Tct57 englowres

NO. 057 WINTER 2016 - 2017

BRUSSELS AND ITS AIRPORT HOTELS LOOK TO THE FUTURE

 LUFTHANSA TO COMPLETE FULL BUY OUT OF SN AIRHOLDING  AN OLYMPIC LEGACY – RIO DE JANEIRO POST-2016  TIME TO DISCOVER MONTREAL AS IT CELEBRATES ITS 375TH YEAR

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

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CONTENT

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER IN THE BENELUX WWW.THECORPORATETRAVELLER.BE CIRCULATION 26.000 DIFFUSION Belgium, France, Luxemburg and The Netherlands PUBLICATION FREQUENCY 4 issues per year PUBLISHED BY LEO bvba 1, rue des Ixellois, 4000 Liège, Belgium Tel: 0032 (0) 4 224 7871 Fax: 0032 (0) 4 226 9484 E-mail: jp@eventbox.be PUBLISHER Erik De Ridder – E-mail: edr@eventbox.be MANAGING EDITOR Jean Paul Talbot – E-mail: jp@ eventbox.be EDITORIAL TEAM Joanna Pays, Angela Antrobus, Jeroen Coteur, Jacques Legros ART DIRECTOR Bert Wagemans SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions to The Corporate Traveller cost € 150 per year (excluding VAT).

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

TRAVEL MANAGEMENT

AIR WAYS

004 The Journal

022 Lufthansa to complete full buy out of SN Airholding

News from the travel industry

010 Searching for a solution to Irregular Operations Irregular Operations, or IROPS, are still a gigantic problem for the aviation industry. In the whitepaper ‘Airline Disruption Management’, which T2Rl prepared by commission of Amadeus, we learn how the sector continues to search for a suitable answer.

012 Marriott’s purchase of Starwood creates world’s largest hotel company Marriott International’s purchase of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide was finally completed on 23 September 2016. The group now controls the equivalent of one out of every 15 hotels, making it the world’s largest hotel company.

015 Brussels and its airport hotels look to the future and get back to business The senseless tragedies which occurred in Brussels on March 22 will take time to heal - but the determination to move forward, shown by all those affected, has been inspiring. Insights from some of the hotels around Brussels Airport and visit.brussels’ CEO, Patrick Bontinck….

018 Business Travel Show – Bigger and better than ever

AIR PORTS

DESIGN LEO BVBA

020 Brussels Airport unveils its Strategic Vision for 2040

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 Travel Magazine and Kids Universe. ISSN 1387-2400

024 Austrian Airlines’ route expansion continues, with focus on Greater China Austrian Airlines is continuing to expand its network, with a focus on major long haul destinations – particularly in Greater China. Following closely on from the introduction of Shanghai to its route map in April, in September it commenced direct services to Hong Kong.

DESTINATIONS 027 An Olympic Legacy – Rio de Janeiro post-2016 Hosting an Olympic Games is the ultimate honour for a city - but it also means massive investments in venues and transportation infrastructures. Success depends on these infrastructures paying their own way in terms of use to the local population and visitors once the big event is finished. Rio de Janeiro was no exception.

Huge projects began right from its selection in 2009 until the final days before the opening ceremony.

The Business Travel Show is the biggest event in Europe for corporate travel buyers; a highlight in the buying calendar and a must-attend for anyone who books, buys or manages business travel.

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

PRINTING HENDRIX - Peer

Lufthansa has now confirmed it will exercise its option to purchase a full stake in SN Airholding, the parent company of Brussels Airlines. As of 2018, Brussels Airlines will be fully integrated into the Lufthansa Group and join the Eurowings Group.

Brussels Airport is getting ready to meet the future demands of global aviation and strengthen its position as an economic growth engine for Belgium. On 17 November, Brussels Airport Company CEO Arnaud Feist unveiled the airport’s ‘Strategic Vision 2040’.

032 Time to discover Montreal as it celebrates its 375th year In 2016, Montreal was voted the second best city in the world to live in. Next year it may even make it to the top position, as 2017 is set to be a vintage year for festivities. The city is preparing double celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the Canadian confederation and 375 years since the founding settlement of Montreal. With no less than 175 events taking place in the city throughout the year, what could be a better time to visit?

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The Traveller Journal NEWS FROM THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY

Singapore Airlines launches non-stop Singapore-San Francisco flights Singapore Airlines has launched its new Singapore-San Francisco service, linking Singapore with the US West Coast on a nonstop basis. The new daily direct flights are on Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

The San Francisco flights are the longest in the Singapore Airlines network. Flying time will range between 14:35hrs and 17:45hrs depending on direction and time of year. With advanced technology and superior operating efficiency, the A350-900 offers customers an improved travelling experience with features such as higher ceilings, larger windows, an extra wide body and lighting designed to reduce jetlag.

Singapore Airlines took delivery of its first A350900 in March and now has six of the aircraft type in its fleet, with another 61 on firm order, including seven of the ultra-long-range A350-900ULR variant. Singapore Airlines is the launch customer for the A350-900ULR, for which deliveries will begin in 2018. The aircraft will be used to re-launch non-stop flights between Singapore and both New York and Los Angeles.

SIA serves San Francisco twice-daily, with the other flight operating via Hong Kong. Singapore Airlines also serves the US cities of Los Angeles via both Seoul Incheon and Tokyo Narita, Houston via Moscow, and New York JFK via Frankfurt. Houston services are now operated via Manchester rather than Moscow.

Steigenberger Hotel Group unveils rebranding and new name as Deutsche Hospitality CWT introduces mobile and virtual payment solution for business travellers Carlson Wagonlit Travel has introduced a new virtual solution, in collaboration with Conferma, for paying hotel expenses.

The Virtual Payment Solution allows business travellers to centralise the payment of their hotel bills.

One of the advantages of the CWT Virtual Payment Solution is that travellers no longer need a corporate credit card, or to advance fees using their own personal credit card. For each hotel reservation, a virtual, temporary, credit card is automatically created, with a 16 figure code. The employer then decides the amount that can be covered by the virtual card, based on the number of hotel nights, hotel taxes and breakfast. When the traveller checks out of the hotel, the virtual credit card is debited for the pre-agreed amount.

CWT is launching the payment solution in partnership with Conferma’s TripPay app. Advantages of the system include reduced paperwork, facilitated financial reporting and improved adherence to corporate travel policies.

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The Steigenberger Hotel Group unveiled its new name, logo and brand strategy during the Expo Real trade fair.

Now known as Deutsche Hospitality, the company is hoping to position itself as a global player with the rebrand, while maintaining its affiliation to qualities of German hospitality and precision. The rebrand further separates the management company from that of its flagship hotel brand, Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts, allowing it greater flexibility to introduce new brands to its portfolio and to expand.

“Deutsche Hospitality embodies a culmination of German precision and global vision” said Puneet Chhatwal, CEO of Steigenberger Hotels. “To give up the name that a company has carried for over 85 years, and transition into something different, is a very big change - but change is the only constant, and I’m very proud to be a part of this journey, because I believe that the new name is far more powerful, far more global and far more attractive to investors, owners, stakeholders, shareholders, employees and everybody else in the company.

The new brand is a vital lever that will unleash dynamism, help us to expand internationally and drive innovation.”

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Finnair to increase frequencies to Tokyo and Hong Kong with the A350 for summer 2017 Golden Tulip Brussels Airport Hotel becomes Parker Hotel Brussels Airport With the ending of the franchise contract on 1 September, the owners of the former Golden Tulip Brussels Airport Hotel have decided to change the name to Parker Hotel Brussels Airport – a strong, new name for a hotel with a strong character.

The hotel, which is located just five minutes from Brussels Airport, is well known in Diegem. For the last few years, it has been known as the Golden Tulip Brussels Airport Hotel.

However, the franchise contract ended this year and the owners, Kees van Maaswaal and Harry Heinrichs, decided in favour of a strong independent name, with Parker Hotel Brussels Airport.

An airport hotel is always bustling with activity. Flight crews spending a night and a day, business people and private guests with families staying before or after their flight and international gatherings taking part in meetings and events in the hotel. All of these create a pleasant, dynamic atmosphere. Over the past year, a great deal of attention has focused on the plants and trees in the area around the hotel and in the enclosed garden with its swimming pool. If they didn’t know better, guests would think they were in a park rather than five minutes from the airport.

Finnair is continuing to grow its Asian traffic and has announced that it will add capacity and frequencies to its Tokyo and Hong Kong routes with the A350 for the summer 2017 season.

Finnair will increase its current flight schedule between Helsinki and Tokyo with four additional weekly flights to Narita airport. Finnair currently operates daily to Narita with the A330.

The additional flights, which will be flown with the new Airbus A350 aircraft, will be operated between June 5 and October 27. With these additions, Finnair and its partner Japan Airlines will offer 18 weekly connections from Helsinki to Tokyo’s Narita Airport. The additional Tokyo frequencies will be operated as a joint business operation with Japan Airlines, British Airways and Iberia.

Finnair also flies non-stop to Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka during the summer 2017 season, with a total of 35 weekly flights to Japan.

Finnair will also add A350 frequencies to its Hong Kong route with three additional weekly flights between June 6 and October 28. Currently, Finnair flies to Hong Kong daily. With the new frequencies, Finnair will operate 10

weekly flights and offer customers the added option of an afternoon flight from Helsinki and a morning flight from Hong Kong. Finnair’s flights to Hong Kong are fully operated with the A350.

