Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2020 i Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition

ECONOMY CLASS passengers travelling with Air New Zealand on long-haul flights may soon get a whole bed to themselves. The carrier has unveiled lie-flat sleeping pods for the economy class cabin, dubbed “Economy Skynest”. Each Skynest will have six sleeping pods measuring about 200cm long and 58cm wide arranged into two bunk beds. Each pod will come with a pillow, sheets, blanket, earplugs, privacy curtains and lighting designed for sleep. The airline said it will make a final decision on whether to operate the Economy Skynest next year after it assesses the performance of its new Auckland–New York route.…

FIRST CLASS passengers flying with All Nippon Airways will now get a pair of noise-cancelling headphones for a quieter travel experience. The airline said it will provide Sony’s noise-cancelling WH-1000XM3 headphones, which “have been specifically designed to meet cabin specifications”. The headphones will be available to all first class passengers on flights departing from Tokyo to the following international destinations: Chicago, Frankfurt, Honolulu, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington DC. The Japanese carrier first introduced the same headphones on its Airbus A380 “Flying Honu” aircraft in May 2019. The airline said the positive reaction from passengers encouraged it to continue to offer the headphones throughout its fleet.…

KAZAKHSTAN’S flag carrier Air Astana took delivery of its second A321LR in March. Along with its first A321LR aircraft, which was delivered in September 2019, the newest aircraft will operate on routes to London, Paris, Moscow and Istanbul. The carrier said last year that it will launch its new service between Paris CDG and Almaty in June 2020 using one of its new A321 LR aircraft, and that it will fly one of its A321LRs between Nur-Sultan (formerly called Astana) and London from the end of March this year. Air Astana’s A321LR aircraft are configured with 16 business class seats and 150 economy class seats. The lie-flat business class seats are equipped with individual 16-inch screens, with four of 16 seats offering additional personal space. The airline said it is…

HILTON PLANS TO OPEN 20 HOTELS under its locally focused upscale lifestyle brand, Canopy, this year. It currently has 13 properties across the US, Iceland, Croatia and China. Launches are set for London, Cancun, Dubai, Hangzhou, Paris and Sao Paulo, as well as in 14 US locations, including Austin, Charlotte, Dallas, Memphis, Philadelphia and Washington DC. The London hotel (right) is due to open towards the end of the year as part of the Minories development in Aldgate.…

‘There has been a shift towards designing brighter, attractive fitness areas with more sophisticated kit’ We all know that life on the road can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. Disrupted sleep, fast food and a fair bit of stress thrown in for good measure can affect everything from job performance to our personal wellbeing. Meanwhile, wellness has become a buzzword. The wellness economy was valued at US$4.2 trillion in 2017 by the Global Wellness Institute, of which the travel market represents US$639 billion with a predicted growth of 7.5 per cent annually until 2022, making it the fastest-growing sector of global tourism. In response, hotels have launched a range of amenities and services, from in-room kit to ergonomic workstations and nutritional meal plans. GOOD INTENTIONS Before booking a hotel, do…

The interior and architectural design is simply jaw-dropping BACKGROUND Located in Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay, this luxury hotel opened in 1996, offering panoramic city views and housing an impressive 4,200-piece art collection with works from Dale Chihuly, Andy Warhol and other icons. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Kevin Roche, the 32-storey property has 608 guestrooms. WHERE IS IT? In Marina Bay, part of Singapore’s downtown core. Attractions such as Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay and the Art Science Museum are nearby. The closest train station is Promenade MRT. WHAT’S IT LIKE? The hotel instantly leaves an impression. There’s a soaring 10,000 sqm dome ceiling with an iridescent mother-of-pearl filter that extends from the main lobby all the way out to the main driveway. A large, imposing, three-tonne fibreglass sculpture titled…

Miles (or points) are a perk of frequent travel and can be redeemed on future flights, upgrades, experiences, merchandise, car hire, accommodation and so on. But sometimes it’s hard to spend them – air tickets may be restricted by time and destination, for instance. Rather than waste them, here are some schemes that allow miles to be donated to partnered charities. AIR FRANCE-KLM Flying Blue lists 18 charities to which its members may donate miles, including the French Red Cross, WWF and Aviation Sans Frontières, which provides air transport during humanitarian crises. f lyingblue.com AMERICAN AIRLINES AAdvantage focuses on three types of charitable organisations – those that work to support social good, wellbeing or heroes. A minimum of 1,000 miles is required, although members with fewer than this can donate…

