Innholdsfortegnelse for May - June 2024 i Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition

SINGAPORE’S CHANGI AIRPORT this spring celebrated Air Canada’s inaugural service between Singapore and Vancouver with a water cannon salute. Now operating four times a week, it is the only nonstop flight connecting Singapore and Canada. Singapore Airlines launched the service to Vancouver during the pandemic as a tag-on to its Seattle flights. However, the airline terminated the route last October. From Vancouver, the Air Canada flights will depart on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 0015, arriving in Singapore at 0710 the following day. From Changi, the flights will return to Vancouver on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 0910, arriving back in BC at 0845 the same day. Air Canada deploys its three-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft to Singapore, including lie-flat business class, premium economy and economy class. Singapore…

STARTING JUNE 27, China Southern Airlines will launch a four-times weekly service from Guangzhou to Budapest, Hungary. The route will be operated with China Southern’s two-class Boeing 787-8 aircraft. These seat 18 passengers in a 2-2-2 configuration in business class and 248 across a 3-3-3 configuration in economy class. The new China Southern Guangzhou route marks the fifth nonstop service from Budapest airport to China, with China Eastern Airlines and its Shanghai Airlines offshoot flying to Budapest alongside Air China and HNA carriers from Beijing, Chongqing, Ningbo and Shanghai. The scheduled midday departures from Hungary’s capital city on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays ensure that the flight arrives in Guangzhou the following morning before 0800 local time, facilitating numerous domestic and international connections.…

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL has signed an agreement with Victoria Park Hotels to launch The Park Lane Hong Kong, Autograph Collection in early 2025. The hotel is expected to join Autograph Collection Hotels’ portfolio of more than 300 independent properties across the world “This agreement further underscores our commitment to grow our footprint in Hong Kong, an iconic international destination known for its unique culture that connects East and West,” said Yibing Mao, president, Greater China, Marriott International. “We look forward to providing broader breadth of our best brands and experiences that appeal to travellers around the globe.” The Park Lane Hong Kong, Autograph Collection will be located on Gloucester Road in Causeway Bay, home to Victoria Park, Hong Kong Island’s largest public park. From the hotel it will be a five-minute…

MANCHESTER AIRPORT has provided details of confiscated items at security to remind passengers of hand luggage regulations. The most-confiscated item “by far” is a cigarette lighter, with 284 lighters handed in over the course of one morning. While passengers are allowed to carry one lighter with them, provided it fits into a clear resealable plastic bag and contains under 100ml of liquid, they cannot carry more than one. Almost 400 items were confiscated in one morning at the airport, with further items including 22 pairs of scissors, five multi-tools, four corkscrews, two hacksaws and two packs of darts. All of these items are forbidden as they do not abide by UK aviation security regulations, which prohibit sharp items or blades with a length or more than 6cm (2.3 inches). Additionally,…

KOREAN AIR has confirmed an order for 33 new-technology long-haul widebody aircraft with Airbus. The deal includes 27 A350-1000s and six A350-900s, valued at US$13.7 billion at list prices. The carrier says the order will supplement the airline’s long-term fleet operations as it gradually retires its older aircraft. The carrier also noted that adding A350 aircraft made sense as it prepares to integrate Asiana Airlines into its business. Asiana already operates 15 A350-900s and has 15 additional –900s and larger –1000s on order. The airline will join existing operators including Cathay Pacific Airways, Japan Airlines and British Airways in operating the A350-1000. Korean Air says it may deploy the aircraft on its long-haul routes, such as Seoul Incheon-New York, on which the airline currently operates two daily flights. In addition…

AIR NEW ZEALAND has carried out a trial of “single-use cup-free flights”, as it explores how to reduce the millions of cups used on its aircraft each year. The carrier trialled the initiative on six domestic flights in March, with customers being encouraged to bring reusable cups with them, or being provided with one for use during onboard service. “Knowledge gained from customer feedback, operational logistics, and impact will help to determine the viability of implementing the initiative in the long term,” said ANZ. The airline recently removed all single-use cups from its domestic airport lounges -equating to the saving of around 1 million single-use cups per year – but admitted that doing the same on flights “is a much greater challenge”. ANZ’s chief sustainability officer Kiri Hannifin said the…

EASYJET HAS PARTNERED with start-up Sustainaholics to stock its Alumini bottles, crafted from 100 per cent post-consumer recycled aluminium. The Alumini bottles were launched in June 2023, and weigh just 60g when filled with a spirit, compared to 136g in a glass bottle. Easyjet will serve spirits from UK-based brands including Two Drifters, Ellers Farm Distillery, Penrhos Spirits and Wildjac on routes operated by its A321 fleet from Gatwick and Bristol airports. Simon Cox, director of inflight retail at Easyjet, said: “We are delighted to be offering our customers even more choice and variety as we welcome a variety of UK-based spirits affiliated with Sustainaholics to our drinks trolley, while collaborating with a brand that aligns with our approach when it comes to sustainability and innovation.”…

