Innholdsfortegnelse for January - February 2016 i Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition

As a new year begins, it is sobering to look back over the one just passed… and wonder what lies ahead. After civil war and conflict caused mass migration into Europe from the Middle East, the horrors of Paris and Bamako in Mali were followed by more massacres in locations as geographically and culturally diverse as California’s San Bernardino and Aksu in China’s remote Xinjiang Province. Meanwhile, the backdrop to all this has been economic instability and political wrangling that has only exacerbated the negative impact of the situation. What are we to make of this, and what are the implications for the international business community? There is a growing conversation among business travellers about terrorism – both domestic and international – and its effect on our travel experience, and…

UNITED Airlines has announced it will stop flying between Washington-Dulles and Dubai – a decision it attributed to competition by“subsidised” Middle Eastern carriers. In a statement, it said:“Even though we have operated the Washington-Dubai route successfully for the past seven years, the entry of subsidised carriers such as Emirates and Etihad Airways into the Washington DC market has created an imbalance between supply and demand to the United Arab Emirates. As they’ve added subsidised capacity, our Washington-Dubai route has become less profitable.” The last scheduled United departure from Dubai will be on January 25, 2016. united.com…

IN a major strategic move, Accorhotels has acquired the Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel brands. The French group has signed an agreement with the Qatar Investment Authority, Kingdom Holding Company of Saudi Arabia and Oxford Properties (an Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System) for the acquisition of FRHI Holdings, parent company of the three brands. FHRI has 155 hotels and resorts, 40 of which are under development, in 34 countries across five continents. Its portfolio includes such high-profile properties as Raffles Singapore; The Savoy in London; Shanghai’s Fairmont Peace Hotel; The Plaza Hotel in New York; Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris; Fairmont San Francisco; Fairmont Banff Springs in Canada; and the Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego. “This is an outstanding opportunity to add three prestigious brands to our portfolio,…

AMERICAN Airlines’ frequent flyer programme AAdvantage will shift to a revenue-based system in the second half of 2016. AAdvantage members will earn award miles based on the price of the ticket purchased (inclusive of base fare plus carrier-imposed fares, but excluding government-imposed taxes and fees), as well as their individual elite tier level. Entry-level members will receive a standard rate of five miles for every US dollar spent, while Gold members will earn seven miles. Platinum members will earn eight and Executive Platinum members 11 miles. The new system is skewed to favour higher tier AAdvantage members who pay top dollar for seats in the carrier’s premium cabins. Passengers who opt for cheaper, discounted tickets are almost guaranteed to be earning fewer miles than before. aa.com…

SHERATON Hotels & Resorts has provided more details about its 2020 plan, designed to refresh the brand and its standing in the public eye. The groundwork for the five-year initiative has already been laid, with Andy Kong, brand manager Greater China, Sheraton, Westin and Le Meridien revealing that a new online platform was launched in 2015, designed to be more intuitive with compelling content. A US$100 million global advertising campaign has also been developed, which is expected to run until 2017, with a focus on generating buzz through carefully executed social media strategies. With the aim of opening over 150 new properties by 2020, Kong reiterated the need for the Sheraton brand to continually innovate its guest experience. This has resulted in the reinvigoration of the lobby bar experience with…

MALAYSIA Airlines (MAB) has announced its first quarterly update since a rebrand in September 2015 – and the overall outlook is positive. Much of the work that the airline has done to optimise its route network has started to show anticipated returns. Revenue per available seat kilometre has improved year-on-year, while seat load factor has also been gaining momentum. In particular, demand from China and North Asia has been strong, signalling a remarkable change in fortune for an airline that lost significant passenger confidence from the Chinese market following the loss of flight MH370 last year. Moving forward, MAB intends to introduce more charter flights (currently numbering 180) to selected key cities in China to meet the increasing demand. malaysiaairlines.com…

