News Archive

ETIHAD UNVEIL NEW FIRST CLASS SUITE

Etihad Airways, following a $70 million investment in upgrading their fleet, unveiled its new First Class cabin suite at this year's Arabian Travel Market. The new first class cabin consists of 12 individual suites, each with 80.5 inch flatbed with built in massagers, lumbar support and power sockets for extra comfort and convenience. Also within each suite you have an integrated wardrobe, minibar and a 23 inch LCD with 600 hours of on-demand entertainment, all within the privacy of each suite as they are equipped with sliding doors.

AIR PASSENGER DUTY TAX SET TO DOUBLE!!

Airfare taxes are set to doublle now the Government are to go ahead with their plans to increase Air Passenger Duty tax (APD). Despite many protests from the travel industry, taxes are again to rise sharply for the second time in 2 years. The increase in taxes will affect longhaul flights and premium tickets heavily; where for example the tax on an economy ticket to Australia was £40.00, this will now increase to £85.00 per ticket by the end of next year - this is 4 times the rate in 2007 when the duty was only £20.00.

AIR FRANCE LAUNCH NEW "PREMIUM VOYAGEUR" CABIN

Air France continue to innovate its fleet by introducing a new "Premium" product cabin in between Business and Ecoomy class called Premium Voyageur . This new cabin will gradually be phased into their longhaul international network on flights operated by Boeing 777's , Airbus A340's and A330's. Premium Voyageur will be available as from today on all flights to New York JFK, Tokyo and Osaka; where travellers will benefit from 40% additional space in comparison to economy.

EMIRATES CREATE NEW LOUNGE IN MANCHESTER

As of the 1st of June, Emirates will move it's twice daily service from Manchester - Dubai to terminal 1 in line with the opening of its newley built business class lounge. Emirates will be the first non-UK airline to have a dedicated lounge in Manchester Airport. The move will also allow for the introduction of the A380 to the route. The new business lounge will have floor to ceiling windows with views of the runway, and an IT business center for its business travellers.

SWISS AIRLINES GO GREEN

Swiss International Airlines is to commence flying one of the newest fuel-efficient aircraft in the world on its UK routes. Swiss has placed an order of 20 Bombardier CSeries aircraft for the sum of £625 million, which will result in a 25% decrease in fuel consumption against their current Avro RJ100 short-haul fleet. The new aircraft will be made of 70% composite materials making for a lighter plane. Bombardier says it cuts operating costs by 15%, carbon dioxide emissions by 20% and noise level by 75%. The planes will be in operation on the following routes; Manchester, Birmingham and Dublin from 2014.

STAR ALLIANCE PROGRESS WITH TERMINAL 1 MOVE

Star Alliance unveil their progressive move to Terminal 1 at Heathrow. All Terminal 2 carriers :Austrian, Croatia Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss and TAP - will relocate to T1 this summer, while all remaining partners travelling from T3 - Air Canada, Air China, ANA, Blue1, Egyptair, Scandanavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai and Turkish Airlines, will transition over in 2013. In line with the move, Terminal 1 will have a new Star Alliance branded check-in area and a separate security line located directly behind this area, which will also feature Fast Track for top-tier customers. Passengers travelling on Air New Zealand, Asiana Airlines, bmi, South African Airways, SWISS, United and US Airways will also benefit from the new layout of Terminal 1, with check-in and ticketing facilities for these carriers located in the redesigned main concourse.

HEATHROW RATED WORST AIRPORT BY SURVEY

9000 passengers surveyed by Which? holiday magazine, revealed that only 31% of those surveyed found heathrow satisfactory. Terminal 2, 3 and 4 were listed as the next least popular, followed by Gatwick north and south. In response to the survey, BAA (owner of both airports) are planning to invest £6bn to improve the infrastructure over the next five years. However it seems that the initially ill-fated terminal 5 has fared better, with 54% of the people saying they were satisfied with the service.

KLM LAUNCH NEW LIVERPOOL TO AMSTERDAM SERVICE

KLM started a service from John Lennon airport to Schiphol this week, connecting Liverpool with more than 700 worldwide destinations through its hub in Amsterdam. The service will operate 3 times a day and connect through Schiphol to over 100 destinations served by KLM and a further 650 through their Skyteam partners.

LUFTHANSA TO STOP BRISTOL SERVICE

As of the 1st May, Lufthansa will cease operating the service Bristol - Frankfurt - a reflection on the current times to maximise use of aircraft on busier routes accross their fleet.

SOUTH PACIFIC EARTHQUAKE

A 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck about 209km south-east of Tonga in the South Pacific, triggering a tsunami warning which was withdrawn just over an hour and a half later. The quake struck just after 6am local time and was caused by the eruption of an undersea volcano. There were no immediate indications of any damage or casualties on the main island of Tonga.

AIRLINES FAIL PASSENGERS OVER LUGGAGE

Airlines are not correctly compensating passengers for lost or delayed luggage, according to a report released today by the Air Transport Users Council. The AUC says the Montreal Convention, which came into force in 2004, has failed to make any difference to the way airlines compensate passengers. based on over 2,000 written complaints to the AUC regarding baggage since 2004, the Montreal Convention appeared not to have brought about the benefits hoped for to passengers, the AUC report concluded.

