NO. 058 – SUMMER 2017
BUSINESS CLASSES:
THE LATEST TRENDS PEER TO PEER BRINGS NEW CHOICES FOR CORPORATE TRAVELLERS LONDON CITY AIRPORT AND ANTWERP AIRPORT UNDERGO EXPANSIONS CHRISTINE OURMIÈRES-WIDENER OUTLINES PLANS AS NEW CEO OF FLYBE
THE BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER IN THE BENELUX
Collaboration. Innovation. Better Journeys. For 30 years, Amadeus solutions have kept the travel sector moving – from search to booking, from pricing to ticketing, from managing operations to managing customer experiences. Today, we help our customers all over the world improve the travel experience for billions of people a year. And we’re just getting started. We’re committed to making the future of travel even better – to connecting the industry, harnessing new technologies and finding new ways to make travel more rewarding – for 30 years to come.
Let’s shape the future of travel benelux.amadeus.com
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THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER IN THE BENELUX WWW.THECORPORATETRAVELLER.BE CIRCULATION 26.000 DIFFUSION Belgium, France, Luxemburg and The Netherlands PUBLICATION FREQUENCY 4 issues per year PUBLISHED BY LEO bvba 1, rue des Ixellois, 4000 Liège, Belgium Tel: 0032 (0) 4 224 7871 Fax: 0032 (0) 4 226 9484 E-mail: jp@eventbox.be PUBLISHER Erik De Ridder – E-mail: edr@eventbox.be MANAGING EDITOR Jean Paul Talbot – E-mail: jp@ eventbox.be EDITORIAL TEAM Joanna Pays, Angela Antrobus, Jeroen Coteur, Jacques Legros ART DIRECTOR Bert Wagemans SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions to The Corporate Traveller cost € 150 per year (excluding VAT). Costs of delivery to destinations outside of Benelux and France are in addition to this price. Student subscriptions cost € 90 per year (including VAT). A student card is necessary to obtain a student subscription. Subscription requests can be made in writing, mentioning your name, job, title, company name and delivery address. Subscriptions are for a period of one year, and are automatically renewed until revocation. Revocation of subscriptions must be made in writing two months prior to the end of the subscription period. ADVERTISING ERIK DE RIDDER Tel: 0032 486 13 13 13 E-mail: edr@eventbox.be TRAFFIC HILDE DE RIDDER E-mail: Traffic.leo@telenet.be DESIGN LEO BVBA PRINTING HENDRIX - Peer 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
TRAVEL MANAGEMENT 004 The Journal News from the travel industry
010 Global travel industry trends Amadeus recently released its Global Report 2016. This valuable document provides an overview of Amadeus’ operations but also includes a very interesting chapter on global trends in the industry. Let’s travel through some excerpts of the report…
012 The Business Travel Show to expand in 2018, following this year’s success The Business Travel Show, Europe’s leading conference and exhibition for the corporate travel market, has been connecting the community for 23 years. The 2017 edition once again saw a rise across the board in terms of exhibitors, visitors and hosted buyers. Centaur, the show’s organizers, have confirmed that the show will increase its floor size into an additional hall for 2018.
014 Peer to peer brings new choices for corporate travellers The scope of peer to peer services, brought to market by innovators such as Uber and Airbnb, has long since moved on to the business sector, from sharing office spaces to private jets. Now is the era of the collaborative economy – a more sophisticated version of peer to peer, with improved security and professionalized services, tailored for corporate travelers
AIR WAYS 017 Air Transat targets both business travellers and those attending conferences and events (MICE) In November, Air Transat will celebrate its 30th anniversary. A dream opportunity to get to know the most important Canadian leisure-travel airline company. Passing through Brussels, Lydia Morinaux, the Air Transat General Manager for France, Benelux, Switzerland and Germany agreed to meet us to tell us about the features and novelties of the company which, while branded as “recreational travel” wants to attract more and more business travellers and to entice the MICE sector.
020 SWISS invests in quality, with fleet renewals and new Zurich lounges With high expectations of quality from its home market, Swiss International Airlines has long been fine-tuning the art of premium air travel. This means constantly rethinking, updating and upgrading services. Three new all-comfort lounges and fleet renewals are part of the airline’s latest innovations.
024 Christine Ourmières-Widener outlines plans as new CEO of Flybe Christine Ourmières-Widener joined Flybe as its new chief executive in January. She brings with her nearly three decades of experience in the travel and aviation sector and a new focus for the airline on customer service excellence.
026 Business Class: the latest Trends The pace of improvements in business class flying has never been faster. Fully lie flat seats and all aisle access have become standard expectations in long haul. So what do airlines have in store next for business class passengers? The Corporate Traveller Magazine takes a look at some of the latest developments.
AIR PORTS 033 London City Airport and Antwerp Airport undergo expansions As air travel becomes more frequent and trips tend to become shorter, using a smaller airport for point to point travel is convenient and time saving. The regional airports of Antwerp Airport and London City Airport are experiencing booms, attracting substantial growth in passenger numbers and making big investments to enhance services and comfort for travellers.
ACCESSORIES 036 Techno-gadgets: the latest musthaves for frequent travellers For our frequent travellers readers, we have rounded up some of the best techno gadgets and gizmos, to help to make the working day more efficient and optimize audio visual entertainment during downtime. All of these devices are ultracompact and ideal for travellers with limited baggage space.
DESTINATIONS 038 Business tourism in Cyprus boosted by improved air links and major hotel investments Cyprus has been enjoying a return to form in the tourism sector, with visitor arrivals up by 31% in the last two years. The country is benefitting from more flight connections and multi-million euro investments to its hotel and other tourism infrastructures, as it strengthens its offer for corporate meetings and events.
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The Traveller Journal NEWS FROM THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY
Decius Valmorbida to lead Travel Channels business at Amadeus Valmorbida, currently head of EMEA region, is to replace Laurens Leurink who is leaving the company for personal reasons. Amadeus has appointed Decius Valmorbida as Senior Vice President, Travel Channels, with immediate effect. He will also become a member of the company’s Executive Committee. Valmorbida, previously Vice President EMEA for Travel Channels, replaces Laurens Leurink, who
joined Amadeus in 2016, but will now leave the company after a handover period. Valmorbida is a 13-year veteran of Amadeus, which he joined as an Operational Director in Brazil. He subsequently became Vice President for Latin America in 2009, and oversaw a period of growth in both the distribution and IT businesses in the region. In 2013, Valmorbida moved to Madrid serving in the global role of Vice President Distribution Marketing, in which position he has managed both commercial and marketing strategy for the business unit, which has grown strongly during a challenging period. He was appointed VP EMEA earlier in 2017. “Decius brings to this role a deep understanding of the industry and the needs of travel subscribers as well as experience of negotiating with travel providers. He is an innovative and energetic leader and I am confident he will drive the business forward,” said Luis Maroto, President and CEO at Amadeus. “I would like to thank Laurens for the positive contribution he has made during his time at Amadeus.”
Singapore Airlines to boost Paris services to 10 times weekly Singapore Airlines will be increasing flight frequency to France’s capital city Paris to 10 per week from the current seven during the Northern Winter operating season (29 October 2017 to 24 March 2018). The three additional flights will operate on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport as SQ334 (Singapore-Paris) and SQ333 (ParisSingapore), starting 30 October 2017. The additional flights will complement the current daily SQ336 (Singapore-Paris) and SQ335 (Paris-Singapore) services. The additional flights as well as the seven existing flights will be operated with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, rather than Airbus A380800s which currently serve the Paris route. The 777-300ERs are fitted with 264 seats, of which four are in First Class, 48 in Business Class, 28 in Premium Economy Class and 184 in Economy Class. The additional flights are subject to regulatory approvals. Tickets will be made available for sale progressively through the various distribution channels.
Study by Brussels Minister of Work confirms important role of Brussels Airport for employment in Brussels Capital Region The employment figures communicated by Brussels Minister of Employment Gosuin confirm the importance of the airport for the employment in Brussels. Earlier studies carried out by the National Bank of Belgium already showed the importance of the airport for the economy. The airport is an advocate of applying the same methodology to further analyse the employment figures.
The study Minister Gosuin commissioned from KULeuven has calculated that 4,200 Brussels residents work at the airport. That figure is higher than the figure of 3,200 that the airport had estimated itself.
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“This figure proves that Brussels Airport is very important for employment in the Brussels Capital Region. But more important than figures is the development of employment at the airport for the entire country. This will only be possible when a solution is found for the Brussels noise fines,” says Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company. Brussels Airport calls on the Brussels Capital Region to work together on further developing employment at the airport so more Brussels residents can find a job at the airport and unemployment in the region is reduced. “A new study on the exact number of jobs the airport provides is unnecessary. The National Bank of Belgium uses a tried and generally accepted method
to calculate the number of jobs at the airport. This method is also applied in other industries. Later this year the National Bank of Belgium is going to publish a new study. So as to allow the different regions to determine a specific employment policy for the airport, it is advisable to further refine this study, e.g. according to the employees’ place of residence. This could be done within Brussels Airport House, a cooperative body which brings together different players at the airport as well as several Brussels-based organisations.” Brussels Airport permanently offers several types of jobs, ranging from low-skilled jobs to jobs that require a master degree, from jobs on the tarmac to desk jobs, in short: jobs for all tastes. At this moment, Brussels Airport has 290 job vacancies.
The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry
“Anytime For You” offers KLM World Business Class passengers new options On 1 July, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines launched “Anytime For You” on its Amsterdam-Johannesburg flights, offering World Business Class passengers a wider range of meal options. This new service offers travellers more choice and control, allowing them decide what and when they want to eat on board. At the start of the flight, World Business Class passengers will be presented with a new menu. In addition to the regular three-course dinner or lunch options, the menu will also include an “Anytime For You” range, consisting of eight different dishes, hot and cold, savoury and sweet, health foods and special treats. Passengers can opt for the regular threecourse menu or skip this entirely. After the standard meal service, passenger can order from the “Anytime For You” menu, which can be prepared, served and eaten throughout the flight. “KLM wants to offer passengers an excellent travel experience from start to finish. This includes the option to fulfil passengers’ personal preferences and to take their individual biorhythms into account. “Anytime For You” enables KLM to better meet the wishes of individual passengers. The extra care and attention given by KLM cabin crew, who will be specially trained to offer this service, ensures that this is a personal and flexible product – a memorable experience for our World Business Class passengers,” says Miriam Kartman, executive vice president of KLM Inflight Services. “Anytime For You” will be offered at no extra cost to KLM’s World Business Class passengers. The service concept will be phased in on various flights and, from October 2017, will also be offered on a second route, which has yet to be determined.
