rooms. It will have direct access to the Brussels Expo halls and the 18,000 seat Palais 12, with a complete tourism and leisure hub on its front doorstep.

“The Neo project will not only revitalize the whole Heysel plateau, but also offer huge new economic potential for the region and boost the appeal of Brussels as a world-class congress city” concludes Patrick Bontinck. “For me Neo is really a political achievement for the development of Brussels as the capital of Europe. With this project we will be able to accommodate all of the events linked with the European Community. A meeting place for Europe!”

“A key priority for Neo will be to cater for congresses of 10,000 to 15,000 delegates, and in particular those from the association sector” says Patrick Bontinck. “There are 2,500 international associations based in Brussels, a number which is greater even than Washington.

As the headquarters of numerous NGOs, parliamentary commissions and companies, Brussels is the ideal location for them to meet together. Neo will bring huge scope for the development in this sector, as we have many requests from them that we are currently unable to meet. The renewed Palais 12 and the new international congress centre will be of real interest for this market.”

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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The Traveller Journal NEWS FROM THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY

Qatar Airways now full member of oneworld alliance One of just seven carriers worldwide rated five-star by the Skytrax airline quality agency and the organisation’s Airline of the Year 2011 and 2012 and runner-up 2013, Qatar Airways is the only one of the ‘Gulf Big Three’ carriers to join any of the global airline alliances.

It received clearance to board oneworld after successfully completing a thorough review of its readiness, conducted by British Airways, which is sponsoring Qatar Airways’ entry into the alliance, with oneworld’s central team. Qatar Airways completes its oneworld implementation programme just one year after receiving its invitation to join, announced at a press conference in the alliance’s New York home in October 2012.

KLM adds express bus services between Antwerp and Schiphol KLM has introduced express bus services between Queen Astrid Square in Antwerp and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

The KLM Antwerp - Schiphol Express bus departs twice a day from Antwerp, from Queen Astrid Square, in front of Antwerps Central Station. The buses leave from Antwerp at 06.00 and 13.00, with journeys taking 2 hours 30 minutes. Buses leave from Schiphol Airport at 09.30 am.

Henceforth Qatar Airways offers oneworld’s full range of services and benefits, bringing the 3 million members of Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club loyalty programme frequent flyer privileges whenever they fly, with any oneworld member airline. This includes, for Privilege Club Platinum and Gold members, access to 550 airport lounges worldwide offered by oneworld member airlines.

Qatar Airways’ First and Business Class passengers will also be able to use oneworld partner airline lounges.

The 130 million members of the established oneworld airlines’ frequent flyer programmes will be able to earn and redeem awards and tier status points and receive all other oneworld benefits on Qatar Airways.

Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport to pilot range of services to improve wellbeing Crowne Plaza is to pilot a range of services in three of its European hotels including the Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport.

The new services being trialled, designed to improve the productivity of business customers, are part of the Crowne Plaza’s brand development strategy to become the leading destination for business travellers.

They have been created to help clients relax, recharge their batteries and achieve the best of their abilities.

With the new Bridge Point service, towels and routes are provided for joggers who want to explore the city. For healthy eating, water and fruit are available to clients throughout the hotel. Healthy snack boxes can be obtained all through the day, while ‘Breakfast To Go’ boxes give a choice of options for breakfast to eat in the room or take away. Finally, for added efficiency for business travellers, Total Connect is an in-room solution to meet the connectivity needs of business travellers. All devices can be recharged at any time and customers have access to a secure wireless printer.

The other two hotels to pilot the new services are the Crowne Plaza London - The City and Crowne Plaza Rome - St. Peter’s.

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Located in the heart of Brussels and just italienne steps away from Grand Venez découvrir une authentique cuisine avec unethe touche dePlace, savoir faire Ristorante Bocconi combines the best of what Italy has to offer with an belge au Ristaurante Bocconi à deux pas de la Grand Place. Le grand Chefintimate Marco and warm dining environment.

Visinoni accompagné de Fluvio Pierangelini, le célèbre chef plusieurs fois récompensé, Executive Chef Marco Visinoni, together Italy’s d’ingrédients most renowned Chef Fulvio ont créé une carte traditionnelle italienne with composée de saison au sein Pierangelini, showcases authentic Italian cuisine with a modern twist. du meilleur restaurant italien de la ville.

For reservations or more information:

Hotel Amigo, Rue de l’Amigo 1-3, Brussels 1000, Belgium Tel: +32 2 547 47 15 ristorantebocconi@roccofortehotels.com www.ristorantebocconi.com

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

New range of mobile solutions and apps for hotels from Locatel Locatel, integrator of internet, mobile and TV solutions for the hospitality industry, has launched a range of mobile solutions to enable hotels to improve the customer experience and increase revenues.

Hoteliers have understood that the increased use of digital devices and web communication technologies bring a multitude of ways to interact directly with guests – past, present and future.

This gives hotels real opportunities to be present on their customers’ mobile devices, to communicate personally with them, to improve service quality and increase revenues on ancillary services.

Etihad Airways increasing capacity and frequencies between Abu Dhabi and India Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, is greatly increasing travel options to India with the introduction of more flights and wide-bodied jets. Since November, Etihad Airways has more than tripled the number of seats it offers on the prime Abu Dhabi to Mumbai and Abu Dhabi to New Delhi routes.

By 31 December, Etihad Airways plans to increase from daily to double-daily its Abu Dhabi-Mumbai and Abu Dhabi-New Delhi flights. Wide-bodied Airbus A340-600 aircraft will be used on one of the daily Abu Dhabi – Mumbai flights, offering First, Business and Economy Classes. Wide-bodied Airbus A330200 aircraft will be used on one of the daily Abu Dhabi - New Delhi flights, offering Business and Economy Class. Seating capacity on the airline’s Abu Dhabi – Chennai flights will be increased, thanks to the introduce of new

Airbus A321s on the route.

Subject to regulatory approval, Etihad also intends to codeshare on a wide range of flights operated within India by Jet Airways.

Moreover these mobile applications reduce the customers’ dependence on the major online booking companies and encourage more direct reservations.

The Mobility by Locatel suite is range of mobile apps and solutions with easy to use interfaces that give hotel guests access to a multitude of contents and services, wherever they are. The suite comprises Lobby Companion, In Room Companion and Mobility Companion.

Lobby Companion offers mobile tablets, designed to liven up hotel public areas, which give information on the hotel and its services, local

tourist attractions and access to internet in a fun and interactive way. The In Room Companion, also designed for tablets, gives guests access to a large choice of innovative in-room services such as room service ordering, spa reservations, TV remote control and express check-out.

Mobility Companion goes a step even further as it is an application that can be used by hotel guests wherever they are, on the majority of personal smartphones and tablets. This means that hotels can build privileged direct relationships with guests before, during and after their stay.

Passenger rights legislation should take business travellers more into account All European Professional Associations, including the Belgian Association of Travel Managers, have signed a document presented to the European Parliament to demand more comprehensive rights for business travellers.

ACTE (the Association of Corporate Travel Executives), AFTM (Association Française des Travel Managers), BATM (Belgian Association of Travel Management), cortas (Corporate Travel Association - Netherlands), AEGVE (La Asociacion de los Decisores) - Spain and Viajes de Empresa - Spain have all signed a plea that is addressed to the members of the Transport Committee of the European Parliament. The associations are appealing to the EU that business travellers should be more sufficiently accounted for in the recent European directive proposal on the rights of air passengers.

“We have taken note of the initiatives put forward by the European Commission on 13 March of this year, as part of the revision of its regulation that governs the rights of air passengers. They provide a response to the major and legitimate expectations of travellers. We nevertheless regret the fact that the specifics of business travellers are insufficiently taken into account in this new series of measures.”

Amongst their requests, the associations are pleading for better calibrated compensation, especially as concerns long haul tickets reserved in business class.

Currently flat-rates of compensation are accorded, rather than minimum compensation as a percentage of the ticket price. It also points out that the maximum ceiling for hotel compensation of €100 per night is not sufficient, as it does not take into account the hotel market in major European cities.

TAP to launch Manaus and Belem as new destinations in Brazil TAP Portugal will introduce two new destinations in the north of Brazil, as from June 2014.

With the addition of Manaus and Belém to its network, TAP Portugal will be serving no less than 12 destinations in Brazil making it the world’s leading airline in operation to this key market. This also implies that TAP Portugal will be flying to no less than 10 of the 12 host cities of the FIFA World Championship Football in 2014 in Brazil.

TAP Portugal currently operates four to five daily flights from Brussels to Lisbon and Porto, where travellers can easily connect to their long haul flight.

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Hotel Meininger Brussels celebrates success of first six months since opening The Hotel Meininger on Quai du Hainaut in Brussels, a carbon neutral hotel, has already achieved great success on the Brussels hotel market since its inauguration just six months ago.

Between 1 May and 30 September, the hotel achieved an average occupation rate of 75.2 %, and delivered 82,714 room nights to 41 099 clients.

The average guest stay was two nights.

Air Canada opens new Maple Leaf Lounge at Frankfurt Hub Air Canada has unveiled its newest International Maple Leaf Lounge at Frankfurt Airport’s Terminal 1, Departures Area B. Frankfurt is Star Alliance’s largest airport hub and Air Canada’s second largest international station.

The Air Canada’s Frankfurt Maple Leaf Lounge is a serene, stylish oasis where eligible Air Canada and Star Alliance customers can rest, refuel or refresh before their flight in an inspiring, contemporary environment that is a celebration of Canadian design, artistry and craftsmanship.

The lounge includes a Quiet Zone with six reclining pods equipped with personal satellite-fed TV screens, USB ports and Sony noise-cancelling headsets, as well as a spa-inspired shower area with Canadian Escents spa products. The Business centre has individual flat-screen Dell PCs, colour laser printing and scanning facilities, while complimentary wireless high speed Internet access is available throughout the lounge.

A permanent art installation – ‘Transformations’

by Toronto design firm Moss & Lam - features in the bistro-style dining area, with furnishings by Canadian designers Brent Comber, Moss & Lam and Birchwood Furniture. The dining area offers hot and cold food, and complimentary German and Canadian wines, beer and spirits.

Opening hours are from 6am to 10pm.

The Meininger Hotel Brussels is housed in the former Bellevue brewery and has become known in the design world – including for the Street Art which is omnipresent in the hotel and its use of original architecture. The hotel’s welcoming bar which has become a fashionable venue in the space of just a few months and the diversity of its clientele are all factors behind the success of this new gem in the Brussels hotel market

Delta increases flights with full flat-bed seats in BusinessElite between NY and LA Delta Air Lines will debut three updated Boeing 757 aircraft on the transcontinental route between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport beginning July 2014. Tickets are already available for purchase.

These will be the first 757 aircraft in service to feature Delta’s previously announced upgrades, which will include full flat-bed seats in BusinessElite on transcontinental flights between New York-JFK and Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. All flights on these routes will feature flat-bed seats by summer 2015.

Advito publishes new Industry Forecast on travel sector for 2014 Business tourism specialists Advito have published a new Industry Forecast on the travel sector for 2014.

The study shows that fees for intra-European flights remain unchanged. The number of travellers between Europe and the Middle East and Asia has risen spectacularly, while flight prices continue to decrease. Advito forecasts that Europe will progressively catch up with the US in terms of ancillary fees for services that were previously free.

The signs are that the economy is slowly starting to grow. According to Advito, rises in prices of air tickets, hotels and car hire will be generally in line with inflation. Europe will however adopt the trend, from the US, of adding ancillary fees.

Airlines are more and more frequently requesting payment for services that were previously included in air ticket prices – such as baggage and meals.

