Tct 53

The

Corporate Traveller

summer 2015 No. 53

2015

© Hergé/Moulinsart 2015

Business Class Special

 Preparing the travel industry for the traveller of the future.  Latest arrival at Brussels Airport - the new Connector!  Alitalia to withdraw from the Partnership Agreement with Air France-KLM from January 2017.

T H E B U S I N E S S -T O - B U S I N E S S M AGA Z I N E F O R T H E C O R P O R AT E T R AV E L L E R I N T H E B E N E L U X

LIFE DOESN’T COME TO YOU

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TO IT Find out more at virginatlantic.com

content © Hergé/Moulinsart 2015

The

Corporate Traveller

Travel Management 005 The Journal

News from the travel industry

011 Sustainable travelling in style 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.

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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 Graphius, Gent COVER Brussels Airport - the new Connector 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

Whether travelling for business or pleasure, the demand for ‘greener’ travel solutions is growing.

012 Preparing the travel industry for the traveller of the future

Majesty the King. Passengers, airlines and partners alike have voted the project a great success. The Corporate Traveller visited the airport and the new building to find out more…..

Air Ways

To get some better insight on how customers and travellers will behave in the future, Amadeus ordered a two-pronged study, Future Traveller Tribes 2030. Here is an overview of the most significant findings.

016 “Lufthansa Group goes up against business travellers”

The Lufthansa Group announced on 2 June 2015 its intention to introduce a 16-euro surcharge on bookings made via the GDS starting on 1 September 2015. “This decision will have a direct negative impact on companies that make extensive use of the GDS to manage their travel reservations and business trips,” says BATM.

017 Rising star Clément Leroy

Chef Clément Leroy is a rising star on the French and international gastronomic scene. Rich from 17 years of working in Paris’s leading 3-star establishments, his travels take him around the world for the opening of new restaurants and for creating exclusive private dinners in far flung locations.

Hotels 019 The Corporate Traveller hotel awards 2015 – the entries

The Corporate Traveller hotel awards, sponsored by Amadeus, recognise the best hotel rooms and lobbies for business travellers in Belgium. This year’s entries show an exceptionally high quality of hotels. The winners will not only be able to proudly display their award, but also benefit from the prize of a 10,000 euro advertising campaign. Before the visits by our judges this summer to decide on the winners, here is a round-up of the entries.

022 Fresh new brands to widen appeal of global hotel groups

Large hotel groups love new brands at the moment. The Marriott group, with its new Moxy hotels, is targeting the next generation traveller with upbeat design, social hubs and technology, while Starwood with its new Tribute Portfolio brand, is focusing on four star independent hotels, which combine high quality and originality.

Air Ports 025 Latest arrival at Brussels Airport - the new Connector!

Brussels Airport proudly unveiled its much-awaited new Connector building on March 24, in the presence of His

029 Business Class Special

Not classification but inspiration, ambiance, and concise information. This is the menu for our annual Business Class Special ...

044 Hainan Airlines, the success story

Hainan Airlines, the only carrier to operate direct flights between Belgium and China, has just been awarded the prestigious SkyTrax 5 star airline award for the fifth year in a row. We interviewed Luc Naegels of Hainan Airlines to find out more about the HNA Group, the growth of Hainan Airlines and their services in Belgium

047 Austrian Airlines Focuses on Tourist Destinations in 2015

Austria’s national carrier will increasingly focus on tourist destinations in 2015. The airline has added new destinations and is expanding its offering to North America.

048 Star Alliance hosts major networking event in Brussels

On 19 May, Star Alliance invited 160 travel professionals from around Europe to join a networking event at the Van der Valk Brussels Airport hotel.

051 Alitalia to withdraw from the Partnership Agreement with Air France-KLM from January 2017.

Alitalia SAI has announced that it will not renew its partnership agreement and ancillary joint ventures agreements with Air France-KLM when they come up for renewal in 2017.

Destinations 052 Lisbon: a cultural & event capital close by

Fashioned over 400 years by the Moors and then enriched by the spice trade in its golden age of seafaring, Lisbon is an historic capital of unusual character and charm.

057 Paris – new ideas for business travel and events Paris, one of the world’s most visited capitals, has a tourism offer well-tuned to the desires of the upscale and luxury sectors. But what’s new? We set our reporter in search of new ideas for venues and experiences for The Corporate Traveller… | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2015 | 3

WAKE UP

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The Traveller Journal News from the travel industry

Future Traveller Tribes New study reveals how and why we will travel by 2030 A new report commissioned by Amadeus and written by global consumer trends consultancy The Future Foundation, defines the six ‘traveller tribes’ or segments that will emerge by the end of the next decade.

Entitled Future Traveller Tribes 2030, the survey’s findings are based on interviews with leading futurologists, travel industry experts and travellers from across the world. By 2030 more than 1.8 billion of us will travel internationally every year, and what motivates us and how we behave will be radically different to today.

The research process, which took a psychographic rather than demographic approach, drew on Future Foundation’s proprietary consumer research forecasts to identify the six distinct traveller personalities, notably - ‘Social Capital Seekers’ (structuring their holidays almost exclusively with online audiences in mind), ‘Cultural Purists’, ‘Ethical Travellers’, ‘Simplicity Searchers’ (who will prefer bundled offers, seeking to avoid managing trip details themselves), ‘Obligation Meeters’ (driven by a specific purpose for business or leisure travel) and ‘Reward Hunters’ (interested in indulgent travel).

“Looking back 15 years it is hard to overestimate how far the travel industry has come in terms of innovation, cost and choice for travellers” said Julia Sattel, Senior Vice President Airline IT, Amadeus. “And yet now, as we look forward 15 years to 2030 it is clear that change will only accelerate. With this in mind, understanding the emerging ‘traveller tribes’ will be vital to all providers, buyers and sellers of travel in the coming years, in order to ensure the right investment decisions are made now, and to help facilitate and cater to the clear trend and demand in the industry for far greater personalisation than ever before across the entire travel chain.” To download the report and to see which tribe you belong to, visit www.amadeus.com/tribes2030.

Pentahotel’s unique style makes its debut in Liège Pentahotel’s unique style has arrived in Liège.

Located in the city centre, close to theatres, shopping and nightlife, the new pentahotel Liège is ideally situated.

Pentahotel Liège is the result of a total transformation of a former hotel located on the same site. Designed

by Matteo Thun, a star Italian architect, the pentalounge is the heart of the hotel. In line with the pentahotel lifestyle spirit, the pentalounge offers a friendly and relaxed hub for guests and outside visitors. Combining a lobby, reception, bar and restaurant, the atmosphere of the pentalounge adapts from morning through to evening, with changes in music and lighting. With pinball machine, pool table, play station, cozy parlours, fireplace and exquisite brasserie, everything is on hand to ensure guests pass an enjoyable moment.

The hotel’s 105 guest rooms are spacious and comfortable, with extra king size beds, free WIFI, flat-screen TV with free films and sports channels, Italian rainshowers and a selection of high-end bathroom amenities. The hotel also features two meeting rooms and a fitness room equipped with professional machines and 3D TV screens.

The pentahotel Liège is the group’s 26th property.

It plans to reach a portfolio of 80 hotels in Europe and Asia by 2020. By the end of 2015, there will be 5 pentahotel properties in Belgium - Leuven, Liege, Brussels Airport, Brussels center and Brussels Expo Atomium.

For more information visit http://www. pentahotels.com/fr/hotels/liege/everything/

Kay Kratky Confirmed as New CEO of Austrian Airlines Kay Kratky has been confirmed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Austrian Airlines.

Kay Kratky will succeed Jaan Albrecht as CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of Austria’s national carrier on August 1, 2015. Albrecht left Austrian Airlines on June 1.

In the interim period of June and July, Chief Commercial Officer Andreas Otto will bear sole responsibility on the Management Board. COO Klaus Froese and CFO Heinz Lachinger will continue to be members of the extended board.

Kay Kratky is currently Member of the Executive Board of Lufthansa Passage Airlines. As Chief Operating Officer, he is responsible for flight operations and the Frankfurt hub with about 20,000 employees.

Austrian Airlines is Austria’s largest carrier and operates a global route network of round 130 destinations. Austrian Airlines is part of the Lufthansa Group, Europe’s largest airline group, and a member of the Star Alliance, the first global alliance of international airlines.

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Olivier Tombeur new Director Sales & Marketing Warwick Hotels Belgium Olivier Tombeur has joined Warwick International Hotels, as Director Sales & Marketing of the Brussels hotels.

Olivier Tombeur now drives all sales and marketing actions in both of the WIH Brussels Hotels - namely the Royal Windsor Grand Place and the Warwick Barsey Hotel. He brings with him fifteen years of experience in top level international hospitality gained with groups such as Intercontinental, Concorde Hotels and Accor. A native of Belgium, he has also worked in France and, recently, in the Middle East where he was in charge of sales for Sofitel in Dubai

ANA to launch Tokyo-Brussels service ANA, Japan’s leading airline, is to launch a new route from Tokyo’s Narita Airport to Brussels, raising the total number of European cities it serves direct to six.

The new route to the Belgian capital will start from the 2015 winter schedule, adding to the direct services ANA already operates from Japan to Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf, London and Paris.

The exact date of the start of service, the flight timetable, and the type of aircraft to be used on the route will be announced nearer to the time, subject to the approval of the relevant authorities.

“We are proud to be introducing the only flight between Japan and Brussels starting this autumn. We hope to play a role in strengthening the bond between Japan and Belgium and forging new business opportunities in the future” said ANA President and CEO Osamu Shinobe.

“We are thrilled to welcome ANA to the family of airlines flying to Brussels, one of Europe’s major hubs, which lacked a direct flight from Japan. The new route will provide improved convenience for both European and Japanese travellers,” said Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company.

Currently, Brussels Airlines, a member of the Lufthansa Group as well as a member of Star Alliance, is building a network of flights to destinations inside and outside Europe centered on its hub at Brussels Airport. The option for ANA passengers to change flights in Brussels will provide greater convenience for those wishing to transit to flights reaching a wider range of European destinations.

ANA also provides convenient access from a number of other Japanese airports to a wide range of destinations across Europe through a joint venture with its Star Alliance partner Lufthansa Group which enables passengers to transit easily through Frankfurt and Munich.

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and Abu Dhabi, where he significantly increased the hotels’ results.

oneworld Priority to smooth the way for frequent flyers oneworld® is to make it easier for frequent flyers to see where they can take advantage of the privileges the alliance offers them at airports, making their journeys on the ground smoother still.

Distinctive new oneworld “Priority” branding will highlight key touchpoints where the alliance’s benefits are offered to top tier frequent flyers – at check-in, fast tracks, lounges and boarding.

The new oneworld Priority logo will also feature the three oneworld frequent flyer gemstone tier status symbols – Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby – as appropriate, to enable these cardholders to identify quickly and easily where they are entitled to receive their special oneworld benefits.

The project will involve replacing signage at all 1,000 plus airports served by oneworld member airlines in 155 countries worldwide.

The first airport to receive the treatment is Australia’s Perth. It will be followed

by Sydney, Melbourne, Berlin Tegel and Dusseldorf in August, various gateways in the USA from September, and Doha and Amman in October.

All 125 of the top airports globally for business travellers, including all the alliance’s hubs, will feature oneworld

Priority signage within a year. The roll out will be completed across all 1,000 plus airports on the oneworld network within the following 12 months. oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby said: “We firmly believe that oneworld offers the most compelling range of alliance benefits for our most loyal customers.

We also know that identifying where to take advantage of those privileges in often cluttered airport environments, particularly in unfamiliar surroundings, can sometimes be a challenge, even for the most frequent traveller.

“The new oneworld Priority signage is designed to overcome that. The message to our frequent flyers is simple - look for the oneworld Priority logo to see where your oneworld privileges are offered.

“This will smooth their journeys through airports around the world further still, while also improving awareness of the various benefits oneworld provides these most loyal customers, enabling oneworld to stand above its alliance competitors in this important part of the overall passenger journey.”

The new logo will appear on signage wherever key airport benefits are offered to the alliance’s top tier frequent flyers.

The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

New flagship property for Pentahotels in Brussels Pentahotels has opened its third property in Belgium. Adding to its hotels in Leuven and Liège, the group has inaugurated the new Pentahotel Brussels City Centre.

Located at the former Hotel Mercure Brussels Centre, the Pentahotels’ innovative lifestyle brand has transformed the 202-room hotel into a new hotel hotspot after a modernisation of 6 months.

The hotel is located in the immediate vicinity of the city’s fashion boulevard, Avenue Louise, putting it right in one of the city’s trendiest areas and making it ideal for those wishing to discover the delights of Brussels.

KLM’s new Economy Class service: Tasty Blue Tasty Blue is KLM’s new Intercontinental Economy Class service based on the set table concept. The new concept will be implemented at the start of the new winter schedule later this year.

KLM will combine a fresh white tray, suitable for recycling, with Delftware elements and unique Neo-Baroque influences, all with a modern take.

The innovative lightweight tray is the result of close cooperation between KLM Inflight Services and deSter tableware designers.