QATAR AIRWAYS has opened its new Premium Lounge at Singapore Changi Airport. The lounge, which is located in Terminal 1, marks the airline’s fifth international Premium Lounge. Passengers will see Qatar Airways’ signature “Marhaba” engraved sandstone wall with a display of white orchids at the entrance of the lounge. “The lounge design is inspired by modern-day Arabic architecture, reflecting Qatar Airways’ heritage,” said Akbar Al Baker, chief executive at Qatar Airways Group. The new space also has five “Quiet Pods”, which are seats that offer a semi-private area with soundproofing, reading lights, a coat hanger and universal charging points. There’s also a full kitchen for à la carte food orders, on top of an existing buffet spread offering an “international” menu. A mixologist is also available at the lounge’s bar,…

LUXURY JAMAICAN RESORT HALF MOON opened a new accommodation this month. The oceanfront Eclipse at Half Moon joins the resort’s two other options, Founders Cove and Rose Hall Villas, which are located at either end of the 162-hectare site in Montego Bay. Half Moon was founded 65 years ago – three of the original families remain owners – and has attracted celebrity guests over the years, including Queen Elizabeth and the Kennedys. Eclipse at Half Moon’s 57 rooms and suites are split across the main Great House, timbered Estate Houses and two-storey cottages. Food and drink venues include Italian seafood restaurant Delmare, rum-focused Lester’s Bar, and Spice, which serves Jamaican cuisine amid coconut trees and hammocks. There’s also a spa, an infinity pool and a private beachfront with a natural…

The Travel Photographer of the Year 2019 competition saw 20,000 submissions from 144 countries, with an international judging panel of experts including photojournalist and double Pulitzer Prize winner Essdras M Suarez and former official White House photographer Lawrence Jackson. Travel and nature photographer Ignacio Palacios was runner-up in the Art of Travel portfolio category for his eight striking images, which included this intriguing photograph taken in Lapland, Finland, of a frozen forest at sunset. The Spanish photographer said: “I believe that there are many different ways of experiencing a place, and photography is one of them. Every time I travel, in every single moment, I look for possible picture opportunities. This passion to photograph the world makes me focus on details that I was not aware of before.” See the…

The past year has been a watershed one for Istanbul. The city’s tourism sector is recovering from the troubles of 2016, with arrivals for 2019 expected to top 15.5 million (according to Istanbul chamber of commerce president Sekib Avdagic), up from 13.4 million in 2018. Hotel occupancy in the peak month of August, meanwhile, reached 87.7 per cent last year – 4.4 per cent up on 2018, and 10 per cent above the European average – according to the Hotel Association of Turkey. On June 23, 2019, a new young city mayor from the main secular opposition party was elected under the slogan “Her sey cok guzel olacak” (Everything’s going to be great). One of the first ways that Ekrem Imamoglu is seeking to achieve his aim is by swiftly…

Food writer Carmen Cheng recommends a “breakfast poutine” (pictured below) at OEB Breakfast Co (eatoeb.com), which adds items such as lobster or pork belly to the quintessentially Canadian dish of fries, gravy and cheese curds. Or try Sidewalk Citizen (sidewalkcitizenbakery.com), a popular bakery that also serves Israeli-inspired meals. For lunch, she suggests the good value of steakhouse Charcut (charcut.com). For dinner, a standout option is Bar Von Der Fels (barvonderfels.com), a wine bar with a seasonal menu renowned for its hasselback potatoes with brown butter sauce, and crab with white truffle shavings. Follow Cheng’s recommendations on Instagram: @foodkarmablog…

BACKGROUND Air France received its first A350-900 in September 2019 and is set to take delivery of five more by the end of 2020. The first routes to be served were Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Bamako (Mali), Toronto and, from December 9, Cairo and Seoul. I was on the inaugural flight to Toronto on October 27. The aircraft is fitted with the carrier’s new business class seat. CHECK-IN I connected from Heathrow to flight AF356, which leaves Paris Charles de Gaulle at 1415 and arrives in Toronto at 1645, about an eight-hour 30-minute journey. It was a 15-minute walk and train ride to the L gates and the flight was on time. BOARDING I boarded early to shoot some footage of the new seat. The cabin seemed spacious, with overhead lockers…