In addition to Hong Kong, Finnair will also maintain and continue its seasonal route to the nearby Chinese city of Guangzhou, with four weekly frequencies operated with the A330 aircraft. Finnair’s route to Guangzhou opened in 2016 and was the airline’s fifth destination in mainland China.

“With increased frequencies for Tokyo and Hong Kong on the A350, we are now tapping into the growth of Asia-Europe traffic and increasing our presence in cities that have been popular with our customers in recent years,” says Juha Järvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Finnair. “It’s been a year since we received our very first Airbus A350, and with seven aircraft operating in our network, we look forward to having even more customers flying on this great aircraft.”

Next year, Finnair is expected to receive four A350 deliveries. By the end of 2023, Finnair will have one of the most modern long-haul fleets in the industry, with 19 A350 aircraft in its fleet.

“Guests greatly appreciate a personal welcome and a sign of recognition from the receptionist or barman” said General Manager Frank De Neef. “That’s maybe something that no longer goes without saying in airport hotels these days. But this is one of our hotel’s assets. Our entire team realises the importance of personal attention. It lends the hotel a face and character.”

Meetings and events The Parker Hotel Brussels Airport benefits from a dedicated meetings and events floor, with ten meeting rooms, all with natural light and a total capacity of up to 400 participants.

Here too, organisers do not have to go in search of the person in charge, because the meetings and events team has a desk on the same floor, so they are always up to date and close to the event.

Other facilities at the hotel include the Chez Daniel bar and restaurant, a health and fitness centre with heated outdoor swimming pool, free high-speed wifi and free 24/7 shuttle service to the airport. The hotel’s ‘Park, Sleep & Fly’ package includes secure parking for a maximum of 14 days.

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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Arnaud Feist receives Man of the Year Award 2016 from Aviation Press Club The Aviation Press Club of Belgium and Luxembourg has conferred the title of “Man of the Year 2016” on Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company. Feist has received the award for the remarkable development Brussels Airport underwent in 2015 under his leadership and for the good contacts he has with journalists.

Singapore Airlines launches ‘Capital Express’ service to Canberra and Wellington Singapore Airlines has launched its new ‘Capital Express’ service, linking Singapore for the first time with the capital cities of both Australia and New Zealand.

The ‘Capital Express’ service will operate four times per week on a SingaporeCanberra-Wellington routing. Flights will be operated with 266-seat Boeing 777-200 aircraft, fitted with 38 Business Class seats and 228 Economy Class seats.

The new Canberra services will add to Singapore Airlines’ already extensive Australian network, which includes flights between Singapore and Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

Regional arm SilkAir also serves Cairns and Darwin, while low-cost subsidiary Scoot serves the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The new Wellington services will complement the airline’s existing routes (Auckland and Christchurch) to New Zealand.

Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson Antwerp Astrid Antwerp engage in CSR projects September was designated as ‘Responsible Business Action Month’ by Carlson Rezidor Hotels’ Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson Antwerp, who participated in a number of unique charity events.

Events included the Carlson Rezidor Charity Football Cup and the Blu Planet Bike ride, a 55 km long bike ride from the Park Inn by Radisson Leuven to the Radisson Blu Astrid Square in Antwerp. Team members also participated in the 5km Color Night Run in Brussels, equipped with blacklight headlights and fluorescent powder. All proceeds from the events are being contributed to charities.

Arnaud Feist “I am very honoured to receive the Man of the Year Award from the Aviation Press Club” said Arnaud Feist. “2015 was a remarkable year for Brussels Airport, with the opening of Connector and a record 23.5 million passengers. This year, Brussels Airport is facing different challenges. After the attacks on 22 March, we had to rebuild the airport and regain the confidence of passengers. The award may have been conferred for 2015, but I would like to dedicate it to all airport staff who, in 2016, gave of their best to make Brussels Airport even stronger and better than it was before.”

In 2015, Brussels Airport welcomed airline ANA, a new Star Alliance partner, which operates daily direct connections between Brussels and Tokyo. The airport innovated its own cargo services with the air-side pharma transporter for temperature-sensitive cargo. A new reception building was opened for welcoming ceremonial and formal guests to the airport.

The annual Man of the Year award from the Aviation Press Club of Belgium and Luxembourg honours a person from the aviation industry who has distinguished themselves in the sector in Belgium or Luxembourg and, at the same time, has contributed to smooth contacts with the press. The decision to confer the Man of the Year award on Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport, was taken before the attacks on Brussels Airport on 22 March. The presentation of the Award was also delayed until now because of this.

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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Christina Foerster joins Brussels Airlines as Chief Commercial Officer Christina Foerster has joined the Management Board of Brussels Airlines, as Chief Commercial Officer.

pentahotels is taking off in Paris pentahotels, the neighbourhood-lifestyle brand of hotels, opened its first propert in France, at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, on 6 October.

The opening of the hotel in the city of fashion is not a coincidence – this is the first pentahotel with the brand new 3.0 design experience.

Innovation, a strong vision, a good dose of creativity and courage define the brand’s philosophy. Indeed, the 186 extraordinary rooms will include eleven of the unique pentaPlayerPads – rooms that come equipped with pinball machines, PS4 and anything else that the gamer’s heart could possibly beat for.

As well as 8 conference rooms, the hotel offers free Wi-Fi and a free Pay-TV entertainment package. A free shuttle bus connects guests to and from the airport.

With 27 hotels across seven countries on two continents, pentahotels offers individual and business travellers comfort and style in a relaxed atmosphere. The hallmark of the hotel chain is the pentalounge - a combination of lounge, bar, café and reception – that stands out with its “living room” look and feel.

By 2020, the brand is looking to extend its portfolio to 80 properties worldwide. With this passionate expansion plan, the hotel chain will further increase their position as a key trendsetter in the innovative hotel segment, with new properties in Asia, Europe and North America.

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Reporting directly to CEO Bernard Gustin, Christina follows in the footsteps of Lars Redeligx who has successfully repositioned the business model, market approach and brand of Brussels Airlines during the past three and a half years.

Lars becomes Chief Commercial Officer and Spokesperson Europe of the LSG Group.

Christina Foerster’s most recent position was that of Lufthansa Senior Vice President Network & Partner Management Hub Airlines.

After receiving a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Christina began her professional career as consultant at The Boston Consulting Group. She moved to Deutsche Lufthansa AG, 2002, first as Project Manager Corporate Strategy, then as General Manager Product Management Intercontinental, where she was responsible for the development of Lufthansa’s in-flight product in the long-haul segment. In 2011 she became Vice President Network and Fleet Development, where she focused on the strategic development of the Lufthansa Group fleet and the global network of Lufthansa Passenger Airlines. In 2014, she was appointed Senior Vice President Network, Group & Alliance Development at the Lufthansa Group and, since January, has been the overall process owner of Network & Partner Management for Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian Airlines.

Amadeus and Pyton Travel Technology develop a unique solution for innovator srprs.me Technology partners Amadeus and Pyton have developed a customised solution for srprs.me, the Dutch tour operator that specialises in surprise trips.

With its surprise trips, srprs.me is launching a completely new concept onto the market. The tour operator is extremely popular in the Netherlands and is rapidly becoming well known in Belgium. Looking for new ways to continue to meet the rising demand, srprs.me has been able to implement a customised solution working together with technology partners Amadeus and Pyton. The automated and newly created advanced cache of airline products represents huge gains in efficiency for srprs.me.

The innovative concept of surprise travel is currently enjoying a rapid upward trend. The solution provided by Amadeus and Pyton supports this growth through the automation of administrative tasks and the provision of access to more and up-todate airline products, thanks to an improved cache.

This is an absolute added-value for a tour operator catering for spontaneity. For example, srprs.me is now able to put together packages even more efficiently, with the correct availability and prices of both the regular and low cost airlines.

“With srprs.me, we want to bring back the spontaneity of travel” explains Tim Beglinger, cofounder of srprs.me. “Our customers are looking for a unique experience and an unforgettable adventure.

We are only too happy to give them exactly that, because, for us, the travellers take central stage and we spare no effort to make them happy.”

Thanks to the tailor-made solution from Amadeus and Pyton, srprs.me now has a much larger and more up-to-date offer of scheduled flights and low cost airlines for their surprise trips. For example, the tour operator now has a considerably larger range of departure days, times and fares. The new cache also makes it easier for srprs.me to keep an eye on the cash by keeping track of any additional costs for payments with a credit card. srprs.me was founded in 2014 by Marcel Hagedoorn, Raymond Klompsma, Stefan Wobben and Tim Beglinger, with the aim of bringing back spontaneity into travel. srprs.me is preparing for further growth. In just two years, the company has booked more than 30,000 travellers on surprise trips.

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Air France pursues its move upmarket strategy During the 28th edition of the IFTM Top Resa tourism trade fair, Air France unveiled its new offering and presented its on-going strategy to upgrade its products and services.

“Our latest-generation cabins, launched in 2014, have been highly praised by our customers” said Frédéric Gagey, Chairman and CEO of Air France.

“Air France’s significant progress in the rankings of the best global airlines and in several particularly competitive categories reflects the importance of these investments for travellers. We must continue this momentum to offer our customers an easier, more personalized and more enjoyable travel experience.”