Brussels Airlines makes considerable investment to renew its long-haul fleet In the course of 2018/2019 Brussels Airlines will replace seven of its ten long-haul aircraft. With this important investment in its long-haul network, the Belgian airline remains loyal to the Airbus A330, the aircraft type that responds best to the commercial and operational needs. Furthermore, all Airbus A330 aircraft will be equipped with an entirely reviewed new cabin providing the highest comfort in all three travel classes (Business Class, Economy Privilege and Economy Class). In the course of 2018 and 2019 Brussels Airlines will welcome seven Airbus A330-300 ‘CEO’ aircraft, to replace seven older A330-200 and A330-300 aircraft that are close to the end of their leasing period. The past few months, Brussels Airlines together with the Lufthansa Group made a comprehensive study on the replacement of seven of their ten long-haul aircraft. Based on this study, the Brussels Airlines Board has recently approved the purchase of seven Airbus A330-300 ‘CEO’ aircraft. From a commercial, economic and operational point of view the Airbus A330-300 ‘CEO’ is the best aircraft type for the airline’s long-haul business (passengers and freight) which it wishes to further expand. The Airbus A330 CEO’s will be equipped with a new cabin in all three travel classes, offering even higher quality of comfort. More details about the seat configuration and the state of the art in-flight product will be announced at a later stage. With this decision, Brussels Airlines remains loyal to the Airbus A330, one of the most successful aircraft within the Airbus range. The new Brussels Airlines aircraft bring many benefits, amongst them a significantly higher maximum take-off weight and range than the
current fleet, which increases the potential number of passengers and freight. While Brussels Airlines is currently flying with different engine types, the ‘CEO’ aircraft will all be equipped with Rolls Royce Trent 700 engines. This engine type that consumes less fuel and emits less noise and CO2, is already in use at several other airlines of the Lufthansa Group. Also for the Brussels Airlines Maintenance & Engineering Department, this harmonization and standardization results in many benefits, such as reduced complexity. The fleet replacement will start in 2018 and will continue in 2019. Once the fleet replacement is completed, Brussels Airlines will not only have a younger but also a more efficient fleet that will offer even more comfort than today. Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines herewith invest together in the future growth of the Belgian airline. “Just a few months after the complete acquisition of Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, on behalf of the Eurowings Group, takes an important investment decision, confirming its confidence in the sustainable future and development of Brussels Airlines in general and its successful long-haul operations in particular. This is the largest investment project in Brussels Airlines’ 15-year history. Thanks to this fleet replacement project, we will be able to offer our customers even more comfort, with quieter, more efficient and even more environmental friendly aircraft. Also in terms of the on-board service, we wish to offer our guests a unique travel experience in an exclusive Business Class, a revamped Economy Privilege and a new Economy Class”, says Bernard gustin, CEO Brussels Airlines. “In our efforts to continuously improve our offering in our Brussels hub, we want to offer our guests a travel experience that really makes them feel at home and our crews the possibility to go the extra smile that our guests deserve every day.”
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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry
New Avinor Oslo Airport officially open Late April, the new Oslo Airport was officially opened, courtesy of Minister of Transport and Communications, Ketil Solvik-Olsen. Norway’s main airport opened within budget and on time. The increased capacity at the new airport will be approximately 32 million passengers a year. Representatives from the government, Norwegian aviation authorities and other especially invited guests were gathered together for the official ceremony at Oslo Airport. Just before noon, Norway’s main airport was officially opened when the Minister of Transport and Communications and the CEO of Avinor tied together a ribbon, to symbolise that “Avinor ties Norway together”. Solvik-Olsen told the attendees that Norway’s main airport is important to the whole nation: “Norway depends on a well-functioning main airport. We now have a large international airport that will be the pride of the entire nation. This is a state-run flagship project that has been on schedule and within budget. Avinor can safely be proud of the work put into this expansion”, says Solvik-Olsen.
A big thanks to all employees Since construction began in 2011, there has been great focus on not letting the expansion work affect the passengers and airlines. This has been challenging, as Oslo Airport has experienced an increase in traffic each year, and surpassed 25 million passengers in 2016. “This is an important day for Norwegian aviation, and we are very proud of the new Oslo Airport. We are happy that it was delivered on time and within budget, while maintaining a high quality. The thousands of people that have worked day and
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night since the resolution to expand was made in the spring of 2011 deserve a big round of applause”, says Avinor Chairman, Ola Mørkved Rinnan.
Increased competitiveness for Norway Avinor CEO Dag Falk-Petersen has been following the expansion closely throughout the process and is very pleased with the result. He feels that Norway now has an airport that will benefit the entire country. “We have invested NOK 14 billion in this expansion, and it will make Norway more competitive on an international level. It is important for Norway to have a well-functioning hub, which Oslo Airport is to us, and the profit from this is used to finance the rest of the Norwegian aviation network”, says Falk-Petersen and adds: “We are very proud of the fact that the expansion has been completed without really affecting the passengers, and that Oslo Airport has been named the most punctual airport in Europe three times during this period”.
More space for a pleasant shopping experience The reason for the expansion is increased traffic and a prognosis that indicate a higher rate of
growth in the years to come. With near double the space in the terminal now, Managing Director Øyvind Hansaas hopes that passengers will be satisfied and proud of their new airport. “We have been looking forward to this day for years, and now we can finally announce our official opening. This paves the way for great customer experiences, with more room, restaurants and shops. We now offer even better airline facilities, and this hopefully means more direct routes to large and important markets around the world”, he says.
Follow the signs and switch off your auto pilot The airport has almost doubled in size, and the gates have been renamed. This means that even experienced Norwegian travellers should pay close attention to the signs. “There are many new features, and it is important to pay attention to the new layout both before arrival and while navigating the airport. Throughout the rest of 2017, there will still be some sporadic construction work, and we will be introducing more new, exciting shops and restaurants in the months to come. The goal is that our passengers and collaborators at the airport will be happy with our work and proud of their airport”, concludes Øyvind Hasaas.
The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry
Tanguy Cartuyvels new VP Marketing at Brussels Airlines Tanguy Cartuyvels recently joined the marketing team of Brussels Airlines as new VP Marketing. With his strong track record in Marketing for FMCG brands, Tanguy and his team will further reinforce the brand positioning of the Belgian airline.
London City Airport bolsters its premium offer with new Business Lounge London City Airport’s new Business Lounge officially opened on Monday 20 March, offering a premium customer experience for all passengers at the reasonable price of £35 per person. The Business Lounge is housed in a newly transformed area of the airport’s Private Jet Centre, easily accessible from the main terminal via a private taxi shuttle. Passengers travelling on any airline can enjoy the discreet, quiet atmosphere of the Business Lounge and the opportunity to relax and rejuvenate, with a complimentary selection of cold food, snacks, refreshments, and alcoholic beverages in the fully catered lounge.
Tanguy Cartuyvels has been appointed as the new Vice President Marketing for Brussels Airlines and will directly report to Christina Foerster, Chief Commercial Officer of the Belgian company. Tanguy obtained a Master in Business Administration with honours at the university of Louvain-La-Neuve and has spent part of his high school studies at the ‘Norges Handelshoyskole’ in Norway. He acquired his first marketing and sales experience at Beiersdorf and Campbell foods. In 2010 he joined Unilever, where he held several positions, the most recent being Marketing Director for Unilever Belux, before joining Brussels Airlines.
The stylish interior surroundings are designed with comfort and convenience in mind, with hand-made furniture from sofa.com, a flat screen TV, and charging points. Free hi-speed Wi-Fi, ensures passengers can catch up on emails and stay connected before they depart to one of the 45 destinations served by London City Airport. Chris Clayton, London City Airport Jet Centre Customer Service Manager, said: “London City Airport’s new Business Lounge is the perfect option for passengers who want first class
hospitality, comfort and privacy. Our priority is our passengers and the team will always go the extra mile to ensure they have what they need to keep their airport experience memorable and stress-free.” Located less than 5 minutes from the terminal, passengers are required to check-in any hold luggage before taking the complimentary private shuttle to the Private Jet Centre with their boarding pass. When the time comes for departure, a minimum of 30 minutes is required to allow sufficient time for passengers to return to the terminal on the private transfer, pass through airport security, and board their flight. The Business Lounge covers an area of 50 square feet and is capable of accommodating up to thirty passengers. The new Lounge compliments the existing First Class Lounge option, which includes the added convenience of easy baggage drop and discreet security clearance with no queues, before a transfer to the steps of the aircraft. The First Class Lounge is £95 per person and is available for seven of the airport’s eleven airlines.
Brussels Airlines’ 3.500 employees put their guests at the center of everything they do, under the motto “we go the extra smile”. Tanguy’s task consists of further reinforcing Brussels Airlines’ mission to be “the most personal airline, bringing people together and making travel a pleasure”. New under his responsibilities will be the Product team, which was previously part of the Customer Experience department. Upcoming projects include the design and implementation of a new in-flight experience on the long-haul fleet. His passion for marketing and his vast experience in developing marketing strategies will be a huge asset for Brussels Airlines to empower its brand for future challenges in Belgium and abroad.
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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry
Schiphol to launch ‘Small bags only’ trial This summer, passengers with no baggage or with only a small bag may take advantage of streamlined passage through the security checks. ‘Small bags’ refers to laptop bags, backpacks and small handbags. These days, due to costs and convenience, an increasing number of people are choosing to travel with hand baggage only – which leads to more work at security checkpoints. At the start of the walking route to the security control, there is a separate entrance with a sign reading ‘Small bags only’. A Schiphol employee will determine which hand baggage is suitable for the passage. The passenger can then continue on to the security check via the waiting area. These
special passages will only be available at peak times. This trial will speed up the boarding process for passengers with little baggage, which in turn contributes to a smooth process at the airport. The trial began on Saturday 1 July in Departure Halls 1, 2 and 3 and will continue throughout the summer. When the trial is over, Schiphol will evaluate the results.
IATA welcomes the decision by the Department of Homeland Security Late June, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed the decision by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to require enhanced security measures as an alternative to restrictions on the carriage of large portable electronic devices in the cabin on all flights to the US. This includes the ability to remove the existing restrictions on certain flights departing from the Middle East and North Africa to the US. IATA looks forward to working with our member airlines and DHS to implement this phased approach to enhanced aviation security, including ensuring that airline costs and operational impacts are minimized. “Keeping our passengers and crew safe and secure is our top priority. This creates a natural partnership with governments, which have the primary
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Amadeus invests in startup FLYR to help travelers lock the price of flight tickets before booking How many times have you found a flight ticket with a great price and the next time you look for it, the price has increased? Imagine you could lock the ticket price and protect it from further increases to buy yourself more time to organise your trip before you’re ready to complete your booking. FLYR’s FareKeep® allows travellers to do just that. While searching for fares through an Online Travel Agency (OTA), metasearch site or airline website, FareKeep gives travellers the option to hold a specific fare and protect it from increases for a small fee. With machine learning and algorithms inspired by the financial services industry, FLYR helps OTAs, metasearch and airline sites to dynamically price the fee for holding a fare based on how likely it is that a price may change. Logitravel is one of the early adopters of FLYR’s technology and has already implemented the FareKeep solution in its platform in Spain and Portugal. “Our goal is to bring value to our customers by offering them the services that fulfil their needs and make for a better user experience, which helps us build customer loyalty. With FareKeep, we are able to offer more flexibility to travellers and engage with them in new and different ways during the fare lock to bring more value to them and boost the chances of conversion”, says Tomeu Bennasar, CEO, Logitravel. FLYR has found that out of 100 fare locks, up to 30% are converted into a booking, representing a significant opportunity for travel sellers and airlines to increase revenues as well as reduce the cost of finding new customers.
responsibility for security. Today’s actions raise the bar on security. The aggressive implementation timeline will, however, be challenging. Meeting it will require a continued team effort of government and industry stakeholders. In particular, airlines and airports will need to be supported by host states during the phase-in of the new requirements,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
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“Simple and consumer-focused shopping experiences are borne from innovative breakthroughs like FareKeep. As an online traveller, being able to lock a given fare reduces uncertainty and buys travellers time to think. For airlines, this ultimately translates into a higher probability of the consumer purchasing the flight with that specific airline, at no extra cost. FareKeep reduces the overall cost of customer acquisition and is a great addition to our offer,” says Gianni Pisanello, Strategic Marketing Director, Airline Distribution Marketing. At the same time, once a traveller has protected a ticket price, the travel seller can open a qualified and ongoing relationship with that traveller, making it more likely that the traveller will go on to complete his or her booking. This, in turn, increases sales generation potential for the airline whose fare has been held by the traveller, without any impact on their inventory.