The addition of flat-bed seats to the 757 transcontinental fleet will complement Delta’s existing Boeing 767 transcontinental flights which are already equipped with flat-bed seats for a total of eight daily flights on the route. Modifications to Delta’s 757 transcontinental fleet will also include changes to the economy cabin, with the addition of Economy Comfort seats. All seats in the economy cabin benefit from a slim-line design for more personal space, an adjustable headrest, a nine-inch video monitor and standard 110v and USB power ports available at every seat.

Air France-KLM ranked world leader in Transport category

by DJSI 2013 The Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) has, for the 9th consecutive year, ranked Air France-KLM leader of the ‘Airlines’ industry.

Moreover, for the fifth year running, Air France-KLM is ranked leader of the broader ‘Transport’ category, covering air, rail, sea and road transport as well as airport activities.

The DJSI is the main international index for evaluating companies on their performance in terms of sustainable development. Air France-KLM is concentrating on four main sustainability issues - reducing its environmental footprint, integrating sustainable development into its products and services, promoting a responsible human resources policy and contributing to the territories where the Group operates.

Among the innovative initiatives taken recently, KLM has operated long-haul flights using sustainable biofuel and both airlines have introduced a uniform recycling scheme. Air France has also continued investing in making its aircraft lighter, thus reducing its environmental impact.

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EXPERIENCE SUCCESS

MANAGEMENT

Companies lose 5% of their foreign travel spend on VAT

By Jean-François De Mol, BCD Travel

A

lmost every country in the world applies a value added tax (VAT) to a large number of services used by business travellers, from meals to hotel rooms to car rental. Businesses are generally entitled to recover a significant portion of the VAT, yet all too often they don’t. For some because the taxes are a hidden cost, for others because it simply seems too much of an effort to recover the VAT. But even those who think they’re reclaiming VAT may in reality only be recovering a small proportion of it.

Now, thanks to advances in technology, managing foreign VAT is becoming easier.

The average rate of reclaimable VAT for travelrelated purchases across the EU is 12%. Companies registered to charge VAT are usually entitled to recover much of the VAT other organizations charge them. But while it’s straightforward for a business to reclaim VAT in its home country, the process becomes considerably more complicated during foreign travel. VAT typically accounts for 5% of a company’s foreign travel spend, but that amount can easily be higher.

Confusing bureaucratic process

Many companies, especially smaller ones, don’t know they can recover VAT incurred abroad. Larger organizations typically fail to recover the full reclaim.

But the main reason companies fail to recover part or all of their foreign VAT is the very confusing bureaucratic process. Even businesses that appreciate how much they pay in foreign VAT may balk at the challenges for trying to recover it, since its highly manual processes usually require paper invoices for every purchase, dealing with each national VAT authority separately and rules that vary from country to country. And even when the relevant forms and supporting documentation are accurate, it can take several months to obtain a refund.

Automate

Four steps can make the processes go smoother: 1. Educate the travellers on how invoices should include the company name, not the traveler’s name and address.

2. Switch from daily allowances to post-trip expense claims, to give travellers an incentive to collect compliant invoices.

3. Call in foreign VAT recovery experts. They take a cut of the money they recover, but their expertise and economies of scale still add up to significant savings.

4. Automate by using new technology-based solutions, like Taxeo. Taxeo lets hotels, car rental companies and other suppliers sign up for its unique paperless invoicing process. This is convenient and ensures that all suppliers’ invoices are VAT-compliant.

More information can be found in BCD Travel’s white paper on VAT reclaim: http://info.bcdtravel.com/2013_08VAT_paper_web_request.html

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travel smart

achieve more

MANAGEMENT

Data Quality for more efficient Business Travel

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¼¼ STEVEN D’HAUWERS

ntex is one of the largest players on the European private label market for disposable hygiene products. The group – with its head office in Zele in EastFlanders – has establishments throughout the world, and is continuing to expand.

Business Travel is thus becoming increasingly important for Ontex. In order to make the costs involved more transparent and easier to manage, Ontex has been collaborating with AirPlus since mid-2013.

The Corporate Traveller spoke to Steven D’hauwers, Group Purchasing Manager of Ontex, and Ruud Brosens of AirPlus about this promising collaboration. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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From now on you’ll have your train ticket anytime and anywhere!

SNCB Europe launches Mobile Ticket!

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MANAGEMENT

Ontex produces a broad range of baby products, feminine hygiene products, and care products for adults, mostly under private labels, but also as own brands. The Ontex Group has 15 manufacturing sites over the whole world, as well as more than 20 Sales Offices. “Until recently, our travel activities were still organised locally per branch, and we worked with a total of 12 different Travel Management Centres” says Steven D’hauwers of Ontex. “Each branch had its own method of working, and the head office had no clear view of the situation. We therefore decided to transform ourselves into a single TMC. We also wanted to make our travel costs more transparent, so we decided to take a look at the payment systems that we were using.

And that is how AirPlus came into the picture.”

Data Quality

Ruud Brosens is the Account Manager handling the implementation of AirPlus at Ontex. “We started by implementing our base product, the AirPlus Company Account, a central payment system for all services that are booked prior to the business trip. We have already implemented this for Belgium, and we will roll it out in other countries where Ontex is active, at the beginning of 2014. The AirPlus Information Manager indicates very clearly who has incurred costs, when, and for what. AirPlus picks up this data each time at the point of payment, so that reliable and high-Data Quality is always available.”

Negotiation advantage

Although our collaboration is still at a relatively early stage, Steven D’hauwers can see the first successful results emerging. “We have already gained a clear picture of which airlines are important for us, and which classes are booked with them. This is important data that we

can bring to our discussions with the airlines. Besides being an additional tool for negotiations, the increased transparency also ensures awareness in the various departments. They know that the costs will be analysed, and will therefore give more thought to them. Finally, the Airplus Information Manager also enables me to very easily generate reports for my management according to my choice of parameters.”

The project advances further

But the story is not yet complete. Ontex wants to take a further step in the future, and make use of other advantagesof AirPlus. “There are indeed a number of issues still under discussion.” says Ruud Brosens. “One of these is the AirPlus Corporate Card, a payment card for business travellers which can make, for example, taxi journeys and dinners also visible. AirPlus Electronic Billing is also something that we want to develop further at Ontex.

With this we provide data for smooth financial processing, which can be integrated very simply, at the correct place, into SAP (or other systems) - an enormous saving of time in comparison with manual processing.”

Efficiency

The data, which in the past had to be collected from various places, is now collated automatically in the AirPlus Information Manager. “If we want to control our travel costs better, then it is important that we obtain a transparent view of them. AirPlus helps us to build up a picture of all this, so that we can compare costs, make the correct choices, and deal with our budgets more efficiently. Moreover, the administrative aspects of the work can be handled significantly more efficiently.”, concludes Steven D’hauwers. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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MANAGEMENT

Travel industry at ‘big data crossroads’ Big data has the potential to transform how travel companies deliver services to travellers.

That is the conclusion of a major independent global study, authored

by Harvard Business School professor Thomas H. Davenport and commissioned by Amadeus. The study cautions, however, that the industry is at a ‘big data crossroads’, and that businesses must make big data an urgent priority in order to truly maximise its benefits and ensure a more intelligent and responsive travel experience in the process.

A

t the Big Data Crossroads: turning towards a smarter travel experience’ charts the emergence of new technologies and strategies for managing big data, and outlines how big data can be harnessed to focus travel around customer needs and preferences, not industry processes. Based on extensive input from Chief Information Officers and big data experts from companies around the world, including Air France-KLM, Cathay Pacific, Eurostar, Facebook, Frontier Airlines, KAYAK, Marriott Hotels and Munich Airport, the study points out these key findings…

Now is the time to act

Professor Davenport calls on travel firms to start benchmarking their maturity against the industry whilst assembling the necessary data science skills and formulating an overall big data strategy for their organizations. At a minimum, every organization in the travel industry should begin investigating and following the movement of big data. Are competitors adopting it? Are customers beginning to use it? What is the trajectory of big data adoption and use within your segment of the travel business? And most importantly, can you afford to be a follower rather than a leader in this area?

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Big data offers major opportunities for travel companies

Big data can help travel companies to improve both the business and experience of travel: the benefits of big data include better decision-making, greater product and service innovation and stronger customer relationships that will be delivered by new approaches to customer management, revenue management and internal operations. To make effective use of big data, organizations will have to change business and operational processes, decision styles, employee skills, and corporate cultures. Continuous data flow, for example, requires a continuous decision-making process. The level of change may well be dramatic, but so is the potential benefit.

Pockets of innovation using big data

One of the most exciting possible benefits from big data is the creation of new products and services for customers. Outside the travel industry, this benefit has been pursued aggressively by firms such as Google, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Within the travel sector, the most likely creators of data-based products and services are online travel agencies, travel search firms, and leading technology providers. Pockets of innovation using big data are present in the industry today: the study includes examples of how leading travel firms are making use of big

MANAGEMENT

BIG DATA & AMADEUS As travel becomes both more democratized and more complex, customers need increasing help in navigating through the options.

So a major focus of Amadeus’ efforts to provide value to travel agencies involves easing the search process and delivering to its customers solutions that enable them to present consumers with targeted options—product/service innovation with big data. One such offering is Extreme Search, in which a consumer enters such data as her overall budget, the number of passengers, the length of time for the trip, and the minimum temperature at the destination.

Extreme Search returns proposals for such a trip. Amadeus also analyzes what requests have been asked for, and works with tour operators to integrate related services into packages.

Amadeus has developed for its customers another consumer service called Featured Results. Faced with a business challenge of rising importance—the fast-increasing “look to book” ratio, or the number of online queries per airline ticket booking—Amadeus needed some way for travel distributors to make desirable offers to customers. Based on data from various databases, Featured Results presents four possible itineraries in which consumers may be particularly interested.

open source data management tools, and distributed commodity server architectures—to achieve both cost reduction opportunities and minimized response time for customers. Finally, Amadeus is working with its travel provider customers to deliver better decision outcomes. It works with airlines, for example, on how to optimize their websites through testing of different versions, and what customer preferences are for booking channels, kiosks vs. human agents at airports, baggage check-in times, and many other issues.

Hervé Couturier, Head of R&D, Amadeus says: “We are committed to facilitating discussion on key trends in order to participate in the debate around how the future of our industry will be shaped, and the key talking point right now is undoubtedly big data. It is impossible to overstate the transformative potential of big data, both in terms of improving the travel experience and how the wider industry itself operates. With this in mind, it is perhaps the single biggest opportunity in a generation for travel businesses: to embrace the changing structure of data in order to maximise it. At the same time, big data also offers us the chance to ‘put the fun back into travel’, which at its very heart is about improving the passenger experience.”

The IT organization at Amadeus has been implementing technologies for internal operations—non-relational databases,

data today: from KAYAK’s price flight forecasting model, which presents customers with the likely change in a flight’s price over a seven-day window, to Air France-KLM’s use of Hadoop as the basis of a group-wide revenue management system.

Emerging technologies will be key to the big data evolution

The onset of new open-source software for dividing data processing jobs across multiple commodity servers, together with new types of databases including ‘columnar’ and ‘vertical’ approaches, and emerging programming languages like Python, Pig and Hive, combine to deliver the potential to harness big data.

The effective deployment of big data initiatives is not without challenges

The study finds that to access the big data opportunity the travel industry must overcome significant challenges, including: data fragmentation across multiple systems; coexistence of both big data and traditional data management architectures; finding and recruiting scarce big data science skills; and managing data responsibly and in the interests of all.