The idea consists of four designs, namely Dinner, Breakfast, Asia, and Bistro. Each is linked to a Delft Blue design that also shows up on the panels of KLM’s new, lightweight economy class trolleys. The Tasty Blue design represents abundant detailing in the form of embossing, colours, textures, hidden proverbs and expressions, beautiful patterns and playfully drawn aircraft all concealed in the design. Tasty Blue is a visually appealing service, designed and produced with passion. The design language is one of mix-andmatch, with ‘East meets West’, ‘technology meets craftsmanship’, and ‘history meets the future’.

The penta concept is different, because the pentalounge, which is the centrepiece of every pentahotel, comes with an anti-boredom guarantee. With its billiards table, Sony PlayStation and charging stations for mobile devices, the pentalounge is less of a sterile lobby and more of a cool club that transforms from a relaxing meeting place by day to a fashionable lounge at night.

Launched in Europe, pentahotels is a designled, neighbourhood lifestyle brand providing independent travellers with comfort and style in a contemporary environment. Pentalounge, a combined lobby, reception, bar and café, designed as a lively gathering place for hotel guests and local patrons alike, is a Pentahotels hallmark.

Amadeus Benelux appoints Christine Van den Winckel as new Marketing Director Amadeus Benelux has announced the appointment of Christine Van den Winckel, as Marketing Director.

Christine has a long career in Marketing, having started in Advertising & Promotions at Sabena Airlines in 1989.

Eventually, she moved to BMI British Midland, where she took on different roles, initially as Product Manager, then as Sales Manager Belux and further on as Marketing Manager Europe & Country Manager Belux.

Christine will be based in Vilvoorde and will report to Luc Pannecoeck, General

Manager. Sara Van de Pontseele has been appointed as Marketing Manager Business and Ana Dias e Seixas as Marketing Manager Online & Leisure Travel.

Luc Pannecoeck, General Manager Amadeus Benelux welcomes the arrival of Christine and added “We are sure that the knowledge, expertise and the enthusiasm of our staff will support the further development of our customers by offering them the best products & services solutions, taking into account their specialization and specific requirements.”

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

Singapore Airlines unveils new Premium Economy Class experience Singapore Airlines has unveiled its new Premium Economy Class seats and the in-flight offerings that customers will enjoy when the new cabin class enters service in August.

Following a two-year development programme and an investment of about US$80 million, various launch events will be taking place to display the new product to travel agents and corporate clients.

Premium Economy Class will welcome customers with a contemporary and stylish design. Each seat has a width of either 18.5 or 19.5 inches, depending on aircraft type, with an 8-inch recline and a seat pitch of 38 inches. Together with active noise-cancelling headphones and a sleek 13.3-inch full HD monitor which is the largest in its class, customers can look forward to an enhanced inflight entertainment experience. Other features include a full leather finishing, calf-rest and foot-bar for every seat, individual in-seat power supply, two USB ports, personal in-seat reading light, cocktail table, and more stowage space for personal items.

“Many of our customers have been asking for a Premium Economy offering and we are confident that what we are delivering will exceed their expectations” said Singapore Airlines Executive

Vice President Commercial, Mr Mak Swee Wah. “The new cabin product is the culmination of two years of work, which included extensive research and focus group studies involving customers and our design partners. Our Premium Economy Class will provide customers more comfort and in-flight amenities. Complemented by the exceptional service that Singapore Airlines is so well known for, the new cabin class will be ‘a great new way to fly’.”

Belgium and Brussels Airport, guests of the USA

Premium Economy Class will provide an extensive range of food and beverage offerings, which includes the Premium Economy Book the Cook service, enabling advance ordering of a selection of main courses.

Priority check-in and baggage handling, with a generous baggage allowance of 35kg, will be offered to customers. Members of the KrisFlyer frequent-flyer programme will also receive 10% more miles when they fly in Premium Economy Class. Premium Economy Class will be progressively introduced on 19 Airbus A380s, 19 Boeing 777-300ERs and the first 20 Airbus A350s. It will enter commercial service on 9 August 2015 to Sydney, before being introduced to other destinations such as Beijing, Delhi, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, London, Mumbai, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo and Zurich.

Brussels Airport has been selected by the United States to enter into the first stage of operational negotiations to implement the US immigration inspection program at Brussels Airport for US-bound passengers.

“It should be possible to carry out US immigration inspections at Brussels Airport in 2 to 3 years’ time, once the negotiations between the different authorities have been finalised. Border preclearance at our airport will facilitate the immigration procedure for travellers to the United States. This announcement by the American authorities is a recognition of the quality of the infrastructure at Brussels Airport and of the high level of security of our operations” said Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport.

In November 2014 the US Department of Homeland Security announced plans to expand its Preclearance program at foreign airports.

This implies that passengers can undertake all US immigration and customs inspections at the airport of departure. Currently, this procedure applies in Ireland in Europe, on Aruba, Bermuda and the Bahamas, in Canada and in the United Arab Emirates.

After a thorough investigation, the United States announced that Belgium is one of 7 European countries that are selected to enter into negotiations with the purpose of carrying out immigration inspections for US-bound passengers at their airports. In the following months Brussels Airport will examine the feasibility of carrying out the program. This implies, among other things, an adequate infrastructure with a focus on process optimisation, and improvements to the facilities to provide optimal comfort to passengers travelling to the United States.

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The Traveller Journal | News from the travel industry

A step nearer the Brussels Convention Centre

Like a Virgin, Detroit for the very first time On 1st June 2015, Virgin Atlantic launched direct flights to Detroit, the birthplace of Motown, Madonna and the Motor car. Flying daily from London Heathrow, Virgin Atlantic is the only British airline to fly direct into this fascinating city.

The City of Brussels and the Region have officially announced the three consortiums to compete for the conception, construction, financing and maintenance of Neo II, the future home of Brussels Convention Centre.

Neo II will provide the capital’s first worldclass convention centre, with facilities for up to 5,000 congress delegates, and a 4-star hotel with 250 rooms, surrounded by natural green areas. The three shortlisted consortiums for the project

will now begin the ‘competitive dialogue’ process with the City of Brussels and the Region.

Neo II is due to be assigned in 2016 and completed for 2020, followed by a new national stadium and then Neo III and IV with more residential and social facilities. Neo I consisting of a shopping centre, offices, residential and leisure facilities is already underway. In total, Neo represents a 1.5 billion euro project that will transform the Heysel area.

United continues upgrades to onboard service United Airlines this spring will give United Economy customers on long-haul international flights an all-new, highquality in-flight dining experience.

The airline has introduced an upgraded food and beverage experience, on trans-Atlantic flights - as well as on services between the United States and Argentina, Brazil and Chile; and on most trans-Pacific flights.

United will expand the primary complimentary economy meal to a hearty three-course service, with new dishes for main-course meals. Beer and wine will be served at no charge in United Economy during intercontinental flights where multi-course meals are provided. In addition, customers may purchase half bottle premium wines, and United will continue to offer spirits for sale. The airline will also introduce snacks for purchase in United Economy on long-haul international services.

Although most commonly associated with Henry Ford and the motor car and Berry Gordy and his Motown record label, Detroit has probably become better known recently for its financial troubles. However Detroit is enjoying a recent resurgence and is a hot bed of energy with a burgeoning art scene and new bars and restaurants popping up daily.

As well as being as being famed for its musical talent, Detroit is also home to the highest concentration of commercial and industrial designers in the US spanning architecture, graphic design, product design, landscape design and user experience design.

Virgin Atlantic opens first ever Clubhouse at Los Angeles Airport Virgin Atlantic has unveiled its brand new £2.5 Million Clubhouse, located in Terminal 2 at Los Angeles International Airport.

Set within a relaxing space overlooking the Hollywood Hills, the new 4,000 square foot lounge will be the first time that the airline has brought its award-winning Clubhouse concept to Los Angeles.

The new airside space (which has been designed

by Slade Architecture in collaboration with the Virgin Atlantic in-house design team) takes its design cues from the West coast landscape, with accents of gold to reflect the famous LA sunshine.

The walls are adorned with one-of-a-kind artwork, including an installation by California-based digital artist Diana Reichenbach, whose work is shown alongside a hand drawn mural from British artist, Vic Lee. The centerpiece of the lounge is a copper lined bar, featuring natural Californian produce and

plants, as well as Virgin Atlantic’s iconic bar service featuring fabulous cocktails. Spaces for relaxing and socializing are framed by panoramic views that span from the aircraft just outside the window to the iconic Hollywood sign and the mountains beyond. Fully WiFienabled, the lounge provides all the tools that flyers need to get work done before taking off, while delighting them with surprising details in the design.

“Los Angeles was the natural choice for our next Clubhouse investment. It is such an important route for us - we have been flying there for 25 years this year” commented Reuben Arnold, Brand and Customer Engagement Director at Virgin Atlantic.

Entry into the Clubhouse is complimentary for Upper Class passengers travelling between London Heathrow and Los Angeles.

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2015 | 9

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MANAGEMENT

Sustainable travelling

in style

Whether travelling for business or pleasure, the demand for ‘greener’ travel solutions is growing.

Companies are looking to cut their carbon footprint within their corporate sustainability programmes, while the rising trend for luxury travellers is for the 5 star experience in harmony with the environment… ½½ Jetwing Vil Uyana - luxury green hotels

Greener business travel

Sustainable travel for the luxury traveller

airlines have made efforts to reduce their environmental impact, with more efficient aircraft and for some, such as KLM, trials with biofuel. What we need now is for travel suppliers, such as hotels and airlines, to give us more clarity on their environmental credentials, to help travellers make more environmentally informed decisions.

When we choose travel, there are very few accurate solutions for comparing, for example one airline to another in terms of carbon emissions – or the environmental impact of staying in one hotel for a night compared to another.

We need clear proof from suppliers in order to be able to report on and manage our travel impact.”

More visible to the hotel guest are the use of locally sourced, sustainable materials for hotel construction and furnishings. “Locally and organically produced food supplies for hotels are also gaining preference amongst guests. Hotels and restaurants in Belgium have been particularly pioneering in popularizing this trend” says Geert Behets.

eert Behets, Head of Global Travel & Fleet Management at UCB, as well as President of the Belgian Association of Travel Managers (BATM), is an expert on the problematics of greener travel for corporations. “We can see that many

G

“In general, in the business world, efforts are being made to travel less frequently in order to reduce our carbon emissions. Companies have invested in meetings solutions, such as video conferencing equipment, in order to provide an alternative to travel, while the growth of high speed rail networks in Europe provides a much greener (and sometimes even carbon neutral) solution to flying.”

“However it can be surprisingly difficult to persuade people to change their ways and think greener. This is quite evident when I look at the difficultly in persuading my colleagues to use electrical vehicles (as I do). The attitude can often be that the environment is for others!”

The days when staying in an environmentally-friendly hotel meant renouncing comfort are a thing of the past. Many hotels in the four and five star categories have implemented sustainability programmes in some form or another. Behind what the customer can actually see, these solutions can range from the use of biologically friendly cleaning products, to water, waste and energy management programmes.

In the luxury sector, a whole new concept in luxury eco-hotels is emerging. Designed to fully blend into the landscape, with minimum impact to the environment, these hotels offer an exclusive 5 star experience. For example Jetwing Vil Uyana in Sri Lanka has created its own private nature reserve, while the San Camp safari in Botswana’s Kalahari desert is packed up and taken away at the end of each season, leaving barely a trace. As a destination, Costa Rica is well known for its eco-friendly ‘adventure’ destinations.

“Something that airlines and hotels need to work on is clearly describing the environmental measures they have put into place and preferably having some kind of environmental ranking system of their carbon emissions, such as we see with new building construction. This way we will be able to more easily compare and make pro-environmental choices” concludes Geert Behets. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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MANAGEMENT

Preparing the travel industry for the traveller of the future FUTURE TRAVELLER TRIBES 2030

Future Traveller Tribes 2030 Building a more rewarding journey

UNDERSTANDING TOMORROW’S TRAVELLER

amadeus.com

As a technology provider for the travel industry, Amadeus is naturally very interested in how customers and travellers will behave in the future and just what they will come to expect.

To get some better insight on the matter, the company ordered a two-pronged study, Future Traveller Tribes 2030. The purpose of first part of the study (Understanding Tomorrow’s Traveller) was to determine exactly who the travellers of the future are, and the followup study (Building a More Rewarding Journey) indicates how the travel industry can take advantage of this new knowledge. Here is an overview of the most significant findings.

I

n 2007 Amadeus commissioned a study that focused on the traveller of the year 2020. This study yielded four different demographic segments, referred

to as ‘tribes.’ The new study, undertaken by the Future Foundation, looks ahead to the year 2030. It is worth noting that the four tribes from the previous study are less demographically oriented, but are instead defined by the values, behaviours and needs of the travellers. Based on interviews with leading futurists, experts from the travel industry and travellers from all over the world, the study distinguishes between six new ‘tribes.’

• Simplicity searchers

This first group of travellers value first and foremost ease and transparency when planning their trip or vacation.

They are therefore prepared to let certain decisions be made by trusted organisations, thereby avoiding having to do a lot of research work. They thus prefer to choose ready-made packages rather than occupy themselves with each and every detail.