Table service in business class Since May 2016, Air France has been offering table service in business cabins on selected flights from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Singapore and New York-JFK. It light of its success, Air France will be adding the new service on flights to Tokyo-Haneda by the end of the 2016 – and to many additional routes next year. Air France intends to bring more of a fine dining restaurant experience to its passengers. Air France crews take

individual orders from each passenger and sets their individual tables for them. In this way, there are no more trays and the presence of the serving trolleys is limited. To enhance the new table service, Air France has created specific training for its cabin crew, in collaboration with the Paul Bocuse Institute.

A new seat in Premium Economy Air France is renewing seats in its Premium Economy cabin to provide its customers with even more comfort. Redesigned in close collaboration with its customers, Air France’s new Premium Economy seat is the first step in a series of improvements. As from 9 January 2017, on board the first commercial flight of the Boeing 787, passengers in the Premium Economy cabin will enjoy more space, comfort and seat recline, with a fixed-shell seat – as well as many other practical and innovative features.

Continuing the move upmarket On Air France’s long-haul routes, 36 Boeing 777 will be equipped with new cabins and will serve 32 destinations this winter. In total, by August 2017, 44 Boeing 777 will be retrofitted. As of winter

Brussels for All: improving accessibility for visitors with reduced mobility A new trilingual guide, “Brussels for All”, has been launched which reviews access to Brussels’ tourism infrastructures for all of those with reduced mobility.

Brussels for All diagnoses the accessibility of touristic infrastructures for persons with reduced mobility (PRM) who are searching for information regarding their stay in Brussels. It provides a complete tool with practical information regarding accessibility of hotels, restaurants and other tourism structures. The guide is also destined for agencies, tour operators, service providers, transportation and accommodation providers.

The new guide was presented by Patrick Bontinck, member of the Brussels French

speaking government in charge of the Help for the Disabled and CEO of visit. brussels and Miguel Gerez, the CEO of the association AMT Concept – Access and Mobility for All. “The paper edition is a resource guide that is complemented by the website” said Miguel Gerez, CEO of the association AMT Concept. “It offers simple and concise information regarding accessibility, with links to the website with useful details and photos. »

2017, Air France will begin the move upmarket on its Airbus A330 aircraft, with deliveries expected in winter 2018. At the same time, the company is studying the refurbishment of its Airbus A380, with possible deployment starting in 2019.

On medium-haul routes, the move upmarket of the cabins is also continuing with 24 Airbus A320 aircraft, which will modified by the end of October 2016. In November, Air France began upgrading its 11 Airbus 321 planes in November.

Scandinavian Airlines celebrates 70th anniversary SAS is celebrating its 70th anniversary since its creation in 1946, following the merger of the transatlantic operations of Swedish, Norwegian and Danish carriers Svensk Interkontinental Lufttrafik, Det Norske Luftfartselskap and Det Danske Luftfartselskab.

The first Scandinavian Airlines flight took place on September 17, 1946, between Stockholm and New York, using a DC-4 “Dan Viking” aircraft, with stops in Copenhagen, Prestwick and Gander, in Newfoundland.

“The anniversary marks SAS’s position as Scandinavia’s preferred airline, focusing on making life easy for travellers to, from and within Scandinavia” commented Rickard Gustafson, CEO and Group President, SAS. “I am grateful to each and every passenger and employee that has contributed to SAS’ 70 year long history and our future to come. We’ve been part of seventy years of unique travel stories, and there are many more to come.”

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MANAGEMENT

Searching for a solution to Irregular Operations A heavy wind- or snowstorm can completely disrupt an airport’s or an airline’s schedule. The consequences of this are enormous. Of course, it is very inconvenient for the passenger, but also for the companies involved. Irregular Operations, or IROPS, are still a gigantic problem for the aviation industry. In the whitepaper ‘Airline Disruption Management’, which T2RL prepared by commission of Amadeus, we learn how the sector continues to search for a suitable answer.

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1

Shaping the Airline Disruption M future of anagement (IROPS

)

I

RREGULAR OPERATIONS IS ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING PROBLEMS THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY HAS TO DEAL WITH. Technical problems, extreme weather

conditions or a strike; these are just some of the causes of disruptions of air traffic and all the consequences this entails. An airport has to close, capacity is limited, flights are cancelled, the crew doesn’t arrive at the right place, etc.

Correcting and adjusting these types of situations is anything but simple and the consequences can be enormous.

Up to 60 billion dollars

It is estimated that these disruptions end up costing about 5% of the airlines’ profit, or approximately 35 billion dollars worldwide. And that is only part of the story, because the IROPS indirectly also cause loss of productivity for the passengers, loss of income for supporting sectors, such as, for example, hotels. The total cost is therefore more like about 60 billion dollars a year.

Still no suitable solution

During its more than 100-year history, the aviation sector has overcome many technical, financial and organisational challenges. But despite the ongoing innovation, no suitable solutions have yet been developed for IROPS. The whitepaper ‘Airline Disruption Management’ distinguishes five main ‘drivers’ that explain why it is so difficult to make progress in this area.

Hard to measure

First of all, IROPS are always coupled with predominant ‘soft costs’. Everyone knows they exist, but they are particularly difficult to quantify. It therefore follows that there are no standards to measure how much can be saved 10 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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with better performance. The third cause is related to the so-called ‘human bandwidth’. The main IROPS decisions are made by people in the Operations Control Centre of an airline. People are flexible, but they don’t have the capacity to process the avalanche of data that must be considered when making operational decisions on a minute-to-minute basis. Because everything is related to each other, simply providing extra people does not suffice.

Important steps

Data plays a crucial role in an IROPS situation. To find the best solution, all data of all airlines should be available.

This data integration was not self-evident for a long time, although steps are being taken regarding this, with the use of central data servers. Finally, investing in IROPS solutions was not seen as something profitable until recently.

The entire operational window was not considered to be an important revenue driver by senior airline executives.

This support from senior management seems to finally be forthcoming. The other obstacles also seem to be gradually disappearing.

MANAGEMENT

Investing in solutions

Since 2010, the industry has begun to invest more in IROPS solutions. In the first phase, the focus was on the re-accommodation of the stranded passenger. Meanwhile, automated solutions for the re-balancing of the aircraft rotations are also being developed, to ensure that the disrupted portion of the schedule does not affect the rest of the airline and the problem therefore does not escalate.

In terms of disrupted crew trips, the first steps are also being taken now, although this may be the most difficult and complex part of the IROPS.

Waiting for the game changer

Despite the investments and the development work, there is still no ‘killer app’, a solution that sticks out above the rest and that will create a break-through in the market. However, there is a favourable dynamism to keep working on solutions. It is expected that a solution package will be forthcoming within the next 3 to 5 years,

which will ‘change the game’, and which will clear the path for many other parties to present follow-on projects.

In the whitepaper, a comparison is made with the milestone that produced the first iPhone in the history of the smartphone.

A better overall experience

With all these developments, it is expected that airlines are going to be collaborating with other providers of travel services, such as, for example, hotels, in order to coordinate their joint resources and to offer travellers a better overall experience. T2RL and Amadeus have therefore decided that the problem of the IROPS will not remain unsolved for much longer. Everyone within the airline community is convinced by now of the value that these kinds of solutions can bring to the operational efficiency of the airline and for the overall satisfaction of the customer. And ultimately, these improvements will also translate into better financial results. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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HOTELS

Marriott’s purchase of Starwood creates world’s largest hotel company Marriott International’s purchase of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide was finally completed on 23 September 2016. The group now controls the equivalent of one out of every 15 hotels, making it the world’s largest hotel company.

½½ JW-MARRIOTT JR, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD ARNE SORENSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO

T

HE 13 BILLION DOLLAR ACQUISITION CREATES A HOTEL COMPANY WITH MORE THAN 5,700 HOTELS AND 1.1 MILLION ROOMS IN OVER 110 COUNTRIES. In addition, Marriott

International now counts a comprehensive portfolio of 30 hotel brands, including Marriott’s Ritz-Carlton, Marriott and Courtyard and Starwood’s Sheraton, Westin, W Hotel and St. Regis. Together the hotels have a significant global footprint in the lifestyle, luxury, convention and resort segments.

“Combining Starwood’s brands with ours better enables Marriott to reach our goal of having the right brand in the right place to serve our loyal guests and welcome new ones,” said Arne Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Marriott International. “We will continue to work with our brand teams that include great leaders from Marriott and Starwood to drive distinctions between those brands and make sure that we can sort of rationalise them with product and surface features that customers over time will understand and draw distinctions between.”

The deal

The deal, which had been under discussion since November 2015, was awaiting final approval from the Chinese regulatory authorities, following approvals already received from other regulatory authorities including the US, Canada, the European Union and Saudi Arabia. Marriott had also faced some competition in the bidding for Starwood, notably from the Angbang Insurance Company, which finally walked away from the deal in March.

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Management-wise, Marriott’s Board of Directors has increased from 11 to 14 members, while Arne Sorenson remains President and Chief Executive Officer. The headquarters continue to be located in Bethesda, Maryland.

SPG programme is strategic

The Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) loyalty programme, which counts over 21 million members, was a big motivation for Marriott’s purchase, with Marriott citing it as a strategic rationale for the transaction. Quickly reassuring the members of Marriott Rewards and SPG that they will not lose out on points or status levels was crucial in retaining the loyal clients of both groups. As such, one of the first steps since the purchase completion has been to announce that members of Marriott Rewards and SPG (as well as Ritz-Carlton rewards) can now link between the two loyalty programmes. The new system gives loyalty members the possibility to transfer points and access equivalent benefits between the programmes. The conversion ratio will be one SPG reward point for three Marriott reward points. A new microsite, www.members.marriott.com, has been launched for members to learn more about reciprocal benefits of the schemes and how to link accounts.

