Innehållsförteckning för February 2024 från Business Traveller

It's a bit late for new year resolutions, but one goal of mine this year is to limit myself to essential travel only. That might sound like an odd ambition for a travel editor, but I'm sure frequent flyers will understand the tax regular travel extorts on sleep, schedules and social life. Not to mention the sting to your environmental conscience… Of course, it's a fiendishly flexible goal: what is essential travel after all? Which meetings qualify for face-to-face interaction? Does travel become more essential if we combine lots of non-essential things together? Does it count if we're travelling sustainably? The industry itself is in a state of contradiction – post pandemic growth is being hailed as a return to normal, but environmental concerns indicate we should travel less. So,…

UP FRONT LUIS VIDAL is a Spanish architect, and founder of firm Luis Vidal + Architects. WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO ARCHITECTURE? I always thought it was fascinating as it serves society. I want to deliver quality buildings that have a positive impact on people. Our duty is to integrate a building into the neighbourhood, for it to blend with the local community and give the user the best experience possible. Whatever you do, you must focus on harmony. You need to understand the local conditions – the climate, location, society and what surrounds that project. WHAT DRAWS YOU TO AIRPORT DESIGN? People identified a city by its cathedral 1,000 years ago. Airports are the cathedrals of the 21st century. Wherever you're landing, the first image your retina captures is the…

Aviation analytics firm OAG reveals the world's busiest international flight routes in 2023 Kuala Lumpur (KUL) – Singapore Changi (SIN) 4.9 million seats Cairo (CAI) – Jeddah (JED) 4.8 million seats Hong Kong (HKG) – Taipei (TPE) 4.6 million seats Seoul Incheon (ICN) – Osaka Kansai (KIX) 4.2 million seats Seoul Incheon (ICN) – Tokyo Narita (NRT) 4.15 million seats Dubai (DXB) – Riyadh (RUH) 4 million seats Jakarta (CGK) – Singapore Changi (SIN) 3.9 million seats New York (JFK) – London Heathrow (LHR) 3.87 million seats Bangkok (BKK) – Singapore Changi (SIN) 3.5 million seats Bangkok (BKK) – Seoul Incheon (ICN) 3.4 million seats Busiest global hub in 2023: Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International (ATL) Source: OAG's Global Airline Schedules Data, Jan-Dec 2023…

BA PLANS TO SPEND £7 BILLION. WHAT WOULD YOU SPEND IT ON? ➜ NORBERT2008 ■ Four-class A380 service to Bangkok daily. ■ UK call centre with option to discuss problems including complaints. ■ New website with an old fashioned route map. ■ Dine on demand including 30-minute service at any time of the day. ■ Caviar course in first class. ➜ MARTYNSINCLAIR From what I have been reading the £7 billion is largely to be invested into the fleet. My view is that BA needs to invest in its employees and create an atmosphere that makes them want to present the company and services in a truly professional manner. ➜ NICK PIKE ■ Proper business class seats on mid-haul routes to places like Cairo and Amman. ■ Once lounges are…

For years travellers have been using hubs at the likes of Doha, Dubai and Amsterdam to connect between Europe and Asia, with Istanbul's Ataturk and Sabiha Gokcen airports suffering from congestion and delays despite the city's well-placed location straddling both continents. Enter Istanbul airport (also known as iGA – Istanbul Grand airport) which began operations in October 2018 and aims to be the world's largest airport once its four phases of construction are complete in 2028. The airport took over from Ataturk as Istanbul's main airport in April 2019, adopting the IST code as well. It occupies 76.5 million sqm with an “under one roof” design, meaning that there is only one terminal – spanning 1.4 million sqm – for both domestic and international departures, plus three independent runways, an…

DESTINATIION Just before Christmas, Anfield stadium welcomed 57,000 fans – its largest crowd in 50 years – as the expanded upper tier of the Anfield Road stand opened for a showdown between Liverpool and Manchester United, one of the Premier League's most bitter rivalries. While it was an uninspiring game that ended in a 0-0 draw (unlike the 7-0 thrashing United received here last March), the match proved that football remains a huge draw for the city, and when the expansion is finished, it will be able to accommodate up to 61,000 Reds supporters. On the blue side of Merseyside, Everton is set to relocate to a new 52,000-seat stadium in 2025, and the Premier League club's new space has been selected as one of the locations for UEFA Euro…

In the November edition, I wrote wishfully about the need for a new approach to the processing of ‘hand baggage only’ passengers at congested airports. The point I was making was that, as well as passengers, both airlines and airports could benefit operationally and financially by segregating the ‘I can squeeze everything I need into a bulging wheelie bag and rucksack’ packhorse, from the ‘I'll check my bags’ gazelle. This month, having gained a reputation for writing what everyone else is thinking, I wish to propose a new and more controversial form of segregation: the inflight separation of adults from adults with children. Turkish-Dutch carrier, Corendon Airlines, has already had such an idea and is piloting the concept of Only Adult Zones on flights from Amsterdam to the Caribbean island…

Double vision Capture the Atlas, a travel photography site, has unveiled the 25 winners from its 2023 Northern Lights Photographer of the Year competition. Among the winning images is Kristine Rose's hypnotic Northern Lights in Nova Scotia image. “It's rare in Nova Scotia to get a solar storm and clear skies. And what a storm this was! A strong G4 geomagnetic storm lit the skies across North America, putting on the best show I've ever seen here in Nova Scotia. I drove 15 minutes to a north-facing dock, set up my cameras, and sat watching the show… I may have done a silent happy dance in my kitchen at 3am upon seeing this one,” she comments. See the full list of winners at capturetheatlas.com…

