Business Traveller

Welcome to the March issue of Business Traveller. In place of the normal round-up of what you are about to read or addressing a topic of concern, I hope I will be forgiven for departing from the normal script, because this is my last edition as editor, and I have quite a list of people to thank. I’ve been very lucky to have visited so many places, flown so many airlines and stayed in so many hotels, but really it’s the people I have met who have made it one of the best jobs in the world. So whether you were working for an airline, a hotel, a tourist board, or just were helpful on one of those many journeys, I am very grateful. In addition, over two decades I…

RICHARD TAMS Richard is a London-based airline consultant who has worked in markets in Europe, North America and Asia. He has spent most of his career in the airline business and now runs his own consultancy, Tailwind Advisory. On page 54 he explains the meaning behind the buzzword ‘purposeful’ and its link to the business travel world. DEREK PICOT Veteran hotelier Derek has worked in senior positions on five continents, most recently as regional vice-president for Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts in Europe. He now consults for hotel owners and luxury developers. On page 55 he criticises the quality of airport lounges and suggests a change in management to improve the situation. MARK CASWELL Business Traveller's online editor Mark has covered aviation and hospitality for more than 15 years. In this issue he explores the London…

UK CARRIERS British Airways and Virgin Atlantic will resume flights to mainland China in the coming months, after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. BA will commence a daily service to Shanghai Pudong International from April 23, followed by four-times-weekly flights to Beijing Daxing from June 3. The move follows the carrier's resumption of flights to Hong Kong in December last year. Meanwhile Virgin Atlantic's Heathrow-Shanghai service will commence on May 1. This is an important route resumption for the carrier given its inauguration into the Skyteam alliance (scheduled for March as we went to press), with Shanghai-based China Eastern being an established Skyteam member.…

EUROSTAR GROUP HAS UNVEILED its new branding and logo following the official merger with Thalys in May last year. The merged entity will operate under the Eurostar name with a single website and booking system, as well as a joint loyalty programme, by October 2023. This is expected to make booking connections across mainland Europe easier. The group said that it aims to carry 30 million passengers by 2030 and “become the backbone of sustainable travel in Europe”. The train operator carried 19 million passengers in 2019, before the onset of the pandemic. Commenting on the brand name, the group’s CEO Gwendoline Cazenave said that there is “high consumer awareness of the Eurostar name in Europe and beyond”. The Thalys name will disappear, but “the spirit will live on” in the new brand. The…

MANCHESTER AIRPORT will begin construction on the final phase of its refurbishment programme this year, with a £440 million investment from Manchester Airports Group (MAG). The £1.3 billion Manchester Airport Transformation Programme, announced in 2015, saw the expansion of Terminal 2 in July 2021. The final phase, set to complete in 2025, will see the T2 departure lounge more than double in size, with 27 new shops and F&B outlets. A new security hall fitted with the latest 3D scanners will be constructed, along with a second pier with “spacious” boarding gates and a new dual taxiway system designed to improve airfield efficiency. The terminal’s hold baggage capacity will also more than double to over 5,000 bags per hour. MAG said that the investment will improve the passenger experience “from check-in to baggage reclaim”…

ACCOR HAS LAUNCHED its latest collection brand, aimed at independent hotels in the midscale segment. Handwritten Collection will join the group’s luxury Emblem Collection, which launched in 2019, as well as the M Gallery Collection. Accor described the new brand as “a global portfolio of charming bespoke hotels that offer an intimate and stylish hospitality experience”. A total of 12 hotels have been signed up for the launch, which will either open or convert to the brand throughout 2023, including Hotel Morris in Sydney, Oru Hub Hotel in Tallinn, and Sunrise Premium Resort in Hoi An. The group said it had leads for 110 Handwritten properties totalling more than 11,500 rooms, with the aim of growing the brand to 250 hotels by 2030. It is envisaged that the majority of properties joining the brand will…