BAA MUST SELL 3

Gatwick, Stansted and either Edinburgh or Glasgow airports will have to be sold by BAA under a ruling by the Competition Commission. The sale must take place within two years, resulting in a break-up of the airports operator which currently owns seven airports in the UK. The spanish-owned company has already put Gatwick up for sale and the Competition Commission wants Stansted sold next followed by one of the two Scottish airports. The commission stipulated that the airports to be sold must be run by different owners.

QANTAS AND ETIHAD SIGN CODESHARE AGREEMENT

Etihad Airways has signed a codeshare agreement with Qantas. The agreement will result in closer commercial cooperation between the two airlines . The Abu Dhabi-based carrier will place its two-letter code "EY" on selected Qantas domestic flights that operate beyond Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane - the three gateway airports currently served by Etihad. In addition to these new routes Etihad will also "code share" on daily Qantas services to New Zealand from Melbourne to Aukland. The codeshare agreement will come into effect as of the 29th March and will invariably extend to further routes on the Qantas network in the future. In return Qantas will codeshare on all services operated by Etihad between Australia and Abu Dhabi, as well as on selected routes on Etihad services connecting the UAE capital to the Middle Eastern destinations of Amman (in Jordan), Bahrain and Beirut (in Lebanon).

AGEAN AIRLINES BIDS FOR OLYMPIC AIRWAYS

Aegean Airlines, a private Greek carrier , launched a €170m takeover bid for the troubled state-owned Olympic Airlines. Company officials state, " The goal of Aegean and its shareholders is to develop a Greek airline with the necessary critical size, strength and capability to face the international competition within the framework of the unified Europe" . If the agreement is successful , Aegean is prepared to reduce part of their activity in the Greek domestic market, which already has a number of new entrants. Aegean, which carried more than six million passengers last year,said it saw its bid as allowing for the long term provision of competitive, high quality service from a Greek-owned and based airline. The acquisition would take it for the first time into long-haul markets with Olympic flying routes to the US, Canada, the Middle East and South Africa.

£1 TO SPEND A PENNY

Suggestions have been lauded that Ryanair might start charging their passengers for the use of their in-flight toilets! The low cost carrier’s CEO Michael O’Leary posed the possibility during and interview with BBC TV this morning, saying : "One thing we have looked at in the past and are looking at again is the possibility of maybe putting a coin slot on the toilet door so that people might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny in future" . Micheal O'leary claims this would not affect passengers flying without cash ; "I don't think there is anybody in history that has got on board a Ryanair aircraft with less than a pound." This may have an effect on their sales of on board beverages !

ETIHAD EXPANDS IT'S NETWORK

As of the 29th March 2009 Etihad will operate daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Melbourne. Melbourne is their third destination in Australia and complements their existing 11-flights-a-week service to Sydney and three-flights-a-week service to Brisbane. Also Etihad has further extended its global network by providing their passengers with greater access to destinations in Thailand, following the signing of a new code-share agreement with Bangkok Airways - the dual partnership will allow travellers to fly Etihad to Bangkok and then connect smoothly to the popular destinations of Koh Samui and Phuket with Bangkok Airways.

EUROSTAR BACK ON TRACK

Eurostar reverts to a full timetable today after five months disruption after the Channel Tunnel fire. With an increased service on 2008 levels, it will operate 19 trains per day from London to Paris and up to 10 per day to Brussels.This will equate to an additional one million extra seats from today to the end of the year. CEO Richard Brown said: "Emerging booking trends indicate business day trips are again on the increase - they were up 30% in the first half of 2008 and although we do not anticipate immediate recovery to this level, it is encouraging to see positive movement in the right direction."
"Research is telling us that in tough times, customers want pricing transparency and value for money from travel operators. They don’t want hidden extras or a reduction in service frequency.
"At Eurostar we are determined to rise to the challenge of the recession and are committed to delivering on further product enhancements during 2009 and giving the best possible value to our travellers "

EMIRATES CALCULATED NETWORK EXPANSION

Emirates is to increase its global network by 14% by the end of this year - the Dubai based airline will increase its fleet by adding 18 passenger aircarft resulting in a 14% seating increase in other regions. Emirates bosses expect continued growth in the Middle East and Africa. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, CEO Emirates has the view that this year will not be easy.
"With our significant capacity increase, 2009 will be a year of consolidation for us, with fewer new routes launched than in previous years."
Sheikh Ahmed has advised all new capacity will be deployed in current growth markets, particularly Africa and the Middle East.

LOTUS BUSINESS TRAVEL EVENT 11th FEBRUARY

The next Lotus Business Travel Event Evening sponsored by Air France / KLM will be held at Soho House on Wednesday 11th February, to coincide with the Business Travel Show. The evening is an informal opportunity to come and meet us and to see how we can help with your travel arrangements. There will be also be free drinks & canapés and a prize draw for 2 seats to New York, provided by Air France / KLM! All you need to do to come along is to email us at rsvp@lotusbusinesstravel.com, and we will contact you with details.

BA - QANTAS MERGER FAILS

The proposed merger between British Airways and Qantas has failed to reach agreement. Both airlines issued statements saying that talks regarding a potential merger have ended. Despite potential long term benefits to both airlines, the carriers could not agree over the key terms of a merger at this time, the two companies said. BA and Qantas will continue to work alongside one another on the double long haul UK - Australia route, and as part of the Oneworld alliance.