“Be at the forefront of this opportunity”

Thomas H. Davenport, Visiting Professor at Harvard Business School, Co-founder and Director of Research at the International Institute for Analytics, and study author, commented: “The travel industry stands at a big data crossroads today, with new technologies and techniques offering the potential to translate increasing volumes of data into higher profits and more efficient operations. Some leading companies are pioneering the use of big data and already seeing a huge impact. Airlines, airports, hotels, rail companies and travel sellers need to ask themselves if they have a big data strategy in place, and if it will allow them to be at the forefront of this opportunity.”

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AIR WAYS

AIR FRANCE and KLM continue to improve their Air&Rail services from Belgium AIR FRANCE and KLM together offer one of the world’s largest network of destinations from their hubs at ParisCharles de Gaulle and AmsterdamSchiphol airports. With the airlines’ Air&Rail services, passengers from Belgium can benefit from seamless connections to these two hubs and onwards to their flights throughout the globe.

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hether traveling from Belgium via Paris or Amsterdam, with AIR FRANCE KLM Air&Rail, the high speed train brings passengers directly into the airport. With the recent and further planned investments by AIR FRANCE and KLM, even more quality and services will be offered on the connections between Belgium, Amsterdam and Paris.

Check-in in comfort, travel in style, with Air France at Brussels-Zuid/Midi

A total of five Air France high speed TGV trains connect Brussels to the Charles de Gaulle Airport each day, to ensure optimal connections. A dedicated Air France team at the station ensures a smooth check in service and the train connection from Belgium is always included in the ticket.

Passengers can check in up to 15 minutes before train departure and, on weekdays, those with Flying Blue Elite Plus or SkyTeam Elite Plus loyalty cards can relax in the Thalys lounge. A host of new services have been introduced on Air France Air&Rail. When departing from Brussels during the weekend, Elite Plus customers can enjoy lounge facilities at the Hotel Pullman Brussels Midi. This service ensures that each day of the week travellers can wait for their train in a relaxing environment.

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Travelling is pleasant when the stops are well chosen…

Don’t we all dream of rooms with a view?

The Hotel in Brussels offers many to choose from with spectacular views from the tallest building in the city. Plus comfy Scandinavian beds, real power rain showers and visitor-friendly prices.

And it’s not all about the rooms. You can also choose from 12 meeting rooms with full panoramic daylight and free, unlimited WiFi everywhere.

Add an urban spa and fitness, a gym, sauna and contemporary international dining.

Boulevard de Waterloo 38 . 1000 Brussels . Belgium T +32 (0)2 504 11 11 . F +32 (0)2 504 21 11 . info@thehotel.be www.thehotel.be

AIR WAYS And there is even more! La Première customers are invited to have, depending the time of the day, breakfast, lunch or dinner at the Hotel Pullman Brussels Midi.

Once on board, customers travel in First Class.

The wide and comfortable seats are adjustable, and perfectly adapted to working or relaxing. Power sockets for electronic appliances, free on-board wifi and arrival right in the heart of Charles de Gaulle airport, mean that travellers can optimise their working productivity all along their journey.

On the return from Paris – Charles de Gaulle to Brussels, Air France proposes a highly comfortable waiting area for Elite customers at the Sheraton Paris Airport Hotel & Conference Centre. The hotel is ideally situated directly inside the TGV railway station in the Terminal 2, just a few steps away from the high speed rail platform.

Continuing to innovate awardwinning Air&Rail services

Confirming the innovations of AIR FRANCE KLM in Air&Rail solutions, the group recently won the prestigious TM Travel Awards 2013 in the category of AirRail Provider 2013. The award was presented in recognition of the Air&Rail products that AIR FRANCE and KLM both offer between Belgium and the hubs in Paris and Amsterdam.

AIR FRANCE KLM is continuing to invest in its Air&Rail products, reinforcing the leading position acknowledged by the TM Travel Award. Over the following weeks and months, new services will be deployed to further enhance the Air&Rail experience. These improvements will include enhanced baggage facilities, greater comfort at the station and e-services, all designed to make an Air&Rail journey even more relaxing.

KLM offers customers a multitude of travel choices from Belgium

When travelling with KLM between Belgium and Schiphol, passengers have a multitude of possibilities to best suit their travel needs. They can choose from direct connections by air, rail or bus. Five daily flights are operated by KLM between Brussels Airport and Amsterdam, while from Antwerp passengers can benefit from the new express bus service - the “Antwerp – Schiphol Express”. By high speed rail, KLM proposes up to 13 Thalys trains per day between Amsterdam Schiphol airport and the Brussels-Zuid/Midi and AntwerpCentraal railway stations.

Whatever choice of connection passengers choose, as with trips via Paris-Charles de Gaulle, the connecting journey from Belgium is always included in the ticket. One booking, one ticket!

To experience the ease and comfort of Air&Rail journeys with AIR FRANCE KLM, just scan the QR codes below with your smartphone!

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AIR WAYS

Smart Upgrade Your best way to Austrian Business Class at a bargain price The Austrian Smart Upgrade offers travellers the opportunity to determine their own price for a Business Class upgrade by submitting an offer. In other words, it’s up to the traveller to decide how much he’s willing to pay to benefit from Austrian’s Business Class. Here’s how it works…

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AIR WAYS

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ou have a valid and issued Austrian Economy Class ticket for a scheduled flight operated by Austrian but would like to benefit from all the advantages of a real Business Class? Make your bid!

At the end of your booking process, you’ll notice that an automatic notification suggesting an upgrade is released, allowing you to submit your Smart Upgrade offer up to 72 hours before departure. You decide how much you wish to pay for this privilege. Place your bid online in a few clicks. You can change or cancel it up to three days before you fly. Enter your credit card details, confirm your offer and… keep your finger crossed!

How Smart Upgrade works:

Your benefits on Austrian medium-range flights:

• For your personal comfort: The seat next to you remains vacant • Multi-course gourmet meals and culinary delicacies by DO & CO • Access to our worldwide Business Class Lounges including meals and drinks • Check-in at the Business Class Counter and benefit from fast lane service • Baggage allowance for Business Class with more free allowances for checked and hand luggage • Miles & More Business Class miles (booking class “P”) More information: www.austrian.com/info/book

• Book your flight at austrian.com • At the end of the booking process there will be an automatic notification suggesting an upgrade • Submit your offer • Enter your credit card details for general verification and confirm your offer • You will receive an offer confirmation by email • You may change or cancel your offer up to 72 hours before departure • After that time, all offers received will be assessed and the remaining Business Class seats available will be assigned.

If your offer has been accepted, you will receive an email confirming your upgrade within 72 hours before departure.

• You may then check-in for Austrian Business Class directly online. You will receive an information email regardless of whether your offer has been accepted or not.

If you have booked your flight via a travel agency, you can submit your offer directly online under “My bookings” at austrian.com.

Your benefits on Austrian long-range flights:

• Comfort seats that can be turned into full-flat beds of almost two metres in length at the push of a button • Award-winning First Class service and delicious catering

by DO & CO • Up-to-date onboard entertainment with video on demand on 15 inch touch screens • Access to our worldwide Business Lounges including meals and drinks • Check-in at the Business Class counter and fast lane service • Baggage allowance for Business Class with more free allowance for checked and hand luggage • Miles & More Business Class miles (booking class “P”)

Smart Upgrade is available on Austrian long-range flights, as well as on flights from and to Amman, Astana, Baghdad, Baku, Erbil, Cairo, Tel Aviv, Tripoli and Yerevan. In order to qualify for making a Smart Upgrade offer, your Economy Class ticket must be issued no later than 72 hours before departure.

Offers cannot be accepted for tickets sold in following countries: India and Japan.

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AIR WAYS

Swiss International Air Lines, Swiss quality at its best The Corporate Traveller test drives SWISS premium travel experience

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AIR WAYS

SWISS, Switzerland’s national airline, serves over 70 destinations worldwide. Fast and convenient links to the international hub are provided with several daily SWISS flights from Brussels. The airline’s First and Business class cabins exemplify Swiss quality and have been recognized with multiple industry awards. The Corporate Traveller tested the premium experience on our journey to and from Shanghai.

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WISS Business provides comfort and quality throughout Europe and on long-haul routes. Our journey began on one of SWISS’s six daily flights to its Zurich hub from Brussels (five are operated in the winter season). Passengers on SWISS intra-European flights can travel in its SWISS Business Europe cabins for greater space and comfort. Separate check-in desks and priority treatment through security and at baggage reclaim, saved us considerable time on the outward and return flights.

On board Business Europe class, we found the seats to be comfortable, with plenty of legroom. Middle seats in rows of three are left free, which gave us space to work and relax. According to the time of day and flight duration, breakfast, lunch or dinner are served in Business Europe class. Although our flights between Brussels and Zurich took only 1 hour and 15 minutes, we were served an excellent breakfast on the outward flight and dinner on the return journey.

Using the airline’s SWISS Traditions dining concept based on classic Swiss culinary specialities, the seasonally changing menus in Business Europe are created by leading Swiss chefs. A large selection of beverages were also on hand, including champagne. After our short flight to Zurich, our transfer to the airline’s international network was fast and efficient, taking just under 35 minutes.

SWISS Business class

The SWISS experience of quality and hospitality truly begins on the ground. As the business lounge at Zurich Airport is conveniently located near the boarding gates, we had time to explore. The lounge has recently been enlarged and now covers 1100m2. Inside we found all the services we could hope to find in a business lounge, including a business centre equipped with several workstations, international newspapers and magazines at our disposition and wifi throughout.

Hot and cold snacks in the lounge were complemented by a tasty buffet of Swiss specialities. The lounge also features a bar, as well as shower facilities.

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AIR WAYS

On boarding our flight to Shanghai we noted that the new angled 1-2-1 seating configuration of 1-2-1 gives direct aisle access to all Business passengers. The cabin offers a high degree of privacy, superior seating and sleeping comfort, as well as ample personal space.

The centerpiece is the innovative two-meter-long lie-flat SWISS Business seat, adopted on the airline’s Airbus A330-300 and A340 intercontinental fleet. It incorporates advanced pneumatic air-cushion technology, so that seats can be totally adjusted, from soft to firm, according to individual preference. The seat also features a built-in massage function.

In-flight entertainment was a true ‘home cinema’ experience with large, high definition screens and a wide variety of music, games and video content, including new movie releases. The screens are equipped with an iPod plug, so that passengers can listen to or view their own content, as well as a USB port for charging mobile phones.

We were looking forward to discovering the SWISS award-winning cuisine and we were not disappointed. Refined onboard dining in Business Class, with the airline’s Taste of Switzerland culinary specialities, can truly be described as an exceptional dining experience. We should also mention the quality of service onboard from our SWISS cabin crew, which was genuinely welcoming and professional.

SWISS First brings passengers the ultimate in travel comfort, luxury and privacy.

For even greater luxury SWISS also offers 1st class cabins on many of its long haul flights. As with Business class, the SWISS First experience begins before take off. Passengers can take their cars directly to the SWISS First Check-in Lounge and simply hand over their vehicle and baggage to the Valet Parking service, for a fee. From then, they can relax in the SWISS lounge dedicated to first class passengers.

The First Lounge offers full dining, private day rooms and meeting facilities, complete with internet access. From the lounge, a limousine service escorts passengers directly to the foot of the aircraft.

The SWISS first class cabin is configured with eight spacious seats.

Innovative air-cushion technology allows passengers to adjust the firmness of their seat and at the touch of a button, it converts into a two-metre, fully horizontal bed. Adjustable privacy panels and a variety of technical features mean that travellers can quickly and easily turn their seat into a private office. The large table and extra ottoman are designed so that neighbouring passengers can conveniently hold meetings together, or just discuss in privacy.