The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry
Star Alliance’s 20th anniversary mileage competition To celebrate 20 years of connecting people and cultures, Star Alliance and its 28 member carriers announced the launch of a worldwide competition whereby customers can share their favourite cultural experiences with other travellers for a chance to win a million frequent flyer miles from their selected Star Alliance Frequent Flyer Programme (FFP). All 21 Star Alliance FFPs are participating in the competition, which started on May 14th and ends on July 31st, 2017.
The competition is available in all nine Star Alliance’s digital platform languages: Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), English, French, German, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish. Judging will be carried out independently, by among others, Star Alliance’s 20th Anniversary partner, National Geographic, and winners will be announced on September 28th, 2017.
“Each year, for 20 years, tens of millions of individuals have been brought together by international travel – made possible through the breadth of our Star Alliance network. This has benefited not only the travellers – but also the people they have met along the way,” said Jeffrey Goh, CEO, Star Alliance. “As part of our 20th Anniversary, we are celebrating the strength of human and cultural connections. In order to continue building these, together with our member airlines, we are offering travellers a truly unique prize,” Goh added.
All entries will go through a brief moderation process where they will be screened for basic photographic quality and other general criteria. Once approved, they will be posted in the new Star Alliance cultural experiences map located on the competition homepage, providing customers from all over the world with an interactive map of cultural experiences tips and experiences from other savvy Star Alliance frequent travellers.
The online competition can be entered in four easy steps at ww.staralliance.com/mileagemillionaire. First, select the Star Alliance FFP in which you wish to win the million miles and enter your FFP number. Participants who are not already members of a Star Alliance FFP can sign-up and receive a membership number online in order to participate. Next, upload a profile picture, or selfie, together with your favourite cultural experience. A built-in photo app will merge the two pictures and provide you with a choice of two unique silhouettes, one of which is used to enter the competition. In a third step, briefly describe your cultural experience, detailing what made it so special and how it relates to the broader Star Alliance anniversary campaign theme of connecting people and cultures. Lastly, provide your contact information in case your entry is selected as a winner.
So if you won a million miles, what would you do with them? Here are some suggestions from the 21 Star Alliance FFPs: You could fly “Roundthe-World in Style” and immerse yourself in over a dozen different cultures with a First Class Round the World ticket for you and you partner. Or what about flying 20 of your friends on holiday?
Cultural Experiences Map
How to spend a million miles#
Prefer a family vacation? Then cash in your miles for intra-European flights to Southern Spain - unwinding with luxury hotel beach accommodations, audio books and Spotify accounts. With miles to spare for two suitcases and a rental a car, you can explore the beaches and towns in your own style (based on a Miles & More offer).
Need further inspiration? Still not quite sure where to go, and what to see? To further connect people and cultures in the future, each of the 28 Star Alliance member carriers has come up with a local piece of cultural inspiration. Founding airlines, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, THAI and United, have taken it one step further by challenging National Geographic’s Travel Nomad, Robert Reid, to test their recommendations personally and report back on his experiences. In the Air Canada example, Reid was inducted into the Inuit way of life and taught how to survive in sub-zero Arctic temperatures. Lufthansa opted to fly Reid to the highest village in Europe, located in the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia, so he could watch the hazardous, high-altitude horse race in Ushguli. SAS chose to show Reid the city of Stockholm from a unique perspective, putting him on a rooftop trek across Sweden’s capital, for a remarkable view of its architecture and a stunning 360-degree vista. THAI asked Reid to ditch the comforts of the hotel gym for something more physically demanding – a oneon-one lesson at a Muay Thai gym in Bangkok. And finally, United took Reid to New Mexico to experience the annual Gathering of Nations festival and see how Native Americans display their culture by competing in various events. To watch the films of the five challenges, see www. staralliance.com/culturalexperiences. A further 23 cultural experiences selected by the alliance’s member carriers can also be found at www.staralliance.com/mileagemillionaire and range from tile painting in Portugal to home cooking in Shenzhen, China, to joining the locals in Bogota turn major roads in the city into cycle paths on Sundays.
Delta to boost Airbus A321 order by 10 more aircraft Delta and Airbus SE have agreed to augment Delta’s order of narrowbody Airbus A321s by 10 additional aircraft, bringing the total number of A321s on order to 122. The move adds to an already expanded order announced in May.
In an Airbus news release, Greg May, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Supply Chain Management and Fleet said, “The A321 is fast becoming a favorite aircraft of our customers and employees alike. Its excellent operating economics and customer capacity also make it a great fit for our U.S. domestic network.” Delta’s A321s feature high-capacity overhead bins, the latest in in-flight entertainment, full spectrum LED ambient lighting, standard 110v
power available at every row, as well as in-flight Wi-Fi and Delta Studio. The A321s will also feature wingtip Sharklets, which will provide up to 4 percent improvement in fuel efficiency. John Leahy, Airbus’ Commercial Aircraft Chief Operating Officer – Customers, said that the manufacturer is “most gratified to keep providing Delta with the aircraft platforms on which they can deliver their own, unique brand of ‘service and hospitality from the heart.’”
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MANAGEMENT
Global travel industry trends Recently, the Travel Technology provider Amadeus released its Global Report 2016. This valuable document provides an overview of Amadeus’ operations from a commercial, financial and sustainability perspective. But the report also includes a very interesting chapter on global trends in the industry, with topics as travel volumes, security and connectivity, amongst others. Let’s travel through some excerpts of the report… 1.2 billion international travellers
W
HEN TALKING ABOUT TRAVEL INDUSTRY TRENDS, YOU CAN’T GET AROUND HAVING A CLOSE LOOK AT THE TRAVEL VOLUMES. “The overall contribution of travel
and tourism to the world economy exceeded USD 7 trillion in 2015, accounting for nearly 10% of global GDP”, states the report. “To put that into context, if the industry were a state, only the US and China would have larger economies. This level of economic activity supports 284 million jobs – 1 in 11 jobs in the global economy.” “At the same time, travel industry’s growth continues to outstrip world GDP growth. This trend is projected to continue for the foreseeable future. Based on constant 2015 prices and exchange rates, by 2026 the value of the overall industry could be in the region of USD 11 trillion, representing nearly 11% of global GDP and supporting 370 million jobs. Amid the uncertainties associated with an increasingly digitalised society with exponential use of new technologies, the potential for continuous job creation in the travel industry is as important as its contribution 10 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE
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to GDP. The need for ongoing technological innovation and the inherent service nature of the industry is likely to drive future job creation across several skill levels.” “In direct expenditure terms, most travel is leisure and domestic oriented (76.6% and 72.3% respectively in 2015). Nevertheless, with around 1.2 billion international travellers contributing over USD 1.3 trillion to global exports, travel and tourism clearly plays a vital role in international trade. And this will further gain importance, at least over the next decade. Spending by international travellers is projected to rise at a slightly higher rate over the next decade than their domestic counterparts (4.3% annually versus 4.0% annually).”
Technology helps implementing security measures
We live in a time in which travel security is an important topic. “Despite well-documented examples of geopolitical and security issues that inhibit travel to and within particular countries, global travel volumes are resilient and
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continue to grow. Fortunately, global average security levels permit the industry to thrive, and geographic accessibility has never been greater. However, threats to this customary growth exist. For instance, increasingly strict security measures are burdensome on the traveller, and their introduction places demands on infrastructure that are a challenge operationally and financially, particularly against the background of rising traveller numbers. Fortunately, technology facilitates the implementation and management of security measures, creating efficiencies and introducing increasingly sophisticated systems to meet necessary standards and reduce traveller frustrations.”
Increased range of options
Another important travel trend is interconnectivity, which means a traveller can seamlessly combine different travel modes and/or services (a traveller typically needs transportation, accommodation and activities – such as restaurants, entertainment, etc.). “It is an increasingly important factor in the success of the economic model of travel and tourism. Consequently, a rise in demand for transportation drives demand for other travel-related services. IT travel companies such as Amadeus have made the booking of the core travel elements straightforward and efficient. In addition, changes in traveller behaviour, fuelled by technological advancement, allow travelers to play a much more proactive role in both researching and booking travel. This has led to a demand for increased depth and range of options throughout the journey, which in turn creates consumer benefits, greater market transparency and increased competition among travel providers.” “Greater familiarity with the process of planning and booking leads to an increasing requirement to integrate ever more elements of a trip; in essence, to see the journey as a seamless process. Booking all elements of a trip online, on whatever device, has become ubiquitous. A greater challenge is the full integration of comprehensive information and, particularly, the ability to book all in one operation. The technology to do this is evolving and will increasingly become mainstream.”
Uninterrupted connectivity
This increased interconnectivity also means that these options always have to be available to traveler, for example on his mobile device(s). “95% of travellers use digital devices (PC, laptop, tablet, smartphone) when organising a trip. The increasing use of smartphones, fuelled by the expansion of 3G and 4G mobile networks (with an estimated 2.1 billion users worldwide at the end of 2016 and usage by over
80%7 of leisure travellers in some major travel markets) has converted trip organisation to a live activity – bookings can be made and changed literally on the move. Travel documents ranging from hotel confirmations to boarding passes to loyalty cards can be downloaded and stored without the need for printed versions. As importantly, the use of the smartphone implies uninterrupted connectivity. This offers significant opportunities for travel suppliers to make personalised offers to their clients, to provide information and assistance in case of disruption and, subject to privacy requirements, to convert new clients with targeted promotions. This extends to the ongoing wider opportunity for suppliers to offer additional services (through cross-selling and upselling). Due to geolocation mapping, not only are offers and guidance relevant but they are also timely: for example, a gate change at an airport.” “The omnipresence of smartphones has also enabled a revolution in ground transportation. Smartphones are an essential component in transforming the taxi segment, introducing both efficiencies (for operator and customer alike) and greater competition. An obvious efficiency is the use of cashless payment systems for journeys. While the incorporation of mobile wallets in smartphones is increasingly prevalent, there is as yet little uptake in the travel sector. This is changing with the prospect of better corporate expense management along with the opportunity for ‘pay as you go’ solutions, particularly on short urban journeys. At the same time, payment remains an obstacle to seamless mobile bookings, and suppliers are increasingly investing in means to overcome this and secure cost efficiencies in their operations.”