BACKGROUND The St Regis Hong Kong, which opened in April 2019 as Marriott’s 7,000th property worldwide, is the first St Regis-branded hotel in Hong Kong. It’s also the fourth St Regis in the Greater Bay Area, joining properties in Macau, Shenzhen and Zhuhai. WHERE IS IT? In Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district near Wan Chai MTR Station, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, and Wan Chai Pier, from which you can take a ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui. WHAT’S IT LIKE? The hotel was conceived as a private mansion and doesn’t have a very prominent entrance (apart from a waterfall beside it), but this adds privacy and a sense of mystery. At the helm of the hotel’s interior design is renowned designer André Fu, whose works in Hong Kong…

FEATURING flying boats and propeller aircraft from the early 1900s, Qantas launched a new safety video that explores ten decades of flying to commemorate the airline’s centenary year. The video, which is screening on Qantas international and domestic flights, re-creates historical settings and uniforms starting from the 1920s, all the way to the present day. The airline used computer-generated imagery to depict the original 1920s Avro 504 and the 1930s De Havilland 86 planes. A century of evolving fashion is also re-created by using 50 wigs and 30 moustaches to capture the head-to-toe style of each era. Various crew uniforms from throughout the decades were sourced from the airline’s own collection and from retired Qantas crew. The Australian carrier said the video was a result of more than 12 months…

PASSENGERS can now enjoy local independent beer at Australia’s first airport brewery at Melbourne Airport. The brewery, which is run by local beer company Stomping Ground Brewing Co, features 24 draught beers and six draught wines on tap. According to Stomping Ground, the 30 taps will provide a wide range of beer styles. Most beers will be brewed at its main Collingwood brewery, but around 30›different beers will be brewed on-site each year. Andrew Gardiner, chief of retail at Melbourne Airport, said the brewery is part of›efforts to create a sense of place at the airport. “There’s huge demand for craft beer in Melbourne so the decision to open a brewery made sense, and we’re proud to be the first airport in Australia, and fourth airport in the world to…

1 THE HIGH LINE Hudson Yards is the name given to a new US$25 billion real-estate project on the west side of Manhattan, between 30th and 34th Streets. There are many ways you can approach it, depending on where you are staying. One possibility is via the High Line, a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side, which was saved from demolition and first opened in 2009. It runs from 14th to 34th Street. Get off at 30th Street next to Hudson Yards and the Shed culture space, which showcases the arts across all disciplines. The High Line also has lots of commissioned art to get you in the mood. thehighline.org 2 THE SHED Opened last year, this…

Every year in January, some 175,000 gadget geeks from across the globe descend on Las Vegas for the Consumer (CES), the world’s biggest tech gathering. Some 4,500 companies use the exhibition to show off their newest creations – here are some of the best to have been unveiled this year. Some are hitting stores already, but most will arrive by the summer. CLEER MIRAGE SPEAKER US$1,035 On sale: spring cleeraudio.com One day, perhaps, there will be a screen on every gadget. This Cleer speaker has an eight-inch one supplied by collaborator Royole, whose skill is in making flexible displays (it beat Samsung and other rivals to create the first foldable phone). Here, the screen wraps around the cylindrical speaker and can be used for video visualisations alongside the music. A…

The room was spacious and modern in design and equipped with key amenities BACKGROUND Fairmont Singapore’s recently renovated South Tower reopened in November 2019. The hotel partnered with interior design company Hirsch Bedner Associates, and the refurbishment of the 403-room tower involved introducing new amenities, redesigned lift lobbies, as well as renovated interiors of the rooms and the corridors. WHERE IS IT? In the city’s Civic District within the Raffles City complex, which houses a convention centre and a shopping mall. There’s the Raffles City Shopping Centre in the same complex – a five-storey mall with 200 shops. From Singapore Changi Airport it’s a 30-minute drive to the hotel, or you can take the train on the East-West line from Changi Airport, transfer at Tanah Merah and continue to City…

It’s good for those who want to escape the busy city life and enjoy some fresh air and the lush greenery BACKGROUND LN Garden Hotel, Nansha, which opened in August 2018, is the sister hotel of the older LN Garden Hotel located in nearby Guangzhou’s city centre. In April 2019, the hotel became a member of the “Worldhotels Elite” collection of the independent hotel alliance Worldhotels. WHERE IS IT? Inside the Nansha Coastal Park in Guangzhou’s southern Nansha District, part of a pilot free trade zone in Guangdong province. The local business district in Nansha is 15 minutes away by car, while the city centre is around 75 minutes away. The hotel is a ten-minute drive from Nansha Passenger Port, which provides a 90-minute ferry connection to Hong Kong (China…