Cost synergies, savings and strategy

Marriott estimates that its purchase of Starwood will enable it to make annual cost savings of around 250 million dollars from synergies and economies of scale. Combined sales expertise and improved account coverage are expected to provide

HOTELS

greater efficiencies and increased revenue opportunities for managed and franchised properties. In addition, Marriott has said that it plans to sell some of the properties in Starwood’s owned portfolio over the next couple of years.

“These enhanced efficiencies and revenue opportunities should drive improved property-level profitability, as well as greater owner and franchisee preference for the combined company’s brands, which will encourage new hotel development” said Sorenson. “As new travel destinations emerge, Marriott can be counted on to be there.”

Further aspects of the enlarged group’s strategy, going forward, will be to attract more users to book directly through its own website, in order to retain revenues. Travellers booking directly will gain by receiving added benefits during their stays. In addition, its larger size now gives Marriott more power to negotiate with online travel agencies on commissions.

The group also intends to continue expanding its footprint around the world and currently has a pipeline of over 300,000 additional guest rooms in its new construction projects. Managed properties rather than ownership, will continue to be the preferred business model.

A productive journey

“We believe that Marriott now has the world’s best portfolio of hotel brands, the most comprehensive global footprint, and the most extensive loyalty programs, providing an unparalleled guest experience” summarized Arne Sorenson. “We can now provide a better range of choices for our guests, more opportunities for our associates, and greater financial benefits for our owners, franchisees, and shareholders.”

“It has been a long and productive journey since we announced the acquisition last November” said Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson. “It is my great pleasure to welcome everyone from Starwood who is joining the Marriott family.” | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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MANAGEMENT

Brussels and its airport hotels look to the future and get back to business The senseless tragedies which occurred in Brussels on March 22 will take time to heal but the determination to move forward, shown by all those affected, has been inspiring.

Brussels, its airport, hotels and tourism partners have shown their true fighting spirit to get back to business, look ahead and return to full speed. Insights from some of the hotels around Brussels Airport and visit.brussels’ CEO, Patrick Bontinck….

»» PATRICK BONTINCK, CEO VISIT.BRUSSELS

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VER RECENT YEARS, TERRORIST INCIDENTS AROUND THE WORLD, PARTICULARLY IN TOURISM DESTINATIONS, HAVE BECOME MORE FREQUENT. The double side of

the coin is that, as these events have become more frequent, the time taken for tourism to fully return to a destination is gradually decreasing. According to the World Economic Forum, the travel and tourism industry is becoming more resilient and more skilled at bouncing back, in a shorter space of time. It also notes that there has been a shift in mentality among consumers and companies over the last 10 years, with the emergence of a “carry on as normal” culture in response to terrorism. London’s tourism, for example, had fully returned within nine months of the attacks on its transport system in 2005.

The effects

Overall, bookings from domestic and European travellers to Brussels have been much less affected than international demand. This hesitation among long haul tourists concerns reservations in Europe as a whole, rather than just Brussels, with traffic from the US, China and Japan the most affected.

Hotels around Brussels Airport are optimistic that these markets will soon return. “Although we saw an initial drop in international business customers, we have no doubt that these travellers will return, due to the vast

amount of corporate headquarters and political institutions based in the city” commented Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel’s Benjamin Maris. “We envisage that incentive business will take longer to bounce back but forecast that business should be back to 2015 levels by the middle of next year.”

According to visit.brussels, the biggest challenge that remains now, is not so much the volume in terms of visitors, but the pressure that has been put on the prices of the hotel sector. Hotels are also seeing major changes in the booking habits of their guests. “The lead-time has become really short, meaning that guests are waiting until the very last moment to book their room, or even large events of up to 300 people” notes the Holiday Inn Brussels Airport’s Director of Sales, Thomas Dupont.

First step is to reassure travellers on security

Travellers are understandably cautious in the short term when an attack occurs, as in addition to the potential threat to safety there are the knock on effects of cancelled flights, delays and longer waits at the airport. Clearly safety is first and foremost for the success of the tourism industry.

Governments and businesses need to improve security, but more than that, to reassure travellers, as the first step to attracting travellers back to their destinations. That is exactly what has been happening in Brussels. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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MANAGEMENT

½½ PENTAHOTEL BRUSSELS AIRPORT “When we look at other cities that have experienced similar tragic events in the past, such as Paris, we should learn from them” comments Thomas Dupont. “Lowering rates and creating special packages wasn’t going to attract more business travellers. The reason why travellers were staying away was for security reasons. Knowing this, we took action by increasing the information about extra security measures and accessibility solutions in our hotel and the surrounding area. The first step is to inform guests about security and accessibility in and around your hotel. The second step is easier – once you have convinced them to use your facilities, you can convince them with your service.”

the city is open for business and the production of a new ‘Destination Brussels’ video, which showcases the very best of the city. Alongside this, we promoted added values for our hotel, such as double loyalty points on specific bookings and emphasized our ease of access to Brussels Airport, being just ‘39 steps away’. This swift action plan has enabled us to outperform the competition in terms of market share during this difficult period.”

Airport hotels teaming up with government bodies to promote Belgium

“On the day of the attacks we did our utmost to create a safe haven for our guests and all those who ended up in our hotel” explained Kristof Lemmens, General Manager of Pentahotel Brussels Airport. ”The fact that they genuinely felt that we cared for them was also very much appreciated. Of course, immediately afterwards you need to start thinking about how to attract more travellers. We closely monitored our public rates, offered free high speed internet and enlarged our Park-Sleep-Fly programme. In addition we have made our cancellation policies more attractive, to better suit the needs of companies. This has increased our repeat business ratio. We feel very confident that the corporate market has reacted the way all of us should. This market was the first to stand up, straighten its back and carry on.”

Now that all operations are back to normal at Brussels Airport, all those involved in Belgium’s tourism industry are busy on initiatives to re-dynamise the sector.

Hotels around the airport have been working alongside government bodies and associations to put Brussels firmly back on the map. The Parker Hotel Brussels Airport, for example, has joined up with Tourism Flanders for their “Share our Smile” campaign, designed to attract more tourists to the Flanders region over the coming months.

The Thon Hotel Brussels Airport has joined the # See You in Brussels campaign, a collaborative initiative between hotels in Brussels to strengthen the city’s positive image.

The Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel has also been working closely with Belgian authorities to ensure that travellers know that Brussels is open for business. “We implemented a dedicated action plan in order to drive bookings from the business community” explained Sheraton Brussels Airport’s General Manager, Kurt Renold. “This plan included personal calls to key clients in order to reinforce the message that 16 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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More personalised relationships

Hotels are using a more personalized approach to entice travellers back and build relationships with guests.

For the Van der Valk Hotel Brussels Airport, the most essential sales action was to convince the guests during every sales call to still plan a business trip to Brussels. “As a familyowned brand, we are proud of the personal touch we provide and our relations with our customers are even more important than ever” said the Van der Valk’s Corinne Aertsen.

“To thank them for their loyalty, we offered a free breakfast box for the companies in the surroundings. Another winning

MANAGEMENT

¾¾ VAN DER VALK

½½ VAN DER VALK MEETINGS OVERLOOKING THE AIRPORT factor for us is our focus on bringing clients creativity and choice in terms of events and dining options. Our goal is that every customer leaves with a ‘WOW’ feeling. We see there is really great loyalty to our brand from our current customers and continual innovation helps us stay ahead of competition. In fact, even in these difficult times, we are continuing to grow and we will be opening an additional 22 guest rooms in the upcoming year. “

Return to form

“Business tourism has come back really quickly and by June we had achieved pretty much a full recovery” said visit.brussels’ CEO Patrick Bontinck. “As at the beginning of July, the leisure business had made a lot of progress, but was still down by about 10 to 15 percent in terms of bookings. The attack in Nice set us back but, once again, as at the end of October we can say that business tourism is recovering. Leisure tourism is still about 10 to 15% down but we hope to have a full recovery by January if there are no further incidents.”

“Everyone in the tourism industry has been working hard and at visit.brussels we have launched strong marketing campaigns to really put a positive spotlight on Brussels and give it plenty of visibility. We have been particularly working with online booking agents and social networks to put Brussels at the top of city break searches and stimulate short term reservations. Reinforcing this, we also have campaigns in partnerships, with travel providers such as Ryanair, Brussels Airlines and Eurostar.”

visit.brussels’ reinforced campaigns with positive focus

“Of course, we will reassure visitors about security, but we want to move on and put this in the past” added Patrick Bontinck. “ Looking at key, specific long haul markets, a great piece of news is that we should be launching a new low cost carrier between Brussels and the US, as from June next year. The recovery of our visitor frequentation from Japan is returning fast, particularly thanks to the direct air links provided by ANA, so this is a positive sign. As regards China, we are also hoping that we may see the expansion of Hainan Airlines’ direct flights from Brussels. “ “Here we have the capital of 500 million Europeans and a truly cosmopolitan city, with a great mix of activities, nightlife and superb hotel infrastructure. Our positive takeaway message to visitors is to come back to Brussels and see all the new attractions we have to offer.” | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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MANAGEMENT

Business Travel Show Bigger and better than ever

The Business Travel Show is the biggest event in Europe for corporate travel buyers; a highlight in the buying calendar and a must-attend for anyone who books, buys or manages business travel. Next year will be the show’s 23rd edition.