Your letters and posts Star letter RANDOM ALLOCATION I have flown the Singapore-London-Singapore route for over 30 years – mostly in economy. To celebrate my retirement, my wife and I decided to pay for premium economy with British Airways (BA) and enjoy better quality, more comfortable seats. The seat configuration in the premium economy cabin is 2-4-2 or AB-DEFG-JK. Not wanting to incur another fee of up to £50 (US$75) each way for seat selection, we decided to wait for online check-in to reserve seats. Big mistake. BA pre-allocated us the worst seats in the cabin – the two middle seats E and F –– meaning we had to clamber over other people all night on a 13-hour flight. Any delight we felt in“treating ourselves”to an upgraded seat/flight was immediately…

BACKGROUND The Park Hyatt Saigon first opened its doors in 2005, and today remains the only Hyatt-branded hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. Following a three-month renovation project last year, the hotel has reopened with a fresh new look; the project was overseen by Malaysian interior designer EDC, providing a facelift designed to update but maintain the hotel’s French colonial residential style. WHAT’S IT LIKE? The property’s public areas and Park Lounge have been remodelled to incorporate a new palette of white and ivory, which brightens these spaces nicely. New crystal chandeliers add a touch of luxury, at the same time refracting streams of natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Despite the changes, Park Hyatt Saigon retains its signature French colonial ambience, and this is evident in the French door…

Etihad opens New York JFK lounge Etihad Airways has opened a First and Business Class Lounge in Terminal 4 at New York’s JFK airport. Located after the security checkpoint in Terminal 4, the lounge features Etihad’s “Facets of Abu Dhabi” design theme, with colours that reflect the varying sandy hues of the UAE landscape. Food and drink options include a bar and lounge and an à la carte and international buffet option in the main dining area. The facility also features showers and changing rooms, male and female prayer rooms, a library and luggage storage. A private area is also available exclusively for guests in The Residence – providing the same level of hospitality as that offered by the Savoy-trained butlers on board the A380. etihad.com Marco Polo…

ART Alien invasion of Hong Kong EERIE humanoid figures have appeared throughout Hong Kong’s cityscape – some perched perilously on top of buildings, others in the middle of the street. The unusual forms provoked a spate of calls to the police, but this is actually the most extensive art installation the city has ever seen. Entitled Event Horizon, the public display of 31 sculptures is by British artist Antony Gormley and spreads across a kilometre-wide zone of Central and Western districts. The exhibition will last until May 18, 2016. eventhorizon.hk FOOD Hong Kong gets a taste of modern Korea JINJUU is the latest dining establishment to open in Lan Kwai Fong’s premier California Tower. The modern Korean restaurant was conceived by celebrity chef Judy Joo and features a menu of…

Scotch whisky has been a popular drink in Asia since it arrived in the 19th century with British traders and colonists. Only recently, however, has Scotch – and whisky (or“whiskey”as it’s spelled in the US and Ireland) from numerous other countries now producing the spirit – become a focus for serious connoisseurship throughout the region. In 2014, Singapore was the third biggest market in the world by value for Scotch whisky, with Taiwan fourth, South Korea eighth, India 11th and Japan 16th . Singapore is a re-export hub for the spirits trade, and much of the whisky going there is assumed to travel on to other Southeast Asian countries and to China. Collectively, the market is huge. Whisky culture took off first in Japan, and one reason the country is…

It’s almost 76 years since New Zealand’s flag carrier made its maiden flight. Then called Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL), the fledgling airline flew ten passengers from Sydney to Auckland on the UK-built Short S30 Empire flying boat Aotearoa. The journey, which initially operated weekly, took nine hours and also carried the first regular trans-Tasman airmail. At first TEAL was reluctant to use female crew. The first stewardesses started work in 1946, in military-style uniform, and had to be unmarried. In 1959 the airline received its first jet-prop Lockheed Electra, and the last flying boat was retired the following year. With expansion in mind, in 1965 TEAL became Air New Zealand. Today it serves 22 domestic locations and more than 20 international destinations with 106 aircraft.…