On intercontinental flights and longer European flights, first class passengers enjoy individual passenger care from SWISS’s awardwinning flight attendants. Menus are prepared by gourmet chefs and on overnight flights, passengers can choose their ‘à la carte’ meals at any time. The chef’s exquisite creations include a variety of outstanding vegetarian dishes and are complemented by a selection of premium wines. SWISS First passengers also have a choice of fine champagne and quality teas, and the large table lets a simple meal become an exclusive dining experience for two.

Along with added comfort items, such as luxury amenity kits from La Prairie and pyjamas from Swiss designer Zimmerli, First passengers benefit from the largest in-flight entertainment screen available – at 23 inches.

Award winning premium cabins

True to its roots, SWISS is dedicated to providing the highest possible quality in all its products and services, and this has earned the company several awards for its premium services. Amongst the prestigious awards recently received for the airline’s business class were the World Travel Awards in both 2012 and 2013, for the ‘Europe’s leading Airline Business Class’ category. In 2012 the airline also received the Skytrax World Airline Awards for ‘Best Business Class Catering’ and the Premier Traveler Awards for ‘Best Transatlantic Business Class Service’

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Margo Reuten, Grand Chef, Restaurant Da Vinci

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AIR WAYS

Air France new Economy and Premium Economy mean optimum comfort for all Air France’s Best and Beyond strategy aims at making 101 improvements for passengers, across all cabin classes, through 500 million euros of investments. Most recently the airline unveiled the new seats and services to be deployed for its Economy and Premium Economy customers on Boeing 777 long haul flights.

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DDED COMFORT IN ECONOMY AND ECONOMY PREMIUM Air France is to upgrade seats across cabin classes in its 44 Boeing 777 aircraft used on long haul services. New Economy and Premium Economy will be the first to be installed, and the first flight equipped with the new Air France cabins will operate in Summer 2014.

The new contemporary seat offers more space and legroom, thanks to the work on its design and ergonomic structure. Spaces between rows of seats will increase to give passengers an extra inch of legroom. For more comfort, Air France has worked on the seat cushion and seat back and is using new foam. Wide, soft headrests, which can be adjusted in height and width, adapt to all passengers. The armrests are fully retractable and blend with the chair back, facilitating seat access and promoting rest. In addition to these developments, a large seat pocket with two more storage spaces enables all passengers to store books and magazines in a practical way. New cushions in an original design underscore the cabin’s colour scheme and add a contemporary touch. A fleece blanket, headphones, refreshing towelette and eye-mask also contribute to the customers’ well-being. The carrier’s Premium Economy section will further benefit from more comfortable seat cushions, as well as multi-position footrests.

The personal tray table has been enlarged, making it possible to eat or work more comfortably. When the tray table is closed,

a cup holder provides a useful feature during the trip. The meal service has also been upgraded. The snack is replaced by a second hot dish and there will be a new gourmet offerings of candies and ice cream. Organic produce and new tableware will contribute to the enhanced dining experience.

NEXT GENERATION IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT In both Economy and Premium Economy, the in-flight entertainment system is moving up to the next generation. Screen sizes are larger and all seats will now benefit from touch control monitors with high definition picture quality. Through the intuitive tablet-like interface, customers will be able to browse content in no less than 12 languages, including Chinese and Arabic. They will be able to choose from over 1,000 hours of entertainment including TV, music, games and movies.

Above the individual screen there is a useful headphones holder.

To recharge personal electronic devices such as laptops and tablets, electric sockets are available. In addition an individual USB port enables customers to easily recharge their mobile phones.

“With our Best and Beyond strategy, Air France is demonstrating that elevating standards provides a better experience for everyone, in all cabin classes” said a spokesperson from Air France. In January 2014, Air France will unveil the products and services to be offered in its future business cabin within the Best and Beyond initiative.

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AIR WAYS

Qatar Airways rules the skies !

Qatar Airways brings the Boeing Dreamliner to its Brussels-Doha route

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AIR WAYS

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atar Airways is expanding its Boeing Dreamliner services in Europe with deployment of the next generation aircraft on its Brussels Doha route.

In February Qatar Airways increased its frequencies on the BrusselsDoha route to offer two flights a day. Qatar Airways became the first airline to operate scheduled flights on the Dreamliner from Brussels, when the first aircraft was inaugurated on the route at the beginning of December.

“Brussels has an important position in Europe and in our network” said Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways. “I am very pleased that our Dreamliner will serve Brussels and offer our passengers an unrivalled level of service and comfort. The Qatar Airways Dreamliner is a top of the range aircraft with one of the most comfortable and innovative interiors. I am sure that our passengers will be impressed when they discover this aircraft.”

with any oneworld member airline. This includes, for Privilege Club Platinum and Gold members, access 550 airport lounges worldwide offered by oneworld member airlines. Qatar Airways’ First and Business Class passengers will also be able to use oneworld partner airline lounges.

The 130 million members of the established oneworld airlines’ frequent flyer programmes will be able to earn and redeem awards and tier status points and receive all other oneworld benefits on Qatar Airways.

The Qatar Airways B787 Dreamliner is equipped with 22 business class seats and 232 economy class seats. On board, passengers benefit from larger windows, reduced cabin noise and cleaner air. The Dreamliner is an environmental leader in its sector, consuming 20% less fuel than an equivalent aircraft. Passengers also benefit from internet and SMS messenging capabilities in both cabin classes.

Qatar Airways becomes full member of oneworld alliance

Qatar Airways is now a full member of the oneworld alliance. One of just seven carriers worldwide rated five-star by the Skytrax airline quality agency and the organisation’s Airline of the Year 2011 and 2012 and runner-up 2013, Qatar Airways is the only one of the ‘Gulf Big Three’ carriers to join any of the global airline alliances.

It received clearance to board oneworld after successfully completing a thorough review of its readiness, conducted by British Airways, which is sponsoring Qatar Airways’ entry into the alliance, with oneworld’s central team. Qatar Airways completes its oneworld implementation programme just one year after receiving its invitation to join, announced at a press conference in the alliance’s New York home in October 2012.

Henceforth Qatar Airways offers oneworld’s full range of services and benefits, bringing the 3 million members of Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club loyalty programme frequent flyer privileges whenever they fly

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AIR WAYS

Make the most of your trip to New York with Delta’s new BusinessElite Transatlantic journeys can be exhausting with time zone differences, lack of sleep and interminable queues at the airport.

But there is a better way to travel, in comfort and style, with Delta’s new BusinessElite class. Our undercover journalist at The Corporate Traveller tested the experience, on Delta’s return flights from Brussels to New York, to see the difference.

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kip the airport queues with SkyPriority

The superior travel experience with Delta’s BusinessElite started right from arrival at Brussels Airport. My ticket gave me access to SkyPriority, a host of services to speed up airport procedures, making the dreaded long queues a thing of the past. Check-in and baggage drop off at Brussels Airport took less than five minutes - and with fast track access to hand baggage security checks, total time for all procedures was less than 15 minutes. Already I had saved at least one hour!

SkyPriority also means priority boarding. No more scramble to get on board and fight for hand luggage space – as once again you can jump the queues.

Not that I needed to fight for overhead storage space with BusinessElite, as every passenger has their own, generously sized hand baggage compartment. Within a few minutes, all BusinessElite passengers were comfortably installed and had been served with a glass of juice or champagne.

Best seats in the house

The majority of Delta’s transatlantic aircraft have now been equipped with its new BusinessElite cabins, complete

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with fully-lie-flat-bed-seats.

Passengers from Brussels, Amsterdam, Milan, London and Frankfurt can already benefit from all the added comforts. By the middle of next year the airline’s entire transatlantic fleet, as well as many longer haul US domestic flights, will complete deployment.

Delta’s new BusinessElite cabin is arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, giving all passengers direct access to the aisle and plenty of private space. But let’s take a closer look at the famous lie-flat seats. The new BusinessElite seats are well cushioned and ergonomically designed to provide maximum comfort. The chair back, seat and leg rest can all be adjusted at the touch of a button into a number of recline positions, including a fully lie flat bed.

And let’s take a look at these buttons here – great a massage function! Ingeniously designed, the seat backs are enclosed within a ‘shell’. This means that you can adjust your seat position whenever you wish without causing disturbance to other passengers - or them to you.

Inflight entertainment and dining

Onboard dining in BusinessElite is a revelation. Meals

are freshly prepared and served on china tableware with linen table cloths. Menus are especially created for Delta, by leading international chefs, using fresh, seasonal ingredients.

My main onboard meal on the outward and return flights commenced with a starter tray comprising a selection of tasty entrées, including Thai Soup and Prawn Salad. A choice of four main courses was given with BusinessElite and with both my flights, vegetarian and fish options were included.

Wines and champagnes in BusinessElite are selected by Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson and include the Delta Winemaker Series of California wines. Choices on the dessert trolley included ice cream sundaes prepared with a choice of ingredients, cheese platters and fresh fruit.

My seat was equipped with an individual power socket and an onboard entertainment system with a vast library of movies, TV series, music and games.

Amongst the selection was a large choice of new releases.

Over 250 movies are helpfully divided into categories such as science fiction, action, classics and animated films for children. Music is also arranged into catalogues and one of the system’s features allows you

AIR WAYS

to build your own individual playlist.

again, at least a whole extra hour in time saved.

After browsing through the entertainment system, it was time to relax. With my seat in the lieflat position and my comfortable Westin heavenly bedding - consisting of a large quilted duvet and pillow - falling asleep was almost instantaneous. Because of the seat design and layout, there was no disturbance from other passengers. Before I knew it, I had arrived at destination, fresh to start the day thanks to a perfect night’s sleep. A second onboard meal was served shortly before arrival, with a lighter hot snack style lunch on the way to New York. On the return flight, a breakfast of fresh fruit and cereal was served just before landing in Brussels in the morning.

JFK new Delta terminal and Sky Club lounge

With BusinessElite, passengers are the first to disembark from the plane. This allowed me to be one of the first in the queue for passport formalities on arrival at the US. My checked-in baggage had been tagged Priority, and quickly arrived on the carrousel. Within 25 minutes of leaving the aircraft, I was already outside the airport getting into a taxi. From previous experience on arrival in New York, this was almost an unbelievable feat and gave me, once

This summer Delta unveiled the first phase of its 1.6 billion dollar investments in improvements and enlargements to JFK’s Terminal 4. All of Delta’s international and transcontinental flights now operate from this terminal, which has been designed with quick and easy navigation in mind. On arrival at Terminal 4 for my return journey, I immediately spotted the dedicated SkyPriority check-in and baggage drop area.

There were plenty of desks free and SkyPriority hand-baggage security was located just next door.

With all the time I had again saved with airport formalities, I was at my leisure to explore Delta’s brand new Sky Club lounge. Delta now has 34 Sky Club lounges in the US for its BusinessElite and SkyTeam Elite loyalty card holders. The JFK Terminal 4 Sky Club is the largest in Delta’s network. The lounge covers over 2,200 square metres and offers several areas for passengers to work or rest.

There are dozens of work stations for use, many with views over the runway, while comfortable and spacious seating areas

give plenty of room to relax.

Snacks and a variety of hot beverages are complimentary for guests, while a chef-designed menu and premium wine program are also available. The lounge features the first ever SkyDeck rooftop terrace – perfect for enjoying some outside air before embarking on your flight, as well as a cocktail bar.

The JFK Terminal 4 Sky Club is conveniently located just a few steps from departure gates.