This type of longevity for an event is rare and comes with the temptation to tweak and meddle, however, organiser Centaur Media will not be making any major changes for 2017. Instead, the plan is very much to focus on doing what they do best – bringing buyers and suppliers together to do business – just doing it even bigger and better than before.

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HIS WILL TAKE SOME BEATING, THOUGH. In 2016, the event smashed records for the third year running with 7,730 visitors (up four per cent) and 267 exhibitors (up six per cent). Thanks to continued investments over the last five years, hosted buyer numbers also shot up by 12 per cent, with 399 attending from all over Europe. Together, they took part in 3,224 pre-arranged appointments over two days. 96 per cent of hosted buyers attending the Business Travel Show in 2016 rated their overall experience as good or excellent and 82 per cent rated the conference sessions the same.

“Part of the secret of our success lies in listening to the industry - visitor and exhibitor feedback is critical to the future direction of the Business Travel Show and we spend months between events finding out what buyers and suppliers want and then using that data, plus information about industry trends, to evolve the show’s content. The show wouldn’t exist without the industry and that’s why we let them play such a big part in dictating its future. This year we have 11 new advisory board members, all senior buyers from across Europe, who are all keen to shape and drive the show’s direction.”

“These stats are testament to how well the Business Travel Show provides the learning, sourcing and networking requirements of our senior European buyers,” commented event director David Chapple.

Hosted buyer programme

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The Business Travel Show introduced its hosted buyer programme five years ago to help the show become truly European and, in 2016, hosted buyers attended from

MANAGEMENT

Huntsman, MasterCard, Tennant Company and IBA in Belgium, Amazon in Luxembourg and Foot Locker, Booking.com and Rabobank in the Netherlands.

In return for committing to five or more pre-scheduled appointments per day with exhibitors of their choice, hosted buyers enjoy the following benefits: • A three day conference programme including the preshow conference stream on Tuesday 21st February, which is exclusively for hosted buyers • Invitation to the buyer-only masterclass sessions at the show • A personal online diary system, accessible via any 4G device, to help manage and maximise time at the show • Up to two nights complimentary accommodation at a four star hotel with bed and breakfast and ground transfers • Complimentary travel to London • Access to the exclusive hosted buyer lounge, including refreshments and networking lunch

Sourcing from world class suppliers

This year, the Business Travel Show is aiming to bring over 270 exhibitors to the show, including airlines, accommodation providers, ground transportation, technology providers and TMCs. The Business Travel Disrupt Awards and Launchpad, which both launched in 2016, were so popular they are returning in 2017, as are the International Hotel Village, Airline Pavilion, Responsible Travel Management Zone, GTMC Pavilion, ASAP - The Association of Serviced Apartments Members and Business Travel Technology Zone. All Business Travel Show buyers can also access Travel Technology Europe.

½½ DAVID CHAPPLE, EVENT DIRECTOR

“The show provides buyers with the chance to meet the biggest number and widest variety of suppliers under one roof, which makes it incredibly easy for them to catch up with current partners and also hunt out new suppliers, innovative services and exciting products,” added David Chapple.

First class educational programme

One thing that will change for 2017 is, of course, the show’s conference programme.

“The world doesn’t stand still between shows and neither does the industry nor the buyer’s role, so it’s critical that our educational sessions reflect these changes and help buyers understand the challenges and opportunities facing them and help them to futureproof their travel programmes,” explained David Chapple.

“A brand new theme for next year will, of course, be Brexit and how that will impact travel and managing travel programmes – everything from currency valuations, to movement of labour and visa requirements. Other topics that are new for 2017 are personalisation, pre-trip approval and FinTech.”

Networking for now and the future

The Business Travel Show provides buyers with a unique opportunity to meet 7,700 professionals from across Europe.

From peer-to-peer and supplier networking sessions, to informal social events, buyers will build new relationships at the show and be given a chance to share knowledge and best practice.

The Business Travel Show takes place 22-23 February at Olympia Grand, London. Please visit www.businesstravelshow.com for more information, and http://www.businesstravelshow.com/ hostedbuyers/hosted-buyers-programme to view the hosted buyer programme or contact hosted@businesstravelshow.com to apply.

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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AIR PORTS

Brussels Airport

unveils its Strategic Vision for 2040 Brussels Airport is getting ready to meet the future demands of global aviation and strengthen its position as an economic growth engine for Belgium. On 17 November, Brussels Airport Company CEO Arnaud Feist unveiled the airport’s ‘Strategic Vision 2040’.

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AVING A STRONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, CONNECTED TO ALL CORNERS OF THE GLOBE, IS A KEY FACTOR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANY COUNTRY. Over

the next 20 years, the number of global air passengers is expected to increase by 3.8 % and cargo volume by 4.7 %, on an annual basis. Numerous foreign airports, including those in neighbouring countries, have announced major strategic investments to meet this expected market increase. Belgium cannot afford to lag behind and needs to seize the huge opportunities that aviation will offer in terms of economic, social and cultural benefits.

In anticipation of this, Brussels Airport has an ambitious strategy to prepare for the expected growth in air traffic. The plan has the potential to double the number of jobs in and around the airport to 120,000 by 2040. Brussels Airport’s Strategic Vision 2040 sets out its development projects for meeting the expectations of customers, passengers and air carriers - and for strengthening its competitive position in Europe.

Infrastructure developments

A major part of the airport’s Strategic Vision will be the development of its infrastructure, planned from 2025 onwards, following a phase of optimisations to the existing infrastructure over the next four years. As a first step, the runway infrastructure will be upgraded to increase capac20 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

WINTER 2016 - 2017 |

ity during peak hours and ensure continuity throughout all weather conditions. The airport is currently examining two options to achieve this with runway 07R/25L, either by an extension of the taxiway, or of the runway itself.

As part of the new-build projects, two additional piers will be constructed in order to improve passenger comfort. The first will be the new Pier A West, scheduled to be completed by 2023, followed by Pier C by 2030. Meanwhile, the Brucargo zone will be transformed into a world class logistics centre.

Brussels Airport - an intermodal transport hub

Brussels Airport has been proactively working to boost public transport to the airport for many years, in association with national railway operator NMBS/SNCB and regional public transport companies De Lijn and MIVB/STIB. Moving forward, Brussels Airport intends to expand on this and become an intermodal transport hub for the entire region. As such, more trains, more buses and a new link with the regional tram network are now firmly on the agenda.

By 2040, the aim is to see 50% of all passengers and airport staff travel into Brussels Airport by public transport, or by bike. The concentration of all these transport modes at a strategic location will enable Brussels Airport to contribute to more fluid traffic flows around Brussels.

AIR PORTS

A centre to attract new businesses

A further axis of Brussels Airport’s Strategic Vision for 2040 is the strengthening of its position as Belgium’s second largest hub for economic growth. Many leading global companies, such as Deloitte, KPMG and Microsoft, have already moved into premises at Brussels Airport, attracted by the advantages it offers in terms of international connections. Over the years ahead, this trend will continue to gather momentum, as has been seen at other airports around the world. By 2040, Brussels Airport plans to establish a prestigious state-of-the-art business centre to attract even more companies who wish to establish themselves near to the international airport.

Forum 2040 – sharing the vision

All of these new developments will take place in an open and transparent manner, in dialogue with the airport’s stakeholders and with consideration to their impact on the environment - which has always been a key focus in Brussels Airport’s growth. The airport is encouraging everyone to put forward their questions through the various communication channels in place. The unveiling of Strategic Vision 2040 goes hand in hand with the launch of a dedicated website www. brusselsairport2040.be, a Facebook page, a 500,000-copy magazine entitled “Connect” and the new Forum 2040.

By setting up Forum 2040, Brussels Airport is looking to initiate transparent and structured communications with a group of airport users, local residents, the municipal authorities, civil society organisations, businesses and experts alike. Candidates can sign up to sit on the forum through the www.brusselsairport2040.be website.

An independent jury will select around sixty participants, based on their registered address or their expertise, so as to make sure that all stakeholder groups are equally represented. The first meeting of the Forum 2040 will be held in January.

“We are confident that it is feasible to increase the airport’s capacity to meet growing market demand and, in doing so, ensure Belgium’s competitive position and connectivity, while at the same time taking account of the impact of this growth on local residents and the environment” summarised Arnaud Feist. “The Forum 2040 which we are launching is the ideal platform to exchange ideas about this and find solutions” “The development of Brussels Airport will lead to more destinations for our passengers and more export and import opportunities for our businesses, allowing Belgium to continue to play its leading international role, whether on an economic, diplomatic or cultural level.” | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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AIR WAYS

Lufthansa to complete full buy out of SN Airholding Lufthansa has now confirmed it will exercise its option to purchase a full stake in SN Airholding, the parent company of Brussels Airlines. As of 2018, Brussels Airlines will be fully integrated into the Lufthansa Group and join the Eurowings Group.

The deal

UFTHANSA ALREADY OWNS 45% OF SN AIRHOLDING, WHICH IT ACQUIRED IN 2009 FOR 65 MILLION EUROS, ALONG WITH AN OPTION TO BUY THE REMAINDER AS FROM 2011. Deutsche Lufthansa AG’s Supervisory Board

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has now decided to pursue its call option for the further 55% of shares. The call option comes into effect by 31 December 2016 and the closing of the transaction will happen by the beginning of January 2017. The decision had originally been planned for earlier in 2016, but was put on hold following the attacks at Brussels Airport.