• Cultural purists

These travellers consider their trip as a chance to immerse themselves in unfamiliar cultures. They want to take a break from their life at home and are completely open to different ways of life.

Their enjoyment of their trip is related to the authenticity of the experience.

• Social capital seekers

A third group builds their journeys with an online audience in mind. They let themselves be guided by reviews and recommendations of others, and

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they use the potential of social media to enrich their experiences.

• Reward hunters

Reward hunters seek out a special reward or a “must-have” premium experience as a reward for the time and energy they invest in their work lives.

They reward themselves, for example, with expansive wellness offerings or other luxury experiences.

• Obligation meeters

This group goes on a trip with a specific goal in mind – which can be either business or leisure-related. Their choices are limited because they follow certain limits in the areas of time and budget.

• Ethical travellers

Finally, we also have ethical travellers, who let their travel plans be influenced by moral considerations. They think about the carbon footprint of their trip, the political and economic situation in their destination, et cetera.

Clearly, these groups are not mutually exclusive and the same traveller can identify with multiple profiles. The growth or decline of these tribes will be influenced over the next fifteen years by demographic and economic (population growth and aging, emerging markets, interculturalism), consumer-related (work-life compound, peer power, personal pricing) and technological (connectivity, polymath devices, virtual reality) factors.

Follow-up study

The follow-up study, which was conducted by Frost & Sullivan, considers how the travel industry can take advantage of these profiles with customised offerings. They try to determine which strategies airlines and other travel providers can develop in order to serve these different segments.

This rapport should also provide a framework with which the travel industry can tailor its offerings to its customers.

Airlines should evolve from a fight provider to a provider of a travel experience.

Travellers today have access to more and more information, and this also influences their purchasing behaviour to a great extent. This renders the familiar segmentation techniques of travel providers insufficient to meet the needs of travellers. The needs and wishes of travellers – as well as the available options – are becoming increasingly diverse.

Certain travellers will desire a high degree of personalisation while others will see this as an obstacle. When booking, some will choose for a ready-made package, while others will take a “do-it-yourself” approach and prefer to be inspired by whatever crosses their path.

In this world where everyone has all kinds of information at their fingertips, a new form of advice and guidance through online as well as offline personalisation techniques can ensure that airlines better understand and respond to the needs of travellers. This is something that will ultimately result in a more rewarding global travel ecosystem for both travellers and suppliers.

The importance of data

In a world where travellers are no longer defined by their demographic segment but by their values, behaviours and

motivations, airlines and other travel providers will need to harness the wealth of data and social media information now available to create customised ‘purchasing experiences’ that cater to individual needs. Airlines and their complementary service providers can better serve traveller needs in the future through more effective merchandising strategies, explaining also how the traveller journey itself will change by 2030, thanks to better use of traveller data, new technologies and a widening range of sales channels.

At the same time, personalised bundles of products and services, perpetual touch points between the travel provider and traveller, and frictionless purchasing will all characterise the traveller experience of the future. New sales channels will emerge in tandem, and can be divided into ‘inspiration’ channels (smartphone, tablet, virtual reality headset), which offer more immersive experiences and will be used as discovery tools; and ‘information’ channels (smartwatch, augmented reality glasses and service robots), which will focus on short-form content and purchasing.

A more rewarding and connected traveller journey

With these developments, data will become the most important resource available to airlines, giving the competitive advantage to those that can most effectively collect and use it. Moreover, the report also outlines how new technologies and techniques for collecting and using data will drive ever-greater personalisation of the travel experience in the coming decade.

Robert Sinclair-Barnes, Strategic Marketing Director, Airline IT, Amadeus said: “The first phase of our Future Traveller Tribes study identified who travel providers will need to cater to in the future; this report provides airlines and their complementary service partners with practical advice about how they can prepare for and cater to emerging traveller segments at each of the nine stages of the traveller journey. Ultimately, understanding traveller motivations and the evolution of purchasing behaviours will equip airlines and other providers to build a more rewarding and connected traveller journey for tomorrow’s travellers.”

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2015 | 13

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MANAGEMENT

Lufthansa Group goes up against business travellers

The Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, Austrian Airlines and Swiss) announced on 2 June 2015 its intention to introduce a 16-euro surcharge on bookings made via the GDS (Global Distribution System – reservation management systems linked to leading airlines) starting on 1 September 2015. For tickets booked via the airlines’ own channels – websites, call centres and counters – the surcharge will not apply. This decision will have a direct negative impact on companies that make extensive use of the GDS to manage their travel reservations and business trips.

W

e regret this unilateral decision by the parent company of Brussels Airlines,” says Geert Behets, President of the BATM, the Belgian Association of Travel Management. “This will put a

whole lot of service providers on the sidelines. In addition, the business traveller will also be impacted directly; he or she will only be able to compare prices via the different systems with great difficulty. Most of the companies use the GDS precisely because it is faster, more comprehensive and more user-friendly than the various tools that the airlines themselves make available to the traveller. For a Belgian company that is active internationally and often flies out of Brussels, an increase of € 16 per booking represents an extra cost of tens of thousands of euros per year. This comes at a time when travel managers are under heavy pressure to keep travel costs as low as possible. If other airlines follow the decision of Lufthansa Group, then that would mean a real explosion in costs of business travel.”

When companies make their reservations directly through the airline’s platform, they lose in most cases their ability to locate their travellers (via their PNR records – the passenger information that is available via the GDS). This has a direct impact on the safety of the traveller. In addition, the com-

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panies have to book travel outside of their own established systems (such as the GDS), which adds and extra layer of complexity (and thus costs) and problems with management (integration and quality of reservation and travel information, optimisation of travel processes, et cetera).

“We have always worked to support the sustainable, economical model of our partners in the airline industry,” says Geert Behets. “BATM thinks it is indeed a pity to have to realise that it is precisely the corporate clients who are the first hit by this measure. The GDS systems always guarantee the inventory and access to the booking information.”

“The loyalty of corporate travel programs has been important to the Lufthansa Group for many years now and business travel is a significant source of income for the company. But by taking this decision, there is clearly no taking into account the specific needs and requirements of business travellers.

Adding a surcharge to structured business travel programmes is a strange way to honour their cooperation. It forces us to revise our strategy regarding the Lufthansa Group,” states Pascal Struyve, former President of the BATM. www.batm.be

MANAGEMENT

The Corporate Traveller Interview

A rising star, Chef Clément Leroy Chef Clément Leroy is a rising star on the French and international gastronomic scene. Rich from 17 years of working in Paris’s leading 3-star establishments, his travels take him around the world for the opening of new restaurants and for creating exclusive private dinners in far flung locations. Interview with The Corporate Traveller…

Please tell us about your career – and what made you decide to become a chef

I

was born in the French region of La Drôme, in the Vallée de la Rhône – a region which is famous for its food and wine. Growing up in such an area, with all these wonderful

ingredients was an inspiration in itself. My father was a butcher and my grandmother was always in the kitchen cooking up delicious dishes using an ancient wood-fire stove. I began cooking with her from a very early age.

By the time I was 15, I had already decided that I would be a chef.

After my apprenticeship training, I wrote to Guy Savoy. He accepted to see me, as we are from the same region, and took me on. So at 17 years old I came to Paris and began working in some of the city’s most famous restaurants, including Laurent, Taillevant and Atelier Maitre Albert (which I opened). I have been pretty much working with Guy Savoy ever since we met 17 years ago.

Where have your recent travels for work led you?

Over the last couple of years I have made several voyages to Las Vegas, Singapore and Doha, for our restaurants there. These are fairly long trips of 2 to 3 weeks. I also recently did a short trip to Tokyo, for two private dinners at the French Embassy. Japan is a country I travel to often, as my wife is Japanese. Every time we go there, I make sure we visit a new region or island.

What is your style of travel?

I fly in business class as its essential that I arrive in good shape before I work. I tend to choose 5 star hotels, because of the service levels - and with my work there is no time to loose. When I am in Japan I look for traditional-style hotels.

What inspires you in your work?

My childhood reminisces of recipés and ingredients are often inspirations for the creation of completely new dishes – as are regularly visiting Parisian markets to get ideas from seasonal produce.

What do you personally look for in a good hotel or restaurant?

The most important thing for me is the level of service, professionalism and amiability of the staff. If these are in place, the odd mistake can be overlooked. I am passionate about going to restaurants and I go often as I can to new ones.

Tell us about your latest projects

I am working on three projects in Paris at the moment with Guy Savoy. The biggest of these is the new gourmet seafood restaurant, l’Etoile sur Mer, which opened just two weeks ago. At the end of last year we opened Huitrade, an oyster bar for tasting the finest oysters from all over France. Finally on 1 July we are opening the Good Brioche, a high level speciality boutique with creative gourmet sweet and savoury brioches.

Finally, what for you would be the ideal meal?

An interesting question! I think that would be oyster pot au fer to start with – this is one of our signatures dishes. Then, a main dish for me that is truly the test of a great chef, is Lièvre à la Royale. Finally, the perfect desert would be my grandmother’s lemon meringue pie. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2015 | 17

The only difference from home is waking up in a different continent.

KLM’s World Business Class, with Dutch Design at its heart, offers the perfect mix of comfort, individuality and personal space. The fullflat seats with smart privacy screens provide 207 centimeters of horizontal space. Together with the personal attention of our crew, the World Business Class has all the comforts of home. Except home doesn’t bring you to the other side of the world. www.klm.be

event

The corporate traveller best hotel Award for corporate travellers 2015

the entries

The Corporate Traveller hotel awards, sponsored by Amadeus, recognise the best hotel rooms and lobbies for business travellers in Belgium. This year’s entries show an exceptionally high quality of hotels. The winners will not only be able to proudly display their award, but also benefit from the prize of a 10,000 euro advertising campaign. Before the visits by our judges this summer to decide on the winners, here is a round-up of the entries.

Hilton Brussels Grand Place

he Hilton Brussels Grand Place designed its magnificent Lobby as a place to meet, relax and be inspired. The

T

iconic golden and crystal chandelier, engraved with swirls and elegant designs, immediately attracts the eye. The attention of the guests is then caught by the vastness of the stylish lobby, bathed in natural daylight through its crescent-arched windows. Guests can relax in modern armchairs alongside the windows, or on the embroidered linen sofas. Leading off from the lobby are the business center, meeting rooms, bar and library. In all, a glamourous but cozy atmosphere.

Relais & Château Hotel Heritage, Bruges

The Relais & Châteaux Hotel Heritage is situated in the heart of medieval Bruges.

The hotel’s 22 rooms seamlessly blend comfort, elegance and discreet technology.

The spacious Deluxe rooms are perfect for the business traveller, with separate sitting and bedroom areas, walk in closets and well appointed modern facilities. Inroom faciltiies include a writing desk with plenty of electrical plugs, iPad, high speed wifi, bose speakers with iPod/iPhone docking station and Nespresso coffee machines. Other features include 42” flat screen televisions and handmade Nilson Kingsize beds. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2015 | 19

event

Hotel Ramada Plaza Antwerp

“When this opportunity came along, we did not have to think long about it” said the Ramada Plaza Antwerp. “After all, our hotel lobby has an impressive height and structure, almost like the pyramid of the Louvre. The huge wooden wall creates a warm feeling and an excellent contrast with the coolness of the marble floor. The centrepiece of the lobby is a grand piano often played on by the various artists we welcome in the hotel during their stay in Antwerp. Our lobby is spacious, stylish and has welcomed a huge amount of celebrities and has been the décor of various TV series, shows and movies.”

Radisson Blu Royal, Brussels

The Radisson Blu Royal Hotel is an eight-storey glassdomed gem, in the heart of Brussels near the Grand Place.

It combines innovative design and dedicated service.

The hotel has redesigned itself and invested more than 7 million euros in order to renew its guestrooms and 18 conference rooms.

The Radisson Blu Royal Hotel’s 281 rooms and suites have been designed in 4 innovative styles - including the brand new Urban Style rooms which are distinguished by bright colours, clear design and elegant leather details. All rooms are designed with an eye for well-being and practicality, while amenities such as free and unlimited internet access, will guarantee a stress-free and relaxing stay.

Husa President Park, Brussels

A green oasis in the city centre, the Husa President Park Hotel is all about space. The luminous and spacious lobby has direct access to the 3,000 square metres of private garden, the breakfast area, the restaurant-bar and conference and events spaces. The atmosphere and design is a subtle blend of Belgian and Spanish culture, to create a unique and memorable setting.

Pentahotel Brussels City Centre

The Pentahotel Brussels City Centre’s distinctive design mixes fun with functionality, comfort with creativity, and style with simplicity. The hotel’s pentalounge is a lifestyle lobby that multi-functions as a reception, bar, café and neighbourhood hub. Meanwhile, the ‘pentapeople’ staff provide a sense of lively community among hotel guests, walk-in customers and hotel associates, while adding elements of pentafun and surprise in the lounge and throughout the hotel.

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Radisson Blu Astrid Antwerp

For those meeting with friends or business partners in Antwerp city centre, the Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel is the ideal place. The hotel is situated right across from Central Station, in the heart of the city but easy to reach by car - and has its own carpark. Working during or in between appointments is made easy, with free wireless internet. Visitors can meet in the bar and restaurant for a quick coffee, a tasty business lunch, a cocktail or to simply unwind after a long day.