Sharing models
Peer-to-peer sharing models still extending their share in the travel economy. “Sharing models are also generally linked to an appreciation value for tourists, i.e. to get closer to a real-life experience of the locality visited, as opposed to one with only a touristic focus. The travel and tourism industry has demonstrated sustained growth over many years and has rapidly recovered when faced with economic and other crises. It has repeatedly acted as a springboard for innovation and technological innovation. It is no coincidence that travel applications are among the first to emerge based on new business models, particularly sharing platforms. This resilience, coupled with ongoing technical innovation, gives every indication that longer-term growth projections can be met, not only in terms of volume but in the quality of the traveller experience and on-going efficiencies for the industry.”
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The Business Travel Show to expand in 2018, following this year’s success
The Business Travel Show, Europe’s leading conference and exhibition for the corporate travel market, has been connecting the community for 23 years. The 2017 edition, which took place in the Olympia London exhibition hall at the end of February, once again saw a rise across the board in terms of exhibitors, visitors and hosted buyers. Centaur, the show’s organizers, have confirmed that the show will increase its floor size into an additional hall for 2018. Exhibitors
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MONG THE 260 COMPANIES WITH STANDS AT THE BUSINESS TRAVEL SHOW 2017, MORE THAN 60 WERE FIRST TIME EXHIBITORS. Major travel service suppliers
at the event included American Airlines, American Express Global Business Travel, Egencia, Uber, Airbnb, Amadeus, easyJet, Etihad, Virgin Trains, Portman Clarity, Priority Pass, Premier Inn, Capita, FCm Travel Solutions, Flybe, HRG, Mastercard, Star Alliance, United Airlines, Avis, Eurostar and Booking.com . “Communicating with our business customers is fundamental to Avis UK and events like the Business Travel Show are a fantastic opportunity to showcase the latest products and innovations we are bringing to market” said Nina Bell, managing director for the Northern EMEA region, Avis Budget Group (one of the show’s exhibitors). “This year’s Business Travel Show was an excellent platform for lead generation and relationship building with new and existing customers and we look forward to coming back next year.”
Feature areas once again a sell-out success
All of the show’s feature areas once again sold out, including the International Hotel Village, Airline Pavilion, GTMC Pavilion, Responsible Travel Zone, ASAP and Business Travel Technology Zone. The Business Travel Show also invested significantly in the Launchpad, which supports innovative start-ups with free stands. 14 companies exhibited 12 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE
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compared to eight last year and the second Business Travel Disrupt Award was won by FairFly, the travel technology company that maximises savings on business airfares post-booking.
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show’s fully hosted buyer programme has been designed specifically for EMEA and global travel managers. As well as providing complimentary travel and accommodation, the programme is packed with exclusive education and networking events, before and during the show. The content has been primed to analyze subjects of real interest to corporate travel buyers, looking at the issues with global resonance such as big data, supplier relations and traveller communication.
The Business Travel Show 2018
“We have been floored by the success of this year’s Business Travel Show, especially given we have achieved visitor growth every year for the last four years” said David Chapple, the Business Travel Show’s Portfolio Director. “The rise in hosted buyers is particularly sweet for us as we continue to invest in bringing the very highest quality visitors from all over Europe to the show. The feedback we have received from them has been immense. We have a great team working behind the scenes to ensure that visitors to the Business Travel Show find the very best content and contacts year on year to help create travel programmes fit for 21st Century travellers and to ensure the show remains the leading event of its kind for the corporate travel market in Europe.”
Free to attend conference programme, with leading industry keynote speakers
The Business Travel Show also features Europe’s leading high quality, free-to-attend conference programme and features content designed for procurement managers of all experience levels. It focuses on key issues such as supplier negotiations, mobile apps, travel technology, multinational travel management, traveller communication, FinTech, duty of care and, of course, the potential implications of Brexit for the industry. The keynote speakers at this year’s Business Travel Show were Uber’s Travis Bogard and Sabre’s Wade Jones, who discussed the future of urban mobility and how Industry 4.0 will impact business travel. Many of this year’s conference programmes can be downloaded from the Business Travel Show’s website.
The Business Travel Show 2018 will take place on 21 to 22 February. The location will continue to be London Olympia, but the organizers, Centaur Media, have confirmed that the show will also expand into the venue’s West Hall. This is in order to reply to increased demands from exhibitors. Around 70 per cent of exhibitors from the 2017 show have already rebooked their stands for 2018 and many of them will be returning with a significantly larger exhibition presence. For more information on exhibiting, visiting, or the hosted buyer programme, visit http://www.businesstravelshow.com/ .
The Business Travel Summit, Amsterdam, 26 and 27 September 2017
Other major upcoming events organized by Centaur Media will include the Business Travel Summit, on 26 and 27 September 2017, at the RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre, in Amsterdam. This, the second edition of the Business Travel Show summit, will feature 40 leading suppliers showcasing travel solutions, 24 conference sessions and 60 expert speakers. 125 hosted travel buyers from the Nordic and Benelux regions will be among the attendees. For more information on the Business Travel Summit, visit http://www.businesstravel-summit.com/
Hosted buyers
The Business Travel Show 2017 offered two busy networking days, full of opportunities and contacts for buyers and suppliers across the European corporate travel market. Among the nearly 8,000 visitors to the show, the number of hosted buyers grew by 7 percent, to reach 428. The | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE
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Peer to peer
brings new choices for corporate travellers The scope of peer to peer services, brought to market by innovators such as Uber and Airbnb, has long since moved on to the business sector, from sharing office spaces to private jets. Now is the era of the collaborative economy – a more sophisticated version of peer to peer, with improved security and professionalised services, tailored for corporate travellers.
Uber for Business
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N JUST 8 YEARS UBER HAS GROWN FROM A ONE-MAN OPERATION IN SAN FRANCISCO, TO A COMPANY WITH A TURNOVER OF OVER 6 BILLION DOLLARS IN OVER 70 COUNTRIES. Its business model now looks quite differ-
ent and in many countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands, passengers are only connected with strictly controlled professional drivers that comply with background checks and car safety standards. Corporate clients can also leverage Uber’s partnership with International SOS, world leaders in emergency medical and security support in the 400+ cities that Uber operates in. “A few years back, we realised that businesses and organisations are at the heart of cities” said Erik Diepering, Head of Uber for Business, EMEA. “Businesses dictate how and when we move around – and when we’re stuck in traffic. That’s why we launched Uber for Business in 2014, to transform the way organisations manage employee mobility. Uber for Business gives travel managers an online dashboard with the billing, reporting and management
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tools they need to run travel management programs – and to help design their travel management policies. Business trips account for over 10% of our journeys and we now serve 65,000 companies across the globe.” “Looking to the future, we are always experimenting with ways to get people around more efficiently and one of our big bets as a company is the development of self-driving cars” says Erik Diepering.
Business trips with Airbnb almost tripled in 2016
Airbnb has seen a sharp climb in the number of corporate travellers using its services. In 2016, its customers on work-related trips almost tripled. This trend is linked to the rise of bleisure travel, as more business trips are extended with leisure stays. The appeal of Airbnb is that it gives travellers a chance to really experience living in a destination city, especially when staying for more than one or two days.
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Airbnb has recognised the opportunities for business travel. Last year, it brought in a wave of new features with corporates in mind. Business travellers can use a new search filter to obtain listings of accommodation suitable for corporate travel. Invoicing and expense processing have also been streamlined. Several travel management companies, such as CWT, have seen the demand from corporate clients to offer these types of accommodation choices and have subsequently partnered with Airbnb. Research by the CWT Solutions Group shows that business travellers stay an average of seven nights in Airbnb accommodation, double the length of stays in traditional hotels. The research also found that, in some circumstances, companies can make cost savings of up to 37% by using Airbnb.
Customised local experiences
A travel market with ‘user generated content’ added to the mix gives travellers a much wider choice, with the possibility of more customised solutions. Dedicated online platforms can connect travellers with services at their destination such as co-working spaces, restaurants and gyms. Travellers can book the time of those with specialist local knowledge, for experiences including local gastronomy, cultural tours and entertainment. Airbnb is among those developing its services in this area, as is Trip Advisor with Viator, and independents such as ToursByLocals
Democratising private aircraft
The collaborative economy means that private helicopters and planes are more of an economically-viable proposition for corporate travel. Flight sharing platforms are available that connect amateur pilots with passengers, in the aviation version of car-pooling. Although onboard comforts are not comparable to those on private jets, for business passengers this could clearly be a useful service for routes between regional airports that don’t have the schedules they need One of these platforms is Wingly, a company with a growing number of pilots based around Europe. Although its main focus is currently Germany, the UK and France, it already has six pilots based in Belgium. The pilots post all
the flights they have scheduled and the website allows easy connections for up to 5 passengers. “We are democratising private aviation, making it affordable for everyone” says Emeric de Waziers, Co-Founder of Wingly. “This service is also a way for amateur pilots to maintain the flying hours required to retain their licenses, while keeping their costs down. As with other peer to peer services, payments are made through the platform and pilots and passengers can rate each other.” On the next level up of collaborative flying is Victor’s ‘empty legs’ service. Victor is a European private jet chartering company which works with over 100 aircraft operators. Whenever a private jet is booked for a one way flight, the aircraft must fly back empty to its previous destination to pick up its next set of passengers. The company has an Empty Legs list of flights available for booking, giving passengers the opportunity to save up to 75% on the cost of a conventional private jet charters. As these types of collaborative private air services grow and more pilots join the schemes, travellers will have a wider choice of flight timings and airports.
More options
“Businesses traditionally plugged their travel management into existing frameworks built on legacy systems and processes” said Erik Diepering, Head of Uber for Business, EMEA “New technology within the collaborative economy, such as Uber for Business, can play a real role in simplifying the way businesses create a travel management that is more efficient, reduces costs and increases transparency.” The digital revolution changed the way travel is selected and purchased, with comparative search engines, customer reviews and online booking platforms. Peer to peer and collaborative travel solutions are the next logical step on. As business-friendly features are added to these platforms, this opens up a world of new options for travel managers in term of choice options and budgets. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE
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Air Transat
targets business travellers and those attending conferences and events (MICE) In November, Air Transat will celebrate its 30th anniversary. A dream opportunity to get to know the most important Canadian leisure-travel airline company. Passing through Brussels, Lydia Morinaux, the Air Transat General Manager for France, Benelux, Switzerland and Germany agreed to meet us to tell us about the features and novelties of the company which, while branded as “recreational travel� wants to attract more and more business travellers and to entice the MICE sector.