Gavin Greenwood, senior Asia analyst for the Hong Kong-based A2 Global security and political risk company, provides a few tips on staying safe while on the road A business traveller is far more likely to be caught up in what may be termed as a “civilian” emergency than a “political” event, such as a terrorist attack, widespread protests or a military coup. While the latter can be mitigated – as noted elsewhere in this article – by timely research and advice from professional risk analysts, the first responder to any unfolding crisis is likely to be you. While there is little an individual can do to protect themselves from such a catastrophic event as the 2001 9/11 attack on New York’s World Trade Center, there is a great deal they…

BACKGROUND Air France has been upgrading its Boeing 777-300 aircraft with its latest premium economy product, already seen on its A350. The 777-300 features 48 seats in the premium economy cabin, arranged in a slightly staggered 2-4-2 formation. CHECK-IN I stayed in the Pullman Paris Roissy CDG Airport the night before to make the early morning flight. It was easy to hop on the automated people mover and get to Terminal 2E for 0620. There were seven Sky Priority lanes at Zone 5. I printed a boarding pass and went through the fast-track immigration lines, arriving at the lounge by 0650. THE LOUNGE We were given SkyTeam priority access for this flight, which meant we could visit the Air France Lounge (Hall L) in Terminal 2E, located just behind the…

CATHAY PACIFIC HAS REVEALED mock-ups of its new premium economy product in Hong Kong. The new cabin is set to debut on the upgraded Boeing 777-300ER aircraft later this year, alongside the new business class Aria suite. The seats will remain the same size in terms of width (21 inches), pitch (40 inches) and recline (8 inches), and in a 2-4-2 layout. But they’ll have a new look, with green-greys and brown leather accents, and feature better privacy and tech. A new extended wing design on headrests hides your neighbour’s face and contains a personal reading spotlight. Brown leather cushioned headrests and footrest straps add comfort and a premium feel. New storage options include a leather pouch on the inside of the seat, along with a new USB-C port. Regular…

MANCHESTER will soon boost its connections to China, with a direct service to Shanghai launching this summer. Juneyao Air initially announced the route in 2019, but had to postpone its launch due to the pandemic. On July 1, the carrier will begin its threetimes-weekly flights to Shanghai, operated by a two-class Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The flights will take place on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays. According to Manchester Airport, around 185,000 people from across Northern England already travel to Shanghai indirectly each year. Additionally, there are more than 9,000 Chinese students in the city, representing around one in nine of the student population in Manchester – a rise of 43 per cent compared with 2018. Its hoped the new route will strengthen economic links between China and Northern England, building on…

MACAU’S GALAXY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP has announced that Galaxy Macau will be home to the first Capella property in the Greater Bay Area. Set to open in mid-2025, the Capella brand of hospitality will join the world’s largest collection of high-end hotels (nine) under one roof. The 17-storey Capella at Galaxy Macau will have 36 Sky Villas and 57 suites. Designed by Paris-based firm Moinard Bētaille, the interiors will draw inspiration from the “jungle” and Macau’s green hills. Each villa will feature a balcony with a transparent infinity-edge pool, outdoor lounge, sunroom and hidden winter garden. “We are thrilled to create this magnificent embodiment of ultra-luxury 21st-century hospitality in partnership with Capella Hotels and Resorts,” said Francis Lui, vice chairman of Galaxy Entertainment Group. “This collaboration aligns with our strategic growth…

LUFTHANSA GROUP has passed the milestone of 1 million passengers purchasing its Green Fares. The group launched the fare option as a pilot project in August 2022, before rolling it out across the group’s European and North African routes in February 2023, and subsequently to some long-haul routes. The fare allows passengers to purchase a ticket that includes the offsetting of their individual flight-related CO2 emissions, along with other benefits including additional status miles and a free rebooking option. Lufthansa Group said an average of 3 per cent of passengers opted for the fare in its first full year of launch, with this figure rising to 11 per cent of business class bookings made via Lufthansa Group portals. The most popular routes for Green Fares have been Hamburg-Munich, ZurichLondon and…

LORE GROUP has partnered with Netherlands-based water charity Made Blue Foundation for an initiative that enables guests to donate clean water to a water project of their choice. The hospitality group, which comprises six hotels including One Hundred Shoreditch and Sea Containers London in the UK, aims to raise awareness about the world water crisis by encouraging guests to take shorter showers. The Made Blue Foundation says that a guest would need to reduce their shower time by just 15 seconds to recoup a donation of 5 cents per night. Guests will have the opportunity to donate 100 litres of clean water per night to a water project of their choice, with information on available recipients and destinations provided to all Lore Group guests. If guests do not choose a…