The price for the take-over of the remaining 55 percent of the shares will be 2.6 million euros, as had been part of the agreement for the call option in 2008, and this will be transferred to a consortium of 30 shareholders.

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“Following the acquisition of the 45% share of SN Airholding eight years ago, we now want to take a next step in our already very solid and successful cooperation” explained Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Deutsche Lufthansa AG. “As a longstanding shareholder and partner of Brussels Airlines, we are already closely linked to each other. Therefore we value Belgium and especially Brussels as highly attractive markets that perfectly complement our offer in the heart of Europe. In addition, Brussels Airlines already has a very competitive cost structure and brings a well-established long-haul network, especially to and from Africa, to the Lufthansa Group portfolio. We also very much appreciate the high qualification, motivation and performance of the 3,500 Brussels Airlines employees.”

AIR WAYS

Brussels Airlines’ network

The unique characteristics of Brussels Airlines, including its attractive Brussels market, its well established Africa network and its advantageous cost structure which has allowed the leading Belgian airline to successfully compete with the tough low-cost competition in the Belgian market, will further strengthen the Lufthansa Group and Eurowings Group market position.

With its expertise and experience and based on its hybrid focused hub model, Brussels Airlines will assume an important role in the further development of the Eurowings Group into a pan-European platform with a large long-haul and short-haul network. Brussels Airlines’ international network has most recently been joined by the launch of a route to Toronto in April this year, while the airline’s first forays into Asia are to begin in March 2017, with direct services to Mumbai. The Belgian flag carrier currently operates scheduled flights to over 90 destinations, as well as offering cargo, charters, maintenance and crew training services. Many of Brussels Airlines’ customers are connecting passengers and this makes a huge contribution to the hub development of Brussels.

After the acquisition, Brussels Airlines will operate its 23 long-haul destinations as well as 79 destinations in Europe under the umbrella of the Eurowings Group. The brand Brussels Airlines will over time be complemented by the claim “member of the Eurowings Group”. The common goal of Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines is to further strengthen the market position in the Belgian aviation market.

Fleet and operations

Brussels Airlines does have fleet renewals scheduled for 2018, so big investments are already in the pipeline. The ongoing fleet harmonization towards an Airbus A320 family fleet for the European network will be continued. With its fleet of 42 short- and medium-haul aircraft, including two in wetlease, and nine A330 long-haul aircraft, Brussels Airlines has significantly increased its passenger numbers. Between 2013 and 2015, this number has increased by 30% to a total of 7.5 million passengers. Medium-term investments are planned to further improve the fleet efficiency and increase the capacity on the short- and long-haul networks.

On the cost saving side, over the past three years, Brussels Airlines has reduced its overall costs by 15% and established efficient sustainable structures. For the fiscal year of 2015,

the leading Belgian airline generated an operating profit of 43.4 million euros. With the full integration of Brussels Airlines into the Lufthansa group, synergies will add up to a mid-double digit million euro amount per year.

Some combined operations are already in place between the two airlines. Brussels Airlines has been participating in Lufthansa’s Miles & More frequent-flier programme for quite some time. In addition, sales activities for Lufthansa group airlines in Belgium were regrouped together, in July 2015, and are now headed up by Brussels Airlines.

“Over the past eight years, our collaboration with Lufthansa has proven its potential to create perspectives and safeguard jobs” commented Viscount Etienne Davignon, Chairman of the Board of SN Airholding. “More than ever, consolidation in the aviation business is key. Joining the Lufthansa Group allows us to further increase our synergies, while keeping our specificities. Operating under the umbrella of Lufthansa will help us to further strengthen our competitiveness within a tough market environment and develop our long-haul and short-haul operations. Furthermore, the Lufthansa Group power enables us to expand our Africa-reach, by positioning Brussels as the Sub-Saharan Africa Hub of the Lufthansa Group.”

New management structure

In order to personally follow up the integration process, the Chairman of the Board of the Deutsche Lufthansa AG Carsten Spohr will join the Brussels Airlines Board as Co-Chairman, next to Viscount Etienne Davignon. In 2017, Lufthansa will hold the majority in the Board. However, during this period, the Board will make its decisions by consensus. Concerning the three current Belgian directors of the Brussels Airlines Board, the Board co-opted Bernard Marchant, CEO of the Group Rossel, as replacement for Luc Coene, who presented his resignation for personal reasons.

The Brussels Airlines Management Board remains unchanged under the leadership of CEO Bernard Gustin. In addition an Advisory Council will be established and will support the integration process.

“As the leading aviation group, we have already demonstrated on several occasions that, during the expansion process of our airline group, we fully respect the interests of the respective domestic markets” said Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Deutsche Lufthansa AG. “We want to further sustainably strengthen the important aviation location of Brussels and continue to improve the connectivity of the European capital. Based on its successful development, Brussels Airlines is able to play a leading role in bringing our pan-European point-to-point offer under the brand of the Eurowings Group to new successful heights. Together, we will be successful for our customers, shareholders and employees – and this especially for Belgium.” | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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AIR WAYS

Austrian Airlines’

route expansion continues, with focus on Greater China Austrian Airlines is continuing to expand its network, with a focus on major long haul destinations – particularly in Greater China. Following closely on from the introduction of Shanghai to its route map in April, in September it commenced direct services to Hong Kong.

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HE NEW HONG KONG ROUTE IS SERVED WITH 5 FREQUENCIES PER WEEK, FROM THE AUSTRIAN’S VIENNA HUB, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR. On board the airline’s Boeing 777 aircraft,

all passengers can enjoy comforts such as menus by award winning Do&Co and over 300 hours of video and audio entertainment. Economy class has been redesigned with new interiors and ergonomic seating, while Business Class passengers benefit from full flat bed seats, with integrated massage function – while fine dining is assured by Austrian Airlines’ Flying Chef service.

Above all, the new Hong Kong and Shanghai flights from Austrian’s Vienna hub have been scheduled to offer fast, convenient connections to and from around 50 cities – including Brussels, Amsterdam, Luxembourg and Paris.

Hong Kong, a cosmopolitan city like no other

Whether for business, pleasure or both, Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city like no other. Over the decades, its importance as a gateway to the east has grown, making it a major international centre for business, finance and trading. Its dazzling skyline, ever reaching upwards, is a witness to the city’s ambitions. Tradition is here too, with its bustling street markets, antique shops, tea houses and temples. For food lovers, the choice is endless, with some of the world’s finest international and oriental cuisine.

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AIR WAYS

With the Hong Kong and Shanghai routes added to its existing flights to Beijing, Austrian Airlines now flies to the three biggest cities in Greater China. And as some of world’s busiest airports, all three offer a multitude of onward connections to cities throughout China, Asia and Australia.

Other new destinations this year – Isfahan, Colombo and Malé

Further destinations recently introduced by Austria’s national carrier include a year-round service to the Iranian commercial centre of Isfahan, which commenced in September. With three frequencies per week, Isfahan is Austrian’s second destination in Iran, following Tehran which it serves up to 14 times a week. Finally, for the winter schedule only, two new long-haul destinations, Colombo and Malé, join the network. Colombo is operated with weekly flights and Malé with two frequencies per week.

Los Angeles to become Austrian’s fourth US route – as from April 2017

More network expansions are already in the pipeline for next year and, as from April 10 2017, direct services will begin between Vienna and Los Angeles, with up to six flights per week. In the initial phase, the Vienna-Los Angeles route will be served seasonally, in the summer 2017 flight schedule.

In total, Austrian Airlines now flies up to 23 times per week to Asia in its winter flight schedule. The airline operates daily flights to Bangkok, up to four flights per week each to Shanghai and Hong Kong and up to five flights a week to Beijing.

“Following the successful expansion of our flight offering to North America, we are now focusing on Greater China” explained Austrian Airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer Andreas Otto. “In spite of the latest reports about an economic downturn, growth forecasts still predict promising economic expansion for Greater China in the coming years.

For this reason, especially for large cities such as Shanghai and Hong Kong, we foresee an interesting potential for Austrian Airlines in its role as the air traffic backbone for industry and tourism in Austria.”

The metropolis of Los Angeles, with its millions of inhabitants, is not only interesting for point-to-point but especially for transfer traffic. About two-thirds of the passengers will be connecting onto other flights at the airline’s Vienna flight hub.

Los Angeles marks the airline’s fourth destination in the US, adding to Chicago, Newark and Miami. In its summer 2017 flight schedule, Austrian Airlines will offer a total of up to 44 weekly non-stop flights to North America. This will encompass up to five times per week to Miami, a maximum of six weekly flights each to Los Angeles and Toronto, and up to one flight per day to Washington and Chicago.

Austrian Airlines will also continue to offer thirteen flights a week to New York.

Tickets for all the above flights can be booked online at www.austrian.com, by phone at +43 (0) 5 1766 1000 and through travel agencies. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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DESTINATIONS

An Olympic Legacy Rio de Janeiro post-2016 Hosting an Olympic Games is the ultimate honour for a city - but it also means massive investments in venues and transportation infrastructures. Success depends on these infrastructures paying their own way in terms of use to the local population and visitors once the big event is finished. Rio de Janeiro was no exception. Huge projects began right from its selection in 2009 until the final days before the opening ceremony.