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S A REGULAR AIRLINE COMPANY ALSO OPERATING SEASONAL FLIGHTS DEPARTING FROM BELGIUM, AIR TRANSAT WAS ESTABLISHED ON 14 NOVEMBER 1987 AND BEGAN FLIGHTS TO EUROPE THE FOLLOWING YEAR. The
first flights from Belgium began in 1993. While, from the beginning, direct flights from A to B have been its leitmotif, for a year now the company has also offered domestic flights which allow Belgian travellers to reach the main Canadian cities departing from Brussels. Since the start
of the new 2017 season on the 1st of May, Air Transat has once again been operating direct flights from Brussels to Montreal (3 times a week) where passengers will also be able to take advantage of connections on domestic flights to Quebec (1x per week), Vancouver (2x per week) and Toronto (3x per week). Furthermore, from now on passengers who are departing from Brussels can benefit from a new facility which allows them to check in online before departure. Air Transat is thus responding to the demand
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from Belgian travellers for whom Canada is an increasingly-popular destination. As part of the 150th anniversary of Canada as well as being 375 years since the foundation of the city of Montreal, many events and additional activities have been scheduled for this year, which will result in the growth of Canada as a tourism destination. In response to the growing demand from travellers, Air Transat has also expanded its flight offering for departures from neighbouring countries. The company offers direct flights from Amsterdam to Toronto (4x per week), to Vancouver (3x per week) and to Calgary (1x per week). In addition, Air Transat is also negotiating with the SNCF about the possibility of offering combined tickets for TGV/flights from where the airline also flies in the winter.
With compliments from the chef…
Serving 60 destinations in more than 26 countries thanks to a fleet of approximately 25 aircraft including Airbus A310s and A330s as well as Boeing 737s, Air Transat has, since 2012, fully renovated all its cabins and amended its tariff structure to offer more flexible and competitive conditions. In addition to Economy Class, Air Transat offers Club Class, which has been proving very popular with corporate travellers. While being quite private (12 seats per plane), Club class offers personalised service from start to finish (check-in, priority boarding and delivery of luggage, Fast Lane in Montreal and Vancouver, greater space, state of the art invidual entertainment screens, drinks
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and snacks, etc.). “But the big novelty here is assuredly the offer (free in Club class and payable in Economy) of gastronomic meals devised by the renowned Quebecois chef Daniel Vézina. In addition to business travellers, Air Transat is also targeting the MICE sector, particularly with the possibility of chartering aircraft, with no limits on seats, for those attending conferences and incentive events in Canada (a country which is renowned for its expertise and range of possibilities in this sector”, explains Lydia Morinaux.
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A green and philanthropic company
A company on a human scale, Air Transat, in the image of its President and CEO Jean-Marc Eustache, gives great attention to its social responsability as well as respect for the environment. It often organises charitable and philantrophic events, such as the Santa Claus flight for sick children (for the last 12 years already now) and collects small change from passengers for good causes such as SOS Villages for children. Ecology is also part of Air Transat’s DNA. “We try to make our contribution to a better environment by making our processes more ecological. Our headquarters is at the Montréal-Trudeau airport has been certified as LEED Platinum, while we are continually redoubling our efforts to reduce our consumption of water and energy. The reduction in weight of our planes via simple gestures such as the replacement of meal trays and safety vests, or even the replacement of ‘reverse brakes’ by carbon brakes allows us to lower our consumption of kerosene and, in this way,
emissions, as well as sound pollution. Next year, we will also be the first company in the world to test the WheelTug system on our Boeings. This electric motor installed on the wheel of the plane’s nose will allow it to taxi on the ground by using the power of its onboard generator rather than that of the engines. Also, it will no longer be necessary to call on external companies to do the plane’s push-back. That will mean a time-saving of around 20 minutes per operation and a new reduction in noxious emissions.”
Thank the staff
Besides its 3 planes ‘branded’ specially for the occasion, the 30th anniversary will above all be celebrated in-house. “Although the programme of festivities is not finalised yet, we count on first and foremost thanking all our staff with a party and other in-house initiatives. Because, let’s not forget, our team are and will always remain our best ambassadors”, Lydia Morinaux concludes.
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SWISS invests in quality, with fleet
renewals and new Zurich lounges
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With high expectations of quality from its home market, Swiss International Airlines has long been fine-tuning the art of premium air travel. This means constantly rethinking, updating and upgrading services. Three new all-comfort lounges and fleet renewals are part of the airline’s latest innovations.
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New Boeing 777-300 ERs for long haul routes
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WISS HAS ONE OF THE YOUNGEST FLEETS IN THE WORLD AND IS CONTINUING TO RENEW ITS AIRCRAFT.
Its latest phase of fleet investments is central to its long term vision of embodying Swiss quality and staying ahead of the competition.
On long haul routes, most of the A340 aircraft are being replaced by Boeing 777-300ERs and A330s. Technologically advanced and with substantially fewer CO2 emissions, the 777-300ER is the new star of the SWISS fleet. Ten of the planes have already been delivered and put into service on routes between Switzerland and Asia, South America and the United States. On board the 340-seat aircraft, passengers enjoy greater comfort and a quieter journey, whether in First Class, Business or Economy. The upgraded First class cabins have eight private suites, while the 62 Business class seats convert into fully flat beds of over two meters long. The airline’s remaining 5 A340 aircraft are being refurbished in all three cabins. SWISS is currently the only air carrier to offer a full three class service of First, Business and Economy cabins on all of its long haul routes. With the new aircraft and refurbishments, passengers now have access to WiFi on all of their long haul journeys.
½½ SWISS FIRST ON BOEING
Bombardier C Series jets to revolutionise short and medium haul air travel
For short and medium haul routes, SWISS is bringing in an all-Bombardier C Series fleet of CS100s and CS300s, to phase out its existing A320 and Avro RJ100 jets. There has been much interest in the innovative new planes and SWISS collaborated with the Canadian manufacturer, Bombardier, on many aspects of their development. A total of 30 aircraft are on order and the first of the CS100s have already commenced operations from the airline’s main international hub in Zurich, as well as from its secondary base in Geneva. With its state-of-the-art technologies, the Bombardier C Series ups the industry’s benchmarks in comfort and sustainability. Engine innovations, lighter components and improved dynamics have resulted in a quieter, more fuel-efficient aircraft. An annual reduction of some 90,000
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tons of emissions - the equivalent of 7,000 flights between Zurich and London City - is expected, once the full contingent of Bombardier aircraft is introduced. Passengers on the 125-seat CS100s and 145-seat CS300s will enjoy way more comfort on board, whether in Economy or Business. The CS100’s cabin design offers passengers several new features, including extra space, larger windows, greater hand baggage storage and more comfortable seating. The CS100 jets are already flying to a multitude of European destinations from the Zurich hub, including to Brussels and the most recent additions of Dusseldorf, Goteborg, Milan– Malpensa and Naples.
New 3-class lounge concept at Zurich Airport’s long haul terminal
SWISS’s new 3-class lounge concept, for its long haul passengers at Zurich Airport’s Dock E, is the fruit of tens of millions of euros in investments. The lounges offer a vast area of 3,500 m2 for guests to work, relax and refresh, in an atmosphere of 100% Swiss modern elegance. Luxurious furnishings, from design legends Vitra and De Sede, are complemented throughout by oak floors and stone walls made of local Jura limestone. Floor to ceiling windows fill the space with natural daylight and unrivalled views over the runway, set against magnificent Alpine scenery. All lounges have their own outside terraces.
¾¾ SWISS FIRST LOUNGE BEDROOM
½½ LOUNGE 22 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE
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½½ SENATOR LOUNGE WHISKY BAR
SWISS First and HON Circle Lounge
The SWISS First and HON Circle Lounge sets new standards in lounge luxury, with over 1,100 m2 of indoor and outdoor space. Here passengers can enjoy haute cuisine in the gastronomic restaurant while they await their flights, whatever their time of departure. A selection of over 1,000 bottles of wine is available from the exclusive cellars, to ensure the perfect match with meals and individual preferences. Guests can also opt for more informal dining in the lounge’s American Diner, or relax with a drink in the Champagne bar. Those awaiting connecting flights will appreciate the opportunity to rest in one of the lounge’s two well-appointed hotel rooms, with en-suite bathrooms. A VIP room, which can be used as a private conference facility, is also available. The SWISS First lounge is open to SWISS First customers and Miles & More HON Circle members of SWISS, Lufthansa and Austrian.
SWISS Senator Lounge
The SWISS Senator Lounge is accessible for Miles & More Senator and Star Gold members. Comfort and space are the order of the day, with nearly 1,500 m2 of interior area and outdoor terrace. Stylish Swiss furnishings have been used throughout, including custom-designed recliners, modelled after the First Class seats on SWISS Boeing 777-300ERs. For those who need to optimize their working day, the lounge’s Work Zone has a number of closable spaces, to ensure peace and privacy.
The Senator lounge’s restaurant has an open kitchen, where travellers can watch their meals being freshly prepared for them. Those in more of a hurry can choose from the hot and cold buffet selection. Moreover, the Senator Lounge is the opportunity to discover over 120 varieties of fine whisky, in the exclusive whisky bar.
SWISS Business Lounge
The SWISS Business Lounge at Zurich Airport’s Dock E has seating capacity for 200 travellers. Open to SWISS and Star Alliance Business Class passengers, it completes the trio of luxurious Swiss-designed lounges. The Business Lounge features a large outdoor terrace, a buffet area with cold dishes, a bar and a work zone with closable spaces. Shower facilities are also available, as with the First and Senator lounges.
Award winning Zurich Airport is SWISS’s international hub to 43 countries
The new Zurich lounges are ideal for travellers connecting between SWISS’s intercontinental and European flights. Further SWISS lounges are available at Terminals A,B and D for Schenghen and non-Schenghen destinations, just a minute away, by monorail. Clean, modern and well-designed, Zurich has won several awards for being the best airport in Europe. Offering high-quality shopping and food and beverage outlets, the airport’s high glass-domed ceilings give it a fresh and airy appeal throughout, filled with natural daylight. From here Swiss offers travellers the ideal hub, with its network onto over 100 destinations in 43 countries. SWISS also belongs to the Lufthansa group of airlines and is a member of Star Alliance, for even more connections throughout the world. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE
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Christine Ourmières-Widener outlines plans as new CEO of Flybe Christine Ourmières-Widener joined Flybe as its new chief executive in January. She brings with her nearly three decades of experience in the travel and aviation sector and a new focus for the airline on customer service excellence.
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LYBE, WHICH BRANDS ITSELF AS A FULL SERVICE, LOW FARE AIRLINE, HAS BECOME EUROPE’S LARGEST REGIONAL CARRIER. It now operates some 215 routes from
77 departure points in Europe. Its network focuses on serving regional communities with a mix of key business and leisure destinations, in primary and secondary cities.
Key business routes and worldwide airline partners
The airline’s most recently inaugurated flights include year round services between Hamburg and Birmingham, an important business link. Hamburg is Flybe’s sixth German city from Birmingham, adding to Dusseldorf, Hannover, Berlin Tegel, Stuttgart and Munich. Showing its commitment to developing on the continent, Flybe has also opened its first European crew base at Dusseldorf Airport. In the Benelux, Flybe serves 7 destinations from Amsterdam and 2 from Luxembourg, totalling 270 flights a week. Flybe’s first operations from London Heathrow, to Aberdeen and Edinburgh, began in March and mark a major milestone in the airline’s development. Flying into Heathrow’s new Terminal 2, Flybe passengers can now connect on to Star Alliance’s extensive network, to 44 global destinations. Further options are available with Flybe’s codeshare partners, Emirates, Virgin, Etihad and Singapore Airlines.