TOM OTLEY Tom was the editor of Business Traveller for 20 years before leaving to pursue a career in sustainability where he is currently a consultant. On page 71, he reviews the Thompson Nashville, which is conveniently located next to the electric BCycle sharing station from which he explored the whole city on his recent trip. JULES QUARTLY Jules has written for international and local media, documentaries and scripts, produced photography and videos, and travelled the world while documenting it. He has been based in Asia for the past 20 years and in this issue he writes about the latest developments in Taiwan – turn to page 32. GEMMA GREENWOOD Gemma is a journalist, editor and communications consultant specialising in travel and tourism, with almost three decades of experience in…

DOMESTIC: LEGION: LIFE IN THE ROMAN ARMY, LONDON, 1 FEBRUARY 23 JUNE, 2024 How often do you think about the Roman Empire? The British Museum's new exhibition is generating further interest in the era, exploring the stories of legionaries who made up the superpower's armed force for more than half a millennium. The exhibition has more than 200 objects, including the world's only intact legionary shield and a suit of armour unearthed from a battlefield in Germany in 2018. Tickets from £17. SHORT-HAUL: JOSEPHINE BAKER - ICON IN MOTION, BERLIN, 26 JANUARY 28 APRIL, 2024 Berlin's Neue Nationalgalerie is hosting an exhibition dedicated to this iconic dancer, singer and actor, who dazzled Parisian audiences in the 1920s. Get an insight into the star's work, including her contribution to cinema as…

For big meets: ACC Liverpool Located on the waterfront, ACC Liverpool is three event venues in one: the M&S Bank Arena, the convention centre and the exhibition centre, which will host the biggest Liverpool Comic-Con event yet in May. In terms of spaces, the auditorium boasts 1,350 theatre-style seats while Hall 2 is a multi-functional, fully divisible carpeted space measuring in at 3,725 sqm which is ideal for gala dinners and exhibitions. The galleria lends itself well to drinks receptions, and there are 21 different meeting spaces, too. accliverpool.com For healthy conferences: Spaces at The Spine Situated within the Spine building at Paddington Village, Spaces at The Spine offers a variety of meeting, exhibition, conference and training spaces. It has been built according to WELL Building Standard concepts, making it…

What is TravelPerk? TravelPerk is a business travel platform born from the idea of simplifying business travel. We took the best from leisure travel (user experience, price, availability, inventory) and coupled it with what a company needs (control, reporting and a one-stop shop). Once we built that base, we started to layer different products and services that made sense for the traveller. We launched FlexiPerk, which makes every trip flexible, and GreenPerk, which was built around sustainability. What are TravelPerk's USPs? Some travel management companies (TMCs) offer a disjointed experience, because different entities handle, for example, the supply or the reporting. We do everything – develop our own platform, negotiate with suppliers, and provide customer support. Having a one-stop shop delivers a much better experience. Our second USP is flexibility.…

LISTEN: The Rest is Entertainment The Goalhanger Podcasts production company has entered the realm of entertainment with this new series hosted by Richard Osman and Marina Hyde. The weekly podcast explores topics such as whether TV dramas can deliver real-life justice, celebrity ghost writers and jackpots on quiz shows, while also providing a rundown of the year ahead across TV, movies, books and theatre – so you can plan your nights accordingly. Available to download on Spotify and Apple. READ: A Bookshop of One's Own, Jane Cholmeley This nonfiction book published on 29 February discovers the struggles and joy of setting up a feminist bookshop in London in the 1980s. Co-founded by Cholmeley, Sue Butterworth and Jane Anger, the Silver Moon Women's Bookshop championed female writers and hosted literary figures…

INBOX YOUR LETTERS AND COMMENTS TIGHT TRANSFERS I am a oneworld Emerald member (BA Gold) and very much enjoy the top class service of Cathay Pacific. However, over recent months I have been the victim of a recurrent issue: short connections to, and from, Cathay Pacific flights. In June, flight CX383 from HKG to ZRH arrived slightly late, and I only had an hour connection time before my flight LX2802 to GVA. Transit security capacity was inadequate. I had to force my way through, incurring much anger from other passengers. I also needed to change terminal by train and rush to the gate. After these two rushed transfers, my luggage did not arrive at GVA. In August, flight LX1082 left GVA for FRA late due to a late incoming aircraft,…

Andaz Doha Launching later this year, Andaz Doha is a lifestyle hotel located in West Bay, one of the city's major arts hubs. Close to most embassies, financial institutions and luxury shopping malls, it looks set to be a foodie hotspot, with signature restaurants including Salt Road, a venue showcasing South African cuisine with a salty edge; Mr. & Mrs Hawker, serving Singaporean street food; and Mumble Jungle, an Afro-Cuban inspired bar. There will be 256 rooms, 36 suites and for longer stays, 56 residences, plus a spa, fitness centre, pool and meeting facilities. Pets are welcome too. hyatt.com Rixos Qetaifan Island Doha Arguably one of Doha's most anticipated hotels, the Rixos Qetaifan Island North Doha was due to open at time of press. Aside from playing host to the…

DESTINATION Vancouver is home to the third-largest film and television production industry in North America. It's the perfect place to gain bragging rights over celebrity sightings, or to visit the stunning locales featured in your favourite films. But there are plenty of other reasons to visit ‘Hollywood North,’ too. The city is as much a treat for cinema lovers as those seeking an adrenaline rush or a moment of solitude amid Vancouver's undisturbed wilderness. Shoppers in search of unique items at independent boutiques and gastronomes on the look out for local specialities and global cuisines will also feel right at home here. FROM REEL TO REAL LIFE Start your Vancouver sojourn in the heart of downtown at the Marine Building. With its Art Deco style facade, the building sticks out…