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DESTINATIONS

½½ PIER MAUA The last seven years have seen non-stop construction schemes all over the city, to bring Rio de Janeiro up to demanding Olympic standards. The districts that had the biggest role to play in the Games – the city’s Port area, Barra da Tijuca, Deodoro, Copacabana and Maracana – have seen the most impressive transformations.

The Port Area - international cruise terminal and new events venues

Rio de Janeiro’s old port area, which had been neglected for some decades, was completely renovated for the 2016 Games and has become one of the most important Olympic legacies for the city.

One of the most impressive transformations within this development was the modernization of the port’s Pier Maua, which was used as the operational headquarters for the Olympic Games. The pier’s international cruise terminal has been enlarged and completely renovated, giving greater access to cruise ships and an enhanced experience for passengers embarking and disembarking. Moreover, Pier Maua now has a second ‘profession’ as a major events venue alongside its port activities. The Pier’s six warehouses, which date back to 1910, along with the surrounding dock area, have been converted into eye-catching and original events venues. With the additional benefit of having sea views, each of the warehouses offers 3,500m2 of interior space, high ceilings and its own 1,000 m2 veranda. The warehouses can be hired separately, or combined and can be configured for a range of events including galas, exhibitions and congresses.

In total, the dockyard development extended to over 5 million m2 in and around the port. Projects to improve transportation links from the port to the city centre and other 28 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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districts included the addition of new express roadways, tunnels and a light rail tram network. The old port now has excellent connections to the heart of the city.

Barra da Tijuca District - Olympic Park, Riocentro and new Windsor convention complex

Barra da Tijuca, the city’s most exclusive neighbourhood, saw the greatest amount of construction works in anticipation of the games. Barra’s Olympic Park was at the heart of Rio 2016, as its main meeting hub and as host to 16 sporting disciplines. It was here that the highest number of venues

¾¾ BARRA OLYMPIC PARK

DESTINATIONS

½½ WINDSOR CONVENTION COMPLEX

½½ OLYMPIC CLOSING CEREMONY

for the 2016 Olympics were built, with the construction of 12 permanent and 3 temporary structures. Many of these structures will now be used to encourage sport in the area, as will the brand new 40,000 m2 Olympic Training Centre.

Furthermore, thanks to the addition of golf to Olympic events, Barra da Tijuca now also has a new, state of the art golf course that can welcome up to 15,000 visitors. The course has since been opened as a public venue, with the main goal of promoting golf in Brazil and South America.

Deodoro Olympic park underwent some 230 million euros in investments to adapt and modernize the sites, which were originally built for the Pan American Games in 2007. The project included the construction of 3 new facilities, one of which is the 5,000 seat Deodoro Juventade Arena. All of the venues have now been reallocated for sport, leisure or private hire, within the compound of the new Radical Park which covers 500,000m2 of land.

Barra’ da Tijuca’s Riocentro, the largest exhibition centre in Latin America, was also a platform for a number of the competitions. Constructed almost 40 years ago, Riocentro comprises 6 large pavillions, a convention centre and an audiotorium. Its makeover for the Games included modernisations to existing facilities and the addition of a new 306-room business hotel, which opened in 2015. The Grand Mercure Rio de Janeiro Riocentro hotel also has 6 meeting rooms of its own, as well as 2 restaurants, a gym and swimming pool.

The image of Copacabana is probably the first that springs to mind when thinking of Rio. With its iconic beaches and views over Sugar Loaf Mountain, Corcovado Mountain and Christ the Redeemer, Copacabana beach is considered by many to be the heart of Rio de Janeiro. It was only natural that Copacabana should have its role to play during Rio 2016, by showcasing one of the most beautiful competition venues. The location was used for many of the outdoor water events, including rowing, sailing and triathlons.

The Barra district likewise saw the inauguration of a vast hotel and convention development on its coastline, finalized in the run up to the games, with the Windsor Barra Centro de Convencoies. Over the last 18 months, the Windsor Hotels group has added the 4 star Windsor Oceanico hotel, the 3 star Windsor Tower and the new Centro de Convention venue to its existing Windsor Barra convention hotel. The result is a vast interconnected meetings complex with over 1,100 guest rooms, 116 meeting rooms and 20,000 square metres of convention and exhibition space.

Overall, Rio de Janeiro’s hotel park has increased from 133 properties in 2009, when it was named host of the 2016 Olympics, to over 170 hotels by the time the Games commenced. Nearly two-thirds of the city’s hotels are four or 5 star properties.

Deodoro Olympic Park Venues

The region of Deodoro, to the west of the city, was the second largest pole for the Olympics. Construction works in preparation for the hosting of 15 five different Olympic and Paralympic disciplines began in July 2014 and were completed just days before the games began.

Copacabana Marina Developments

Copacabana’s lagoon and yacht marina have thus benefitted from multi-million euro development funds to bring their facilities up to world class standards. Marina da Gloria, the venue used for sailing events, is located on the coastline and is Rio’s only urban marina. The improvements carried out prior to the games have totally transformed the city centre’s waterfront area. The new-look marina benefits from redesigned piers, a food complex featuring four restaurants – and better pedestrian access to encourage more tourism to the area. In addition, the Marina has a new main hall which has now become a permanent venue for sports, entertainment events and private hire.

Macarana District’s Iconic Stadiums

Rio de Janeiro’s scenery is not the only attraction that makes the city known the world over. Rio is also synonymous with the thrills of carnival – and football. The country’s most famous venues sites for watching these specialties are the Sambadrome and the Maracana Stadium.

Both facilities are in the Maracana district, located in Rio de Janeiro’s North Zone, near the City Centre and the Port area. During the 2016 Games, athletes had the opportunity to compete in both of the two arenas, while the legendary Maracana Stadium was used to stage the open| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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CANADA FOR EVERYONE

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DESTINATIONS

½½ RIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

ing and closing ceremonies of the ‘greatest show on earth’.

The Maracana Stadium has been totally restored and modernized and can now seat 78,000 people. Capacity has also been increased at the nearby Joao Havelange Olympic Stadium, while the surrounding area has benefited from several reurbanisation projects, including improved transportation links.

Major investments in transportation networks

Preparations for large events such as the Olympics are hugely important catalysts for developing urban environments and tourism infrastructures for the longer term. The International Olympic Committee has become more and more interested in the potential urban legacy its events can have on host cities. Since the London 2012 Olympics, all cities are required to consider legacy issues through all stages of event planning. The quality of projects to improve transport networks shown during the bidding process has therefore become one of the most important factors in the selection process for host cities.

(LRV) has also helped to improve traffic circulation in and around the city. The LRV has six lines and 42 stations which connect to all of the city’s other transport modes, as well as key locations including the port and the Providência Mountain cable car. Completing these developments, the new metro line 4, inaugurated a month before the games, now provides a practical mode of transport between the city centre, all of the tourism neighbourhoods, beach areas and the main Olympic zones.

The airports and international links

In 2009, the year of Rio’s selection for 2016, a €300 million investment plan was launched to upgrade the international airport. This included the renovation of Terminal 1, the completion and renovation of Passenger Terminal 2 and the construction of additional parking. The plan was subsequently further expanded, to include the construction of a new pier with 26 new bridges, a new apron for 97 aircraft, and a further 2,640 car-parking spaces, thereby almost doubling the initial budget.

Preparations for hosting an Olympic Games always mean making major investments in public transport systems in and around the city, in order to accommodate the massive peak in visitors. In the run up to the Games in Rio, transport improvements included the introduction of express autoroutes, a new metro line, a Light Rail Network and a Bus Rapid Transport System.

Transport to and from the airport has been improved too, with the 300 million euro TransCarioca project, which provides a 39 kilometre road corridor from the Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood straight to Ilha do Governador, where Rio de Janeiro International Airport is located. Approximately, 320,000 people a day benefit from the high capacity service, which cuts across 27 districts, reducing their journey times by as much as 60%.

One of the first of these public transport projects to be completed was the opening of the Bus Rapid Transit system, which carries around 150 thousand passengers a day.

As a result, traffic jams and commuting times have been reduced by up to 40%. The Light Rail Vehicle Network

Rio de Janiero International Airport offers over 260 flight departures a week and airlines serving the airport include TAP, KLM, Lufthansa and Air France. The national airport, Aeroporto Santos Dumont serves around 2100 weekly flights destinations thoughout Brazil. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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DESTINATIONS

Time to discover Montreal as it celebrates its 375th year ¾¾ AUBERGE DU VIEUX-PORT

( © Groupe Antonopoulos )

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DESTINATIONS

In 2016, Montreal was voted the second best city in the world to live in. Next year it may even make it to the top position, as 2017 is set to be a vintage year for festivities. The city is preparing double celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the Canadian confederation and 375 years since the founding settlement of Montreal. With no less than 175 events taking place in the city throughout the year, what could be a better time to visit?

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DESTINATIONS

½½ OLD MONTRÉAL AND OLD PORT OF MONTRÉAL

( © Tourisme Montréal )

Montreal’s origins

M

ONTREAL WAS ORIGINALLY THE HOME OF IROQUIAN INDIANS FOR ALMOST 8,000 YEARS. It was in 1642 that

the first settlers from France arrived on the banks of the city’s St Lawrence River. From there the town gradually became a major centre for French fur trading, as well as a military post. Over the centuries the city has seen wars with the Mohawk tribes and then, with the British in 1760.