Upping the game
“Our presence at Heathrow has certainly upped the game and we are progressing with existing and new partner discussions where we see mutual benefit” said Christine Ourmières-Widener. “This gives passengers greater choice and, thanks to our partners, they can fly onwards to in-
½½ CHRISTINE OURMIÈRE-WIDENER tercontinental destinations such as North America or the Far East, all on one ticket. Early bookings show this is an increasingly important part of the booking profile and is a key indication of what we see as a growing trend. Flybe connects people and communities with an increasing number of airline partners, offering a valuable one-stop-to-the-world proposition.”
Another new alliance…
At the beginning of June, Flybe announced an alliance with Eastern Airways. Eastern is a well-established UK regional airline, based at Humberside Airport. It operates scheduled domestic and short haul international services, as well as private charters. Eastern’s strong associations with the oil and gas market will provide opportunities to further develop offshore connectivity to Flybe’s network. Under the agreement, Eastern will operate its scheduled network under the Flybe brand, covering six routes from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester. “This alliance with Eastern Airways is an excellent opportunity to strengthen the Flybe network” said Christine Ourmières-Widener. “We already operate flights at a number of common airports and this will enable passengers to connect to a greater number of destinations, across the UK and into Europe, all booked through flybe.com.” 24 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE
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Business services
Flybe’s business-focused services includes the Get More ticket bundle, which allows passengers to change to an earlier or later flight the same day, at no extra cost. It has also become the first airline in the world to successfully implement IATA’s New Distribution Capability. “By achieving IATA NDC certification, this standard, offered to the entire value chain of business travel industry stakeholders, enables us to provide corporate buyers easy access to our corporate fares through a fully integrated endto-end corporate booking service IATA NDC certification” explained Christine Ourmières-Widener. “Flybe is committed to providing an outstanding service for our corporate travellers, with a growing range of businesscentric services. We understand that both punctuality and flexibility are crucial, day in day out, and so are particularly proud to have again been officially rated and recognised as the best UK airline for punctuality and the sixth best out of all the world’s airlines.”
Key objectives over the next two years
Looking at medium to long term goals for Flybe, Christine Ourmières-Widener is putting regional connectivity and network optimisation at the heart of her strategy, returning to the routes that really work for Flybe and make it a sustainable business. “It is not just a question of the choice of destinations
but also about flying at the right times to suit both our business and leisure passengers. We will strive to continue to deliver the convenient connections and extensive route network to keep regional business on the move. E-commerce is also a specific focus for the future and we are in the advanced stages of vendor negotiations for a provider of a new digital platform. This ties in with the IT investments that we are planning.”
Building on success
Christine Ourmières-Widener’s career in the travel and airline sector began as Manager of Air France KLM’s maintenance department. Ensuing roles included Vice President of International Sales for Air France, UK and Ireland, General Manager for Air France KLM Group and Vice President & GM USA for the Air France KLM Group. She was Chief Executive of CityJet between 2010 and 2015 and was subsequently chief global sales officer for American Express Global Business Travel, again based in New York, before returning to Europe as CEO of Flybe. “I am very excited to be joining Flybe and being able to bring my industry experience and passion to the business” said Christine Ourmières-Widener. “We will strive to continue to deliver the convenient connections and extensive route network to keep regional business on the move. As Europe’s largest regional airline, Flybe is already in a strong position and I believe can deliver significantly more over the coming years.”
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AIRWAYS
Business class travel reaches new heights
The latest trends
The pace of improvements in business class flying has never been faster. Fully lie flat seats and all aisle access have become standard expectations in long haul. So what do airlines have in store next for business class passengers now? The Corporate Traveller Magazine takes a look at some of the latest developments.
Technologies and the flying office
H
OTELS WERE THE FIRST TO REPLY TO TRAVELLERS WHO NEED TO GET CONNECTED TO WORK, COMMUNICATE AND BE ENTERTAINED, WHEREVER THEY ARE, ON THEIR OWN SMARTPHONES AND OTHER MOBILE DEVICES. We are
now starting to see the same type of connectivity in the sky, as technology companies make significant gains in developing services for airlines. What corporate travellers want, is to rely on the same level of connectivity in the air as they enjoy on the ground. Airlines are rushing to deploy WiFi in all of their business class cabins, while travellers’ demands for WiFi performance are growing. Satellite company ViaSat is able to provide unprecedented amounts of bandwidth to aircraft, as it has its own network
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of satellite stations. This means that, ultimately, passengers in VIP aircraft and business class cabins can send large file attachments or even participate in video conferencing, over the world’s most heavily travelled routes. SAS and Finnair are among the airlines deploying ViaSat WiFi systems onboard.
Differentiating services
Airlines are looking for ways to stand out from the competition and give themselves a stronger brand personality. With this in mind, becoming a showcase for their national identity, in terms of taste, culture and design, is a growing trend for airlines. Many carriers with long haul business class cabins, such as Air France, KLM and Turkish, are using star chefs to create menus based around national dishes, locally-sourced products and seasonal themes.
AIRWAYS
»» KLM CUISINE BY MARCEL WANDERS
½½ BRUSSELS AIRLINES BEER CONNOISSEUR
Menus from Bert Meewis, chef of two-michelin-star restaurant Slagmolen, are being served on Brussels Airlines’ Business Class. Meewis is the ninth Belgian star chef to figure in Brussels Airlines’ Belgitude initiative, designed to highlight the best of Belgium. “Belgitude stands for Belgian attitude and our aim with it is to make our Belgian guests feel at home and give non-Belgians a real taste of Belgium” said Brussels Airlines’ spokesperson Kim Daenen. The Belgitude theme continues with a Belgian beer trolley and Beer Menu Card of well-known and artisanal beers from various Belgian regions. Business class passengers also get a takeaway from the experience, with a complimentary box of Neuhaus chocolates. Onboard SWISS First and Business, the Taste of Switzerland dining programme gives passengers a gourmet tour of the country, highlighting the culture and cuisine of different regions when it changes its menus. Star chefs and restaurants from each of its cantons are chosen to specially design the menus, highlighting local produce and festivals. “Swiss is very much about business travellers, as for some of our routes they account for around 50% of our passengers” says Mark van Koningsbruggen, SWISS Marketing Manager France & Benelux . “The way the quality of business class is portrayed and developed by airlines is very much in line with the needs of their home market. Based on our customer feedback, our market is looking for a business class that is about refined luxury and discretion of service.”
½½ KLM
Seats, suites and inflight lounges
Personal space in business class is getting bigger. Lie flat seats are trending towards over two metres, such as KLM’s World Business class seats at 207cm, while new business cabins are starting to have more of the look and feel of the first class of just a few years ago. Thanks to larger aircraft such as the A380, this transformation of business class products up to the next level has seen the introduction of more onboard lounges and bars. Particularly welcome on ultra-long haul flights, these bar areas allow passengers a change of scene and the opportunity to socialise with other business class passengers. Emirates, Qatar, Etihad and Korean Air are among the airlines with onboard bars. The move to a 1-2-1 seat configuration in business class is all about passenger privacy and tranquility. This shift is now developing to closing off personal spaces for travellers, to create ‘suites’. One of the latest is Delta Airlines’ Delta One business class, which gives each passenger a closed off space, with a full-height sliding door and privacy screens between centre suites. Airlines are making enhancements to business class all the time, particularly tailoring them to their home markets. Carriers based in the Middle East, where a higher percentage of families travel in business class, are positioning themselves with super luxe cabins and apartments. Qatar Airways, winner of Skytrax best business class this year, unveiled a major innovation in March, with its QSuite seats. The QSuite is a business-class product that is set to rival many first-class cabins of other airlines. Cabins are configured in the usual 1-2-1 layout but the centre row seats can be combined to create private suites with a double bed for two passengers, or a communal space for four passengers to socialize and dine together. The QSuites are being gradually retrofitted into the airline’s existing aircraft, with the first to be available later this year.
Reaching upwards – and rapidly
The headline trend for long haul business class, is clearly one that is reaching upwards - and rapidly. Competition is fierce for this passenger segment that accounts for a high proportion of airline revenues and profits. Business cabins are thus being redefined with new benchmarks for onboard comfort and to give the space, privacy and connectivity needed for corporate travellers to optimize their working time on board. For passengers the good news is that with these new levels of service, they are being offered first class levels of comfort for the price of a business class ticket.
»» KLM CUISINE BY MARCEL WANDERS | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE
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FACTSHEET Official name of the Company
Catering
FINNAIR
On our intercontinental flights, Business Class menus have been created in cooperation with top Finnish chefs and every meal is completed with award-winning wines. Passengers can also preorder one of our three ‘Meals designed for you’ options.
Coordinates Address: TIETOTIE 9A, 01053 FINNAIR, FINLAND Website: www.finnair.com
Type of aircraft(s) Airbus A319/A320/A321/A330/A350, Embraer E170/E190, ATR72/42
Name business class
Business seats Our full-flat seats transform into a horizontal bed, offering more room and privacy to work, dine and sleep while in the air. In-seat power and USB sockets are available on all long-haul aircrafts.
Business Class
Inflight entertainment
Frequent flyer program Finnair Plus
On our intercontinental flights we offer a wide selection of movies, TV series, music and games. Wi-Fi is available for all Business Class passengers on the new Finnair Airbus A350 aircraft.
Lounge access
Extras
Yes. Finnair has three lounges at Helsinki airport, two of them are reserved for Business Class passengers and Finnair Plus and oneworld tier members. The third, Premium Lounge is reserved only for Finnair Plus Gold and Platinum as well as oneworld Emerald and Sapphire customers.
At Helsinki Airport all departure gates are under one roof in one terminal building ensuring smooth and easy transfer.
Limo service to the airport No
Priority boarding Yes
Extra luggage Checked-baggage allowance is three pieces in long-haul flights and two pieces in short-haul flights in addition to two pieces of carry-on baggage.
Own description Finnair - the fast airline between Europe and Asia via Helsinki airport. Our destinations in Asia are Bangkok, Beijing, Chongqing, Delhi, Fukuoka, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Krabi, Nagoya, Osaka, Phuket, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Xi’an and Goa. Finnair is part of the oneworld alliance.
FACTSHEET Official name of the Company
Extra luggage
HAINAN AIRLINES
Business Class: checked-baggage allowance is 2 pieces of 32 kgs each.
Coordinates
Catering
Address : Brussels Airport, PO Box 39, 1930 Zaventem, Belgium Tel/fax : Sales Support +32 (0)2 753 30 30 or +32 (0)2 753 30 31 Service Hotline 00800 8768 9999 E-mail : Belgium@hnair.com - Website : www.hainanairlines.com
Eats-meets-West culinary – using fresh ingredients, we utilize international standards and traditional Chinese expertise to customize our meals.
Business seats
Airbus A330 (Brussels-Beijing), Boeing 787 (Brussels-Shanghai, starting October 25, 2017), Boeing 737
Brussels-Beijing is operated by an Airbus A330-300 seating 30 in Business Class. Passengers are provided with home-like bedding services, including comfortable pajamas, slippers and Bvlgari amenity kits. Our new Brussels-Shanghai route, starting 25 October 2017, will be operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Name business class
Inflight entertainment
Business Class
Every seat onboard our A330 or Boeing 787 is equipped with a personal screen, offering Chinese, Hollywood and other foreign films, as well as musical albums, games and electronic books.