Sandton Grand Hotel Reylof, Gent

The Sandton Grand Hotel Reylof has designed its lobby to ensure that guests have a magnificent first impression of the hotel. The design blends the atmosphere of historical Gent with warm, modern touches for an elegant and gracious setting where guests feel at home. The lobby area comprises various spaces, including a living room with an open fire and a library. The living room has views over the hotel’s private courtyard garden. The lobby’s stunning antique details include an impressive spiral staircase and empire mantelpieces.

The Hotel, Brussels

The Hotel, Brussels has completely redesigned its lobby to be a transition between the impressive modern structure of the building and its cosy, chic interior atmosphere. Located near Avenue Louise, one of the most exclusive and fashionable addresses in Brussels, the Hotel Brussels offers a superb combination of city views and excellent accessibility.

Amadeus, sponsor of The Corporate Traveller hotel awards “It will be a challenge, but a pleasurable one, to decide on the winners this year, with the high quality of hotel entries” said Olaf Leenders, Amadeus, one of the three judges for this year’s awards. “As the sponsor of the awards, we help hotels with technology to change their own future. Amadeus covers the needs for central reservations, Property Management Systems, e-commerce, Mobile and beyond. Corporate travellers, on the other hand, use our e-Travel management solution to make their travel arrangements, including hotel bookings, according to the travel policy of their company.

Technology not only continues to change the world, but also everyone in it.”

Details of the winning hotels and the awards giving ceremony will be announced in the next edition of The Corporate Traveller Magazine.

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2015 | 21

hotels

Fresh new brands to widen appeal of global hotel groups Large hotel groups love new brands at the moment. Hotels need to retain their loyal customers, but increased market segmentation of travellers means that they need to offer a wider range of choices, rather than rely on one global branding. The Marriott group, with its new Moxy hotels, is targeting the next generation traveller with upbeat design, social hubs and technology, while Starwood with its new Tribute Portfolio brand, is focusing on four star independent hotels, which combine high quality and originality.

MARRIOTT MOXY

M

arriott’s new boutique hotel concept brand, Moxy Hotels, was launched with the opening of its first property, in Milan, in September 2014.

Since then, the group has shared its plans to open at least 11 Moxy hotels in Europe by the end of 2016, growing to 50 over the next 5 years. Moxy is also set to enter the US market, with eight properties already identified.

A new hotel experience for ‘next generation’ travellers

The Moxy brand has been designed to target the techsavvy, millennial generation traveller, by offering stylish industrial-chic design at an affordable price.

“The economy sector is the fastest growing segment in Europe and we believe that growth will continue over the next decade” explains Toni Stoeckl, VP lifestyle Brands, Marriott International. “We feel this is an enormous opportunity to play in a completely new space and we expect to grow the brand very quickly in Europe. It is not just about offering a value proposition but also about responding to the changing needs of the customer and offering a tech savvy, fun and dynamic hotel experience. We believe that the sector has a very bright future but we will need to continue to evolve and adapt to meet the demands of these travellers.”

½½ Marriott Moxy entrance

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Moxy’s NOW lounges

The Moxy’s public areas, called, NOW, have been designed to be a lifestyle area for guests to meet, relax, work and play. The Guestbook, Moxy’s global digital platform, uses content from guests, such as stories, images and videos, to display them on the video wall in the lounge. The library features plug in facilities, while the lounge is equipped with table top games and games tables.

“Consumer behavior, driven by social media and technology, has impacted how millennials work and travel” says Toni Stoeckl.

“They spend more time in the public spaces, to work and play. So our living rooms are the center of activity in all our Moxy hotels around the globe. Anything too corporate can feel stuffy for them – and they tend to shy away from those brands that fail to make that personal connection with them. From the communal NOW public spaces to smart, flexible bedrooms, Moxy is a bold, surprising design for the socially extroverted, energetic consumer.”

The typical Moxy guest has been identified as ‘confident and self-aware’. In terms of service they want to be welcomed, but they want to be able to help-themselves. As such the Moxy’s food and beverage strategy is designed with the target in mind.

The 24/7 self-service concept gives guests access to what they want, whenever they want it. Guest rooms are smart and functional, with screen-casting, abundant plug-ins, motion sensor lighting under beds and free, high-speed wifi.

½½ Marriott Moxy guest room entry

½½ Starwood Tribute

STARWOOD TRIBUTE PORTFOLIO

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide introduced the Tribute Portfolio, its 10th brand, in April. With a firm focus on four star upper upscale hotels, Tribute is Starwood’s second collection of independent hotels.

Starwood launched the Tribute brand with the opening of the iconic Royal Palm South Beach Miami as its flagship hotel. Dating back to 1939, it features 393 guestrooms and suites, two swimming pools and 1000m2 of meetings and events spaces. A new restaurant, Byblos, will open this summer and feature Eastern Mediterranean fare by Executive Chef Stuart Cameron.

Starwood expects to open a further hundred Tribute properties by 2020. The initial focus of the new brand will be in North America and Europe, and travellers can expect to see the new hotels in global markets within the first year. They will first and foremost be located in high-demand destinations and markets where SPG loyalty members travel but where today Starwood has little or no footprint. As with Starwood’s other nine brands, SPG members will be able to earn and redeem Starpoints at Tribute Portfolio hotels and enjoy in-hotel elite tier benefits, such as upgrades, welcome amenities, late check-out and more.

Independent hotels

“Over the last five years, we have seen the number of independent hotels in the upper upscale category increase exponentially, especially in urban and key resort locations” said Kurt Renold, Area Manager Starwood Hotels

& Resorts Benelux “We have realized more and more that there are great hotels out there that simply don’t fit into one of our existing nine brands. We were missing opportunities for growth, and Tribute Portfolio will allow us to combine the best of Starwood with the best of independent hotels, to the benefit of both our owners and our guests.”

“We created Tribute Portfolio as an answer to both our guests’ and our owners’ desires to stay independent. Our members told us they want to stay independent and receive the benefits that come along with being an SPG member.

Similarly, our owners have told us that they have a vision they want to keep in place while benefitting from Starwood’s high-spending customer base and infrastructure. We will offer hotel owners a bundled program fee, lower than that of our competitors, that will cover certain expenses for marketing, reservations, sales revenue management, and technology. Our brand standards will be minimal, and our operational standards will be focused on ensuring, quality, safety, security and connectivity to Starwood systems and to delivering on our promises to SPG members.”

Four-star upper upscale hotels only

“Many of our competitors claim their brands are dedicated to the upper upscale category, but there’s a sliding scale on the quality of those properties” adds Kurt Renold. “We are committed to including only four-star upper upscale hotels to Tribute Portfolio. Tribute Portfolio will simply mix the best of independent hotels with the best of Starwood to benefit our owners and our guests.” | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2015 | 23

TRAVEL THE WORLD IN STYLE. Rejuvenate on a 2m full flat bed, dine on Belgian Star Chef gourmet cuisine, and watch your favourite stars on a 15.3� touchscreen monitor.

brusselsairlines.com or your travel agency.

air ports

Latest arrival at Brussels Airport

the new Connector!

Brussels Airport proudly unveiled its much-awaited new Connector building on March 24, in the presence of His Majesty the King. Passengers, airlines and partners alike have voted the project a great success. The Corporate Traveller visited the airport and the new building to find out more…..

© Hergé/Moulinsart 2015

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2015 | 25

air ports

Those familiar with Brussels Airport will know that it is constructed around a main terminal building and two piers – Pier A for Schengen flights and Pier B for nonSchengen flights. The new Connector building links both piers directly to the terminal building, meaning that Pier A passengers no longer need to travel to the pier through the old underground tunnel. Instead they benefit from greatly improved screening facilities and a light filled building overlooking the tarmac which brings them directly to their flight gate. Walking distances are reduced and throughout the Connector passengers can enjoy views over the airport, relax in more comfortable seating and enjoy the enhanced retail, food and beverage offerings.

Swiftly through security

One of the biggest improvements brought by the Connector building is its new screening facilities. Now the biggest airport security platform in Europe, its 25 hand baggage control desks means that waiting times are considerably reduced. In addition, the airport monitors the queues at

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the control desks through passenger-connected apps. When waiting times become longer, more desks are automatically opened.

Passengers on flights from Pier A are already benefiting from these improved screening facilities and, by the beginning of 2016, they will be used by Pier B travellers as well.

Transfers from Pier A to Pier B will also be made via the Connector, speeding and improving the passenger experience further.

Attractive retail, food and beverage outlets

The development of the new Connector was the opportunity for the airport to renew the commercial offering of retail, food and beverage outlets. Everything is now on one level, with a more convenient layout to reduce walking distances.

With its retail concessioner IDF, the airport has grouped together under one roof, an attractive mix of brands to appeal to all passengers – from luxury outlets such as Hugo Boss and the Epicure Shop with its exclusive wines and cigars,

© Hergé/Moulinsart 2015

to good quality medium range brands such as Superdry and Victoria’s Secret. The same goes for Autogrill food and beverage outlets, which give a great range of choice, up to the gourmet Black Pearl seafood and sushi restaurant. The airport is also in the midst of revamping its entire commercial gallery for Pier B.

The fruit of four years of planning and construction

The connector project began back in January 2011.

Following two years of research, study and design, a further two years were needed to bring the plans to life, before the grand opening on 24 March 2015.

“The opening was such a great moment, after all the hours and dedication involved since we first studied the original sketches” commented Steven Goeman, the Project Manager for the Connector. “All of these major works had to take place in the midst of a still operational environment. To achieve that in terms of planning was a real challenge. That’s why we chose international architects and engineers Chapman Taylor - Buro Happold – Moss, as they have carried out projects for a number of airports and shopping malls.”

Environmentally conscious growth

The reduction of energy use was one of the key design briefs for the new Connector. With the large amount of glass used on the exterior, the building needed to be insulated against excesses of heat or cold. The building was designed with a north-south orientation, which requires less heating in the winter and less air conditioning in the summer. Maximum daylight is facilitated through the north-facing roof windows, while protection against solar heating is provided by the shape of the east and west facades. State of the art geo-thermal systems have been installed for water and temperature heating, ready for use as from next year. Then there are the systems for recuperation of water and water management, as well as waste and water recycling.

Over the last 10 years, Brussels Airport has welcomed a further 21 new airlines, bringing its total number of passenger airlines to 70. 14 new destinations have been added in the past year alone. “There is no doubt that Brussels Airport is growing, as the figures clearly show this, but for us its about operating and developing in an environmentally conscious way” said Christel Vandenhouten, Head of Environment at Brussels Airport. “This is central to the airport’s development strategy.”

The bigger picture

The Connector building is just part of Brussels Airport’s 1 billion euro investment programme which includes renovation of its three runways, renewal of the arrivals area, replacement of the entire airport’s seating, improved access to parking, a 75 million euro upgrade of the baggage handling system and the recent rebranding as ‘the heart of Europe’.

The main purpose of all of these enhancements is to increase quality and passenger comfort. Their journey through the airport is now smoother, less tiring and altogether more pleasant. Passengers can relax in comfortable seating and enjoy the shopping and dining facilities, while they have a floor to ceiling window view over the airport.

Hundreds of positive comments from passengers

“The feedback from passengers is that they are happy with the light and brightness and they generally feel more relaxed” said Nathalie Van Impe, Head of Corporate Communication. “In fact it is amazing how much positive feedback we have had from passengers, with many hundreds of tweets and Facebook comments received since the official opening. Airlines are happy as they see a positive improvement for their passengers and staff. The investments we have and are making in the airport are paying off. It makes sense, if you take care of the passengers, it’s a win-win situation for the airport and airlines too.” | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2015 | 27

air ways

Business Class Special Not classification but inspiration, ambiance, and concise information. This is the menu for our annual Business Class Special ...

I

n contrast to our many colleagues, The Corporate Traveller is not trying to establish a classification of products that may be inherently difficult to classify. Airline business classes have their

in a state of rest closest to that offered in the hotel industry.

What will be the next battle? Difficult to say, but it will probably play out on the grounds of the on-board electronics.

own particular features so that each corporate traveller appreciates them in a very personal manner. Also, it must be remembered that certain business-class services are not implemented on all destinations or on all the planes of the same company etc.

At the heart of this commercial battle, each business traveller must strive to make a choice among the criteria that are considered to be essential or not. Seat dimension, catering, privacy, available structures for work on board, ... Each will favour their “own” business class.

Since their creation twenty years ago, airline business classes have fundamentally changed. To make a difference on their warhorses for commercial battle, the companies all endeavor to be distinguished by ‘revolutionary’ new thingsor not, as the case may be.

It is for all these reasons that we have moved away from classification in favour of pages focusing on inspiration, ambiance and concise information to enable you, corporate travellers, to have a good idea of what awaits you at the time of making your choice.