CONTINENTAL MOVES ANOTHER SERVICE TO HEATHROW

Continental Airlines is to switch its non-stop daily flights to Cleveland from London Gatwick to Heathrow on May 3. The U.S. based carrier is also stopping flights from Cleveland to Paris due to "economic challenges". The now Heathrow based Cleveland seasonal service will fly throughout the summer until September 27.

25 YEAR OLD VIRGIN

Virgin Atlantic is to mark its 25th anniversary this summer by embarking on a £6 million promotional campaign. The airline reaches the milestone on June 22 and will have flown more than 65 million passengers since it's first flight in 1984. Virgin will celebrate its quarter century with a series of special fares, campaigns and events.

ETIHAD CARRY 6 MILLION IN 2008

Etihad Airways has announced that it carried 6 million passengers in 2008, an increase of 34% over 2007. The Abu Dhabi-based airline increased passenger numbers by up to 75% on some routes, with business class averaging a commendable 63% full during 2008. The airline has a fleet of 42 aircraft, and added six new routes in 2008 to Almaty, Beijing, Chennai, Kozhikode, Minsk, and Moscow.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

We would like to extend our warmest seasons greetings to one and all by wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. - The LBT Team

THAI AIRWAYS REDUCES ROUTES

Flight operations at Bangkok's main airport have returned to normal but the global economic crisis has finally caught up with Thai Airways. The carrier has been forced to cut loss-making routes and has reduced its operations to a number of cities in mainland Europe and Asia. In addition, from next month, Thai will withdraw completely from the Bangkok to Johannesburg route in an attempt to save costs. The cancellations of so many services are likely to cause disruption to many passengers due to the immediate nature of the changes.

CONTINENTAL UPS HEATHROW SERVICES

Continental Airline's third daily flight from London Heathrow to Newark (New York) started operating this on 26th Oct. The service is the latest addition to the airline's Heathrow operations, which started in March this year under the US-EU Open Skies agreement. The US carrier also runs two daily flights to Houston from Heathrow and will continue to fly a seasonal (summer-only) service from London Gatwick to Cleveland.

BA MOVES FURTHER SERVICES TO TERMINAL 5

British Airways is to move more of its Heathrow operations to Terminal 5 in a move designed to help streamline transfers for both business travellers and leisure passenger alike. Services to Boston, Toronto, Madras, Delhi, Denver, Shanghai, Seattle, Dubai, Dakar, Islamabad, Kolkata and Montreal will all operate out of the new terminal from October 22nd. The move represents another milestone in the rehabilitation of terminal 5, after it's disastrous opening earlier this year.

LUFTHANSA LAUNCH MOBILE BOARDING PASS AT HEATHROW

Today (13th October) marks the launch of Lufthansa's mobile boarding pass initiative at London Heathrow. From today, passengers with the German airline can use mobile boarding passes on all Lufthansa non-stop flights to Germany as well as to most onward European destinations. The service will be rolled out across the network from additional UK and European departure points over the next few months. Lufthansa launched the mobile boarding pass service on all domestic German routes this summer and last month it added nearly 1,000 daily flights from Germany to nearly 400 European destinations.

QANTAS RECEIVE 1ST A380

Qantas has received the first A380 to be added to the Australian flag carrier's fleet. The leviathan aircraft arrived in Sydney following its delivery flight from the manufacturer Airbus in France. Qantas is set to receive three A380s by the end of the year, and eight by the end of 2009. The final 12 aircraft are due for delivery by 2013 bringing the total of A380's in the fleet up to 20.

NEW YORK CROWN PLAZA $85M REFURB COMPLETED

Business and leisure travellers alike will be delighted as the New York Crown Plaza completed an $85M (£46M) refurbishment programme. The hotel, which will now be renamed as Broadway 49 - Times Square, boasts some spectacular features. The 770-room, 24,551sqft property has a butler floor (46th floor) with spacious accommodations waited on hand and foot, whilst also claiming to have New York's largest indoor swimming pool. All rooms have dual-line direct dial telephones, Internet access, video games, pay per view movies on a 25-inchTV and an AM/FM radio alarm clock with CD player.

CONTINENTAL UNVEILS NEW BUSINESS CLASS SEAT

Continental Airlines has announced that the new lie-flat business class seat will now be introduced on the current 777 aircrafts, rather than waiting for the currently delayed 787 Dreamliner. The new BusinessFirst seats will allow passengers to lie completely flat, providing an ample 78" of sleeping space. Continental claims the new seats are one of the widest business class seats in the air, measuring up to 25" when the adjustable armrest is positioned flush with the seat cushion, allowing a more comfortable sleeping position.

GOOD NEWS FOR BUSINESS & FIRST CLASS TO HONG KONG

Cathay Pacific and Virgin Atlantic are to increase flight capacity to Hong Kong, following on from the failure of budget carrier Oasis. The additional services will mean an extra 3 flights a week with Virgin starting October 28th, rising to 2 daily flights from 4th December. Cathay intends to upgrade it's capacity by a change of aircraft from A330-300's to Boeing 747s - allowing an additional 644 seats per week.