In summary, my BusinessElite experience, with all of its added comfort and time saving features, changed my views on travel to the US. Best of all was the absence of jet lag, thanks to an excellent night of sleep on the plane on both journeys.

Fastest growing airline at JFK

Delta flies 7 times a week direct from Brussels to New York and 14 times a week from Amsterdam. Delta Air Lines is the fastest growing airline at New York’s JFK, with 183 peak-day departures to 92 worldwide destinations. Delta’s schedule is complemented by those of its 18 SkyTeam alliance airline partners including joint venture partners Air FranceKLM-Alitalia and its newly announced joint venture partner, Virgin Atlantic Airways.

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The new Boeing 747-8 a Lufthansa exclusive

After the Airbus A380, Lufthansa launches the the Boeing 747-8, the largest passenger airplane in the world. On board, three exclusively designed cabines await you - First, Business and Economy class - with a maximum comfort, internet WiFi, live TV, adjustable multimedia applications, and a high standard of service on board.

The Boeing 747-8 already flies to Bangalore, Chicago, New Delhi, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, and more recently Mexico with a daily flight.

Compared to the Boeing 747-400, its predecessor, the CO2 emissions of the new Jumbo have been reduced by 20%, its fuel consumption by 13%, while the action radius has been increased to 14.000km and the maximum weightlift to 22 tons.

Discover the new Lufthansa Boeing B747-8 in detail on: http//747-8.lufthansa.com

lufthansa.com

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AIR WAYS

Queen of comfort Lufthansa’s Boeing 747-8 offers a completely new travel experience With the new Queen of the Skies, Lufthansa passengers can experience a new Business Class, with a new seat offering exceptional comfort, intuitive adjustment features, additional storage space and an individual entertainment system with much larger, 15-inch screens.

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ith the new Business Class, the exclusive First Class and the refined design of the Economy Class seat, Jumbo offers passengers in all classes the ultimate in travel comfort.

The Business Class is to be found on two decks, with 32 passengers on the upper deck and 60 on the main deck, behind the entrance area.

The eight seats in the First Class are installed in the nose of the aircraft on the main deck, the silent part of the plane.

The passengers thus get the feeling of flying exclusively in a “jet in the jet”. The 262 passengers in the Economy Class fly on the main deck behind Business Class.

Fully flat

One of the highlights in the Boeing 747-8 is the new seat in the Business Class. With the form of the backrest, which is tapered towards the headrest, at first glance the new seat appears relatively narrow. However, thanks to its innovative geometry it offers plenty of space. In customer surveys, the distance to the respective seat in front was particularly well appreciated.

Space and Simplicity

As a result, passengers have more space between them in the head-shoulder area. Due to the cabin contour on the main deck of the Boeing 747-8, the seat pairs at the window can be installed very close to the outer wall. Thus space is gained and the passengers sitting on the outside still have sufficient headroom when they wish to stand up.

The seat is very easy and simple to operate, thanks to their clear and self-explanatory design. Seat settings and multimedia programmes are both managed via remote control. Video-supported instructions lead the passenger through the different comfort functions of the seat. With all its refinements and the wide choice of individual functions, the new seat impresses with its high technical stability and easy operation-as was the declared objective of the designers.

The space between two rows of seats is so generous that passengers can reach their seats easily, even if they have a window seat. The individual seat elements are continuously adjustable. This ranges from the back support via the relaxing position, right through to the flat sleeping position.

The new seat offers the greatest advantage in the sleeping position. When it is fully extended it is possible to stretch out to a length of 1.98 metres. The designers have also created more room for the shoulder area in the sleeping position. And for the arrangement of the seats, the so-called V concept was specially developed for the new Jumbo Jet. The seats in Business Class are configured in pairs in a V-shape, with the feet turned towards each other. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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DESTINATION

High speed rail direct to Frankfurt, city of surprising contrasts for corporate travellers

Frankfurt is much more than the financial heart of Germany, it is a city of surprising contrasts.

Here culture and tradition blend seamlessly with commerce and modernity. As such, an exceptional infrastructure that reflects these contrasts has been tailored with the corporate traveller in mind. With the growth of SNCB Europe and DB Bahn’s high speed train network, all of this is within fast and convenient reach of all major European cities.

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rankfurt am Main, to give the city its full title, is best known for its cityscape dominated by the skyscrapers of international companies and banking headquarters. The modern metropolis reputation is reinforced through the number of international trade fairs at the Messe Frankfurt – although the city’s history in trade shows can be traced back nearly 800 years. As everywhere in Frankfurt, antiquity and modernity stand side by side offering discoveries at every corner.

Surprisingly Frankfurt is also one of the world’s greenest cities.

Surrounded by parks, nature reserves and forests, the city centre itself counts some 50 parks and gardens. The banks of the river Main, Frankfurt’s majestic waterway, are home to the Museum Embankment, a group of over 20 museums spanning every imaginable artistic, historical and cultural genre. Café culture too is extremely popular in Frankfurt. Cafés with outdoor terraces can be found everywhere throughout the city – especially around the historic Römerberg square and Fressgass district, better known as ‘eating street’.

Very much an outdoor city, as it is so compact, much of Frankfurt can easily be explored by foot, although there is an excellent public transportation system.

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Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof

An ideal central base for business and leisure in Frankfurt is The Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof hotel. This five star deluxe hotel lies right in the city centre, on the edge of Frankfurt’s financial district, with restaurants, shopping areas and the international high speed rail station all within a few minutes walk.

A historic landmark, the Steigenberger’s palatial architecture is highlighted by a sweeping colonial façade. Its four restaurants represent the glittering side of life in the city and include the Michelin starred ‘Restaurant Français’ with al fresco dining in the summer months. Full renovations of guest rooms and suites were completed at the end of 2012. All rooms are spacious and comfortable with elegant furnishings, while benefiting from technologies such as high speed internet, bathroom flat TVs and personal voice mail. Some superior rooms and suites have private balconies and terraces, with privileged views over the city’s skyscrapers. The 300 square metre Presidential Suite is equipped for boardroom style meetings, while on the ground flour are 18 conference rooms and a ballroom. A recent addition, opened in February 2013, is the Steigenberger’s impressive 1000 square metre spa. Gentlemen travellers will especially appreci-

DESTINATION

ate ‘Hommage’, the spa’s traditional gentlemen’s barber shop. All of this is complemented by the hotel’s exceptional levels of service and friendly welcoming staff.

Historic venues

With a similarly majestic exterior, dating back to 1721, The Palais typifies the movement in Frankfurt to blend modern and antique architecture. The building has recently been completely renovated and transformed into a large and stylish events venue. The upstairs ballroom, ‘beletage’, makes the most of its large antique windows and traditional wooden flooring and panels. Down a sweeping staircase is a vast ballroom the ‘sala grande’, complete with many classical elements such as upper level galleries, high ceilings hung with giant chandeliers and a parquet ballroom floor. Particularly suitable for large corporate events for up to 1200 guests, this hall has been used for fashion shows and car launches, thanks to a large lift direct from the carpark for transporting all materials.

Another of Frankfurt’s tastefully transformed historical venues is the Kameha Suite. This stately villa is now home to a stylish restaurant, bar, lounge and meeting room grouped around an elegant atrium.

All of the rooms can be hired for private events for up to 700 guests.

The Kameha’s Next Level restaurant offers high-class cuisine in the evenings and a particularly useful ‘business quick lunch’ package, with daily changing menus.

Meetings and hotels at Frankfurt Airport

Frankfurt International Airport lies just fifteen minutes south of the city centre, by train. The airport also benefits from its own international high speed train station and two motorway links. In 2011 a major new development was completed at the terminal with the opening of THE SQUAIRE, a futuristic building in the form of a horizontal skyscraper, also known as a ‘groundscaper’.

THE SQUAIRE’s gleaming silver exterior houses a large central atrium surrounded by over 140,000 square metres of office space, meetings facilities and hotels. THE SQUAIRE Conference Centre has an atrium with terrace, and meeting rooms ranging from 16 to 228 square metres. Its convenient ‘Plug and Work’ concept means fully equipped virtual offices and meeting rooms can be hired for as little as one hour. Other facilities include catering, incentive organising and a Concierge service team.

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DESTINATION

Complementing THE SQUAIRE’s meeting room portfolio are two hotels, the Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt Airport and the Hilton Frankfurt Airport. Between them the hotels offer 583 guest rooms and suites, as well as boardrooms, meeting halls, a 24 hour business centre, fitness centre and restaurants. A large ballroom, housed in a space age metal dome, can be divided into 3 separate halls.

Unusual venues

The Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt Airport’s range of facilities make it an ideal base for business travellers on slightly longer trips. Its Pavillion lounge restaurant offers smart but casual dining, with a show kitchen specialising in international cuisine. All 334 rooms are equipped with large working desks, hot beverage makers and a fridge. Guests can purchase a variety of snacks and sundries from the lobby shop, while laundry facilities are also available.

Venues for team building activities don’t come much more unique than The Dialog Museum. This is a place where there is nothing to see – but everything to discover. Small groups of visitors are led by a blind tour guide, in the absolute darkness through a series of rooms.

Here delegates can develop their other senses during situations ranging from a busy street scene, to a forest park and a café. This memorable team building experience is available for groups of up to 8 people.

The adjacent Hilton Frankfurt Airport has 249 spacious and contemporary guest rooms and suites, including a Presidential Suite.

Rooms on the hotel’s two executive floors have access to a large executive lounge. Providing a calm atmosphere, ideal for working, the lounge serves complimentary breakfast, snacks and drinks.

Guest can enjoy cocktails in the hotel’s lounge and bar, or enjoy all day dining in its RISE restaurant.

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Frankfurt has more than its fare share of unique venues for events and teambuilding activities. The Gibson Club is a city centre night club and music venue which is also available for hire for corporate parties and events of up to 800 guests. The club has a stage with all audio visual systems, dressing rooms, and an upstairs VIP bar with lounge.

For information on further conference and meetings possibilities in Frankfurt, contact Frankfurt Convention Bureau at www.frankfurt-tourismus.de

DESTINATION

Fast, effortless travel to Frankfurt, with ICE high speed rail Travel from Brussels to Germany is fast and effortless with DB Bahn’s network of high speed ICE trains.

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aving time all along their journey, passengers only need arrive at the international train station just a few minutes before departure, as there are no check-in formalities or queues. DB Bahn’s ICE trains then transport them directly from city-centre to city centre at 300km/h. Passengers can forget the stress of traffic jams and searching for car parks. From Brussels, travellers arrive straight in the heart of Frankfurt in just 3 hours, in Düsseldorf in 2 hours 20 minutes and in Cologne in just 1 hour 50 minutes.

Onboard comforts

Whether travelling in ICE’s 1st or 2nd class carriages, all are quiet, spacious and comfortable with a range of services to facilitate working or relaxing. In either class, they have no restrictions on baggage allowances and for added security, luggage can be stored in one of the onboard lockers.

Seats in ICE 1st class benefit from even greater legroom. Equipped with large tables, electrical sockets and free wifi connectivity, travellers can spend the whole of their travel time productively if wished, or just relax. Some first class coaches feature individual video screens, while almost all passengers have integrated audio, with a choice of radio stations to listen to. On board newspapers are also part of the welcoming on board service, as are the bistro wagons located on all ICE trains. 1st class passengers can order meals and beverages to be served at their seats.