At the present time, a major battle appears to be coming to an end: the one aimed at offering travellers seats that allow them to really sleep, and thus carry them to their destination

If all companies are - of course - not represented here, here are the business classes that you can discover in the pages that follow:

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

P296C P032C NOIR P280C

| THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2015 | 29

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY AIR FRANCE

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

P296C P032C NOIR P280C

» COORDINATES Brussels-Zuid/Midi railway station, AIR FRANCE KLM Air&Rail Terminal Tel/fax : BE Tel.: +32 (0)2 620 01 84 fax: +32 (0)70 222 480 Tel/fax : LU Tel.: +352 27 302 006 fax: +352 27 30 20 08 E-mail : through www.airfrance.be and www.airfrance.lu, “contact us” Website : www.airfrance.be www.airfrance.lu

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) Intercontinental fleet: Airbus A320, A330, A340, A380; Boeing B747 and Boeing B777

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Flying Blue

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes, Air France and SkyTeam lounges around the world.

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes, for departures from the Brussels-Zuid/Midi railway station (specific conditions applicable).

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes

» EXTRA LUGGAGE In intercontinental flights in Business class: customers can check-in up to 2 baggage items up to 32kgs each. Flying Blue Elite members (Silver, Gold, Platinum, Club 2000) benefit from 1 additional baggage item up to 32 kilos for free.

» CATERING In the Business cabin, meal service is a treat. Menus are prepared by Michelin-starred “grands chefs” and prestigious French wines are being served. A culinary adventure on board your flight.

» BUSINESS SEATS Air France gradually installs a new Business seat; customer benefits include a fully flat bed, direct access to the aisle for every passenger and a multipurpose area (desk, restaurant table, bed) offering even greater privacy.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT A 16-inch/41 cm HD touchscreen transforms the traveller’s space into an entertainment lounge: movie classics and blockbusters, concerts, and many more. Music, games etc. give plenty of opportunity to relax and enjoy.

» EXTRA’S Air France’s customers enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep in a seat that transforms into a full bed.

Nearly 2 m in length, it is made of comfortable materials and an armrest that lowers completely.

With this additional space, each customer is free to find his or her preferred sleeping position.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Air France unveiled its new Business class seat: a cocoon in the sky. Customers benefit from a unique design for more comfort and freedom, the fully flat seat bed, a direct aisle access for each traveller and a 41 cm HD touch screen.

In total, 2102 seats will have been installed between June 2014 and summer 2016 on 44 Boeing B777, the core of the long-haul fleet.

Air France continuously develops the move upmarket of its entire range of products and services and to make a difference with a caring attitude towards the customer.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY ALITALIA – SOCIETÀ AEREA ITALIANA

» COORDINATES Address : Avenue Louise 149 Box 30 1050 Brussels – Belgium (Administration) Tel/fax : Tel + 32 2 551 11 28 – Fax + 32 2 551 11 43 E-mail : marketing.bru@alitalia.it Website : www.alitalia.be

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) AIRBUS A330 / A321 / A320 / A319, EMBRAER E190 / E175, BOEING B777

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Long-haul : Magnifica, Medium-haul : Ottima

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Millemiglia

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes, 4 in Rome Fiumicino : Giotto , Borromini , Le Navi , Dolce Vita

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes

» EXTRA LUGGAGE Magnifica / Ottima Class : Two bags – Up to 32kg each.

»CATERING Alitalia’s new Business Class introduces a restaurant-style ‘Dine Anytime’ service, along with a more personalised and unobtrusive delivery style from the cabin crew. Italian meals will be served at a time requested by the guest and will be served course by course and delivered by hand, removing the need for an aisle trolley and providing a bespoke dining experience.

» BUSINESS SEATS Alitalia’s new business cabin features 22 fully-flat seats in a 1-2-1 configuration with direct aisle access. There is a privacy divider for the centre seats and each seat has universal power and USB sockets.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Our individual in-flight entertainment system offers a variety of on-demand audio and video features (audio channels , films , documentaries , sitcoms , video games, cartoons and TV series). USB ports provide a direct connection for watching videos stored on personal devices.

» OWN DESCRIPTION In our renovated long haul Business Class you can appreciate an exclusive and luxurious travel experience thanks to full-flat seats covered in rich leathers by Poltrona Frau, enjoy the new bedtime turn-down service and relax embraced in the soft fabrics of the blankets and pillows produced by Frette.

In addition, while we continue to offer an elegant Italian dining experience we have now added new restaurant-style ‘dine Anytime’ menus that allow you to choose when to enjoy your meal.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS CO., LTD. (ANA)

» COORDINATES Address : AVENUE LOUISE 287 BOX 21, 1050 Brussels Tel 02/639.03.80 / Fax 02/647.51.49 E-mail : res.bru@ana.co.jp Website : www.anaskyweb.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) To Europe: Dreamliner 787-8; 787-9 and 777-300ER

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM ANA Mileage Club

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes. ANA Lounge

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes

» EXTRA LUGGAGE Business Class: 2 x 32kg

» CATERING ANA has created THE CONNOISSEURS, a team of the world’s finest chefs with Michelin Stars to their names. ANA also provides a comprehensive range of Japanese dishes for passengers worldwide.

» BUSINESS SEATS ANA’s perfectly staggered seat formation provides an extra 50% more room compared to conventional layouts. The seats adjust to create a two meter full-flat bed and offer direct aisle access.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Enjoy the new and improved entertainment service on your 17 inch wide-screen touch panel. Plus a USB port for you to enjoy your own movies, music and photos.

» EXTRAS We provide an exclusive night time range that includes a large down-filled duvet, soft cotton pillows, bed pad, exclusive pyjama wear, eye masks, earplugs and aromatherapy products. Light snacks are available at any time and we have an award-winning drinks menu of fine wines and Champagne, sake and spirits.

» OWN DESCRIPTION All Nippon Airways (ANA) is the largest airline in Japan by revenues and passenger numbers.

Founded in 1952, ANA flies today on 73 international routes and 120 domestic routes. ANA WILL LAUNCH ITS NEW SERVICE FROM TOKYO’S NARITA AIRPORT TO BRUSSELS ON 25 OCTOBER. The Dreamliner 787-8 will offer 46 Business seats daily. ANA aims to provide added convenience to passengers flying from Brussels Airport, with connections through its joint venture partners Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines and Austrian Airlines, as well as Brussels Airlines, a Star Alliance member. In 2015, ANA was awarded the maximum five stars by SKYTRAX.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY AUSTRIAN AIRLINES AG

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

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

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Miles and More

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

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

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes

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

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

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

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT 12 video and audio channels

» OWN DESCRIPTION The fleet has been totally refurbished

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY BRUSSELS AIRLINES

» COORDINATES Address: b.house | Brussels Airport | Airport bld 26 | General Aviation - Ringbaan | B-1831 Diegem | Belgium Tel/Fax: Reservations 0902 51 600 & After-sales service or web helpdesk 078 18 88 89 E-mail: info@brusselsairlines.com Website: www.brusselsairlines.com

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

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Bizz&Class (short haul); Business Class (long haul)

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAMME Miles & More

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes, Sunrise Lounge in T-Zone and The Loft in Terminal A, and lounge in Terminal B

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes, Airport Transfer

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes. For Flex&Fast, Bizz&Class and Miles & More Status passengers

» EXTRA LUGGAGE Overweight charges are calculated based on the size and weight of the extra luggage, as well as the class of travel

» CATERING BUSINESS CLASS LONG HAUL • A lovely start: Enjoy your choice of aperitif, including Laurent Perrier champagne, with a selection • of delicious finger food • Gastronomic: 4-course menu with a selection of starters and main courses, with highlights from Belgian cuisine including a Michelin-starred Belgian Star Chef menu • Savour the best: Enjoy fine wines and spirits from prestigious cellars • Sweet delights: Indulge in our world-famous Belgian chocolates, desserts and ice-cream • A healthy touch: Fresh fruit available throughout the flight ECONOMY CLASS LONG HAUL • Fine Dining: Delicious Belgian and international dishes with an African Touch on our African flights • Fine wines and spirits: Discover our large selection, including a sparkling wine aperitif

» BUSINESS SEATS SHORT HAUL Discover Bizz&Class, our all-new premium business class service within Europe that offers maximum flexibility, luxury and relaxation.

• 2 x 32kg checked luggage and 2 x 16kg hand luggage • Dedicated check-in desk in Brussels • Free Lounge access • Premium food and beverage (welcome drink, gourmet cuisine …)

• Guaranteed middle seat free • Free selection of newspapers LONG HAUL Enjoy the wonderful experience of luxury, great service and relaxation in our Business Class on long haul flights, available on all our Airbus A330 aircraft.

Luxurious 1.97m long full flat bed with integrated massage function.

Revolutionary inflight entertainment system with one of the largest individual Business Class touch screens (15,3” or 39cm). Premium food & beverages concept.

DELTA ONE™ factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

» COORDINATES Address : Brussels National Airport, Departure Hall, 1930 Zaventem Tel/fax : T. 02 620 0183 Website : www.delta.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) B767-300

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Delta One

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM SkyMiles

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes. Branded Sky Priority®, including expedited security and baggage

» EXTRA LUGGAGE Yes. 2x 32kg, if within size of 157cm (length + width + height)

» CATERING Delta offers regional main courses in the Delta One cabin from key European destinations, including Brussels, to the U.S.. The selection is refreshed each quarter, with dishes created using locallysourced seasonal ingredients.

» BUSINESS SEATS One of the most exclusive cabins in the sky, Delta One offers personalized service and meticulously thought-through details that truly make a difference. Expect fine dining, 180-degree flat-bed seats with direct aisle access and premium entertainment.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Delta Air Lines serves over 170 million customers annually and was named to FORTUNE magazine’s Most Admired Airline. Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Airline survey for four consecutive years and offers service to 335 destinations in 64 countries.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees and operates a fleet of over 700 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the global SkyTeam alliance and participates in the industry’s leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a newly formed joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on delta.com and Twitter @Delta.

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

» COORDINATES Tel. 02/200.88.80 – Fax: 02/714.58.30 e-mail: brusales@etihad.ae Website: www.etihad.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) A380, B787, A340 family, A330 family, A320 family, B777 family. Ordered: A350

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM For individual travellers: Etihad Guest (www.etihadguest.com) For companies: Etihad BusinessConnect (www.etihadbusinessconnect.com)

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes. Exclusive Etihad Business Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi; Brussels Airlines lounge in Brussels

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes, Etihad Chauffeur

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes

» EXTRA LUGGAGE Checked luggage in Business Class: bags with a total not exceeding 40kg.

Etihad Guest Silver members receive 50kg. Etihad Guest Gold members receive 55kg. Etihad Guest Platinum members receive 60kg.

Carry-on luggage: 2 bags with a total not exceeding 12kg.

» CATERING Our Food & Beverage Managers, recruited from the finest restaurants globally, will guide you through our extensive menu options and recommend the perfect accompaniment for your meal from a boutique wine list.

» BUSINESS SEATS Etihad is the only global airline that guarantees a fully-flat bed with aisle-access on every long-haul flight.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Stay entertained with over 750 hours of on-demand entertainment with the latest blockbusters, timeless classics and the best in interactive games along with noise-cancelling headsets. A range of connection ports at your fingertips help you stay connected.

» EXTRAS The Business Studios on our A380 and B787 are the embodiment of style, simplicity and functionality.

The modern design and thoughtful features create a sense of space and freedom, with direct aisle access, convenient storage spaces and mood lighting.

The seat converts into a comfortable fully-flat bed of up to 80.5”. Relax on all ultra long-haul flights on special mattresses for bedtime comfort in complimentary loungewear. Every Business Studio is equipped with a large personal 18” touch screen TV with noise-cancelling headsets.

With a special pneumatic comfort system to adjust the firmness of the seat, in-seat massage and lighting, all at the touch of a button, guests can customise the perfect environment for every stage of the journey.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Business Class with Etihad is not business as usual. We have created spaces where guests can work, rest and play. We call it ‘intelligent living in the sky’.

The luxury, comfort and service we offer in business equates to that of first class on other airlines.

Flying Reimagined

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY FINNAIR

» COORDINATES Address: TIETOTIE 11, 01053 FINNAIR, FINLAND Website: www.finnair.com

»TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) Airbus A350 (coming in Autumn 2015), Airbus A330/A340, Airbus A319/A320/A321 Embraer E170/E190, ATR72/42

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Finnair Plus

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS 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.

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No » PRIORITY BOARDING

Yes

» EXTRA LUGGAGE In business class, checked-baggage allowance is three pieces in long-haul flights and two pieces in short-haul flights (max weight per bag 23kgs) in addition to two pieces of carry-on baggage

» CATERING Our intercontinental Business Class menus have been created in cooperation with top Finnish chefs and every meal is completed with award-winning wines. Business Class passengers on longhaul flights departing from Helsinki have the option of preordering one of our three ‘Meals designed for you’ options.

» BUSINESS SEATS Our full-flat seats transform into a 200 cm (6’7”) long horizontal bed, offering more room and privacy to work, dine and sleep while in the air.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Individual in-flight entertainment system offers a wide in-flight entertainment selection of 72 movies and over 150 TV shows.

» EXTRAS At Helsinki Airport all departure gates are under one roof in one terminal building ensuring smooth and easy transfer in 35 minutes.