QANTAS RAISES SYDNEY - JO'BURG FREQUENCY

Australian Airline Qantas is to raise it's Sydney to Johannesburg frequency from five to six a week, starting December 16. The airline, despite cutting routes in recent months says it recognises South Africa as a key business route and ultimately wants to operate a daily schedule. Qantas Executive General Manager John Borghetti said the new rotation would be served by a four-class Boeing 747-400 offering First Class, Business class (featuring the Skybed sleeper seat), the recently introduced Premium Economy class and economy.

BUSINESS TRAVELLERS CAN CLEAN UP ON A380

First class passengers flying on Emirates' new Airbus A380 double-decker aircraft will be afforded the latest sky luxury, the ability to take showers. The Shower Spa will be controlled through a flight computer that works a traffic light system, giving each passenger up to a five-minute shower. The Shower Spa will be situated on the upper deck of the aircraft, an area exclusive to Premium Class passengers.

EMIRATES PURCHASES 60 NEW AIRBUS AIRCRAFT

The chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airlines has signed a letter of intent for 30 A350 XWB (extra wide body) and 30 A330-300 aircraft, at the unveiling of the new A380. In 2007 Emirates signed an order for 70 A350 XWBs with an option for an additional 50 aircraft, and this new purchase order includes the confirmation of 30 of these A350 XWB options.

ETIHAD ANNOUNCE NEW AUSTRALIA FLIGHTS

Etihad Airways is to start daily flights from London and Manchester to Melbourne from March 2009. The airline, which operates 7 flights a week from Manchester and 17 from Heathrow, will use a three-cabin Airbus A340-600 on the flights to Melbourne, with 244 passengers in economy, 30 in business class and 12 in first class. The airline also announced recently that from October 2008 it would increase its Abu Dhabi to Sydney flights frequency from seven to 11 per week.

ETIHAD ADDS 200 AIRCRAFT

Etihad Airways has placed orders with both Airbus and Boeing, which could add more than 200 aircraft to its fleet. In an order topping $43 billion, 100 firm orders, 55 options and 50 purchase rights make up the deal between the worlds two largest civil aviation manufacturers. The two orders see the carrier sign contracts to Airbus for $12 billion and to Boeing for $9 billion. Once complete, the airline will have a fleet of at least 150 aircraft.

AIR NEW ZEALAND MOVES TO TERMINAL 1

Air New Zealand has moved its Heathrow operations from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1. The move was originally timetabled for June 10, but was delayed to ensure all systems were fully operational, and a smooth transition could be guaranteed, the airline said. The changeover marks the beginning of a Star Alliance project to bring all member airlines together under one roof at Heathrow by 2012.

BA PLANS DEDICATED BUSINESS CLASS CHECK-IN AT T5

British Airways marked the 100th day of operation at T5 by announcing plans to open a dedicated Business Class check-in at Terminal 5. The plans are being made to enhance the Business Class experience within the £4.3 billion building, in addition to the new Business Class lounge which will open in T5 'B' shortly. Extra facilities aimed at smoothing Club Class passenger's passage through ticket presentation and security measures are also being proposed, with the overall aim being to offer premium cabin passengers as seamless an experience as possible.

CROWNE PLAZA HOTELS BOOST FOR BUSINESS TRAVEL

InterContinental Hotels Group’s (IHG) Crowne Plaza brand has reported that the hotel chain, popular with business travellers the world over, has doubled the size of its portfolio since 2000 and intends to expand further with more hotels in the future. In 2000 the Crowne Plaza brand boasted 149 properties around the globe with 43 new hotel developments in progress. By the end of March this year those figures had jumped to 308 hotels with 118 properties in development, or 426 in total giving the Crowne Plaza brand an impressive 122% growth.

BMI INCREASES SAUDI FLIGHT FREQUENCY

BMI has announced plans to increase flight services to Saudi Arabia following successful talks between the UK and Saudi governments. Under the new agreement, the number of services per week permitted has been increased to 35. In reaction to this, BMI will seek to increase its existing services from Heathrow to Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh. BMI CEO Nigel Turner said " We expect to be able to make an announcement shortly about improvements we will now be able to make to our schedules to Saudi Arabia from Heathrow."

ETIHAD AIDS BUSINESS TRAVEL TO MIDDLE EAST FROM HEATHROW

Etihad Airways will now operate three services a day from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi, after securing new landing slots. The Middle Eastern airline is planning to expand it's presence at the UK's busiest airport and says the three times daily service out of Heathrow has been secured for the next five years. The increase in services will be brought in with the winter timetable, to start October 26th.

EMIRATES INCREASES BUSINESS CAPACITY TO INDIA

Emirates is to increase its capacity to India with the launch of 18 additional flights a week to the region, resulting in an extra 5,900 seats. The Dubai-based airline will increase operations between July and October to New Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad, bringing the total flights into India a week to 132. The additional seating is good news for business travellers who will now have even more choice on routes to the developing country.

MORE UPPER CLASS CAPACITY AS VIRGIN DOUBLES HONG KONG SERVICE

Virgin Atlantic is to raise its business class capacity to Hong Kong by operating a daily service. The London Heathrow to Hong Kong frequency will double from one a day to twice daily with a phased introduction of the new services. From 28 October 2008, virgin will operate the VS238 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and then operate every day from December 4 2008. The VS239 will fly Hong Kong to London Heathrow on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays staring October 29th, and then operate a daily service from December 5 2008.