ICE High Speed Network

The ICE Brussels to Frankfurt high speed route links Brussels and Liège to Aix-la-Chapelle, Cologne and Frankfurt, 4 times a day. ICE also stops at Frankfurt international Airport - a highly convenient solution for travellers who are continuing on to other world-wide destinations. For those travelling to other destinations in Germany, ICE offers a network of high speed connections from Cologne to all the major cities including Hamburg, Bremen, Berlin, Stuttgart, Nuremberg and Munich

Easy booking

Passengers booking through the multilingual website can choose their seating preferences such as window seat or face to face configuration. They can print their tickets or use the convenient ‘ticketless’ option with bar code on their smartphone. Even better, prices are attractive, starting as low as 39 euros for Brussels to Frankfurt with the ‘Europa-Spezial’ fare

For information on reservations and services, please contact your travel agency.

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DESTINATION

Modernity and tradition united on the Huangpu People used to be dismissive about the label ‘Made in China’, but in recent decades the People’s Republic has developed into what may be the most important trading nation in the world. The beating heart of this spectacular growth lies not in the capital Beijing, but in Shanghai, the economic and financial centre of the country. The Corporate Traveller visited this metropolis, and found many sights not to be missed, both modern and traditional...

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hanghai is situated on the East China Sea, and is split in two by the Huangpu River. On the Western side of the river lies Puxi, the old part of the city, and East of the river lies Pudong, the new city district. It is particularly in the last 20 years that Shanghai has experienced an enormous boom.

Prior to 1992 Shanghai was faced with an enormous tax burden. But thanks to the economic reforms, the taxes have been greatly reduced, so that many domestic and foreign companies have been attracted to the city, and Shanghai has been able to develop into the economic centre of the region.

Shanghai has two major airports. Hong Qiao - the former international airport - is at present used mainly for inland flights. International air traffic has now been taken over by Shanghai Pudong that was opened in 1999 and is still in the throes of expansion, with a fourth and a fifth runway and two additional terminals under construction. (Elsewhere in this magazine you can also read about the Swiss Air Business class that flies you in the greatest comfort to Shanghai Pudong).

Since 2005, the port of Shanghai can call itself the largest in the world, with more than 700 million tons of cargo per year. Here too expansion is still in full progress, with no end to growth in sight.

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The magic of The Bund

One of the outstanding attractions of Shanghai is unquestionably The Bund. This is a 1.5 km long promenade along the West bank of the Huangpu. You walk here past the most beautiful historic buildings, splendidly illuminated at night. A limit has been set on the height of buildings near The Bund, in order to retain the integrity of its historic character. But on the other side of the river, in Pudong, it is the skyscrapers that attract all attention.

The appeal of The Bund has certainly not escaped the attention of the hotel sector, so a whole series of luxury hotels are to be found in the immediate vicinity. The Peninsula Shanghai has 235 rooms and suites in classic luxury style, but these are also equipped with all the latest technology. The Fairmont Peace Hotel describes itself as ‘Art-Deco’ reinvented for the 21st century. It offers 270 rooms including 39 luxury suites. The Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund provides 260 rooms in a two-building complex. It combines the history and culture of The Bund with 21st century sophistication.

Shopping paradise

When we leave The Bund heading for the old city, we come to Nanjing Road, one of the busiest shopping streets in the world.

Here is to be found some six kilometres of shopping delight, with not only all the big names and

chains but also many traditional Chinese shops. Le Royal Méridien, also located on Nanjing Road, is a hotel with 761 rooms, notable for its floor-to-ceiling windows that give a stunning view of the city skyline.

We pass through the old city in a southerly direction and discover the impressive Yu Yuan gardens that date from the time of the Ming dynasty, and are a superb example of classic Chinese garden architecture. A little further, on the People’s Square, is the Shanghai Museum that houses some 120,000 historical objects.

The museum has an important collection of bronze artefacts, dating from the Warring States period (5th – 3rd century B.C.) and even back to the beginning of the Chinese bronze age (18th century B.C.).

Jade Buddha

About a kilometre beyond the People’s Square we reach Xintiandi, renowned as the entertainment district of Shanghai.

Here are to be found all kinds of theatres, bars, restaurants, and discotheques. This district is characterised by its many narrow streets and historic façades that make for a very friendly atmosphere. If you want to stay the night in this trendy entertainment district, you can go to the Xintiandi Langham Hotel, with 357 elegant rooms providing five-star accommodation, or to 88 Xintiandi, a stylish, intimate hotel with 53 spacious rooms.

DESTINATION

A final important sight to be visited on this side of the city is the Jade Buddha temple in the Northwest of Shanghai.

The temple contains two jade Buddha statues, which were brought from Burma at the end of the 19th century. This area too has no lack of high-class hotels, such as the exclusive The Mansion, a five-star hotel that successfully combines French and Asiatic styles.

The sky is the limit

We cross the river and come into Pudong that, since the developments starting at the beginning of the 90’s, has grown into the financial and commercial centre of Shanghai. The many skyscrapers are typical of this district. The most eye-catching is the 457 metre high Oriental Pearl Tower, with its striking spheres. This tower houses the

Shanghai Municipal History Museum, as well as the Oriental Pearl Science Fantasy World. Other eye-catchers are the Jin Mao Tower, 15 years old and 421 metres high, the Shanghai World Financial Center, barely five years old and 492 metres high, and the brand new Shanghai Tower, 632 metres high, and not due to be completed until next year.

Of course, Pudong too has a rich assortment of hotels. Pudong Shangri-La has an extensive selection of stylish rooms and suites in two wings: the classic River Wing with 577 rooms, and the contemporary and exclusive Grand Tower. Both provide a superb view over The Bund. The Grand Hyatt Shanghai hotel, with its 555 rooms and suites, is located in the Jin Mao Tower. Here too

the floor-to-ceiling windows provide an unforgettable view.

Business & history

Shanghai is a city of millions.

Depending on which areas you include, the population lies between 16 and 26 million. In Shanghai you get to see both the hypermodern and the traditional China - from the glittering skyscrapers to the temples, from the chic elite boutiques to the cluttered Chinese bazaars. A boat trip on the Huangpu with on the one side The Bund and the historic centre behind it, and on the other side the skyscrapers of the modern commercial centre Pudong, gives a wonderful picture of this many-faceted city.

With all that it has to offer it attracts millions of visitors every year. What’s stopping you?

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AIR WAYS

Turkish Airlines

named Best Airline in Europe by Skytrax for the third year To better understand the reasons for this distinction, we went to the headquarters of Turkish Airlines in Istanbul where we were received by its CEO. In addition to visiting the facilities of its caterer Turkish Do & Co, we were also able to put its splendid CIP lounge to the test. Naturally, we also took the opportunity of visiting some of the most famous sites in Istanbul, as offered by the Tourisitanbul programme for transit passengers who have at least six hours waiting time in the most European of gateways to the East.

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e were received by thr CEO, Temel Kotil, in the prestigious trophy room of the headquarters of Turkish Airlines. He explained to us, with figures in support, the important growth, both recent and planned for the future, of the Turkish Airlines company. Capitalising on its ideal geographical location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East, Turkish Airlines wants to make Istanbul a global hub with a totally new airport destined to become the largest in the world with a horizon of 2018. The company can already boast of a very solid network serving more countries (104 countries and 198 international destinations) than any other airline in the world.

Still on the subject of air travel, Turkish Airlines has also understood the importance of on-board comfort and entertainment, two essential elements which will also benefit from the current

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renewal of its fleet. Additionally, Belgian travellers will particularly appreciate the offer of very diverse destinations in Africa.

Perfect gourmet moments

The catering is the second reason to justify the distinction

by Skytrax. As Temel Kotil remarks, “people do not fly to eat, but if they eat properly, they will fly with you again...”. To ensure high-quality catering, nothing is left to chance. The 2,500 employees of its dedicated caterer, Turkish Do & Co, has three shift teams alternating each day in kitchens that respect all the standards of international hygiene to produce thousands of on-board meals with the emphasis on freshness and quality. To raise its level of service, Turkish Do & Co is even equipped with a ‘training academy’, appointed in the manner of a real aeroplane, to teach its cabin crew ways to

ensure passengers enjoy perfect gastronomic moments on board.

This experience is further enhanced on long-haul flights by the new concept of Flying Chefs who put the final touches to prepared dishes while in flight.

All this explains why Turkish Airlines also won the 2013 Skytrax Passengers’ Choice Award for the Best Business Class Catering.

Much more than a simple lounge

Services certainly also play a significant role in obtaining the distinction of best airline in Europe for the third consecutive year. This is well illustrated by the vast Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge in the Ataturk Airport international departure hall.

Renovated and reopened last March, it now welcomes, in an aesthetic and comfortable space of no less than 3,000 square meters (which seats 600 people),

AIR WAYS

some 4,000 passengers per day. It offers delicious hot and cold food ranging from pasta to Turkish pizza, as well as grills.

Among the other facilities available, we can pinpoint rooms for private relaxation, showers or the games room for children. Not forgetting a cinema room, television screens and music systems, the daily availability of both Turkish and foreign newspapers and magazines, a billiards room, a library as well as a business centre equipped with all the necessary technical equipment and, of course, wireless Internet.

The particular experience of this CIP lounge is reserved for Turkish Airlines’ business class passengers, Miles&Smiles Elite, Elite Plus card holders and Star Alliance Gold membership card holders. In addition, Turkish Airlines inaugurated in September, its new Istanbul Arrival Lounge, a space where Business Class passengers can freshen

up on arrival before leaving Ataturk Airport.

To see

Finally, for travellers in transit who have more than 6 hours to wait, Touristanbul (www. istanbulinhours.com) offers you the chance to discover some of the hidden wonders of Istanbul.

Packed full of history and bathed in a particular ambiance at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, Istanbul has a life that sparkles either day or night and obviously overflows with treasures hidden away, or, given their size, rather more visible.

Among the places certainly not to be missed are: Hagia Sophia (regarded as the eighth wonder of the world), the Blue Mosque, Topkapi palace overlooking the old town, or the Dolmabahce Palace on the European side of the Bosphorus and the Basilica Cistern, one of the oldest cisterns, constructed in the bowels

of Istanbul. Finally, lovers of shopping will surely find souvenirs to bring back at the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. In short, to give you a good idea of all these riches and many others, but also to soak up the atmosphere, the hospitality and the local gastronomy, we recommend that you stay at least three days in Istanbul. The major international chains and many European-standard hotels will be pleased to welcome you.

Bon voyage!

FLIGHT PLAN Turkish Airlines offers 4 round-trips daily between Brussels and Istanbul. For full additional information, click on www.turkishairlines.com.

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AIR WAYS

Not just hot air

Aviation sector tracks challenging emissions cutting targets At the Copenhagen Climate Conference in 2009, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) presented a series of challenging goals for cutting aviation emissions through to the year 2050. We take a look at some of the strategies and actions airlines have implemented since then to achieve these tough targets.

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AIR WAYS

Aviation, the source of 2% of the world’s CO2 emanations, is unique in being the only industry which has voluntarily set itself targets for emissions reduction. “In 2009 the air travel industry agreed a three step series of targets for the reduction of global emissions” explained IATA’s Chris Goater, speaking to The Corporate Traveller. “The first is to achieve a 1.5% improvement on fuel efficiency, each year, until 2020. From 2020 our objective is to achieve carbon neutral growth and then, by 2050, we are targeting a 50% reduction in aviation emissions compared to the year 2005. These targets are for global reductions, even though the number of flights will have grown.”

To realise these ambitions, IATA has defined a strategy based on four pillars of best practice – Investment in New Technologies, Efficient Operations, Infrastructure and Positive Economic Measures (otherwise known as Market-Based-Measures or MBMs).

Fuel efficient aircraft

The first of these four pillars, Investment in New Technologies has included significant advances in the development of more efficient aircraft.