» OWN DESCRIPTION Finnair - the fast airline between Europe and Asia – connects over 70 destinations in Europe with 15 destinations in Asia via the convenient Helsinki airport. Our destinations in Asia are Bangkok, Beijing, Chongqing, Delhi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Krabi, Nagoya, Osaka, Phuket, Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Xi’an. Flying via Helsinki on our modern fleet means fewer emissions and less fuel so Finnair is also your eco-smart choice.Finnair will also be the European launch customer for the new incredible Airbus A350 XWB aircraft in autumn of 2015. Finnair is part of the oneworld alliance, bringing the whole world closer to you on the wings of the best airlines in the world.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY HAINAN AIRLINES

» COORDINATES Address : Brussels Airport, PO Box 39, 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

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) Airbus A330 (Brussels-Beijing), Boeing 787, Boeing 737

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Fortune Wings Club

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes, Diamond Lounge

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes, limo service for Business Class passengers from Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and northern France to Brussels Airport. Additional limo service at Beijing Airport.

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes, for Business Class passengers

» EXTRA LUGGAGE Business Class: checked-baggage allowance is 2 pieces of 32 kgs each.

» CATERING East meets West culinary – using fresh ingredients, we utilize international standards and traditional Chinese expertise to customize our meals.

» BUSINESS SEATS 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.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Every seat onboard our A330 is equipped with a personal screen, offering Chinese, Hollywood and other foreign films, as well as musical albums, games and electronic books.

» EXTRAS Beijing is Hainan Airlines’ largest connecting hub, for its international and domestic flights.

International flights, including those to Brussels, Hong Kong and Taipei, operate from the international Terminal 2.

Our domestic flights operate from our exclusive Terminal 1, only a 10-15 min. walk away from Terminal 2. From Terminal 1 Hainan Airlines offers connections to 43 cities in China.

» OWN DESCRIPTION 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 and hotels.

Hainan Airlines received in June the 5-Star Airline Award from Skytrax, and this for the 5th year in a row (2011-2015). 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 as the 8th most safe airline in the world, in its annual survey of the safety record of the 60 largest airlines in 2014.

Hainan Airlines was also awarded by Brussels Airport, as Most Punctual Long Haul Airline in 2014.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES

» COORDINATES Address : Brussels-Zuid/Midi railway station: AIR FRANCE KLM Air&Rail Terminal Tel/fax : BE Tel.: +32 (0)2 620 02 20 fax: +32 (0)2 717 20 00 Tel/fax : LU Tel.: +352 27 302 307 fax: +32 (0)2 717 20 00 E-mail : through www.klm.be and www.klm.lu – Customer Support Website : www.klm.be and www.klm.lu

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) Intercontinental fleet: Airbus A330, Boeing B737, B747 and B777.

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS intercontinental flights: World Business Class. European flights: Europe Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Flying Blue

specifications » LOUNGE

ACCESS Yes - KLM Crown Lounges at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, London, Dubai and Houston. And lounges a.o. SkyTeam lounges around the world.

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes - when tickets are bought in Belgium and within specific conditions

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes

» EXTRA LUGGAGE In intercontinental flights in Business class: customers can check-in up to 2 baggage items up to 32kgs each. Flying Blue Elite members (Silver, Gold, Platinum, Club 2000) benefit from 1 additional baggage item up to 32 kilos for free.

» CATERING World Business Class meals are prepared by top chefs and served on tableware created by designer Marcel Wanders. Premium wines and a wide selection of beverages and snacks make sure customers only get the very best.

» BUSINESS SEATS The new full-flat seat can be reclined horizontally so the customer can lie fully flat. The seat position in the cabin and the partition between television screens ensure greater privacy for passengers.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT 17 inch TV screen and a personal entertainment system - integrated in seats lets travellers enjoy the latest box office hits, music, and much more.

» EXTRA’S The new Full-Flat Seat offers optimum comfort. It can be reclined horizontally - 180° - so the passenger can lie fully flat. The bed length is 2,07m! The seat position in the cabin and the partition between television screens ensure greater privacy. There are also storage compartments in the seats beside the passengers and under the television screens.

» OWN DESCRIPTION KLM aims to accentuate the at-home feeling for Business Class customers and introduced a brand-new atmosphere, furnishings and style in World Business Class. The guiding principle is the customer’s comfort and privacy as befits KLM. In addition to the new full-flat seats, the interior features new carpeting, panel decorations, curtains, lighting, blankets, cushions and upholstery.

The new World Business Class is being introduced on increasingly more KLM aircraft, the Boeing 747’s have been redesigned and currently the Boeing B777-200 aircraft are being transformed

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY LUFTHANSA GERMAN AIRLINES

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

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

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Lufthansa Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Miles & More

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes. Business Class Lounge

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes. Priority check-in and boarding

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

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

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

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

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

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIR LINES

» COORDINATES Adress: Swiss International Air Lines, Customer Service, Postbox 2013, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland Tel/Fax : Telephone: +41 61 582 36 56 / Fax: +41 58 584 26 14 e-mail : info.swiss@swis.com Website : SWISS.COM

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) Airbus: 15x A340-300, 14x A330-300, 8x A321-111, 23x A320-214 and 5x A319-112 Avro: 20x Avro RJ100 2016: Bombardier : 20x CSeries 100 and 10x CSeries 130 (Successor of Avro RJ100) 2016: 9x Boeing 777-300ER (Replacing A340)

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS SWISS Business

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Miles & More

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS SWISS Business Lounge in Zurich SWISS Arrival Lounge in Zurich And more around the world

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No, but SWISS offers a Business Bus. SWISS Business passengers on short haul flights that land on the apron will be collected by a separate bus. The Business Bus goes straight to the gate with no waiting times.

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes, they can go to the aircraft on time with no waiting period.

» EXTRA LUGGAGE 2 x 8kg Hand baggage 2 x 32kg Checked baggage

» CATERING SWISS Taste of Switzerland is served on long haul flights departing from Switzerland. It is an awardwinning gastronomic concept with top Swiss chefs. The results are seasonal dishes from Swiss regions.

» BUSINESS SEATS The SWISS Business seat is a spacious workplace that converts into a roomy 2-metre flat bed at the touch of a button and with an integrated massage function.

» FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT SWISS has a wide range from over 140 films and just as many TV programmes. In additional, SWISS offers over 400 CDs and a variety of music channels and magazines.

» EXTRA’S Travel professionals have repeatedly voted SWISS’s Business Class the best in Europe. Next to this, SWISS is the only airline with 2 meter-long beds in Business Class on all long-haul flights.

» OWN DESCRIPTION SWISS is a 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 personalised 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

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY TAP PORTUGAL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

» EXTRAS The new tap|executive class now has a standard décor with sophisticated fabrics in shades of blue and grey carpeting with lime green accents. The lighting is softer during flights to give the cabin a more welcoming feel. The traditional blankets have been replaced by fluffy, wrap-around duvets.

The new recyclable and collectable amenity kits are decorated with works of art by renowned Portuguese, Brazilian and African artists and contain comfort items made of 100% natural materials. The creams are from the famous Institut Karité in Paris. Also TAP is one of the first European airlines to introduce OnAir WiFi on one of its A330’s allowing inflight connectivity.

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

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY TURKISH AIRLINES

» COORDINATES Address : Avenue du Boulevard 21 Bolwerklaan B-1210 Brussels Tel : Office +32 250 019 33 Airport +32 272 034 68 Call Center +32 262 008 49 E-mail : tcc.be@thy.com Website : www.turkishairlines.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) Airbus A319, A320, A330-200, A330-300, A340-300, Boeing B737-700, B737-800, B737-900, B777-300

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Business Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Miles & Smiles is Turkish Airlines’ frequent flyer program with different statuts : Classic, Classic Plus, Elite and Elite Plus. Travelers can also collect miles while flying any Star Alliance carriers.

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Yes for Business Class passengers and Miles&Smiles. In Istanbul Atatürk airport, the 3,000 m2 and 2,000 guest capacity Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge at the International Terminal offers a comfortable pre-flight environment for passengers with a wide range of complimentary food and beverages, private resting areas and shower facilities including personal shower kits as well as kids play area and baby changing rooms. In 2015, the lounge has been awarded as ‘’World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge” by Skytrax.

In Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen airport, LGM CIP Lounge offers hot and cold beverages, sandwiches and snacks, Wi-fi, daily newspapers, magazines and alike.

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT No

» PRIORITY BOARDING Business Class passengers, Miles&Smiles Elite and Elites Plus card holders will enjoy a priority boarding and a fast lane security control.

» EXTRA LUGGAGE 40kgs allowed for Business Class passengers. Excess baggage charge is calculated for each piece of luggage from and to South America, America and Africa.

From any other destination, the excess baggage is calculated based upon kilogram.

» CATERING For Business class passengers, “Flying Chefs” create a unique atmosphere of “Turkish Hospitality” above the clouds by assisting the cabin crew in the preparation and presentation of our awardwinning menus. All meals prepared by our subsidiary Turkish Do&CO are served on custom designed porcelain dishes, while drinks are offered in glassware appropriate to the beverage

» BUSINESS SEATS For long haul flights, Business Class seats provide a 75 inch (188cm) fully-reclined bed position.

A reading light is available for each passenger and additional functions like a massage button .

Individual touch screens are available in Business Class for short and long haul flights.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Turkish Airlines inflight entertainment is the Planet digital system. It offers more than 350 films and short programs including lastest releases available in different languages such as English, Arabic or French.

» EXTRA’S The Turkish Corporate Club: By becoming a member of the TCC, companies and their travelers can benefit from exceptional privileged advantages such as upfront discounts on the ticket fares, no rebooking and rerouting fee, free excess baggage and also Brussels & CIP Istanbul Atatürk Lounge access cards. Please email tcc.be@thy.com to receive information or become a member in a few steps.

factsheet » OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd

» COORDINATES Address : Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd, The Office, Manor Royal, Crawley, Sussex, RH10 9NU Tel/fax : +44 (0)7841 500 345 E-mail : kevin.scott@fly.virgin.com Website : www.virginatlantic.com

» TYPE OF AIRCRAFT(S) 11X A340-600, 7X 747-400 LGW, 5X 747-400 LHR, 10X A330-300, 5X 787-9 (rolling out to fleet of 21)

» NAME BUSINESS CLASS Upper Class

» FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM Flying Club

specifications » LOUNGE ACCESS Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse: The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses are available at; London Heathrow, London Gatwick, New York JFK, New York Newark, Boston, San Francisco, Washington DC, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Los Angeles

» LIMO SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT Yes

» PRIORITY BOARDING Yes

» EXTRA LUGGAGE Economy- One bag up to 23kg Premium Economy- Two bags up to 23kg each Upper Class- Three bags up to 23kg each

» CATERING The Upper Class menu offers a delicious selection of hot and cold cuisine, served with your choice of fine wine. After your meal, enjoy the cheese and port service.

» BUSINESS SEATS Our Upper Class Suite is the ultimate in privacy, space and comfort, with direct aisle access from every suite. There’s also inseat laptop power and a big table with plenty of space to work.

» INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT We pride ourselves on offering not only the latest blockbusters straight from the big screen, but also the very best selection of critically acclaimed indie films. With over 50 films to choose from, there’s something for everyone on every flight.

» EXTRAS Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses aren’t like ordinary airline lounges. They’re more like private members’ clubs. Choose from a huge selection of food and drink, stay productive with a full selection of business facilities or relax with a complimentary spa treatment**.

» OWN DESCRIPTION There should be pleasure in flying business, which is why Virgin Atlantic created Upper Class.

You can let your mood drive your decisions. Stretch out in your chauffeur driven car*. Choose to work or relax in the Clubhouse**. Make the most of having space to work on your flight. Stretch your legs at the onboard bar. Then, when it’s time to sleep, lie back on one of the longest, most comfortable fully flat beds in business class**.

With exceptional privacy, comfort and service, you’ll arrive refreshed and ready for whatever the day has in store. *Chauffeur driven car service available at most destinations with selected Upper Class fares (J, D, I & C class).

Mileage restrictions apply. **Lounge facilities vary at each destination.

Austrian Airlines

air ways

Focuses on Tourist Destinations in 2015 Austrian Airlines is offering its passengers an extensive offering of about 130 destinations in 58 countries during the summer of 2015. Austria’s national carrier will increasingly focus on tourist destinations in 2015. The airline has added new destinations, for example Menorca starting in June 2015 and Miami and Mauritius as of October 2015. In addition, Austrian Airlines is expanding its offering to North America and flight services will be offered up to once a day to all its destinations there. Since the end of March, Austrian Airlines also operates flights to Odessa, another destination in its focus market of Eastern Europe.

Austrian Airlines in the summer

I

n the coming summer, the vacation brand myHoliday will take passengers to some 40 destinations. Austrian Airlines continues to be the clear market leader in Greece, offering flights to 21 destinations. No other airline flies to as many Aegean

destinations from Vienna. With the addition of Menorca, flight services to Spain are being expanded to a total of eight destinations including the three Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca. Frequencies to Naples and Lamezia Therme in Italy will be increased, with two additional direct weekly flights to Naples for a total of three and one additional flight to Lamezia Therme for a total of two flights per week.