AIR MAURITIUS OFFERS NEW BUSINESS CLASS

Air Mauritius will launch its new business class product on all of its UK routes from 1 July. Seats will offer passengers a 60"seat pitch and a recline capacity of 172°, with the front cabin of each aircraft departing from the UK offering 34 of these ‘state-of-the-art’ business seats in a 2-2-2 configuration. "We are a proud ambassador of Mauritius and believe that our new business class design will let our passengers experience our passion for the island first hand from the moment they step on board" said Regional Manager of UK and Ireland Iqbal Bhayat.

SWISS UNVEIL NEW BUSINESS CLASS

Swiss International Air Lines has revealed a new business class product that will give passengers a "bed above the clouds". The new 2m long lie-flat seats will feature air cushions and because they are 4kg lighter than foam, this alone will save the airline 650 tonnes of fuel a year. The new seats will also include a USB port and iPod socket and have a 16.9" LCD screen. Work to retrofit the existing fleet will begin in spring 2009, and all new a330-300's that join the fleet will have the new product installed.

BRITISH AIRWAYS IN $30M NYC REVAMP FOR FIRST AND CLUB CLASS

British Airways is planning to spend $30 million improving its ground facilities at New York JFK. The project is scheduled to begin in June and will run for 18-months, creating a new premium check-in pavilion with a dedicated curb side drop off for both First and Executive Club Gold flyers. The airline also plans to build a dedicated check-in for Club World and Executive Club Silver passengers and also to renovate its lounges. Robin Hayes, executive vice president of Americas said, "In a time of rapidly increasing and robust competition, British Airways will now raise the competitive bar far higher than any of its JFK competitors"

CATHAY PACIFIC TARGET BUSINESS TRAVEL WITH NEW CABINS

Cathay Pacific has launched a new integrated marketing campaign to promote its new cabins across three classes. The new TV, magazine and newspaper campaign highlights the new experience being unveiled across the airline's fleet. The New cabins are currently available on 23 aircraft flying key routes from Hong Kong to Europe (including London), Australia and North America. All new aircraft added to Cathay's fleet will have the new configuration, and the existing aircraft are being retrofitted with a target of 86 aircraft to have the new service by 2012.

BETTER CONNECTIVITY FOR BUSINESS TRAVELLERS

Sheraton Hotels and Resorts and Microsoft have joined forces to offer computers in lobbies this year, enabling business travellers to work and check emails easily during trips. The new product, named 'Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft' will also offer a Wi-Fi connectivity and PC's will allow guests to browse the web and print boarding passes.

AMERICAN AIRLINES OFFERS DOUBLE MILES FOR FIRST AND BUSINESS TRAVEL

American Airlines is offering double AAdvantage miles for every qualifying fare in First, Business or Economy between New York JFK and London Stansted or Heathrow. The double miles award will be an additional bonus for AA passengers, who currently enjoy a 78-inch lie-flat bed in first class and a 72-inch angled flat bed in business class.

WORLDS FIRST 100% GREEN HOTEL FOR BUSINESS TRAVEL

InterContinental Hotels Group is creating a new hotel which it claims will be the first 100% ecologically friendly hotel in the world. The chain says the hotel's 'green' credentials will create a new benchmark for hoteliers around the world. The futuristic, solar-powered 'Innovation Hotel' uses the latest technology in both energy and water conservation and also in recycling. Whilst still only a concept hotel at this stage, the virtual property is available to view and comment on the InterContinental Hotels group website.

GOOD NEWS FOR FIRST AND BUSINESS CLASS AS MALAYSIA AIRLINES OPENS NEW LOUNGE

Malaysia Airlines has opened its new Regional Golden Lounge at Kuala Lumpur International Airport offering first and club travellers the latest facilities. Open to First and Business class passengers, and also Enrich Platinum and Gold card holders, the new lounge can be found on level 5 of the main terminal building where facilities include a spa service, foot reflexology, 15-minute head and shoulder massages, and manicures and pedicures. In addition, a business centre houses four PCs with internet access, a fax and photocopying service, and conference room. Other features include a Muslim prayer-room, a pavilion area with water features, hot and cold food, and a full bar service.

HILTON HOTELS OPEN 4th BEIJING HOTEL FOR BUSINESS TRAVELLERS

The Hilton Hotel group has announced plans to manage its fourth property in the 2008 Olympic city, the Hilton Beijing Capital Airport. Scheduled to open late in 2008, the new hotel will be situated at the newly opened terminal 3, and will be close to the China International Exhibition Centre. The Hilton group is renowned amongst the business travel community and the Hilton Beijing Capital Airport will be no exception, boasting 324 rooms, an 8,600sqft ballroom, 17,200sqft of meeting space, five restaurants and a bar.

NORTHWEST AIRLINES OPENS IMPROVED BUSINESS CLASS LOUNGE

Northwest Airline (NW) has reopened its WorldClubs lounge at Tokyo's Narita airport after a significant makeover. The new lounge, at 16,600sqft, is second only in size to the WorldClubs lounge in Detroit, and has been fitted with the latest technology for business and first class passengers. The seating layout has been redesigned to give each traveller more personal space, a chef will cook both hot meals, sushi and local delicacies on the new, upgraded meal service, and if you need to freshen up there are now there five free shower rooms. The lounge is open to Northwest WorldClubs members, World Business Class passengers and Gold Elite and Platinum Elite members of the WorldPerks mileage scheme. In addition, business class passengers flying with SkyTeam partner carriers and high category members of the corresponding mileage programmes will have access to the lounge.

