Business Traveller April 2020

Welcome to the April issue of Business Traveller, and one that sees us drift further into the unknown with the outbreak of coronavirus/Covid-19. If I was writing this letter last week (early March), I would have been making the right noises about not letting panic overcome us and using common sense when deciding whether to travel. Then in the space of a few days, India suspended visas and e-visas for tourists and travellers, other countries closed their borders to the citizens of their near neighbours and Donald Trump instituted a travel ban on 28 European countries. At the time of writing, airlines were grounding most of their fleets and our options for travel had all but vanished, even if we were frantically scrambling to get home. For the most recent developments,…

ROB GOSS Rob is a British writer living in Tokyo, covering travel and culture in Japan for several publications, including National Geographic Traveler, BBC Travel and The Economist’s 1843. His recent Japan trips have seen him meditating under chilly waterfalls with Yamabushi monks and attempting to interview the cat credited with saving a railway from bankruptcy. For this issue, he travels to Osaka, home to Japanese multinationals and a mouth-watering food scene. See page 38. JOHN STEPEK John is executive editor of MoneyWeek magazine, and author of The Sceptical Investor, a guide to contrarian investing. Topics he has covered previously in his regular Business Traveller column include digital “challenger” banks and investing in gold. This month he asks whether the unicorn bubble may be about to burst given the recent high-profile flops of…

AEROFLOT UNVEILS A350 Russian flag carrier Aeroflot’s first A350 has arrived. The aircraft features a brand-new business class seat designed by Collins Aerospace, offering a fully-flat bed, 21-inch IFE screen and full-height sliding privacy door. The 28 seats are in a 1-2-1 layout. The aircraft also has a 24-seat premium economy cabin in a 2-2-2 configuration, and 264 economy seats configured 3-3-3. Aeroflot has 22 of the A350-900 variant on order, and plans to take delivery of half of them this year. The first routes are set to be London, Miami, New York, Dubai, Delhi and Beijing, as well as Osaka and Singapore when they launch. 4 new European hotels KIMPTON VIVIDORA BARCELONA: IHG’s Kimpton brand has begun welcoming guests to its first Spanish property. Located in the Gothic Quarter, the 166-room hotel offers yoga…

MARK SPIERS is vice-president, training, sales and field services at PADI Europe, Middle East and Africa. MOST REWARDING TRAVEL EXPERIENCE? I’ve been privileged to interact with people on a local level. It reinforces to me that people are fundamentally the same, regardless of their nationality or beliefs. MOST CHALLENGING EXPERIENCE ABROAD? The Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 when I lived in Thailand. DEEPEST DIVE? Around 72 metres – it required specialised technical training and planning; it’s beyond recreational scuba limits. Some of the best diving is within 20 metres of the surface. FAVOURITE DIVING DESTINATION? I love the Maldives. Last time I was there I was lucky enough to dive with whale sharks. ANY IN THE UK? St Abbs near Edinburgh is still one of my favourite spots, with its many soft corals. Cathedral Rock…

It’s looking like we’re all going to be working from home for a while. Here are the benefits and struggles that come with it. Buffer and AngelList surveyed more than 3,500 remote workers. What’s the biggest benefit you see to working remotely? 32% Having a flexible schedule 26% Flexibility to work from anywhere 21% Not having to commute 11% Spending time with family What is your biggest struggle when working remotely? 20% Collaboration and communication 20% Loneliness 18% Not being able to unplug 12% Distractions at home 10% Being in a different time zone from colleagues 7% Staying motivated 5% Taking holiday time 3% Finding reliable wifi Source: The State of Remote Report 2020, Buffer…

READ: Fake Law: The Truth About Justice in an Age of Lies, The Secret Barrister The anonymous junior barrister returns with a second book on April 30, following the bestselling debut Stories of the Law and How It’s Broken. The Secret Barrister explores how the law affects every aspect of our lives and debunks the lies and “fake law” spread by those with vested interests. Cases include an illegal immigrant who couldn’t be deported because of his pet cat, while the author also asks whether unelected judges are enemies of the people. Pan Macmillan; £20. WATCH: The English Game Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes’ newest six-part drama looks at the origins of football in the mid-1800s and how the game ignored class politics to become the world’s most popular sport. Available to download…