Expansion to North America

Towards the end of the summer flight schedule, Austrian Airlines will add a new route to the USA. Starting on October 16, 2015, Austrian Airlines will operate a Boeing 777 aircraft on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to Miami. Accordingly, the airline will offer a sixth destination in North America in addition to its existing flights to John F. Kennedy and Newark airports in New York, Washington, Chicago and Toronto in Canada.

Austria is increasing the frequency of its flight services to North America due to the positive level of demand, and will operate flights to all its destinations there up to once a day.

Specialist for Eastern Europe – Ukraine crisis

Austrian Airlines remains the market leader to Eastern Europe among the Western European airlines operating from one hub. Austria’s national carrier will offer flights this summer to a total of 40 different destinations in the region together with its partners.

Austria’s national carrier has adapted its flight offering to reflect declining demand as a result of the ongoing crisis in its focus market of Eastern Europe. Capacities to Russia and the Ukraine were already optimized in the 2014/15 winter flight schedule, and most flights were cancelled from and to Rostov in Russia and Kharkov in the Ukraine. Flight services have been suspended to these two destinations for the time being as a consequence of weak demand. Austrian Airlines still operates flights to four destinations in the Ukraine, namely Dnepropetrovsk, Kiev, Lviv and the new route to Odessa, along with three destinations in Russia, Krasnodar, Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Lufthansa Group with new holiday destinations

The airlines in the Lufthansa Group – Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Germanwings, Lufthansa and Swiss – will become even more attractive to holidaymakers and leisure travellers this coming summer. The airlines’ offer will be enhanced with popular tourist and leisure-orientated destinations. Passengers will therefore be able to count on the high-quality service and dependability of a scheduled airline.

During the summer holidays, many tourist destinations will be bolstered with further seasonal connections. Additional flights are planned to be added to existing city connections.

This is good news especially for business travellers. They will be more flexible in managing their appointments.

The forthcoming 2015 summer flight timetable sees airlines in the Lufthansa Group offer their customers the densest route network in the world, with more than 22,500 flights every week. Including the seasonal routes this summer, the Lufthansa Group airlines will be linking 321 destinations in 103 countries on four continents via its hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna and Brussels, but also with many point-to-point routes (previous summer: 294 destinations in 101 countries). Over 18,100 code-share flights with 32 partner airlines extend the flight schedule of all Lufthansa Group Airlines and offer a virtually world-wide network. The summer flight timetables for the individual Group airlines are valid through to 25 October 2015.

Austrian Airlines Austrian Airlines is Austria’s largest carrier and operates a global route network of round 130 destinations. That route network is particularly dense in Central and Eastern Europe with 40 destinations. Thanks to its favourable geographical location at the heart of Europe, the company’s hub at Vienna International Airport is the ideal gateway between East and West. Austrian Airlines is part of the Lufthansa Group, Europe’s largest airline group, and a member of the Star Alliance, the first global alliance of international airlines. The flight operations of the Austrian Airlines Group have been bundled at its 100% subsidiary Tyrolean Airways since 1st July, 2012.

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aIR WAYS

Hainan Airlines - the success story

interview with Hainan Airlines’ Sales Manager, Luc Naegels Hainan Airlines, the only carrier to operate direct flights between Belgium and China, has just been awarded the prestigious SkyTrax 5 star airline award for the fifth year in a row. We interviewed Luc Naegels of Hainan Airlines to find out more about the HNA Group, the growth of Hainan Airlines and their services in Belgium.

The story of Hainan Airlines and the HNA Group

H

ainan Airlines first took to the air, from Hainan Island in southern China, in 1993. Starting with

flights to major Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, Hainan Airlines began to expand its network.

Within its first 10 years, Hainan Airlines had already integrated several smaller regional airlines and opened new bases throughout China. The first long haul flights to Europe were introduced in 2004, followed by services to North America. By 2014, Hainan Airlines had grown to carry 35,6 million passengers, a rise of 15% in just one year.

The holding company, HNA Group, was created in 2000, to allow investment in other aviation and non-aviation businesses. Today HNA Group is active not just in airlines in China and abroad, but in many other businesses including airport management, retail, travel agencies, shipping, financial services and hotels. HNA became a 20% shareholder in NH Hotels in 2011. Together, they now intend to develop the four-star hotel sector in the Chinese market.

In total the HNA Group employs over 100,000 staff across its different activities, with 12,000 of these at the original company, Hainan Airlines.

Airlines within the HNA Group still growing

There are currently 12 airlines in China and Hong Kong in the HNA Group, including Hainan Airlines. With both full service and low cost carriers, they operate over 400 aircraft, with many more on order.

“Seven of our airlines operate domestic and intra-Asian flights from specific regional cities - Capital Airlines, Grand China Air, Lucky Air, West Air, Tianjin Airlines, Urumqi Air and Fuzhou Airlines” explains Luc Naegels. “Business and private charters are operated by Deer Jet. In Hong Kong we operate full service airline Hong Kong Airlines and

½½ Luc Naegels receiving punctuality award for Hainan Airlines from Brussels Airport low cost carrier, Hong Kong Express. Two more airlines are in the pipeline, Heilongjiang Airlines in the northern city of Harbin and Ningbo Airlines in Ningbo.”

“Looking outside of Greater China, HNA has launched or bought into several airlines, including Aigle Azur in France, ACT Airlines/myCargo in Turkey, Africa World Airlines in Ghana, Astral Aviation in Kenya and, since May, Comair in South Africa - an airline that operates both as a British Airways franchisee, as well as a low cost carrier under the name of Kulula.com.”

Hainan Airlines’ network expansions

Hainan Airlines operates some 500 domestic and international routes, connecting close to 100 destinations in Asia, Europe and North America. It recently announced the order of 30 additional Boeing 787 Dreamliners, in addition to the 10 it already operates. These aircraft, along with the airline’s fleet of Airbus A330s, have been pegged to boost its long haul network.

½½ Hainan Business Class Sleeper 46 | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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“Traditionally our long haul routes have been operated from our main hub in Beijing, but last year we started to introduce new routes from other important Chinese cities” says Luc Naegels. “We opened, for instance, flights from Hangzhou and Xi’an to Paris and from Chongqing to Rome. 2015 has so far seen several new long haul services, with new routes from

½½ meals in business class

Beijing to San Jose (California), Prague and Tel Aviv, as well as from Shanghai to both Seattle and Boston.”

“We are continually investigating new opportunities. There will be new routes to Europe and North America, as well to previously ‘uncharted’ continents for Hainan, such as South America and Africa. Already Africa is playing an important part of our business, through our cooperation with Brussels Airlines to develop Africa-China traffic via Brussels.”

Hainan Airlines has concluded codeshares agreements with 10 airline partners within different alliances, including Brussels Airlines (covering intra-European and African routes), Air Berlin, American Airlines, Etihad, Korean Air, Eva Air and Hong Kong Airlines. In addition to the codeshare partnerships, it has interline agreements with over 100 airlines. Hainan Airline’s own frequent flyer programme, Fortune Wings Club, covers flights on all of its full service airlines.

A five star service in Brussels – including hotels

Hainan Airlines has been active in Brussels since July 2006, when it launched the first direct scheduled flights ever between Belgium and China. It is still the only carrier offering direct services between the two countries. The airline currently operates between 4 flights per week to Beijing in the winter and 6 per week in the summer. In addition to Hainan Airlines, the HNA Group serves, through its cargo airline Yangtze River Express, several cargo flights per week between Brussels, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chicago.

The HNA Group is also present in the hotel sector in Belgium. It is the owner of two former Sabena hotels in

Brussels - the Carrefour de l’Europe Hotel near the Grand Place, which is now run as a NH Hotel – and the Sodehotel in Woluwe, which is being converted into a luxury 5-star hotel, under the name of Tangla, an HNA hotel brand.

Advantages for business travellers

Hainan Airlines is a multiple-award winning airline for its levels of service, safety and punctuality. In June it received the 5-Star Airline Award from Skytrax for the fifth year in a row.

JACDEC, the aircraft safety evaluation organization, named Hainan Airlines as the 8th most safe airline in the world, in its 2014 annual survey. More locally, in 2014, Hainan Airlines was awarded Most Punctual Long Haul Airline by Brussels Airport, the second time it has received this award.

“Our vast domestic network means that we can offer our passengers to Beijing over 40 connections to destinations in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan” adds Luc Naegels. “This smooth network of connections is important to corporate travellers, as more Chinese cities are now international business destinations. For example our Brussels-BeijingShenzhen service is an important route for business travellers. In Shanghai we fly into the domestic airport Hongqiao, which is much closer to the city centre and next to a railway station with several high-speed train connections to further cities.”

“Finally, we offer a true door to door service for business class passengers. We have a limousine transfer service in Beijing and, last but not least, we have introduced a new limousine service in Belgium to Brussels Airport, free-of-charge to most Business Class passengers. This service is also available to Business Class passengers from selected cities in the Netherlands, Luxembourg and northern France.” | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

summer 2015 | 47

air ways

On 19 May, Star Alliance invited 160 travel professionals from around Europe to join a networking event at the Van der Valk Brussels Airport hotel.

Star Alliance hosts major networking event in Brussels

T

he event gave travel managers, journalists and travel agencies the opportunity to meet and greet with the Star Alliance member airlines and to join a behind the scenes visit of Brussels Airport. During the airport tour they

were shown some of the latest facilities and services, including the recently opened Connector building, with the new security platform and commercial outlets. The tour was followed by a reception hosted at the Diamond Sky Lounge of the Van der Valk Brussels Airport hotel. Located on the seventh floor of the hotel, with floor to ceiling windows, the lounge offered guests panoramic views over the airport.

In short, the perfect setting for meeting with international airlines from around the world.

Benefits for passengers – and airlines

Star Alliance’s airlines work closely together to offer passengers seamless connections to over 1,300 airports, as well as alliance-wide benefits. The airlines benefit too, from the strength of the collaborative marketing activities organized by Star Alliance, including events such as the Brussels Airport networking day.

“The main reason for organizing trade events in the name of Star Alliance is to advise travel trade partners about the new developments, products and services of Star Alliance member airlines” said Jannigje Valkenburg, Coordinator Star Alliance, based in the Netherlands. “For airlines, being a member of the biggest airline alliance means that they can offer a range of added value benefits to travellers, such as smooth international transfers, earning and burning miles in reciprocal frequent flyer programmes and communication tools such as an integrated website and apps for support throughout their journeys. This event allowed us to share our business updates with our travel trade partners in the surroundings of Brussels Airport, to strengthen existing business relationships and to make new contacts. It really works both ways, as we as airlines advise what’s new from our side, and travel trade partners provide us with feedback from the market to evaluate business.”

160 travel professionals met with 22 airlines in just a few hours

“Feedback after the event was very positive” added Jannigje Valkeburg.

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airlines in just a few hours was really a very time efficient way of doing business. Airlines were happy to meet so many of their business partners and to see some new faces, as no less than 160 guests attended the event. Participants in the Brussels Airport tour, which showed the developments and improvements at the airport, reported that they really got the full picture of what is happening in the airline business in Belgium.”

“The main reason why we organize events, and this one in particular, is to strengthen relationships with our partners and to create more awareness about the benefits of choosing a Star Alliance carrier” said Jelle Bamelis, Corporate Sales & Marketing Belgium for TAP Portugal. “It’s always good for travel professionals to stay up-to-date with Star Alliance’s services and those of its member airlines. During the event at the Van der Valk we mainly focused on tour operators, MICE and travel agent segments.

The feedback we got from participants was excellent. We will definitely continue organizing these kinds of events, as we appreciate the personal contact with our business partners and helping them to better inform their customers.”

Star Alliance – from founding 5, to 27 member airlines

Star Alliance, the first truly global airline alliance, was born in 1997. Created by five founder airlines – Air Canada, Scandinavian Airlines, THAI, Lufthansa and United - its mission was (and is) to offer international travellers seamless services with a world-wide reach. Fast forward onto 2015 and the Star Alliance network offers more than 21,900 daily flights to 1,328 airports in 195 countries. From the founding five, the alliance has grown to 27 member carriers.

Star Alliance member airlines fly to more destinations than any other airline alliance in the world – which means easier travel and quicker connections. To achieve this, Star Alliance member airlines are located close together at airports and connections teams are installed for faster transfers. Common airport facilities, coordinating schedules and a range of new technologies are also frequently introduced.

18,504 daily departures

With 18,504 daily departures, Star Alliance carriers accompany 18,190,000 passengers a year. Worldwide, passengers have the opportunity to visit over a 1,000 business lounges. The 27 airline member carriers of Star Alliance are Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAM Airlines, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI, United and US Airways. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER BEST HOTEL AWARD FOR CORPORATE TRAVELLERS 2014

Hotel Heritage

Restaurant Le Mystique

T 050 444 444 | F 050 444 440 E info@hotel-heritage.com - W hotel-heritage.com

T 050 444 445 | F 050 444 440 E info@lemystique.be - W lemystique.com

AIRWAYS

Alitalia to withdraw from the Partnership Agreement with Air France-KLM from January 2017 Alitalia SAI has announced that it will not renew its partnership agreement and ancillary joint ventures agreements with Air France-KLM when they come up for renewal in 2017.