Type of aircraft(s)
Frequent flyer program Fortune Wings Club
Lounge access
Extras
Yes, in Brussels the Diamond Lounge, in Beijing the brand new HNA Club.
Beijing is Hainan Airlines’ largest connecting hub, for its international and domestic flights.
Limo service to the airport
Own description
Yes, limo service for Business Class passengers from Belgium, the Netherlands and northern France to Brussels Airport (free-of-charge up to 180 km from Brussels Airport). A second limo service is available in Beijing, Shanghai and 8 other major cities in China.
Launched in 1993 on Hainan Island, Hainan Airlines became the first Sino-foreign joint venture airline in 1995. Hainan Airlines is part of the HNA Group, that has investments in, amongst others, airlines, airports, airport handling and catering companies, aircraft leasing companies, hotels, etc., employing over 200.000 staff around the world. Hainan Airlines has received, for the 7th year in a row (2011-2017), the 5-Star Airline Award from Skytrax. The award follows the annual evaluation by Skytrax of each airline’s airport and cabin services. Germany’s aircraft safety evaluation office JACDEC named Hainan Airlines in February 2017 as the 3rd most safe airline in the world, in its annual survey of the safety record of the 60 largest airlines in 2016.
Priority boarding Yes, for Business Class passengers and Fortune Wings Club Silver, Gold and Platinum members.
FACTSHEET Official name of the Company
Business seats
LUFTHANSA GERMAN AIRLINES
Lufthansa Business Class
Feel at ease from the start. Travel in Lufthansa Business Class and arrive rested at your destination. Relax before your departure in the Lufthansa Business Lounge and enjoy excellent service on board. The new Lufthansa Business Class seat transforms into an almost 2-metre-long, fully flat bed – ideal if you wish to relax during a long flight. The open-design of the cabin, the seat configuration and the colour scheme in subtle, natural shades all help to create a feeling of spaciousness.
Name business class
Inflight entertainment
Miles & More
Yes, Business Class Lounge
Lufthansa in-flight entertainment guarantees you great entertainment on board – whether on the in-seat screen on long-haul flights or through the Lufthansa Entertainment app on your mobile device on selected mediumhaul aircraft.
Lounge access
Extras
Yes/No
No
Limitless communication on board. Lufthansa FlyNet® offers you an abundance of new ways to pass the time or even get some work done on board of short-, medium- and long-haul flights.telephony via GSM. So you can use whichever suits your personal purposes and your electronic equipment.
Priority boarding
Own description
Priority Check-in and boarding
Just being comfortable was yesterday – today you can look forward to more. The star of the new Lufthansa Business Class is the new seat, now available on all LH long-haul flights, which, among other things, provides you with a completely horizontal surface to sleep on, assuring that you arrive at your destination feeling even more rested. But it is not only the new seat that makes the difference and that assures you to enjoy an excellent travel experience in Lufthansa Business Class. Be it flexible check-in with Lufthansa’s eFly services, the preferential baggage service or relaxing with a drink and a snack in the Lufthansa Business Lounge before departure, our promise of providing you with a special service is already apparent in many details on the ground too.
Coordinates Address: Brussels Airport / Website: www.LH.com
Type of aircraft(s)
Frequent flyer program
Limo service to the airport
Extra luggage General 2 bags up to 32kg each Senators/HON circle Members/ Star Gold Members: 3 bags up to 32kg each.
Catering New restaurant service in Lufthansa Business Class. The motto of our new Lufthansa Business Class Restaurant Service is “Exclusivity born of tradition. Excellence born of passion.” With this service initiative on intercontinental flights, you will enjoy even more individual and personal attention on board.
FACTSHEET Official name of the Company
Catering
SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIR LINES
SWISS Taste of Switzerland is served on all long-haul flights departing from Switzerland. This award-winning gastronomic concept lets top Swiss chefs interpret the culinary variety of our country in their own unique ways. The results are seasonal dishes from Swiss regions that impress and delight.
Coordinates Address: Swiss international Air Lines, Customer Service, Postbox2013, 8032 ZĂźrich, Switzerland Website: SWISS.com
Business seats
SWISS Business
The Business Class seat on the A330/A340 automatically converts into a bed over two metres long. The built-in massage function provides additional relaxation. Lots of space, your own screen and additional storage space provide additional comfort. The A330 seat has in addition a connection for an iPod and a USB connection. Business Class on the Boeing 777-300ER has additional features for more privacy and space for storing your personal belongings plus a new, easy-tohandle table will make your flight even more comfortable.
Frequent flyer program
Inflight entertainment
Miles & More
SWISS Business Lounge in Zurich (Terminal A, D, E), SWISS Arrival Lounge in Zurich, SWISS Business Lounge in Geneva, And more around the world
SWISS has a wide range from over 140 films and just as many TV programmes. In addition, SWISS offers over 400 CDs and a variety of music channels and magazines. SWISS offers its customers aloft internet connections on the entire longhaul fleet.
Priority boarding
Own description
Traveller can go to the aircraft short before departure with limited waiting period.
SWISS is byword for traditional Swiss Values. True to its roots, the company is dedicated to providing the highest possible quality in all its products and services. SWISS Business is an experience from start to end. Being it the tranquil lounges, your personal space in the cabin, the exclusive on-board ambiance, the personalized care from our crew, our award winning culinary concepts or the two meter beds above the clouds, your flight will be nothing less than a relaxing journey.
Type of aircraft(s) Airbus: A340-300, A330-300, A321-111, A320-214, 319-112, Avro: Avro RJ100, Boeing: Boeing 777-300ER (Replacing A340), Bombardier: CSeries 100 and CSeries 300 (Replacing Avro RJ as from mid-2016)
Name business class
Lounge access
Extra luggage 2 x 8kg Hand Baggage, 2 x 32kg Checked baggage. One additional checked baggage for HON Circle members, Senators, Star Alliance Gold members
Meet your personal travel companion Download the new and improved FREE app now
AIR PORTS
London City Airport and Antwerp Airport undergo expansions As air travel becomes more frequent and trips tend to become shorter, using a smaller airport for point to point travel is convenient and time saving. The regional airports of Antwerp Airport and London City Airport are experiencing booms, attracting substantial growth in passenger numbers and making big investments to enhance services and comfort for travellers.
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AIR PORTS
ANTWERP INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
A
NTWERP INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS JUST 4 KILOMETRES FROM ANTWERP CITY CENTRE AND LESS THAN 90 MINUTES’ DRIVE FOR 7 MILLION PEOPLE LIVING IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS OF FLANDERS, NORTHERN FRANCE, BRUSSELS AND THE NETHERLANDS.
The airport’s two principal airlines, CityJet and TUI, fly to 9 European destinations. Year round flights are available to London City Airport, to four destinations in Spain (Alicante, Barcelona, Malaga and Murcia) and to Nador, in Morocco. Seasonal summer routes are offered to Ibiza, Palma and Split. The airport is also a base for several private jet airlines such as Abelag, ASL, The Aviation Factory and FlyingGroup. “We still have room for growth in terms of aircraft and passenger capacity and we hope to be able to introduce new destinations soon, but at this stage I can’t say more” promises Catherine Stuyck, Antwerp Airport’s Marketing & Communication Manager. Antwerp’s route to London City is its busiest and has the highest number of passengers travelling for work-related reasons. Some travellers, particularly in the financial sector, are using the route as a daily business commute. There is a good choice of frequencies, with up to four flights per day. Regular commuters who leave on the 7 am flight can arrive earlier than their colleagues who live in London.
Developments at Antwerp Airport
Antwerp Airport is run by a private public partnership between the government and French group Egis. This spring sees the finalization of 2 million euros’ worth of investments to the airport’s passenger terminal building. Thanks to these improvements, travellers now have a greater choice of shopping and food and beverage outlets, once they have passed through security checks. The enhancements to the departure zone have effectively doubled its size. A new VIP lounge is also being introduced, for premium customers and business travellers to relax or make use of the additional working facilities within a quieter environment.
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Growing popularity
“In 2016 our passenger numbers rose by 25% compared to 2015 – and in 2015 they had already risen by 82% compared to 2014” said Catherine Stuyck. “Scheduled services increased, as did the number of business flights on private aircraft. There has been a growing trend for passengers to fly more from regional airports, as they are closer to where they live or work. Not only is accessibility is a lot easier, in terms of traffic congestion, but we also have much shorter check-in times and walking distances within the airport. All of this saves passengers considerable time in their overall door to door journey. Once people fly from Antwerp Airport, they keep coming back, as the overall passenger experience is good. I believe that is part of the secret of our success. We have also been working on extra marketing, with a new website to be launched soon, more partnerships and working together with local tourism boards throughout Belgium and the UK. These two countries are obviously our main sources of passengers.”
AIR PORTS
LONDON CITY AIRPORT LONDON CITY AIRPORT, WHICH CELEBRATES ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR, IS, IN A WAY, ANTWERP AIRPORT’S SISTER REGIONAL AIRPORT. THE TWO COOPERATE CLOSELY TOGETHER IN TERMS OF THEIR SALES AND MARKETING ACTIVITIES.
The closest airport to the heart of the UK’s capital, London City Airport is located in the Royal Docks in East London. All the key business and financial districts, such as Canary Wharf, Bank and the City are a short distance away, as is the West End – London’s theatre district. Direct links are provided by the Docklands Light Railway, right on the airport’s doorstep.
45 destinations – and growing
London City Airport has a wide and growing network throughout Europe. Its busiest links in terms of passenger numbers are Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Antwerp, Zurich, Rotterdam and Dublin – but it offers a total of 45 direct routes to European cities. Several new destinations joined the network in 2016, including Bergerac, Berlin, Cardiff and Rennes, while Manchester and Skiathos will be added this year.
These routes are served by eleven commercial airlines - British Airways, Flybe, CityJet, Lufthansa, SWISS, Alitalia, Skywork Airlines, KLM (operated by Cityhopper), Luxair, Blue Islands and Auringy. In addition to the European services, the airport has its first intercontinental route, to JFK New York. The New York service is operated by British Airways on an Airbus 318, configured in all business class.
nificantly improve comfort for passengers flying out from the airport. Congestion has been eased in the central terminal area by adding 600 seats, while floor space has doubled. The departures hall is now a spacious, open plan area, with more food and beverage outlets. There is an additional Pret à Manger café, as well as a new concept with Brick Lane Brews, which offers craft beers and food based on local produce.
Heart of London to Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Luxembourg
More major expansions are to commence this year, with 350 million pounds sterling of investments to further increase the airport’s capacity. The City Airport Development Programme (CADP) will enable 6.5 million passengers a year to travel through the airport’s doors by 2025, adding 7 new aircraft stands, a further taxiway and enlargements to the terminal. This will allow LCY to welcome the next generation of regional aircraft and to directly connect to new destinations in the Gulf, Russia, the CIS and North America.
As well as three to four flights a day, during week days, to Antwerp, travellers from the Benelux have a choice of a further three airports to London City, with flights to and from Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Luxembourg. LCY is the only London airport to have direct flights to Rotterdam, with both British Airways and CityJet flying this route. There has been popular demand for this service, particularly from business passengers needing to travel from the Hague. Services to Luxembourg are offered by Luxair, with up to 7 frequencies a day between the two financial hub cities. Amsterdam, as both a business and leisure destination, is LCY’s second busiest route, served by no less than four airlines and passenger numbers are continuing to grow. “Last year our passengers to Amsterdam grew by 6 percent”, explains Andrew Scott, PR manager for London City Airport. “These types of results make the route more than viable for airlines. The demand is there and the market has responded.”