BLOW TO NORTHERN BUSINESS TRAVELLERS AS BA DROPS MANCHESTER - NYC

British Airways has announced plans to drop their Manchester - New York service from October. The Boeing-767 running that route will be relocated to London Gatwick, raising the number of weekly services from London to 62 from the current 55. The General manager of network planning Lynne Embleton said: "The new Gatwick service will give our customers even more choice when flying between London and New York. Not only do we already have an extensive schedule from Heathrow to both JFK and Newark, but next year we will launch business-only flights from London City"

SINGAPORE AIRLINES ADDS IN-FLIGHT I.T. FOR BUSINESS TRAVELLERS

Singapore Airlines has added a USB key reader and media player to their in-flight entertainment package allowing PDF files and computer office applications to run on the new system via the in-flight LCD monitor. The enhanced system is offered on all 3 premium classes (First Class Suite, First Class and Business Class) aboard the airline's new superjumbo A380's, and on both First Class and Business Class aboard the 777-300ER routes. Passengers with digital cameras can also take advantage of the integrated photo viewer, in addition to the library of over 100 films, 180 TV programmes and 700 CDs worth of music and audio books.

GOOD NEWS FOR BUSINESS TRAVEL TO USA AS DELTA AND NORTHWEST ANNOUNCE MERGER

Business travel to the USA could become easier in the near future as North American carriers Delta and Northwest have announced that they are to merge, forming what will be the world's largest airline. Trading under the Delta brand, the new structure will give a commanding presence in a crowded sky as airlines seek to consolidate their positions in the current turbulent world market.

BA DELAYS SHIFT OF LONG HAUL SERVICES TO T5

British Airways planned move of long haul services from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Terminal 5 will be deferred until June, the airline has reported. In a move designed to smooth the so far bumpy transition to the new terminal, the delay will allow existing problems to be ironed out and current procedures to bed in. BA had originally planned to move the flights to the £4.3 billion terminal at the end of this month.

THE SILVERJET SET

Transatlantic business class carrier Silverjet has launched a new loyalty scheme, The Silverjet Set. Instead of accumulating points on an individual basis, the scheme awards free flights to a company as a whole, which can then distribute them among its employees.

CATHAY INTRODUCES NEW FIRST AND BUSINESS CLASS CABINS

Cathay Pacific is introducing new seats, cabin design and in-flight entertainment on long haul flights. One of the four flights a day between Heathrow and Hong Kong currently carries the new-look, whilst the airline will be install the new cabins on all the airline's new aircraft and also retrofit the long-haul aircraft already in service. First class, business class and the economy cabins have been completely redesigned, and more information is available in our Airline Info pages.

BUSINESS TRAVEL BECOMES EASIER AS GATWICK RELAXES HAND BAGGAGE RULES

Travelling through London Gatwick will become that little bit easier for business and leisure travellers alike as London's second airport moves in line with all other BAA airports hand baggage policies. Gatwick has been allowed extra time to complete additional security areas in the airport, and with the work now completed, restrictions will be eased to the standard 2-pieces per passenger from March 31st.

STAR ALLIANCE TO OPEN NEW FIRST CLASS AND BUSINESS CLASS LOUNGE

The Star Alliance has announced plans to open a new First class and Business class lounge at London Heathrow. Due to open in Terminal 1 by June 2008, the new First and Business class lounge will be the largest of the entire Star Alliance network with a floorplan of 1650 sq.m. The lounge will be available to all First and Business class passengers on Star Alliance member airlines and also Star Alliance Gold Card holders. Under plans dubbed "Move under one roof", all Star Alliance airlines will eventually operate from Terminal 1, with the phased transfer of airlines to their new locations due to be completed by 2012.

AIR MAURITIUS DROPS FIRST CLASS AND INTRODUCES NEW BUSINESS CLASS

Air Mauritius has announced plans to reconfigure from a 3 cabin to a 2 cabin layout. From next month, First Class will be removed and a new revamped Business class installed. The new product will offer an angled flat bed with a seat pitch of 60", and a 2-2-2 configuration onboard. 20" wide in the seat position and 25" in the bed position, The 75" long bed will also offer a 10.4" LCD TV. The new configuration and product will be available on Heathrow services from July 1st.

HEATHROW LISTED AS WORLDS 3RD BUSIEST

Heathrow was today named as the worlds 3rd busiest airport. An increase in both business travel and leisure travel of about 0.8% pushed passenger numbers up to 68.1Million. However, the global passenger increase was over 10 times higher at 8.2%, bringing total passenger numbers up to a staggering 1.8 Billion - or approximately one quarter of the world's population. Top of the list was Atlanta with 89.4million passengers carried.

A380 LANDING HERALDS NEW DAWN FOR FIRST CLASS TRAVEL

Today (18th March) the first A380 SuperJumbo is scheduled to land at London Heathrow. With the arrival at 15:05 of Singapore Airlines newest aircraft comes a new dawn to the first class traveller. The Double-decker aircraft is fitted with the First Class Suite, a class beyond First Class, which is unrivalled in luxury and facilities. Each "Suite" is self-contained with a privacy door, and contains a luxury leather chair, separate bed and widescreen TV. More info on the First Class suite can be found on our Airline Info pages on the right hand side of this page.