½½ Silvano Cassano

T

he current agreements govern passenger services operated by Air France-KLM and Alitalia between Italy and France (and beyond), and between Italy and the Netherlands (and beyond), as well as the marketing, sales and distribution of Alitalia Cargo belly services undertaken by Air France-KLM.

The agreements with Air France-KLM were concluded with Alitalia CAI in 2009 and 2010 under very different economic circumstances. They were then transferred to the new Alitalia (Alitalia SAI), when it commenced operations on 1 January 2015, following the completion of equity investments by Etihad Airways and Alitalia’s existing shareholders.

The new Alitalia is in a new position

“These agreements are no longer beneficial, either commercially or strategically, to the new Alitalia and its ambitious turnaround plan” commented Silvano Cassano, CEO of Alitalia. “They were negotiated when Alitalia was in a very different position, with the result that the agreements in their current forms favour the other party. They are undermining our ability to restructure our network and the airline effectively to achieve the long term sustainability of our business. The new Alitalia is in a new position. Our business needs agreements which deliver equitable value to

each party. For Italy and for Alitalia, our first priority is to win back the inbound tourism market, while better serving Italian leisure and business travellers.”

Open to further discussions with Air FranceKLM

“We have indicated to Air France-KLM that we are willing to discuss more equitable arrangements that benefit all the parties involved,but thus far we have been unable to achieve this result” said Silvano Cassano. “We remain open to further discussions to achieve a mutually acceptable solution. However in the interest of transparency and certainty for all parties, we felt it necessary to announce our intention not to renew these agreements under the present conditions.”

Growing codeshares with Etihad

Alitalia’s first five months of partnership with minority shareholder Etihad Airways, saw over 70,000 guests shared between the airlines on their growing codeshare operations. In addition to the revenue boost from new direct and codeshare routes, Alitalia will also benefit from widespread non-revenue synergies which will be worth more than US$ 15 million in 2015. These synergies will be complemented by investment in shared technology solutions and ongoing sharing of ‘best practice’ between both airlines. | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Destinations

Lisbon: a cultural & event capital close by Fashioned over 400 years by the Moors and then enriched by the spice trade in its golden age of seafaring, Lisbon is an historic capital of unusual character and charm.

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© Turismo de Lisboa - www.visitlisboa.com

½½ Jeronimos Monastery

T

he city is an amalgam of 1,000 years of cultural influences that intermingle with modern trends and lifestyle to create intricate and spectacular contrasts.

Spread across seven hills, there is always a window opening towards the majestic Tagus river.

Lisbon is the perfect destination for events. With world-class venues and hotels that satisfy the most demanding requirements for meetings, it is also a welcoming and surprising city packed with interesting things to do, so that visitors are guaranteed to leave with happy memories.

Proximity

For business travellers and event organisers, the city of Lisbon is uncontestably among the best destinations in Europe. This is because of its climate, its hotel capacity and historic character, of course, but also its event infrastructure and its proximity. Located just 15 minutes away from the city-centre, Lisbon Airport is reached in a couple of hours flight-time from most major European cities, and is 5 to 8 hours flight-time from North American airports. ¾¾ FADO

© Turismo de Lisboa - www.visitlisboa.com

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Destinations

Another element that never fails to entice meeting and Congress organisers is that the historic and cosmopolitan centre of Lisbon is almost like a resort, where event sites intermingle with hotels, shops and various restaurants, thus offering an extremely diverse choice of cuisines.

Unusual venues and experiences

Lisbon boasts a wide selection of venues available for all sizes of events: historical palaces and convents, contemporary and fashionable restaurants, traditional venues such as wine cellars or “quintas” (vineyards), modern bars, boats on the river, greenhouses, water reservoirs, football stadiums, etc.

Choose the unusual venue best suited to your event, add a touch of sophistication or keep it stylishly casual, then add the taste of the best fish in the world and local entertainment such as Fado music – traditionaly from Lisbon and now designated Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage.

To the cultural and historic character of the Portuguese capital, the presence of the ocean and the Tagus add a multitude of locations dedicated to relaxation, sport and to discovery. Once in the city, participants in your event will have only one worry: making a choice: a boat trip to discover the monuments erected in the era of the great explorers, quad bike, treasure hunt in town, or even play golf on one of the 25 courses surrounding the city.

© Turismo de Lisboa - www.visitlisboa.com

½½ Nations Park ¾¾ Lisbon By Night

© Turismo de Lisboa - www.visitlisboa.com

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© Turismo de Lisboa - www.visitlisboa.com

½½ Torre de Belém

Considering an event in Lisbon?

The Lisbon Convention Bureau (LCB) markets Lisbon as a prime destination for conferences, meetings, events, incentives and business travel in general.

The Lisbon Convention Bureau is a department of Turismo de Lisboa, a non-profit association (private and public bodies) responsible for the promotion of the Lisbon Region.

The Lisbon Convention Bureau is the place to contact for anyone planning an event in Lisbon.

Its 200 members include meeting facilities, hotels, event agencies and service providers of the Lisbon meetings and conferences industry.

The Lisbon Convention Bureau will be very pleased to put you in touch with their members; DMCs, Hotels, PCOs, Congress Centre, etc.) and guarantees the superior quality of their service.

Besides giving impartial advice and assistance to event organisers, their services include bid preparation, coordination of site inspections, ideas for social programmes and identification of suitable venues for events.

Promotional materials are available on request: meeting-planner guide, presentation folders for congress bids, brochures, leaflets, shell folders, CD-Rom, video presentation, posters and maps.

© Turismo de Lisboa - www.visitlisboa.com

Lisbon Convention Bureau Rua do Arsenal, 23 1100-038 Lisboa Tel.: (+351) 210 312 700 www.visitlisboa/com

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LUXURY FOR TODAY IN THE VIBRANT HEART OF BRUSSELS

STE I G E N B E R G E R W I LTC H E R’S 71, Avenue Louise · 1050 Brussels, Belgium · T +32 2 542 42 42 · www.wiltchers.com

Destinations

Paris

new ideas for business travel and events Paris, one of the world’s most visited capitals, has a tourism offer well-tuned to the desires of the upscale and luxury sectors. But what’s new? We set our reporter in search of new ideas for venues and experiences for The Corporate Traveller… ½½ Bustronome

Stay

T

he luxury sector continues to thrive in Paris.

Over the last few years, we have seen more announcements of new five star hotels in Paris, than mid-range hotels. Besides the larger, well mediatised openings, there is a smaller but perfectly formed jewel which has so far slipped under the radar. The Buddha Bar may be known by all, but the nearby Buddha Bar Hotel, near Place de la Concorde, is still a relatively well-kept secret. A 5 star boutique property, housed in a 18th century mansion, the Buddha Bar Hotel promises to take guests on ‘a journey within a journey’, from Paris to the Far East. Its spacious rooms and suites are decorated in vibrant and original oriental design, with award winning bathrooms. The hotel’s stylish private courtyard forms an extension of its ground floor wining and dining venues - Le Qu4tre Lounge Bar (voted best Bar in Europe 2014/2015) and gourmet restaurant, Le Vraymonde. The setting is an ideal location for business lunches or evening drinks. On Thursday evenings, at the newly launched Sunset Lounge ‘after-work’ event, guests can enjoy cocktails, a DJ set, a selection of Asian tapas and freshly prepared sushi.

The Hotel Bristol may not be new - but it is certainly time to revisit this grand old lady of Paris, as it is celebrates its 90th anniversary this year with a series of 1920’sthemed events. The hotel is a favourite destination among stars from the entertainment industry – and politicians, especially with its location next to many of the city’s key political institutions. Right from the entrance to its gleaming white façade, the Bristol earns its 5 star ‘palace’ label with superb levels of service. Of its 188 guest rooms, half are suites, with the largest being over 320m2. The hotel has two Michelin starred dining options – its 3 star gastronomic restaurant, Epicure, and brasserie 111 Faubourg.

The hotel’s suite of function rooms are classically styled, but luminous, with many overlooking the hotel’s large interior garden.

For visitors to the business district, La Defense, the new 4 star Melia Paris La Defense is superbly located – and a few steps from the main metro line through the centre of Paris. Opened in February, this impressive new-build property, designed in the shape of a sail by Vasconi Architects, enjoys an unrivalled vista over Paris and its sites, including the Eiffel Tower and the futuristic new Louis Vuitton Foundation. The hotel’s 369 rooms and suites are spacious and well designed, with floor-to-ceiling windows from which to admire the view. An executive lounge, complete with all-day snacks, refreshments and personalized check in/ out, is available for guests staying in premium rooms or suites. The hotel has a fully equipped, 850 square meetings centre, with flexible spaces spread over one floor. The lobby level bar and café, The Place, has its own private terrace and is open throughout the day and evening. A gastronomic restaurant, Le Miroir, is situated on the first floor. Other features include private parking and a large, well equipped fitness centre. Last, but certainly not least, is the hotel’s Skyline Lounge & Bar located on the 19th floor. The Skyline is the ideal place to enjoy cocktails and tapas at sunset and has its own large outside terrace. Just introduced in July, are the new Thursday evening after-work events in the lounge, with DJ set.

Eat

Fresh on the Parisian gastronomic scene is the Etoile sur Mer, opened at the beginning of June. Head Chef Clément Leroy, protégé of Guy Savoy, imagines stunningly presented dishes. Seafood is his speciality, with signature dishes including ‘Huitre spéciale n°0 en pot au feu’. Located in Rue Troyon, near the Champs-Elysées, the 50 seat restaurant has been designed in clear aqua tones for a light and relaxed setting. Three private dining rooms can be used for small groups, while lunch menus are available from 42 euros. Just opposite Etoile sur Mer, its sister venue, Huitrade, is a great new location for | THE CORPORATE TRAVELLER.BE

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Destinations

½½ Hotel Buddha Bar

½½ Melia Paris La Defense Skyline Bar

enjoying the traditional French ‘apéro’ with some of the finest oysters selected from around France.

Bringing to mind Ernest Hemingway’s novel based on the French capital, A Moveable Feast, many visitors to Paris have dined on one of city’s river dinner cruises. For a really different experience, with high quality wines and cuisine, try one of the Bustronome lunch or dinner tours. Leaving from the Arc de Triomphe, the Bustronome takes its passengers on an unforgettable journey. The glass roof of this double-decker bus affords its passengers a completely new way of dining in the French capital, as the sites and streetlife unfold before their eyes. Designed to recreate the ambience of a covered Parisian terrace, the restaurant, entirely on the upper deck, has a distinctly luxury feel. The Bustronome’s kitchen, located on the lower deck, prepares specially composed tasting menus of between 4 and 6 courses, which are changed with the seasons.

Ideal for business clientele, the Bustronome is also available for private parties with personalized itineraries and menus.

The Bustronome regularly invites prestigious names from the world of gastronomy to help with a particular event or to add their own variations to the menu.

Play - Team building and incentives

Elected one of the 9 best new incentives solutions in Paris this year, Paroles de Fromagers is the creation of Pierre Brisson. Hailing from a family of traditional wine growers, and one of France’s leading experts on cheeses, Pierre has developed a series of fun and educational workshops for small groups, where participants can find out how cheese is made, how to select cheeses and how to pair them with their ideal wines. Workshops take place in different locations, including a vaulted medieval cheese-refining cellar. They can also include outings to Parisian markets to purchase ingredients for a cheese-based feast prepared by the participants.

Finally, for those who want to experience the Parisian atmosphere in close up, Robert Pink organizes custommade cultural events, as well as tours of some of Paris’s most interesting areas, to discover its hidden treasures. In the newly introduced walking tour of the Marais district, participants can stroll under the arches of the elegant Place des Vosges and visit world-renowned art galleries found inside mansions with magical architecture. And, of course, there are all the essential stops along the way at innovative, gourmet establishments.

½½ Etoile sur Mer - Carpaccio de dorade

For more information visit www.buddhabarhotelparis.com, www.lebristolparis.com, www.melia.com, www.etoile-sur-mer.com, www.bustronome.com, www.parolesdefromagers.com, www.robertpink.com

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Vilas Da Luz

Cumeira da Folga 199,000 euros incl. VAT

299,000 euros incl. VAT

5 unique villas with 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms, large roof terrace Parking spot and private swimming pool

Unique detached villa on Portugal’s Silver Coast.

This villa is located on a large plot of land 8000 square metres in area with full privacy, located just minutes from the beach. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, laundry room, a spacious living room and large garden with private swimming pool.

Janelas de Salir

Bela Baia II

155,000 euros incl. VAT

147,500 euros incl. VAT

6 spacious apartments located just walking distance from the beach on Portugal’s Silver Coast with a view to the bay. 1- or 2-bedroom apartments with two bathrooms, balcony, kitchen and spacious living room, covered parking area, unique roof terrace and a shared swimming pool.

Spacious apartments only walking distance from the beach and the nearby town centre of Salir do Porto. 2-bedroom apartments and one duplex and a terrace of no less than 136 square metres in size, with covered parking area and a shared swimming pool.

IMMO PORTUGAL, Kribbestraat 3, 2000 ANTWERP www.immoportugal.com

Offer a smooth business travel experience

Take a bike, call home!

A smoother business travel experience means time for those little things that make all the difference.

Amadeus for Corporations Connected business travel

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