CHRISTOPHER BEANLAND is based in London and writes for The Independent, The Guardian and The Telegraph, as well as various international magazines. His book about brutalist architecture around the world, Concrete Concept, is published this February. A big fan of Copenhagen’s warm atmosphere and interesting cityscape, he loved exploring it on two wheels for this issue.“Copenhagen has won so many quality of life awards,”he says, “so I wanted to see why it’s such an interesting and liveable city.” ROBIN LYNAM is a Hong Kong-based freelance journalist who specialises in all things food, drink, art and culture. This month, he turns his attention to the rising popularity of whisky culture in the Asia-Pacific region, highlighting the best bars in which to enjoy a top-quality dram. A dedicated whisky lover himself, he…

Following the launch of its thrice-weekly service between Toronto and Dubai, AIR CANADA has stated that it will oppose any moves by the Canadian government to free up more flight slots for Gulf carriers. AIR INDIA has launched direct flights between Delhi and San Francisco, making it the first airline to offer direct connections from India to the west coast of the US. AMERICAN AIRLINES will become the first of the “Big Three” US carriers to operate a dedicated flight (rather than a codeshare) between North America and New Zealand when it begins a daily, nonstop service between Los Angeles and Auckland from June 2016. CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES will launch a new service connecting its base in Shanghai Pudong to Prague from April 2, 2016. The new route will be…

CARLSON Rezidor Hotel Group has signed a portfolio agreement with Mushtaq Group of Hotels to open seven properties – under its Radisson Blu, Radisson and Country Inns & Suites By Carlson brands – in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. First on the list is Radisson Srinagar in Q4 2016, an 89-room hotel located in Srinagar, the main city in Kashmir Valley. This will be followed by Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Jammu in 2017, while both the Radisson Pahalgam Golf View Resort and Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Sonamarg will open in 2018. The Radisson Blu Srinagar and Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Gulmarg will then open in 2020. Rounding things off will be the Radisson Blu Resort Tangmarg, a 150-room new-build located on…

Asian international carriers with the lowest carbon footprint ranking Top 10 most expensive cities for expatriate rental housing 1 LUANDA, ANGOLA 2 HONG KONG 3 MOSCOW, RUSSIA 4 MANHATTAN, NY, USA 5 HAMILTON, BERMUDA 6 LONDON, UK 7 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND 8 SHANGHAI, CHINA 9 TOKYO, JAPAN 10 YANGON, MYANMAR Most expensive passports in the world…

THAILAND’S aviation industry has been dealt a significant blow after having its International Aviation Safety Assessment status officially downgraded from Category 1 to Category 2 by the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration. The announcement comes following a thorough reassessment of the country’s civil aviation authority, which resulted in the US authority deeming that Thailand does not comply with the safety standards put forward by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. A Category 2 rating means that Thai carriers would still be allowed to continue operating existing services to the US, but not expand or establish new routes to the country. However, no Thailand-based carrier currently operates any flights to the US. faa.gov and thaiairways.com…

EMIRATES has provided details of its fleet retirement schedule for 2016. The Gulf carrier intends to retire a total of 26 aircraft, including 12 A330-300s, four A340-300s, one A345-500, six B777-200ERs, two B777-300s and one B777-300ER. To balance the gradual retirement of its older aircraft, Emirates expects to take delivery of 36 new aircraft this year. This will include 20 A380s and 16 B777-300ERs. The new deliveries will bring the Gulf carrier’s average fleet age down to 5.6 years, dramatically younger than the global average – particularly when compared to airlines in North America (13.6 years) and Europe (10.7 years). emirates.com…

FELLOW Star Alliance members Lufthansa and Air China have expanded their codeshare agreement, which now sees both carriers place their marketing code on an additional 24 routes departing from Beijing, Chengdu, Frankfurt and Munich. Air China now codeshares with Lufthansa on the following flights: Frankfurt to Bologna, Bremen, Brussels, Friedrichshafen, Florence, Helsinki, Porto, Prague, Turin and Venice; and Munich to Bremen, Brussels, Dresden, Helsinki, Prague and Turin. Reciprocally, Lufthansa has begun codesharing the following domestic flights operated by Air China: Beijing to Changsha, Fuzhou, Hefei, Hohhet, Kunming, Wenzhou andYantai; and Chengdu to Shenyang. airchina.com and lufthansa.com…

