Business Traveller April 2018

Welcome to the April issue of Business Traveller, and one where we have a focus both on aviation and hotels, the result of a spate of long-haul travel and also a trip to two events in Berlin in March – the annual trade fair ITB, and the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF). These are just two of the many events during the year at which we get the chance to learn what the industry is planning for us travellers, and what we can expect to change in the months and years ahead. Some developments will be welcomed, some met with a shrug, and some are likely to prove annoying. You can have a look through our Upfront section to learn about new slim-line seating on aircraft and what that means for…

CRAIG BRIGHT Online editor of the Business Traveller Asia-Pacific edition and a resident of Hong Kong for more than two decades, Craig Bright is an expert on the region. When he’s not indulging in the myriad food options Asia has to offer, he’s keeping up to date with the latest developments from the region’s airlines – in particular, their newest aircraft and seat products. In this issue, he flew with Singapore Airlines to try its redesigned business class seat on board the Airbus A380 from Singapore to Sydney. Read all about it on page 80. ALEX MCWHIRTER With 50 years experience in the world of travel (including more than 35 years at this magazine), Alex is a leading authority on all sorts of issues related to the subject matter. He has a wealth…

BAG A SEAT VIRGIN ATLANTIC AND BRITISH AIRWAYS have introduced hand baggage only (HBO) fares on long-haul flights. Virgin will offer three classes: Economy Light for HBO; Economy Classic, with free seat assignment, priority check-in and boarding; and Economy Delight, for seats with an extra four-inches legroom. Other changes include renaming “Premium Economy” “Premium”. On British Airways, the HBO fare will launch on selected routes, does not include seat selection, and is called Basic on AA, BA and Iberia, and Light on Finnair. virginatlantic.com; britishairways.com MAKING A COMEBACK QATAR AIRWAYS IS TO RETURN to Gatwick after a gap of seven years with a new twice daily service from May 22. The flights between Doha and London Gatwick will be operated by a Boeing Dreamliner 787, featuring 22 seats in business class and offering…

ASCENT VIRGIN ATLANTIC is adding extra frequency to its London to Johannesburg route from October 2018. HAINAN AIRLINES now flies from London to Changsha, the capital of China’s Hunan province, using a B787 Dreamliner. AMERICAN AIRLINES is replacing 40 main cabin economy seats with 24 premium economy seats on its 67-strong B777-200 aircraft, with completion expected by December 2018. DESCENT SOUTH AFRICA AIRWAYS will operate its newest A330-300 aircraft between Heathrow and Johannesburg, but will cut frequency on the route to just one flight per day. IN-FLIGHT FLATULENCE sparked a fight on a Transavia Airlines flight between Dubai and Amsterdam. The jet made an emergency landing at Vienna International Airport. QANTAS may reduce frequency or stop its A380 service between Sydney and Dallas/Fort Worth if its joint-business application with fellow Oneworld carrier American Airlines does not get the…

TAP HAPPY I enjoy reading your magazine and always turn to the letters page. After 45 years travelling the world working in airline catering for three major airlines, I am continually shocked by the poor customer service that I read about. The February issue of Business Traveller featured a complaint letter about TAP, as well as letters about poor service from other airlines. All the letters seem to indicate that many staff on the ground and in the air basically could not care less. Airlines, with a few exceptions (such as Emirates) don’t seem to appreciate the fact that, while they offer flat beds and good food in first class and business class, the image of the airline is damaged if front-line customer service staff are disinterested and surly. The only answer…

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM? I’m a reader of Business Traveller and I typically find it super good. Thank you. Yet in the February issue, in the feature about “future trends”, I was appalled to see you had a picture of an elephant ride in jungle. Even if this is something a hotel is offering, you should not be making it desirable. It is a very bad practice for Indian, and now even African, elephants. They are wild animals, and not built for nor supposed to have interaction with people. An elephant can only be “tamed” by an awful process. I’d suggest you Google how to break or crush an elephant spirit – a process called phajaan. Most companies have stopped advertising the very disturbing “fun” event. Furthermore, to protect natural resources, we…