Business Traveller December 2021 / January 2022

Welcome to this double issue of Business Traveller which is coming at a happier time for travel now that the US has opened up to European travellers. Of course, we aren’t taking anything for granted after the reversals of the last 18 months, but as more and more travellers are double-vaccinated, countries are now lowering barriers to entry, and only a few are still attempting to maintain a zero Covid policy. Many of us have travelled in the past few weeks, and while there are still frustrations around the testing regimes and extra paperwork necessary to cross borders, it is possible to visit loved ones, catch up with colleagues, or just make sure the factory on the other side of the world remembers its partner over here or vice versa. In…

NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN The meetings and events sector is experiencing a revival as demand for in-person gatherings grows WORTHY WINNERS The best airlines, hotels, airports and services as voted for by you, our Business Traveller readers (Page 30) LAPTOP LATEST Choose a device that suits your needs with our round-up of the newest laptops and tablets SUN-SEEKERS’ PARADISE Escape winter at these exclusive hotels and resorts in the tranquil waters of the Indian Ocean…

ALEX MCWHIRTER Alex has more than 50 years’ experience in the business travel industry, including over 40 years as Business Traveller’s consumer champion. In this issue, he explores the competition facing France’s national railway company SNCF from Italy’s Trenitalia and Spain’s Renfe. Will SNCF be able to maintain its rail monopoly? Find out more by turning to page 48. 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, advising on design and trends in hospitality. In this issue, he asks whether hotel restaurants in the UK can survive in a post-Covid and Brexit environment; see page 46. RICHARD TAMS Richard is a London-based airline consultant who has worked in a…

EASYJET OPENS FIRST BRANDED AIRPORT LOUNGE EASYJET HAS PARTNERED WITH NO1 LOUNGES to open its first branded airport lounge at Gatwick airport. It is housed within the former My Lounge facility at the airport’s North Terminal, which was closed at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Access can be booked via Holiday Extras and costs £18.50 for a one-hour visit, £24 for two hours and £32 for three hours. Or book at No1 Lounges where the charges start from £32 for a three-hour visit, with extra time at £10 per hour. Easyjet says the lounge will offer “a choice of complementary hot and cold menus with a selection of enticing dishes, freshly prepared and served to their tables, alongside a range of self-serve side dishes and hot and cold drinks”. Other facilities include free…

ZEROAVIA PLANS HYDROGEN-ELECTRIC FLIGHTS BETWEEN ROTTERDAM AND LONDON IN 2024 HYDROGEN-ELECTRIC aviation firm Zeroavia has announced plans for zero emission commercial passenger flights between Rotterdam The Hague airport and London in 2024. Zeroavia is partnering with the airport, Royal Schiphol Group and the foundation Rotterdam The Hague Innovation Airport. If the initiative is successful, a 19-seater aircraft will fly between the two cities. The group said it is “in advanced partnership talks with airlines to agree on an operator” and has not yet said which London airport would be used. The aircraft is currently under construction. It will use hydrogen fuel cells to power engines, with only “water vapour at manageable temperatures” emitted. Sixt offers travellers choice of hybrid and electric vehicles CAR RENTAL and ride-hailing firm Sixt now allows travellers to choose…

NATHANIEL PARKER is a screen and stage actor. He recently portrayed Sir Robert de Thibouville in Ridley Scott’s film The Last Duel, soon to be released on DVD and on-demand. WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE PROFESSION? Until the age of nine I wanted to be things I had seen on film or TV: a cowboy (The Virginian), train driver (Casey Jones), Broadway star (Fred Astaire), an astronaut or a doctor (my mum). Then I realised there was one job where I could be all of them. WHICH PRODUCTION LEFT A LASTING IMPRESSION? Productions of Hilary Mantel’s novels about Thomas Cromwell (Wolf Hall, Bring Up The Bodies, The Mirror and The Light) where I have played Henry VIII were pretty ground-breaking. The director Jeremy Herrin made me a better actor. WHAT LOCATIONS HAVE YOU FILMED IN? All…