Innehållsförteckning för February 2023 från Business Traveller

Welcome to the &rst issue of 2023 and there is a lot to look forward to. Restrictions on movement have been removed from nearly every country, and the forecast is for travel to come back almost to pre-pandemic levels. "ere will continue to be capacity issues, however, with so many people having le! the industry – a point addressed by Richard Tams in one of our columns this month (see page 53). "ere is also a shortage of aircra!, strange when only a short time ago they were parked up at every available storage facility including that famous one in the Arizona desert. But even here, there is some good news, since those aircra! which were permanently retired were the least economical and least fuel-e'cient. So, much as we miss…

BRITISH AIRWAYS HAS UNVEILED its first new uniforms in nearly 20 years, replacing the current designs by Julien MacDonald OBE. BA said that the new Ozwald Boateng collection takes inspiration from the airline's people and the experience of flight, and features an airwave pattern “inspired by the movement of air over an aircraft wing”, as well as a variation of the carrier's speedmarque on the jacquard fabric of all tailored garments. The new uniforms include a tailored threepiece suit for men, with regular or slim fit-style trousers, dress and skirt options for women, as well as a jumpsuit - which BA says is an airline first. There are also tunic and hijab options. Engineers and ground operation agents will be the first to wear the new uniforms from this spring,…

RESTRICTIONS LIMITING PASSENGERS to just 100ml of liquids in their hand luggage when travelling through UK airports are finally set to end. The UK government has set a deadline of June 2024 for major airports to replace 2D screening technology with more advanced CT security scanners. The Df T confirmed that the 100ml restriction will be replaced with a new two litre limit, with Transport Secretary Mark Harper stating:“The tiny toiletry has become a staple of airport security checkpoints, but that’s all set to change. I’m streamlining cabin bag rules at airports while enhancing security."…

AIR NEW ZEALAND IS partnering with four companies in the fields of electric, green hydrogen and hybrid aircraft to launch its first zero emissions demonstrator flight. Eviation, Beta, VoltAero and Cranfield Aerospace will work with the airline in the coming years on Mission Gen Aircraft, developing the technology and associated infrastructure required for flying zero emission aircraft from 2026. The carrier has signed a statement of intent to order three initial aircraft from one or more of the partners “subject to an evaluation process”. This includes options for a further 20 aircraft. The airline’s Mission Next Gen Aircraft has two goals: ■ Fly the first commercial demonstrator flight from 2026 ■ Begin to replace the Q300 domestic fleet with a more sustainable aircraft - likely green hydrogen or battery hybrid…

JAPAN AIRLINES (JAL) HAS BECOME the world’s first airline to offer all its passengers (irrespective of travel class) the choice to opt out of meal service. It's all part of JAL's latest "Ethical Choice Meal Skip" option which aims to reduce food waste. According to trade body IATA, airline food waste amounts to almost six million tons annually. The Independent reports that for every passenger who selects to skip their meal, JAL will donate the savings to school meal programmes in developing countries. There is no reduction in the ticket price.…

DOMESTIC: LIGHT FESTIVAL AT BATTERSEA POWER STATION, LONDON, UNTIL MARCH 5 This free annual festival returns to south London this winter, showcasing installations from eight international artists both outdoors and inside the recently reopened Grade-II listed power station. The festival features a number of UK debuts from artists, as well as the return of the popular Eternal Sundown installation by Mads Vegas, where 140 LED tubes produce a sunset against The Coaling Jetty. Plus, there's food huts and trucks from the likes of Roti King and Simply Hog Roast. SHORT HAUL: MÉMOIRE VIVE, PARIS, UNTIL MARCH 5 The well-known Hotel Molitor in Paris is showcasing a free exhibition by Parisian graffiti artist Katre, featuring photos captured during the period when the swimming pools were abandoned. The façade of the outdoor…

The Neste refinery at Rotterdam isn’t a beautiful place, even between rain showers. The current expansion of the site at Maasvlakte means it has a half-built look about it, and with a coal power station pumping smoke into the sky close by, Cosco and Evergreen tankers moored on the far side of the Yangtze Canal, and the constant noise of construction traffic penetrating even the mandatory ear plugs, it’s hard to see it as the future of anything, let alone carbon-free flight. Yet when the refinery completes its €l.9 billion expansion in 2026, it will be one of the largest Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production facilities in the world. If you enjoy international travel, but find the subject of SAF boring, the next few years may be challenging. Airline websites…

Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS) released a MICE Sustainability Roadmap in December, 2022 with three targets: 1. Develop a set of sustainability standards by 2023, with the aim for these to be internationally recognised by 2024. 2. Ensure all six purpose-built MICE venues and 80 per cent of SACEOS members obtain internationally or nationally recognised sustainability certification by 2025. 3. Track waste and carbon emissions by 2023.…