Most of the major airlines have been renewing their fleets to achieve substantial fuel economies. TAP’s new Airbus A350s, which are progressively replacing its A340s and A330s, are expected to produce efficiencies in the region of 20%. SWISS has upgraded its A330-200s to A330-300 aircraft and from 2014, its European fleet will be replaced

by Bombardier type C series, which will cut fuel use and emissions by around 30%.

With a 2 billion dollar investment into its fleet, its biggest ever upgrade, Virgin Atlantic saved 30 per cent in CO2 on many of its flights in 2012. Further savings will be made by the introduction of sixteen Boeing 787-9 aircraft over the coming years, as the airline tracks its target of 30% savings in CO2 for every tonne flown by 2020. “I want Virgin Atlantic to develop and grow, but I believe it is absolutely crucial that this growth happens in a sustainable way” said Virgin Atlantic Chief Executive Craig Kreeger.

Besides fleet upgrades, one of the most successful measures to increase aircraft efficiency is the fitting of drag-reducing winglets or wingtips. Depending on the aircraft and winglet design, fuel consumption can be reduced by as much as 5 percent and new more sophisticated versions continue to be developed. Delta installed winglets on a further 14 of its aircraft last year, leading to 3.8 million gallons of fuel saved. Overall, Delta aggressively pursued and traced the impact from almost 2 dozen fuel saving initiatives leading to a cut of 19.2 million gallons of fuel and 189,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

Flight planning and route optimisation led to almost half of these reductions, while other measures included improved ground operations, evaluating alternative fuels and providing commute options for employees.

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BLU R E N O V AT I O N S EXCITING RENOVATION WORKS STARTED ON OUR FIRST FLOOR, DEDICATED TO MEETINGS. DUTCH DESIGNER, PIET BOON, CREATED A MINIMALISTIC STYLE WITH CONTRASTING LIGHT AND DARK COLOURS, RESULTING IN A LUXURIOUS ZEN ATMOSPHERE THAT BREATHES LIGHT. THE IDEAL SETTING TO FOCUS ON THE MATTER OF THE MEETING. WE WILL BE READY TO HOST YOUR NEXT MEETING AS FROM JANUARY 10, 2014.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK WHERE WE’LL KEEP YOU POSTED ON THE PROGRESS.

FOR YO U R S U C C E S S

RADISSON BLU ASTRID HOTEL, ANTWERP Koningin Astridplein 7, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium T. +32 3 203 1234 info.astrid.antwerp@radissonblu.com radissonblu.com/astridhotel-antwerp

AIR WAYS

More efficient engine and aircraft cleaning are a further way to improve aerodynamics and kerosene consumption. Together with Air France Industries, KLM Engineering & Maintenance (E&M), a global player in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, has put into place a whole series of initiatives to reduce the carbon impact of aircraft. Water from washing engines is filtered and reused, while vapours emitted during washing and fuel drainage are collected.

United’s 2013 environmental resolutions include the reduction of fuel usage by 85 million gallons. Of these measures, United estimates that it saved over 3 million gallons in jet fuel in 2012 through its engine wash programme.

Less means more

Airlines are also looking at ways to reduce weight onboard. Many have commenced by introducing lighter seats and Air France has just finished deployment of 3,650 baggage containers with composite fibre panels on its long haul aircraft. At 11 kilos lighter each, 2,500 tons of fuel and 8,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions are to be saved a year. airberlin went as far as removing and weighing all non-permanently attached items from one of its A330 aircraft, with its ‘Papa Charlie Clear Out Mission’ project. A team of experts then assessed whether each item could potentially be replaced by a less heavy alternative.

Other examples of weight reduction include the conversion of onboard documents to digital versions. United was the first major network carrier to convert to paperless flight decks by distributing 11,000 iPads to its pilots. Flight bags typically contains around 12,000 sheets of paper per pilot and weigh about 17 kilos, while each iPad weighs less than 2 kilos. Besides fuel economies, United anticipates that the electronic flight bags will save nearly 16 million sheets of paper a year.

Sustainable biofuels

Fuel currently accounts for around one third of airlines’ expenses. As fuel costs have risen, so has the economic viability of biofuels.

Investment in sustainable fuels is high on AIR FRANCE-KLM’s eco-agenda. KLM has partnered with North Sea Group and Spring Associates to create SkyNRG, a joint venture designed to boost the production and availability of biofuels. In 2009, KLM operated the world’s first demonstration flight with passengers on board using biofuel and, in 2011, the first commercial flight using biokerosene.

The fuel on this second flight was made from recycled cooking oil supplied by SkyNRG. KLM is now striving to attain a 1% mix of sustainable biofuel throughout its fleet by 2015 but despite these advances, there is still a lot to happen before biofuel will be widely available and economically competitive. KLM has called for the commitment and support of all the relevant parties - businesses, governments and society – in this regard.

Following a period of relative silence in the industry on sustainable fuel alternatives, United Airlines recently announced its intention

to purchase 15 million gallons from AltAir Fuels over the next three years. United says the renewable jet fuel should, on a lifecycle basis, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent. In the same period, Virgin Atlantic revealed that its low carbon aviation fuel partnership with LanzaTech is now looking at making sustainable fuel a commercial reality within the next couple of years. The innovative LanzaTech process reuses waste gases from industrial plants that would otherwise be burnt off into the atmosphere as CO2.

Etihad Airways, has also been investing in the development of biofuel, flying its first biofuel flight in 2012. Overall Etihad has achieved a 24% improvement in carbon emissions per passenger kilometre since 2006. Amongst its creative sustainable initiatives are a partnership with Abu Dhabi Organics Farms to purchase 200 hens and three bee hives as part of its drive to provide fresh, organic and locally produced foods for its customers.

Carbon offsets

As no industrial activity can ever be completely emissions free, many airlines have developed carbon offsetting schemes to compensate for them. These schemes generally offer passengers an online tool to calculate their emissions, based on a method developed by the ICAO. Delta, was the first airline to launch such a project. It works with The Nature Conservancy to offer passengers the opportunity to voluntarily offset the carbon emissions incurred from their flights. Its offset programmes have included major reforestation projects such as the Tensas River Basin Project which over time is estimated to have sequestered nearly 75,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

SWISS’s swiss.myclimate.org platform enables customers to make voluntary contributions in the form of money or Miles & More award miles towards certified carbon offset projects. Funds from TAP’s voluntary carbon compensation programme are invested in renewable energy projects certified by the United Nations.

Recycling and upcycling

Across the airline industry, a range of recycling programmes have been put into place – from paper to aircraft machinery. Through its series of ‘Act Eco’ initiatives, TAP has reduced its annual emissions by 60,000 tonnes. The Act Eco programme was recently expanded with the introduction of sustainable amenity kits. The amenity bags are created from recycled materials, while their contents are now made with 100% natural ingredients.

Air France-KLM, recently ranked world leader in the Transport category by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the ninth consecutive year, has been particularly dynamic in its recycling efforts.

Air France’s old staff uniforms are turned into car insulation and KLM collects over 2 million kilos of paper and cardboard a year for recycling. Air France has also been making some stylish steps into ‘upcycling’. The airline’s billboard advertisements have been transformed into luggage items such as lap top bags, while old lifejackets have a new life as practical and original make up bags.

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AIR WAYS

Recycling has even more value when revenues are put to use in CSR projects. Delta donates the rebates from its comprehensive in-flight recycling program to the Habitat for Humanity program. In the past six years over $500,000 in rebates from recycling has fully funded five new homes.

Flight planning and operations systems

The second pillar of IATA’s strategy, ‘Efficient Operations’ covers air traffic control procedures, more direct flight paths and optimised take-off and landing manoeuvres. In this regard, specialised operations software, such as the OSyS system from the Rolls Royce group used by Virgin Atlantic, can harness all the operational data, to make more fuel-efficient decisions. Turkish Airlines, which operates the 6th youngest fleet in the world has also taken steps to reduce its carbon footprint through improved infrastructures and operations, such as with its optimised Flight Planning System, which continuously searches for optimum flight routes.

SWISS has implemented a series of operational measures to meet its eco-targets, such as high-performance flight management systems to better utilise high-altitude winds and aerodynamics. SWISS is also actively involved in Single European Sky project to simplify European airspace and enable more direct flight paths. According to SWISS, when achieved The Single European Sky will help to save up to ten million tonnes of CO2 a year – almost three times the airline’s own entire emissions.

Governmental support needed to achieve the rest

Clearly the aviation industry is working hard to achieve the primary objective of reducing emissions by 1.5% a year. However in order to meet the goal of carbon-neutral growth from 2020, government action and investment are essential. “The industry can only achieve so much on its own” underlines Chris Goater. “To achieve carbon neutrality we need government help. As an example, the Single European Sky initiative to simplify European airspace would transform the way countries connect across borders, meaning more direct routes. And given the price of fuel, governments would do well to foster investments in biofuels. We can strengthen the industry as a whole with a set of interconnected actions but above all we need we need a global system of Market Based Measures for fairly attributing, measuring and compensating for emissions.”

IATA and its 240 member airlines have been lobbying for governments to develop such a global mandatory scheme for carbon offsetting. Good news arrived in October 2013, when ICAO agreed a commitment to develop the global Market-Based Measure that the industry is calling for. Discussions on the details, to include standards for the monitoring, reporting and offsetting schemes, are scheduled to be finalised at the 2016 ICAO Assembly.

“Global implementation of what has been agreed at ICAO is critical to the future successful development of our important industry.

Airlines will carry some 3 billion people and over 50 million tonnes of cargo this year. A globally standardized environment is absolutely essential to perform this important task safely, securely, sustain ably and efficiently” concludes IATA’s CEO Tony Tyler.

GREEN AIRPORTS MAKING THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABILITY TARGETS. Amsterdam Schiphol, Brussels and Heathrow are just three of the European Airports that have been accredited in the Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme organised by Airports Council International.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol aims to generate 20% of its energy requirements in a sustainable manner by 2020. Solar cells have been installed on the roof of several buildings and the airport also has the first battery switching station for electric taxis. Within 5 minutes taxis are ready to go with fully charged batteries.

Brussels Airport Company has achieved the Optimisation Level of Airport Carbon Accreditation. It has significantly reduced its energy consumption through measures such as constant monitoring and evaluation of installations and lighting. Solar panels have been installed, which should supply 3% of the airport’s electricity needs, and recycling has been a major environmental battle-horse. In 2012 the airport installed 192 refuse sorting islands and campaigned heavily to raise social awareness about the importance of recycling. The airport has also been working hard to encourage overseas passengers, who may not be familiar with the concept, to sort their waste. Sorting instructions on collection bins have been made as clear as possible for all to understand, even for those who do not speak a European language.

Heathrow is working towards reducing carbon emissions by 34 per cent by 2020. Its environmental actions include a large fleet of electric airside vehicles, the UK’s first publicly accessible hydrogen fuelling station and Fixed Electrical Ground Power technology which provides aircraft on stand with power. The airport’s new Terminal 2 will feature a state-of-the art biomass energy centre, to provide low carbon heat and electricity to the terminal.

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AIR PORTS

Interparking’s innovations for corporate travellers at Brussels Airport Interview with Interparking’s CEO Roland Cracco

T

he basis of Interparking’s development strategy are, firstly, to search for new ways to improve their customers’ experience and secondly, to actively reduce their carbon footprint.

The company has deployed a range of value added parking solutions at Brussels Airport, targeted to appeal to both business and leisure travellers. “We are always listening to our customers’ feedback to find out how we can improve our services” says Roland Cracco. “Interparking has just over 11,000 spaces at Brussels Airport, not in just one car park but in several car parks that are very different products.”