STARWOOD HOTELS AND RESORTS has announced the opening of Sheraton Harbin Xiangfang Hotel, marking the debut of the brand in the capital city of China’s Heilongjiang province. ACCOR HOTELS has announced the signing of three new Beijing properties – Mercure Beijing Luneng, Pullman Beijing Luneng and MGallery Beijing Luneng – in partnership with local real-estate developer Luneng Group. ONYX HOSPITALITY GROUP has announced two new additions to the China market with the 110-unit Shama Daqing Heilongjiang (2016) and Amari Yangshou Guilin (2017). CARLSON REZIDOR HOTEL GROUP has signed a management contract with Eurowindow Nha Trang Investment and Tourism Joint Stock Company to open the Radisson Blu Cam Ranh Bay in 2019. THE ASCOTT LIMITED has put ink on paper to manage four new serviced residence properties in China – Ascott…

CHECK-IN I arrived at Seoul Incheon International Airport at 1130 for the 1335 departure on KE905 to Frankfurt. Korean Air started deploying the B747-8, the stretched version of the jumbo jet, on the route in September complete with its latest business class product, the Prestige Suite. The airline began deploying the -8 on services to Hong Kong and San Francisco from November, with future plans to place it on the Auckland route too. Having connected from Hong Kong the night before, my luggage was already checked through, but because I left the airport for a few hours I had to go through customs and security again, which was a 30-minute-plus ordeal given the airport was busy and is lacking premium fast track facilities. THE LOUNGE The Korean Air lounge is…

CHINA Kerry Hotel, Pudong, Shanghai is running a Kerry Suite Indulgence package. The benefits include round-trip wifi-enabled limousine transfer, complimentary pressing of one suit upon arrival, buffet breakfast, all-day beverages and evening cocktails at The Club, two-hour usage of The Club meeting room daily, as well as late checkout at 4pm. The package rate starts from RMB3,200 (US$495) and is valid until February 28, 2016. shangri-la.com HONG KONG TOP PICK The Langham, Hong Kong is featuring a Club Suite and Retreat package. Guests can choose either a Langham Club room or Langham Suite and will enjoy hotel credit of HK$800 (US$103) per stay, complimentary access to the Langham Club lounge which includes two-hour use of The Library boardroom per stay, continental breakfast, afternoon tea and evening canapés, free-flow champagne, red…

ASIA-PACIFIC Tokyo,Japan January 10-24 Grand Sumo Tournament The iconic Japanese sport returns to Ryogoku Sumo Hall this January, where giant wrestlers will be pitted against each other in gripping matches. In keeping with tradition, Japanese-style box seating is available, where you sit on floor mats. Alternatively, there is also standard arena-type seating if you prefer. Visit Ticket Ozumo to purchase tickets online; prices are ¥3,800 (US$31) for an arena seat, or ¥38,000 (US$308) for a Japanese box that seats four. sumo.or.jp/en New Delhi,India January 28-31 India Art Fair This is the eighth edition of the India Art Fair in New Delhi, one of the largest contemporary art events in South Asia. Visitors have an opportunity to view exhibitions from some of the best galleries in the region and beyond. The…

1 HORSE GUARDS PARADE One of London’s quintessential attractions, the Horse Guards Parade is a wonderful slice of colourful British tradition. Before you see it, though, pay a visit to the Household Cavalry Museum in Whitehall to learn more about the history and heroes of the British Army’s senior regiment from its origins in 1661. As well as audiovisual presentations, exhibitions and displays of uniforms, you can watch the troopers preparing their horses through a glass partition. The Changing of the Guard ceremony takes place at 11am Mon-Sat, and 10am on Sundays. The museum is open daily 10am-5pm; admission is £7 (US$10.5) for adults and £5 (US$7.5) for children; householdcavalrymuseum.co.uk 2 BOYDS BRASSERIE BAR & LOUNGE From Whitehall it’s a short walk to Trafalgar Square; turn right into Northumberland Avenue…