Auroraverse The annual Northern Lights Photographer of the Year award, run by travel photography blog Capture the Atlas, returns for its fifth edition. The collection showcases 25 otherworldly images of the phenomena captured in the US, Canada, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Russia, Greenland and New Zealand. The Northern Lights season runs from September-April in the Northern Hemisphere and from March-September in the Southern Hemisphere. Norwegian photographer Tor-Ivar Næss took this impressive photo in Nordreisa in Norway. "When the Northern Lights go crazy in the night sky, focusing on your composition is worth the utmost effort because there is so much happening so quickly… Even for a seasoned photographer, it's very hard to focus on enjoying the Aurora while photographing it," he says. See the full collection of images at capturetheatlas.com.…

LOUNGE CHECK IN Take a first look at the new AA and BA lounges at New York JFK’s upgraded Terminal 8 (Page 22) SERVICED APARTMENTS Discover five new trends for extended stay brands, from local experiences to sustainability (Page 32) GARDEN CITY IN BLOOM Find out how Singapore is nurturing plans to become a shining example of sustainability (Page 44) ANIMAL ATTRACTION Get up close and personal with Thailand’s gentle giants at an ethical jungle sanctuary (Page 54)…

HM PASSPORT OFFICE has increased fees for new and renewed applications. On February 2, the charge for a standard online application made within the UK rose from £75.50 to £82.50 for adults, and from £49 to £53.50 for children, while postal applications have increased from £85 to £93 for adults, and from £58.50 to £64 for children. The Passport Office said that "the new fees will help the Home Office move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation".…

SIX SENSES LAAMU RESORT in the Maldives will open its Sea Hub for Environmental Learning in Laamu (SHELL) on March 1, 2023. The facility will house the Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI), a marine conservation collaboration consisting of Six Senses Laamu marine biologists and partner NGOs, The Manta Trust, Blue Marine Foundation, and the Olive Ridley Project, along with a gallery exhibition space, offices, marine laboratory, cinema room, and kids’ zone. Virtual and augmented reality technologies and conservation art include the central gallery called the Tank, which boasts a high-resolution LED display floor and five educational viewing booths for kids and adults. It features diverse underwater scenes of the Laamu atoll to give insights into selected topics on marine life. This immersive gallery, designed by Illuminate Productions in Singapore, is unique…

LISTEN: Life Kit This podcast from NPR presents life hacks in 20-minute episodes, hoping to provide you with the tools to make your existence easier. Recent episodes include tips on how to make a better to-do list and recommendations on how best to navigate art museums and galleries. For those that have already dropped their New Year's resolutions, check out the behavioural science episode from December 27, 2022 which explains how to maintain a new habit. Free to download. READ: What writers read, Pandora Sykes Popular authors share thoughts on their favourite books in this beautiful collection of essays curated by journalist and author Pandora Sykes. The 35 contributors include well-known names such as Nick Hornby, Benjamin Zephaniah, Ali Smith and Elizabeth Day. Each of the writers reveals the power…

BUSINESSTRAVELLER.COM/FORUM DAY OR NIGHT FLIGHTS? ALLOVERTHEGAFF While booking a few sectors for next year, we looked at a couple of options from Rio de Janeiro to North America. I flew from Mexico City to Rio de Janeiro a few weeks ago using Copa Airlines through Panama. Now, Copa are nothing to write home about, it is a bigger seat with ancient movies on a wind-up TV! However, it was a day flight departing MEX at 0915 and arriving GIG just before midnight with not too long of a connection at PTY. I looked at flying from Rio to Vegas and my options were: 1) United via IAH [Houston] on lie flats departing 2250 2) American Airlines via MIA [Miami] on lie flats departing 2355 3) Copa via PTY on a…

What’s the definition of an ultra long-haul (ULH) flight? It can best be described as a nonstop flight taking over 16 hours. It was two South East Asian carriers, namely Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines (SIA), which started the ball rolling back in 2004. Both of their nations suffer a geographic disadvantage compared to the likes of Hong Kong because Bangkok and Singapore lie that much farther from North America. Thai Airways and SIA were finally able to launch their first nonstop flights to the US thanks to Airbus and its A340-500. This four-engine aircraft was able to fly further than any other at that time. It meant both Thai and SIA could launch nonstops to Los Angeles and New York, the latter taking up to 19 hours. Airbus must…

BACKGROUND This property is part of The Crest Collection by The Ascott Limited, a brand which comprises hotels and residences in heritage buildings. The Crest Collection currently has three properties in Paris and a hotel in Tours. La Clef Tour Eiffel is housed in a 19th century building and has 83 rooms and 29 apartments. The property is set to be fully refurbished in July 2024. WHERE IS IT? On Avenue Kléber in the 16th arrondissement, sandwiched between the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. The property is close to Place de Trocadéro, and a three-minute walk to Trocadéro metro station. It's very secure, with keycard access. WHAT'S IT LIKE? The beautiful Haussmannian façade is the quintessential image that many people have of the French capital. Once inside, it…