Since its creation 55 years ago in Brussels, Interparking has grown to become one of Europe’s most successful car park operators. Roland Cracco, CEO of Interparking, talked to the Corporate Traveller about the company’s latest innovations and how they are addressing the needs of business travellers at Brussels Airport.

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Premium parking solutions at Brussels Airport

“Interparking has two ‘high end’ products at Brussels Airport” says Roland Cracco. “Our first premium parking solution is the Front Parking P1. This car park has a dedicated zone at the first level, called ‘Fast Zone’, which is specifically designed for businessmen in a hurry. By using the Fast Zone, travellers are just 50 metres away from check-in. This very attractive product has been such a success that we created a second Fast Zone, on the second floor of the Front Parking P1 this year. It is especially appreciated by those who are in a hurry to get to the airport. The Fast Zone

costs only 3 euros a day more than the Front Parking P1, except for customers who have a Pcard+ with Access Anywhere functionality, who do not pay extra. Our prices are really quite attractive when compared to those of parking facilities in other European airports – lower even than at Brussels South Charleroi Airport. We also have a VIP Premium car park, which is located within the airport terminal itself. The VIP Premium car park has valet car parking and there is a car wash service on demand.”

Tourism products

Interparking also has a perfect offer for leisure travellers. The most budget-friendly option is the Discount Parking, located off-site in the airport’s cargo area. Priced at only 39 euros per week or 54 euros per month, the off-site car park has a free shuttle bus to the passenger terminal. Five shuttles an hour are operated during the day and four at night. “The Discount Parking has been a huge success and is running all year round.

The quality is very good, it is secure, there is a physical presence of personnel and it has a very efficient shuttle service driving across the airport in just 5 to 7 minutes. This is our lowest cost option, mainly targeting longer stays. In order to park at the Discount Parking, our customers

AIR PORTS

have to make a reservation with prepayment on-line.”

The Holiday Parking P3 is Interparking’s second offering for leisure travellers. The P3 is located on site, so passengers can walk directly to terminal. It costs 18 euros per day or 99 euros maximum for a month’s stay.

On-line reservation with prepayment of places is possible in the ‘Reservation Zone’ car park, at the same prices as the Holiday Parking P3.

Multiple benefits with the Interparking Pcard+

One of the biggest innovations from Interparking is its Pcard+.

With its Access Anywhere functionality, getting around has never been easier, as it allows drivers to enter and exit any Interparking car park without having to pay. They simply present the Pcard+ at the entrance and exit of the car park, and get a bill at the end of the month.

Besides saving time, users also benefit from exclusive promotions and discounts. The Pcard+ with Access Anywhere can be used at Interparkings in Belgium, France and Germany. In addition, agreements have been put into place with the STIB, the public transport provider of Brussels, which allows the cards to be used to pay for public transport in Brussels.

The Pcard+ with Access Anywhere is available for free (for private users), or for a small yearly fee (for corporate users) and can be requested on the Pcard+ website, at www.pcard. be. Each month users receive a statement with all invoices – and they can also check their accounts on-line.

As security is an important part of Interparking’s offering, its Control Room monitors all areas of the car parks around the clock. If a customer experiences any problems when there are no personnel in the immediate vicinity, the Control Room can help them from a distance by opening doors and barriers, or by sending an intervention team immediately if necessary. For even more security, Interparking also has a Lock Parking at Brussels Airport. Access to the car park is closely controlled by Interparking’s personnel. Identity documents and a receipt are needed for picking up cars.

LED lighting with movement detectors” says Roland Cracco.

“There are an important number of stations for electrical vehicles, available for free, in every car park. We also use electric cars for our staff and we buy green electricity. Then there is our automated system for indicating available spaces, which contributes to reducing petrol consumption and emissions”

Ecological efforts

“Our approach is a long term approach of managing and investing in our car parks for both quality and ecology. We are committed to putting the customer first while maintaining strong ecological principles. Any emissions that we do produce are being compensated for by sustainability projects we support, such as an electricity production plant in Africa, which runs on biomass, and a wind power project in Turkey. We have made big efforts to reduce our CO2 footprint, and as a result our operations in Belgium, France and the Netherlands are CO2 neutral.”

“As far as our ecological efforts are concerned, we have replaced all our lighting systems with

Interparking has won 126 European Standard Parking Awards for the excellence of its products and services. Today, Interparking has more than 656 high quality car parks with nearly 300,000 parking spaces for motorists to use in nine countries across the European continent.

Interparking aims to lead the way in environmental issues. A portion of profits are re-invested in pioneering green initiatives, including car sharing and electric filling stations.

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HOTELS

The Hotel Brussels: cosmopolitan, elegant and inspirational

E

xtensive renovation works on schedule

The Hotel Brussels, the former Brussels Hilton on the fashionable boulevard de Waterloo, was acquired in September 2010 by the Swedish investment group Pandox AB. The owners announced the extensive renovation plans shortly after and started with the guest room renovations in November 2011, designed by Spanish architecture agency ‘GCA Arquitectes Associats’.

As scheduled, the two year renovation project was completed in the autumn, along with works to The Restaurant on the ground floor.

421 guest rooms – inspirational, elegant and innovative

The most striking feature of the new rooms is the revolutionary new layout. Gone are the obligatory desk, corner armchair, curtains, and traditional loor and table lamps. Today’s modern business traveller carries a smartphone or tablet PC, so there’s no point in cluttering up the room with a big, bulky desk. A leather sofa runs across the entire width of the room, in front of the window, accented with a practical oval-shaped table. The space has been carefully optimized to provide the visitor with maximum utility, whether it’s to work, relax or simply enjoy a great view of Brussels.

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HOTELS

Traditional curtains have been replaced with sliding semi-transparent panels that can filter in light if so desired. The room can be electrically darkened. Another striking detail is that the bathroom is also part of the open-plan space. This, naturally, contributes to the overall feeling of spaciousness, but also allows the visitor to admire the fantastic views, even from the shower.

The design is inspirational, elegant, stylish and innovative.

The different room types of The Hotel are Superior rooms, Deluxe Panorama rooms, 14 Panorama Suites, 3 Suites Splendour and The Suite. Everything is marked by a unique hotel experience, with emphasis on the cosmopolitan identity of The Hotel. Extra attention is given to details like fine Egyptian cotton bed linen, books and magazines about fashion and haute couture, free drinks in the minibar, luxury toiletries from CO Bigelow (pharmacist on 5th Avenue, New York) and decorative design objects in the Suites.

Floor 25 – 26 – 27: Inspiring Meetings at Great Height

Eight meeting rooms on the top floors (25th, 26th and 27th) have now been given The Hotel identity.

They are also functional, stylish and inspiring due to the spectacular views that can be enjoyed from their height. All the necessary facilities, such as unlimited Wi-Fi, LCD projectors and built-in screens have been made available. The open foyer, which stretches over the entire length of the building, and rooms offers an almost 360° view of the skyline, providing an ideal setting for fashionable and stylish events.

First Floor: The Park & Grand Ballroom for grand events

Not one but two spacious ballrooms and a foyer on the first floor of The Hotel with a capacity of up to 400 people. The Park Ballroom is, as the name implies, overlooking the Egmont Park. The Grand Ballroom is located on the side of the Boulevard de Waterloo and can be divided into three separate rooms. The stylish and yet simple spatial layout of the rooms suit any type of event.

On the ground floor: The Restaurant by Pierre Balthazar

Pierre Balthazar, Culinary Director wanted, and has, set up an innovative and international culinary concept for The Restaurant. Diners can enjoy an original experiencie which takes them on the most delicious routes through French, Italian, Thai and Belgian cuisines, via the culinary imagination of international chefs. Collaborating closely with Pierre Balthazar, each chef used the same nine seasonal products to create two variations: a classic and a creative preparation.

THE HOTEL BRUSSELS Boulevard de Waterloo 38 1000 Brussels, Belgium +32 (0)2 504 11 11 info@thehotel.be

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SHOW

Business Travel Show The Business Travel Show takes place in London on 4-5 February 2014.

Widely regarded and well respected as Europe’s leading conference and exhibition for the corporate travel market, the event celebrates its 20th anniversary next year and promises to offer corporate travel managers even more sourcing, learning and networking opportunities.

E

vent director David Chapple commented: “2014 is a really big year for the Business Travel Show: it marks 20 successful years of connecting the corporate travel community and in February we will be connecting more than 6,000 travel professionals over a busy two days of business.”

Sourcing at the Business Travel Show

More than 250 world class suppliers of business travel products, services and solutions, ranging from air, accommodation and travel and expense management to traveller services, technology and CSR providers exhibit at the Business Travel Show. This makes the event the perfect place to meet new suppliers, strengthen existing partnerships and negotiate smarter deals in just two days, all under one roof.

“The Business Travel Show was the best place for networking and discovering new ideas for my travel programme.”

Imperia Treusch, Federal-Mogul Corporation

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Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, easyJet, Eurostar, Premier Inn, Travelodge, AIG, CWT, Sabre Europe, ATPI, Best Western Hotels, Egencia, Capita and Click Travel are among the companies that will be at the show. Visitors will also find dedicated supplier areas at the Business Travel Show including The Airline Pavilion, The ASAP Pavilion of Serviced Apartment Providers, Business Travel Technology Showcase, ITM Village and the all new Responsible Travel Management feature and International Hotel Village.

Learning at the Business Travel Show

The Business Travel Show hosts Europe’s only high quality, free to attend conference programme

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designed to meet the knowledge requirements of the entire corporate travel buying and booking community, with the simple aim of enabling them to buy and manage travel better.

In February, visitors will be able to choose from more than 70 educational sessions tackling topical travel topics such as NDC, mobile technology, travel management 2.0, SMMP and multi-territory travel management across a range of keynotes, panel debates, case studies and masterclasses.

David Chapple: “The conference has skyrocketed in credibility, popularity and real world relevance over the last few years.

We have 12 senior European buyers on our advisory board who, working alongside our independent, experienced conference producers Amon Cohen and Melanie Garrett, have shaped a fantastic programme for 2014.

The conference programme is also produced in association with the ITM and supported by the GBTA, which speaks highly of the quality of our content. And, for the very first time, members of CIPS (Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply) can earn CPD hours by attending.”

Networking at the Business Travel Show

The Business Travel Show offers an unrivalled programme of relevant, rewarding, entertaining and enjoyable networking opportunities and social events for corporate travel managers, including the after show party, hosted buyer welcome dinner, discovery forums, masterclasses

and Cellars in the Sky wine tastings.

Hosted buyer opportunities at the Business Travel Show

More than 1,000 travel professionals attend the Business Travel Show each year from mainland Europe, many taking advantage of the show’s fully hosted buyer programme, which provides complimentary travel and accommodation, as well as exclusive education and networking events throughout the show. Following this year’s event, 93 per cent of hosted buyers rated the show as excellent or good.

For 2014, the hosted buyer only pre-show conference returns but with more places for buyers - up from 100 to 150. This programme is designed specifically for EMEA and global travel managers and the content focuses on issues with global resonance such as big data, supplier relations and traveller communication. This is followed by a welcome dinner before the show takes place on 4-5 February.

David Chapple: “We’re delighted that 64 per cent of hosted buyers who attend the Business Travel Show are first time visitors, which is testament to the relevance of the show’s content for senior buyers throughout Europe.”

The Business Travel Show runs 4-5 February 2014 at Earls Court in London. For more information and to register, please visit our website at www.businesstravelshow.com.

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