Since then the city has remained firmly bilingual, giving it a unique European charm.

The city of Montreal is in fact located on an island, between the St Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. Its port is the Atlantic gateway to the famous St Lawrence Seaway, which stretches 600 km through to the Great Lakes of North America. Tourism and culture are among the city’s leading sectors, although with four universities, including McGill, the region’s premier exports are in the hi-tech and aerospace sectors.

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Although Montreal is Canada’s second largest city, it is easy to walk around. A stroll from the old city to the downtown area takes just 25 minutes and you do not really need a car to visit the rest of the city, as it boasts an excellent metro transportation network. There are plenty of green spaces scattered around the city and the main island has large national parks, with forests to enjoy. The jewel in the crown is the 200 hectare Mount Royal park, where Montrealers go to get a breath of air on a hot day, to cross-country ski in the winter, to picnic, to jog and to ice skate. Situated on a mountain, Mount Royal is the best place to relax and enjoy unhindered views across the city, all its districts and beyond over the river.

HoMa neighbourhood’s Olympic Park and Museums

Montreal is divided into several neighbourhoods and one can easily spend several days in each, as there is so much to see.

Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, known as HoMa, is the district in

DESTINATIONS

½½ ENCOUNTERS IN NEW FRANCE - 375TH

( © Pointe-à-Callière )

½½ BOCATA ( © Tourisme Montréal, Susan Moss )

Quartier des Spectacles

Montreal plays host to no less than 108 festivals every year. The city’s main entertainment and arts district is the Quartier des Spectacles. The area is home to several concert venues, as well as theatres, parks, water fountain displays, restaurants and the city’s Museum of Contemporary Art. The district hosts numerous festivals and events all year round, from winter wonderland spectaculars to summer music festivals – including the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Walking tours of the area are also available.

Montreal Old Town and around Montreal’s Olympic Park. Constructed for the 1976 Olympic Games, it is now a huge leisure area of green spaces, multiple sporting activities and museums. A must see in the area is the Biodome, which recreates four different natural environments from around the Americas – including a Maple Forest and a Tropical Rain Forest. Each of the environments houses animals and plants in their natural habitat. Other attractions in HoMa include the Planetarium, the Botanical Gardens, festivals throughout the year and ice skating.

Underground city

Montreal’s famed Underground City is a 32km network of underground complexes and tunnels which link the city’s buildings in the downtown and old quarter districts. Many of the city’s residents use the network for commuting, especially in winter. Here too can be found shopping complexes, restaurants and other commerces. If wanted, one could virtually spend one’s life underground – but Montreal has way too much to offer, even in the winter.

Downtown, on the north bank of St Lawrence River, is Vieux-Montreal, one of the city’s major attractions. It is here that the first settlers from France began to build, back in the 1600s and some of the district’s oldest buildings date back to this time. The Vieux Quartier has the feel of a historic European town, with cobblestone streets and a café culture. Hotels, restaurants, galleries and shops, as well as some of the city’s key monuments, contribute to making this one of the Montreal’s biggest tourist attractions and a pleasant area for discovering by foot.

The Old Town and its Port are far from being just a visitor attraction though, but a real, very active living and working neighbourhood. Place d’Armes is the heart of the Old Montreal and a capsule of the city’s architectural history.

Here all the key periods of Montréal’s past are gathered in one place - from 17th century buildings, through to the city’s first skyscraper. Notre-Dame Basilica, also on the Place d’Armes, is a must see in the historic district. Its magnificent gothic stone architecture and dazzling interior in bright colours date back to the early 1800s, while its stained | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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DESTINATIONS

glass windows depict scenes from the religious history of Montreal. As part of the 375th anniversary celebrations the Basilica will be illuminated by a world class sound and light show, both inside and out, as from spring 2017.

Anniversary events and celebrations

Kicking off the “VIVE 375” anniversary celebrations, Cité Mémoire is an outdoor exhibition on a massive scale. Every evening, scenes of Montreal and the people who have shaped its city are projected on to buildings, trees and monuments around the city. An interactive app gives viewers details on each work.

Montréal Avudo, from May 17 to September 2, is a show that has been created exclusively for the 375th anniversary

by Swiss physical theatre troupe Compagnia Finzi Pasca.

This multimedia extravaganza will include over 100 free

performances near the Old Port area. Close to 180,000 spectators will be able to see this stunning work as it unfolds on the waters of St Lawrence River.

Programming for the winter season will feature sports and activities for all tastes, including an ‘interactive technological obstacle course’, dogsled rides and extreme sports.

Other happenings will include free concerts, shows, outdoor events, sports competitions and street entertainment throughout the city, all through the year.

Culture vultures

For art lovers, Montreal’s Museum of Fine Arts is Montreal’s largest museum, spread across over 45,000 square metres and five pavilions. The fifth pavilion is new and has just been opened to the public. The museum’s permanent collection includes over 42,000 works of art.

¾¾ VIEUX-MONTRÉAL ( © Ville de Montréal, bureau du patrimoine, de la toponymie et de l’expertise )

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DESTINATIONS

Then, located in the Quartier des Spectacles, is the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art, Canada’s only museum dedicated exclusively to contemporary art. Works on display range from paintings and sculpture, to installation art, new media and video installations. The Contemporary Art Museum is also a social gathering place, as it has a sculpture garden and a glass walled restaurant with an attractive outdoor dining terrace. On the first Friday of each month, the museum stays open until 9pm to host “Friday Nocturnes,” with cocktails and live music.

Those interested in finding out more about the origins of Montreal should head to Pointe-à-Callière, the city’s archeological and history museum. As the museum is located on the first settlement of Montreal, visitors can view archeological digs on First Nations’ sites, as well as some well-preserved remains of the city’s original European fortifications. A film explains the founding of the city and its development.

¾¾ MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CIRQUE / MONTRÉAL CIRQUE FESTIVAL ( © Montréal Complètement Cirque, Tim Hussin )

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DESTINATIONS

Hotels and restaurants

The city has many fine international, as well as boutique, hotels. One of the best is Le SaintSulpice Hotel, located next to the Notre Dame Basilica. Rated 4 Stars, 4 Diamonds, it offers 108 suites, most of which feature a fireplace or balcony. Among the new openings in 2016 are the Marriott Le Renaissance Centre-Ville, a boutique hotel in the downtown district and the Hotel William Gray, near the old port, both of which offer roof terraces. Next year will see the opening of the 20 story Hotel Monville, in the Quartier des Spectacles, with 269 guest rooms and suites, as well as meetings rooms.

Montreal is a very sociable city and getting together with family and friends is an important part of life. Residents are friendly and welcoming towards visitors and, as a city with four universities, there is a lively and diverse nightlife of restaurants, bars and musical entertainment.

One of the things that Montreal excels in, is gastronomy and it is the perfect destination for food lovers. Restaurants use local products from the region of Quebec whenever possible and even the city’s sports bars serve excellent food, while many have their own beer breweries. Restaurants are everywhere and in fact Montreal is the city with the second highest number of restaurants per capita – just after New York. “There are 6,900 restaurants and eateries on the island of Montreal alone, so restaurants need to be really competitive, both in terms of quality and pricing” says Catherine Morellon of Tourisme Montreal.

At the top end of the scale, Toqué! restaurant is regarded by many as the best restaurant in Montréal and one of the best in Canada. Its chef and owners, Normand Laprise and Christine Lamarche, focus on innovative market-fresh cuisine. The emphasis is on hand selected locally sourced products of the utmost quality, such as line-caught blue fin tuna. Over its 23 years, Toqué! has accumulated some of the highest accolades, including the CAA/AAA Five Diamond rating. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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DESTINATIONS

½½ OLD MONTRÉAL ( © Taki Eddine Alimat, Pixelmontreal.com )

Montreal and its seasons

“We are lucky to have four very distinct seasons throughout the year, which give four completely different ways to enjoy the city” says Catherine Morellon. “During the summer we have festivals taking place non-stop from June to August and the great thing is that for 90% of them, an important part of their programming is free. It’s really vibrant here in the summer and as soon as the spring sunshine is out all the terraces are open.”

“Autumn, with the fall foliage is gorgeous and Canada is known for that, but it’s not the only time to visit. We really make the most of the winter time here and have so many activities to enjoy, including snow festivals in the parks, winter sports, free ice rinks and of course ice hockey - which is a religion here! Bigger ski slopes are just half an hour outside of Montreal and are lit up till late in the night. So throughout our four seasons, there is so much going on, that anytime is an excellent time to visit Montreal.”

Getting there

Air Transat offers direct routes from Brussels to Montreal three times per week, in the summer season from 1 May to 30 October. Cabins are configured in Economy and Club – the airline’s business class. As from 2017, passengers from

Brussels will be able to prolong their journeys to Montreal on to Toronto, Quebec or Vancouver.

Air Canada flies direct from Brussels to Montreal with up to seven flights a week. As from 9th February 2017, the airline will be adding Premium Economy class to its existing Economy and Business Class cabins.

SWISS flies up to 7 flights a week from Zurich to Montreal, with fast, smooth connections to Brussels Airport. Aircraft are configured in Economy, Business and First Class cabins. Those flights operated with Boeing 777 aircraft are fitted with the SWISS’s latest new business cabins, with some of the longest lie flat seats of any airline.

FOR MORE INFORMATION visit www.tourisme-montreal.org

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