UPFRONT HÉLÈNE PIETRINI is managing director of La Liste, which issues an annual global restaurant ranking. WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO GASTRONOMY? I started at Relais and Châteaux before moving to London and working at 50 Best, during which I really discovered gastronomy globally. I relocated to France just before Covid and began at La Liste. I’m not a critic or a journalist but I’m a businesswoman who travels the world to visit restaurants, meet chefs and organise culinary events. HOW DOES THE PROCESS FOR LA LISTE WORK? We manage a database of 30,000 restaurants in 200 countries, which is updated daily. Every time a restaurant is in a guide or ranking, gets a score or review somewhere, we spot that feature and reference it in the database and restaurant finder…

WIZZ AIR HAS REPORTED its lowest annual carbon intensity result recorded in one calendar year, Its average carbon emissions for 2022 were 55.2 grams per passenger/km, 15.4 per cent lower than in 2021. The airline says it operates the lowest carbon emissions per passenger/km amongst all competitor airlines and is committed to further reducing its carbon emissions intensity by 25 per cent by 2030. The airline operates a fleet of 177 Airbus aircraft with an average age of 4.6 years.…

THE CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY (CAA) is seeking views on what environmental information should be provided to people when they are booking flights. It follows consumer research undertaken by the CAA in 2021, which found that consumers want more information on the environmental impact of aviation and on the impact of their travel choices. The research found that most consumers were concerned about the environment, but there was only a limited awareness of the specific environmental impacts of flying. Whilst most had a broad perception of the aviation sector being ‘bad’ for the environment, many participants lacked a meaningful understanding of their individual impact and so weren’t motivated to consider it. Even though most participants hadn’t sought out emissions information, they thought that this kind of information should be universally provided…

UPFRONT THE ORIENT EXPRESS is moving seaward with the launch of its first ship, due to set sail in 2026. Orient Express Silenseas is the brainchild of Accor and shipbuilding company Chantiers de l'Atlantique, featuring interior design inspired by the Golden Age of the French Riviera. The 220m-long ship will feature 54 suites, two swimming pools, a spa, two restaurants and a speakeasy bar. On the entertainment side, there will be an amphitheatre-cabaret and private recording studio. Plus, it has sustainable credentials, with a hybrid propulsion formula combining wind power with an engine running on liquefied natural gas - there are even hopes to use green hydrogen once the tech is approved for ocean passenger ships.…

Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Nairobi The 128-key property will open in March and mark the group's first venture into Africa. Located in Nairobi's Westlands business district, the 26-storey property will occupy one tower in the gated complex of Global Trade Centre Nairobi along Waiyaki Way. The property will include a resident's lounge, meeting room, gym, wine and cigar lounge, outdoor pool, children's playground and a multimedia room. Locke London Kensington Edyn is opening its sixth London property under its design-led Locke aparthotels brand in June. The firm is converting the former NH Kensington hotel, situated on Cromwell Road, into a 121-unit aparthotel with a mixture of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, along with a bar, restaurant, co-working and meeting space and private gardens. Room 2 Belfast Construction is underway for…

MEETINGS, INCENTIVES, CONFERENCES AND EXHIBITIONS Locals watched our convoy of vintage Vespa sidecars zip through the roads of Singapore, before we routed towards colourful Haji Lane, with food scents accompanying us along the city’s narrowest alleyway. It was the first time I had experienced the sights of a city while also unwittingly becoming one, with fellow tourists papping photos as we passed. The ride also gave me a first-hand glimpse of Singapore’s green transition, with glass high-rises draped with canopies of lush foliage and living walls standing out in the urban landscape. I was told that this biophilic vista is set to pollinate further, with Singapore aiming to plant one million more trees and make 80 per cent of its buildings green by 2030. Aside from boosting our adrenaline levels,…

If I were to tell you that I was on hold for almost an hour on the phone the other day for an airline to refund a ticket, you probably wouldn’t be surprised. In fact, you’d probably tell me that I was lucky in comparison to all those waiting in line for hours at Europe’s airports last summer. The worrying thing is that both during and in the aftermath of the pandemic, we have come to expect such poor levels of customer service. Firstly, we were told that Covid restrictions were preventing staff from doing their jobs and now it seems that there is a chronic shortage of staff across the entire travel industry. Many left the industry during the pandemic and only a fraction returned. So why is it…

BACKGROUND The Okura Tokyo opened in 1962 and closed in 2015 for a reconstruction by architect Yoshio Taniguchi. The new structures remain faithful to the original design and include a recreation of the former lobby. The hotel reopened in September 2019 and the site (known as Okura Square) houses the Okura Museum of Art (free for guests) and two perpendicular buildings - the 17-storey Heritage Wing, for more private stays, and the 41-storey high-rise Prestige Tower, home to guest rooms, dining and leisure facilities and offices. A covered walkway on the ground floor connects the two buildings. WHERE IS IT? In the city's Toranomon business district. The main entrance is opposite the US embassy. WHAT'S IT LIKE? While it has had a modern makeover, The Okura retains its old-school glamour…