AIRPORTS COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL (ACI) World has published a new study forecasting air passenger numbers and the top markets for air travel demand over the next 30 years. The World Airport Traffic Forecasts 2023-2052 report projects that global air passenger traffic will reach 9.7 billion by the end of this year, finally surpassing prepandemic levels. It is then forecast to double to 19.3 billion by 2042, with domestic traffic numbers set to hit 10.6 billion, and international traffic set to reach 8.7 billion. In terms of the top 20 markets by total passenger traffic, China is forecast to overtake the United States and reach the top spot by 2042. India will remain in current third place, with Indonesia rising from 13th to 4th place. However, the United Kingdom is set to…

Some might consider the mid-20th century as the real “golden era” of travel, when jet aircraft came to the fore. With the launch of the Boeing 747, high-flying passengers could leave their seats to explore sizeable onboard bars and lounges. But despite the era’s glitz and glamour, one reality remained true: flying first class across oceans still meant merely reclining in a seat – not lying down. Over time, first class evolved from that comfortable chair into a bed. In the early stages, there was little focus on privacy. The very novelty of having a bed in the sky was a drawcard, with no need for sliding doors or showers. Meanwhile, business class made its grand debut back in 1970, but it wasn’t until 2000 that an airline dared put…

LEISURE Walking in single file, voices low, we follow our ranger’s lead and clamber through the grasslands, taking care not to become tangled in the twigs underfoot. Sajith Withanage has an Indiana Joneslike persona and, armed with a trusty wooden cane and heightened senses, plots our route through the Yala bush. A deer’s distress cry cuts through the air – echoed by a troop of monkeys sounding the alarm. Withanage follows the noise and later detects the scent of a fresh carcass in our midst. It’s the calling card of the jungle’s most elusive resident and the top of Sri Lanka’s food chain. Yala has one of the highest leopard densities in the world, largely owing to the lack of other predators (there aren’t any tigers) and copious amounts of…

We all know that online activity needs to be private and secure. If you suspected that the business-critical information you’re about to share with a colleague is at risk of being seen much more widely, you would hesitate to send it. This is where VPNs - short for Virtual Private Networks - come into play. While it once seemed that they were used for suspect practices and dodgy dealings, today’s rise in remote working, whether at home or on the road, has changed this perception. VPNs offer convenience, security and access to the internet wherever you are. A VPN can help to ensure that online activity remains confidential. It may even allow you to continue to do business freely when travelling in a country with online censorship. Without a VPN,…

COLLINSON has announced a new joint venture with China’s Joyful Journey Group, which will see the addition of airport lounges and a Mandarin-speaking customer service. The Joyful Journey Priority Pass venture will see Collinson expand its inventory in mainland China, with the addition of nearly 90 airport lounges for domestic travellers. Collinson sated that “a sub-set [of the lounges] will be made available to international travellers”, though no further details have been provided at this point. The joint venture will also provide customers with 24/7 Mandarin-speaking customer service, and what Collinson referred to as “market-specific, agile technology”, including “seamless API integration to client apps” . Collinson has had a presence in mainland China since 2004, while Beijing-based Joyful Journey Group was established in 2012 and is described as “a leading…

UPFRONT SANDS RESORTS MACAO has introduced a direct check-in and bus service for Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) for its guests. Launched in March, the resort is the first in Macau to do so. Guests can now check in for their flights directly from the resort, saving time while enjoying a seamless journey to HKIA. The move is expected to enhance all aspects of Sands China’s business, and in particular the MICE component. The new bus service is part of Phase 1 of expanded transportation offerings and will depart from The Venetian Macao directly to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge port, providing a convenient link to HKIA and beyond.…

THE WORLD TRAVEL & TOURISM COUNCIL (WTTC) is projecting a record-breaking year for travel and tourism this year, with the sector’s global economic contribution predicted to exceed US$11 trillion. The WTTC’s 2024 Economic Impact Research found that the sector will contribute an additional US$770 billion over its previous record, and WTTC expects 142 countries of the 185 analysed to outperform previous national records. International visitor spending is also forecast to come close to the pre-pandemic peak, reaching US$1.89 trillion. Julia Simpson, WTTC president and CEO, said: “This isn’t just about breaking records, we’re no longer talking about a recovery – this is a story of the sector back at its best after a difficult few years, providing a significant economic boost around the world and supporting millions of jobs.” Read…