Massive investments to expand LCY’s capacity
London City Airport is nearing completion of 24 million euros’ worth of investments to improve its Departures area. These modernisations sig-
“LCY offers a unique rapid transit proposition, with a short and efficient check-in of around 20 minutes” adds Andrew Scott. “Inbound passengers can be on the train, heading to their final destination, within 15 minutes of their plane landing on the tarmac. This is ideal for our passengers, as over half of them are travelling for business reasons. Another advantage for these passengers is the flexibility they have. They can choose to fly out from our airport, for example, but fly back to London through another airport.” “The attraction of regional airports, such as London City and Antwerp, is the combination of speed, convenience and location they offer to passengers, to make their journeys easier. At London City, 95% of our first time customers tell us they will come back, so more and more are choosing to fly regional.” | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE
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ACCESSORIES
Gadgets
the latest must-haves for frequent business travellers For our frequent traveller readers, we have rounded up some of the best mobile gadgets and gizmos, to help to make the working day more efficient and optimise audio visual entertainment during downtime. All of these devices are ultracompact and ideal for travellers with limited baggage space.
TAOTRONICS 1050 DPI
PORTABLE DOCUMENT SCANNER
The TaoTronics 1050 DPI is a handheld mobile portable document scanner that is particularly useful for scanning business expense receipts when on the road. Scans can be made in colour, or black and white, with a resolution of 1050 DPI. Documents, photos and receipts can all be instantly archived into digital files onto an SD memory card, all with a device that weighs only 482g. Optical Character Recognition software means that scans can be converted and edited. The 1050 DPI comes with a rechargeable 700mAh lithium battery. For more information visit https://www.taotronics.com/downloads-TTDS011.html
JACKERY BOLT 10050MAH ULTRA-COMPACT, HIGH-SPEED, MULTI-DEVICE BATTERY CHARGER
The Bolt 10050mAH is the latest compact portable battery pack from Jackery, ideal for travellers who are constantly on the go. Ultra-fast, the new model can charge up to three devices simultaneously, with a maximum output of 2.4 A. It comes with a connector for iOS devices, a micro USB Connector for Android devices and an open USB port. Its retractable cables eliminate the frustration of untangling before use, while its advanced technology keeps devices fully protected against power shorts and surges. It can be recharged by connecting to a laptop or regular power source. Stylish, compact and lightweight, the Jackery Bolt comes in multiple colours. For more information visit http://www. jackery.com/products/jackery-bolt-10050.html 36 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE
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ACCESSORIES
FLIP 4
THE LATEST TRAVEL SPEAKERS FROM JBL
JBL’s new Flip 4 portable Bluetooth speaker was a winner at the CES Innovation Awards in Las Vegas this year. Compact and robust, the Flip 4 offers enhanced sound clarity, up to 12 hours of playing time and a waterproof design. With its voice assistant integration feature, users can change the song, make a phone call, or access Google, all by speaking to the device. The JBL Flip 4 also provides noise and echo cancelling, for clear conference calls. Multiple speakers can be networked together and the device can be used with two smartphones simultaneously. The fourth generation speaker is available in six colours. For more information visit www.JBL.com
AVEGANT VIDEO HEADSET
THE MOBILE PERSONAL MOVIE THEATRE, WITH BUILT IN PREMIUM AUDIO
Saving the best for last, the Avegant Video Headset brings in a new era of personal entertainment technology. The headset is worn like a regular pair of headphones for state of the art listening quality. When the visor is flipped down over the eyes, it then becomes a personal movie theatre for viewing all types of content from any mobile device. Advanced optical technology and an array of two million mirrors then project images directly to the eyes, to recreate a feeling not of just watching a screen, but of natural sight and looking directly on to a scene. For more information visit www.avegant.com/video-headset
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DESTINATION
Business tourism in Cyprus boosted by improved air links and major hotel investments Cyprus has been enjoying a return to form in the tourism sector, with visitor arrivals up by 31% in the last two years. The country is benefitting from more flight connections and multi-million euro investments to its hotel and other tourism infrastructures, as it strengthens its offer for corporate meetings and events. žž PARKLANE HOTEL
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DESTINATION
A growing hub between Europe and the Middle East
AS AN ISLAND, CYPRUS IS DEPENDENT ON A STRONG AVIATION SECTOR. LARNACA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, THE MAIN INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY, HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REMODERNISED AND ENLARGED OVER RECENT YEARS. IT NOW BOASTS A SPACIOUS, MODERN TERMINAL WITH NUMEROUS RETAIL, FOOD AND BEVERAGE OUTLETS.
Over 40 airlines offer regular scheduled services to Larnaca throughout the year, with more in the summer months. Of these airlines, Cypriot-based Cobalt Air began operating scheduled services in June 2016 and has become the de facto flag carrier. The airline combines the price attractiveness of low-cost carriers, with high-tech in-flight service, using a fleet of A319 and A320 aircraft. New, larger comfort seats, Cobalt’s version of business class, are being installed on most of its aircraft. By the end of this year, the airline expects to be commercialising both Premium Economy and Business Class cabins. The airline offers 18 routes, one of the most recent being Brussels. Cobalt’s aim is to firmly establish Cyprus as a Mediterranean hub linking Europe and the Middle East. “Our aim will be to extend this network on to Asia, probably starting with China” said a spokesperson for the airline. “Corporate clients in Europe are particularly interested in our routes on to the Middle East, such as Beirut, Tel Aviv and Tehran.”
Attracting more conventions
Cyprus is steadily climbing the ICCA’s world convention ranking, and rose up by 7 places in 2016. “Foreign business tourism has definitely picked up over the last two years, both through DMCs and direct bookings” said a spokesperson from the Cyprus Tourism Organisation. “Our geographical location and air links mean that we are ideal for international events with delegates coming from multiple locations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.” To further attract conference tourism, the Cyprus Convention Bureau offers a range of financial incentive schemes which target specific sectors, such as pharmaceutical companies, insurance groups and Non-Governmental Organisations. The Cyprus Tourism Organisation is also planning to procure funding from Europe to develop a large multipurpose conference centre and to enhance the existing conference centres within its hotels.
Star Alliance member Aegean Airlines also has a base at Larnaca Airport. The larger, Athens-based, carrier has a rapidly growing network in Europe and the Middle East. It serves direct routes to Larnaca from Heathrow, Paris, Beirut, Tel Aviv and Athens – its main base, from which it connects to a further 145 destinations. ½½ LIMASSOL OLD TOWN
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DESTINATION
½½ ELYSIUM
½½ ELYSIUM GUEST ROOM Within its four principal cities of Nicosia, Limassol (the economic hub), Larnaca and Paphos, Cyprus has an impressive hotel park of 4 and 5 star properties, nearly all with meetings and events facilities. Some of the most prestigious hotels for business tourism, such as the Elysium, Parklane and the Four Seasons, have recently undergone major redevelopments.
Limassol - cosmopolitan redevelopment and unique venues
Over the centuries Cyprus has been influenced by many cultures, including the Romans, the Venetians and the Crusaders, ¾¾ LIMASSOL MARINA
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all of which have left traces on its heritage. Ancient Roman theatres and medieval castles are just some of the unique venues available for small conferences, gala dinners, themed nights and other events. Thanks to massive investments from both the private and public sectors, Limassol’s ‘old town’ – the historic area around its port and castle – has been transformed into a large pedestrian zone complete with gourmet restaurants, café terraces, events venues and a luxury marina. “Limassol is now arguably one of the most cosmopolitan coastal cities of the Mediterranean region” said Kratinos Socratous, Director Sales & Marketing at the new Parklane hotel.
DESTINATION
½½ CAROB MILL One of the developments in the marina area is the conversion of the former Carob Mill and warehouses, into a group of events halls and restaurants. The Mill was originally built in the early 1900s when carob beans were one of the main exports of Cyprus. All has been completely renovated, while keeping most of the authentic machinery intact, in the style of modern industrial chic. Covering over 5,000 square metres, the multipurpose venue can be privatized in full or part, from small private dinners, to large exhibitions and conferences for up to 1,800 delegates.
Parklane Limassol to reopen following 100 million euro metamorphosis and rebranding
The largest hotel project in Cyprus is the 100 million euro redevelopment of the former Le Meridien Limassol. The hotel is scheduled to reopen in March 2018 as the Parklane Luxury Resort & Spa - a premium Marriott brand. The 5 star complex, covering 100,000 sqm of land, includes 274 guest rooms and 52 suites, as well as 300 metres of beach frontage. “Amongst the many new facilities we will now have is the 1000sqm pillar-free Park Lane Diamond Ballroom, with a permanent theatre stage, which can host prestigious corporate and social events” said Kratinos Socratous, Director Sales & Marketing. “The Parklane is the very first and only international branded luxury hotel resort in Cyprus, and we are aiming to attract niche business which does not currently have Cyprus in its travel plans.”
Elysium Hotel in Paphos – major refurbishments and four golf courses
Across to the west coast of Cyprus, in Paphos, is another of Cyprus’s most prestigious hotels. The 5 star Elysium recently emerged from 9 million euros of refurbishments to its public areas, guest rooms and restaurants. The design remains based on classic Greek architecture but is now fresher and lighter. The hotels features 252 rooms and suites, a luxury spa and dedicated meetings’ facilities. As Paphos is a major golf destination, the hotel is surrounded by no less than four golf courses. Events spaces include a large ballroom and four meeting rooms of varying sizes, equipped with the latest video conferencing technologies and private terraces. The Elysium has also partnered with Aegean Airways on its loyalty programme, for travellers to earn and spend points.
A wide choice of events settings and experienced hospitality sector
From cosmopolitan cities and beaches, to mountain villages and forests, Cyprus offers a wide choice of backdrops for events and incentives. Organisers can count on the professionalism of the Cypriot tourism industry, warm and welcoming hospitality and over 300 days of sunshine a year. This means that conferences can easily be combined with outdoor activities such as yacht cruises, or jeep safaris along one of the island’s six wine routes.
For more information on suggestions and planning for events organisation, or familarisation trips, contact www.visitcyprus.com
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VISIT
BRUGES UNESCO World Heritage
Unforgettable Venue One of Bruges’ most eminent venues with flawless attention to detail and produces a framework that ensures success for your
Our
Board meetings
Incentives
Business Events
Private Diners
ce n e l l e c x E for e g n e l l a h C
Discover your next venue, situated in the heart of Bruges, rich in history & gastronomy
www.hotel-heritage.com Relais & Châteaux Hotel Heritage Tel : +32 50 444 444 Fax : +32 50 444 440 info@hotel-heritage.com - www.hotel-heritage.com
TRAVEL THE WORLD IN STYLE. Experience our Business Class on our intercontinental flights.
brusselsairlines.com
Lufthansa has been voted as: Best Airline in Europe Best Airline in Western Europe Best First Class Airline Lounge Dining