QUEEN OPENS NEW ERA FOR BUSINESS TRAVELLERS

The Queen has today (14th March) opened Heathrow's Terminal 5 calling it "a 21st Century gateway to Britain". 6 years in building and 15 years from inception, the newest terminal at the Uk's premier airport boasts unrivalled facilities. More check-in counters, security lanes and shops will smooth the journey of millions of passengers through the new £4.3 Billion terminal. First class passengers can enjoy the new "Concorde Lounge" whilst business class passengers can enjoy the facilities at the new club lounges throughout the terminal.

SAS RESTARTS STOCKHOLM FLIGHT SERVICE

Scandinavian Airline SAS is to restart the seasonal Edinburgh - Stockholm service in a move sure to be popular with business travellers to Sweden and beyond. The new service will run from 3rd April and will operate on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday to Stockholm Arlanda airport.

MARRIOTT HOTELS PLAN HUGE EXPANSION FOR BUSINESS TRAVELLERS

During the next four years Marriott International plans to add more than 140 hotels and resorts outside the US and Canada. Representing more than 34,000 rooms in 43 countries the expansions means the marriott brand, popular with business travellers, will be more available worldwide than ever.

FASTEST CHECK-IN FOR BUSINESS AND FIRST CLASS

Virgin Atlantic has announced it will provide the world's fastest check-in for premium passengers. The trans-Atlantic airline will launch the new system at Heathrow on November 2nd. Virgin's new Upper Class Wing at Terminal 3 will take passengers by limousine to the departure lounge within ten minutes.

ARORA HEATHROW OPENS

The Arora International Hotel, just 5 minutes from Heathrow, has completed a six-month £1m ($2.1m) refurbishment programme of public areas, bedrooms and meeting facilities. Bringing it up to spec for higher standards required in the corporate sector.

PREMIUM SPACE - A380

Airlines are unlikely to use the new Airbus A380 super-jumbo to its full capacity because of rising demand for business and premium-class seats. Airbus vice-president Colin Stuart said: "We have seen a requirement for more space for first class and larger seats for business class and that's certainly reducing the number of seats."

CONTINENTAL AIRLINES STARTS HEATHROW SERVICES

Continental Airlines have announced the start of flights from London Heathrow to New York (Newark) and Houston commencing March 29. New York flights will operate daily using 777-200 configured for 283 seats, allowing for further options for the business traveller, while the Houston services will operate a 174-seat 767-200ER.

The airline will still offer two flights a day from Gatwick to New York and a daily service Gatwick to Houston, as well as seasonal daily
flights to Cleveland.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES TO FLY A380 SUPERJUMBO FROM LONDON

Singapore Airlines will operate the first Airbus A380 super jumbo to land at Heathrow.

The 471 passenger aircraft will make it's Heathrow debut on March 18 at 15:05.

The aircraft is Singapore Airlines third A380, with two more operating the popular Singapore to Sydney route which would further increase the volume in their corporate business travel market share. This will also be the first commercial A380 flight into Europe, and marks a significant milestone in the operating history of the world's largest aircraft.
The A380 will return to Singapore on the same day, operating under flight number SQ 319, and will depart Heathrow at 18.55, arriving into Singapore at 15.35 on March 19.

DELTA AIRLINES UNVEILS FULLY FLAT BED IN BUSINESS CLASS

Delta Air Lines revealed its new fully flat bed for its BusinessElite class at the Business Travel Show this week. The bed will be introduced for long haul flights on its 21 Boeing 767-400s with the new Business Elite Cabin from next Spring, with the first route to benefit being New York JFK-London Heathrow. Delta is also considering upgrading its 767-300 aircraft to benefit Business Class Travellers, though no announcement has yet been made. There will be 40 seats on each aircraft, reclining flat to a 77-inch-long bed in a 1x2x1 configuration, enabling every seat to have aisle access. Passengers will also receive a pillow and quilted duvet, while in-flight entertainment is on a 10.6 inch screen. The seats will also provide an access point for PC power along with USB ports.

OPEN SKIES EXPANSION PLANNED FOR AIR FRANCE AND DELTA

Air France has become the first European carrier to operate services from Heathrow, taking advantage of the new EU-US Open Skies policy, in a move sure to please the business traveller. The French airline has started flights to Los Angeles while Skyteam partner Delta Air Lines launched services to New York and Atlanta from London's Principal airport. The two airlines will costs-share on services between Heathrow and the US, as well as on flights from Paris-CDG, Lyon, Atlanta, New York JFK, Cincinnati and Salt Lake City.

VIRGIN TESTS 747 WITH BIOFUEL

A Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 flew to Amsterdam using biofuel on a demonstration flight. Virgin claims it is the first time that a commercial aircraft has used biofuel in-flight and is part of an initiative to discover sources of sustainable fuel for the future. The 747 flew from Heathrow to Amsterdam with no passengers on board, using a "truly sustainable" type of biofuel that does not c ompete with food and fresh water resources, according to Virgin.

LUFTHANSA ADDS NEW BERLIN SERVICE

German airline Lufthansa has added a new service operating from London City Airport to Berlin. Having benefited from the withdrawal of another airline from London City Airport, Lufthansa was able to add the new services utilising the newly vacated departure and landing slots. The airline hopes that this service to Berlin-Tegel airport will reach 70% load by April.