KUALA LUMPUR-based Oneworld member Malaysia Airlines has unveiled its new Airbus A330neo business and economy class seats as part of its fleet modernisation plan, ahead of the first aircraft’s scheduled delivery in the third quarter of this year. The new A330neo cabins will feature many “firsts” for the airline, including suites with individual privacy doors in business class. The airline has 20 A330neo aircraft on order. MAS has chosen the Collins Aerospace Elevation business class seat and each A330neo will feature 28 of the suites. Economy class will feature 269 seats, including 24 with extra legroom. For this cabin, the airline opted for the Recaro CL3810 seat model, promising an ergonomic design and enhanced support, coupled with thoughtful amenities such as a coat hook, cup holder and “ample stowage”. Malaysia…

IHG HOTELS & RESORTS has announced a new partnership with EV charging solutions provider EnviroSpark, with the aim of scaling up the availability of chargers across its properties in the United States and Canada. The rollout will require buy-in from individual hotel owners, but the agreement means properties “can now partner with EnviroSpark on EVCs depending on their individual needs and requirements”. IHG says that around 1,100 of its hotels globally already have EV charging facilities, and it is supporting owners in North America “with an EV charging guide with best practices to encourage installation of EV chargers across its portfolio of more than 4,100 open hotels” in the region. The group has also added an EV charger search filter to its IHG One Rewards app to help customers plan…

MANCHESTER AIRPORTS GROUP is calling for household waste to be used to make sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) instead of incinerating it to generate electricity. Research from transport sustainability experts ICF revealed that if all the rubbish currently burned by the United Kingdom was used to make SAF, the carbon saving would be equivalent to the emissions of at least 46 million people flying from London Stansted Airport to Madrid every year. Every year, around 8.5 million tonnes of household rubbish are incinerated to generate electricity, but the same waste could be diverted to UK refineries to produce SAF. The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is allowing councils to send collected waste to SAF plants, with many disposal contracts due for renewal in the coming months and…

SCOOT HAS TAKEN DELIVERY of the first of nine new Embraer E190-E2 aircraft. Named Explorer 3.0, in celebration of the third and newest addition to the Scoot fleet, the delivery of the E190-E2 regional jet marks the first time a Singapore carrier has introduced an aircraft from the Brazilian manufacturer. Scoot’s E2 services are set to begin this May, with Explorer 3.0’s inaugural flight to Krabi, Thailand. The airline will deploy the E190-E2 on two new routes, Koh Samui and Sibu, as well as existing destinations in Malaysia and Thailand, including Hat Yai, Kuantan, Krabi, and Miri. Scoot’s second E190-E2 is due to join the fleet in the coming weeks. Scoot is a low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. LOST IN TRANSLATION Idioms from around the world that have us scratching…

DESTINATION Manila hasn’t always been the easiest city to explore, something Coldplay would attest to. In January 2024, when the band performed here, lead singer Chris Martin was so shocked by Manila’s traffic that he sang an impromptu ditty about its congested roads. It’s true Manila can seem chaotic, particularly in neighbourhoods like Binondo, the world’s oldest Chinatown – a place where jeepneys (beautifully painted buses cobbled together from vehicles abandoned by US soldiers) dodge wooden handcarts, but that’s part of its charm. In reality, there are cities with worse traffic, and Manila is also becoming much more accessible these days. The Philippines Department of Tourism introduced Manila’s first Hop-On-Hop-Off (HOHO) bus in 2023. Stops include the National Museum, and the Binondo and Intramuros districts, and there’s a slick dedicated…

4 HOURS IN … 1 HARBOUR BRIDGE CLIMB Scaling one of Auckland’s most iconic structures – slap in the centre of the city, with stupendous metropolitan and marine views and bragging rights to match – is any visitor’s quintessential amusebouche. Safety is paramount: climbers are kitted out in overalls; phones and similar clutter are banned; and a chatty, experienced (albeit laid back) guide shepherds each group. Unlike a regular city sightseeing tour, the climb requires a bit of physical effort but provides a real sense of reward. Automatic cameras snap photos of climbers along the way, and these are on sale at the end of the tour. The 43-metrehigh bridge celebrates its 65th anniversary this year. (Tickets start from NZ$155/US$90.) Bungee jumps are also on offer (NZ$210/ US$125) – reportedly…

BACKGROUND Qatar Airways has eight Airbus A330-300 aircraft in its fleet, which are often used for the carrier’s medium-haul services such as this Doha-Colombo flight. The aircraft is configured in two classes: 30 lie-flat seats in business class and 275 seats in economy. Note that there is also an older A330-300 aircraft, configured with 12 first class seats, 24 business class seats (but only angled flat) and 223 economy seats. We were flying from London to Colombo, with a 2.5-hour stopover at Hamad International Airport in Doha (DOH). Flight QR660 departs at 0225 and lands at 0945 at Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), with a stated flight duration of 4 hours 50 minutes (ours was shorter at 4 hours 25 minutes). CHECK-IN As we were transiting through Doha, we did…