SAS ADDS EXTRA LONDON - DENMARK SERVICE

SAS is to add an extra daily flight between Heathrow and Copenhagen this summer. The airline will now operate seven flights a day to Copenhagen between March 30 and October 24. The additional Heathrow service compliments SAS's existing twice daily link from London City Airport to the Danish capital. It will raise the airline's services from London to Copenhagen to nearly 60 flights per week.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT INTRODUCES VALET PARKING

Manchester Airport has introduced a new valet service in an attempt to lower the number of car journeys to the Airport. Recently the level of congestion has been a major problem at Manchester Airport and with this new service the airport is confident that it be able to provide both fast access to Terminals 1 and 3, and cut the number of cars and drop offs. Both business travellers and leisure customers can now pull up in a dedicated VIP enclosure outside Terminal 1, before going on holiday or on business travel.

MOBILE PHONE PROPOSAL

Many travellers would not welcome the chance to use mobile phones on an aeroplane, it has been claimed. Communications regulator Ofcom, in association with other EU countries, approved the use of mobile phones on aircraft last week. A Business Travel Show survey carried out by YouGov talso found that nearly half of those polled do not want mobile phones on planes.

MANDARIN ORIENTAL, MUNICH

The charming Mandarin Oriental, Munich has undergone a renovation of all its rooms and suites. A quintessentially Munich experience, blending history and sophistication.

VIRGIN A380 DELAY

Virgin Atlantic has said the airline had delayed introducing the A380 until 2013 to avoid the extra costs of being one of the launch customers.

ETIHAD TO START BEIJING SERVICE

Etihad Airways is launching a new service from Abu Dhabi to Beijing on March 30, connecting with services from London Heathrow and Manchester. Operating four flights a week, the service will be Etihad's first in China . Etihad will fly a two class Airbus A330-200 configured to carry 262 passengers with 22 in business class and 240 in economy class between Abu Dhabi and Beijing.

BMI REGIONAL ADDS COLOGNE FROM EAST MIDLANDS

Bmi regional is to run a new East Midlands to Cologne route. Six flights a week will start on February 11, operating a route previously served by easyJet. Passengers will be able to connect onwards to other German cities, including Hamburg, with bmi's Star Alliance partner, Lufthansa.

ADDITIONAL SILVERJET ROUTES

All-business airline Silverjet will launch a third route in the new year to one of three US destinations or Johannesburg. Head of UK sales Tim Buckman said the Luton-based carrier is considering adding Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago or Jo’burg as a third destination. It currently offers twice daily flights to New York, and started a daily service to Dubai in November.

CABIN BAGGAGE RESTRICTIONS EASED

BAA has relaxed the hand baggage restrictions at a number of UK airports, now allowing 2 pieces into the cabin. The change comes in light of both improved security handling and the lowered threat of terrorism through the UK's airports. The single piece policy will still apply however, at London Gatwick.

SKYTEAM TO OPERATE FROM TERMINAL 4

Skyteam is to become the first airline alliance to have all its Heathrow flights in one terminal. The alliance has confirmed plans to occupy Terminal 4 2009, beginning when British Airways moves over to T5 at the end of March. Delta, Continental and Northwest Airlines will join existing airlines KLM and Kenya Airways in T4. The remaining Skyteam members, Air France, Aeroflot, Alitalia, Czech Airlines and Korean Air, will move in spring 2009.

BRITISH AIRWAYS TO FLY LONDON CITY TO NEW YORK

British Airways is to launch an all business class service from London City Airport to New York. The new service will use Airbus A318's with 32 seats, and will operate twice daily.

OPEN SKIES OFFERS BUSINESS TRAVELLERS 18 DAILY FLIGHTS UK - USA

From March 30th, Delta Airlines will join with Sky Team partners Air France KLM , Northwest and Continental Airlines to offer 18 daily flights from the UK and Ireland to the US . The new frequency sees the three US carriers take up slots at Heathrow, the most significant move since Open Skies took effect last year. Christine Ourmieres, Air France KLM general manager of UK and Ireland, said: "The agreement is beneficial for all the alliance partners involved. It gives us greater competitiveness and allows us to better coordinate cost structure." The agreement will increase frequency for passengers flying from Heathrow to Atlanta and Los Angeles.

LONDON GATWICK TO RELAX HAND BAGGAGE RESTRICTIONS

London Gatwick has partially relaxed single hand baggage restrictions in a move designed to further ease connecting services. Passengers checking in at Gatwick will currently have to abide by the previous restrictions. The airport now allows people to travel with more than one piece of hand baggage on connecting flights at both terminals, rather than just the South Terminal, as was the case previously. The BAA airport said however, that the one bag rule still remains in force for all other flights. A spokesman said "This rule will be relaxed in the near future when the ongoing construction project to upgrade and expand the security facilities at the airport is completed". The government's has fixed a deadline of May 31st for all UK airports to be ready to relax single bag restrictions.

ONEWORLD MAKES HEATHROW EASIER FOR BUSINESS TRAVEL

British Airways and it's Oneworld alliance partners will begin transferring operations from all four of Heathrow’s existing terminals into two next month.

From 27 March, BA will begin to move its operations to the new Terminal 5, with other Oneworld members starting to operate from T5’s nearest neighbour, Terminal 3. The move will happen in stages throughout this year, finishing in early 2009.