Business Traveller November-January 2021

Welcome to the new issue of Business Traveller, and one that reflects the fact that business is most definitely not back to normal. As we reported in our September-October edition and discuss further in this issue, the challenges facing all of us remain, and the way forward is still uncertain. One thing is clear, though. The way through this pandemic requires collective action, nowhere more so than in travel. On›businesstraveller.com›almost every day, we report on›new proposals from airlines, airports and hotels for testing regimes for arriving and departing passengers. Yet at the time of going to press, these pleas are falling on deaf ears and each country seems to be following its own path. We can only hope that in the three months until our next issue, the pandemic has not…

NIGEL TISDALL Nigel is an award-winning London-based travel writer who›contributes frequently to titles such as The Telegraph, the Financial Times and Daily Mail. He specialises in the›Caribbean and is the founder of The Coconut Times, an independent expert website devoted to the region. In›this issue he considers the appeal of working from the›beach in Barbados; see page 28. DEREK PICOT Veteran hotelier Derek has worked in senior positions on five continents, most recently as regional vice-president for Jumeirah’s hotels and resorts in Europe. He now consults for hotel owners and luxury developers, advising on design and trends in hospitality. During lockdown, he turned his attention to writing a novel set in the hotel world of the 1960s; see page 84. RICHARD TAMS Richard is a London-based airline consultant who has worked in a wide variety…

British Airways launches First seat with sliding door BRITISH AIRWAYS has released images of its new First seat featuring sliding privacy doors, installed on its new B777-300 aircraft. The airline made the decision to fit the doors to the First suite following the success of the Club Suite business class product launched last year. At this stage it’s not known how many new aircraft will feature the seat, or if there are plans to retrofit existing long-haul planes. While the timing might seem odd, these aircraft would have been ordered in advance of the Covid-19 crisis, and the carrier was unable to defer their delivery. GATWICK TO INTRODUCE DROP›OFF FEE GATWICK AIRPORT HAS ANNOUNCED plans to levy a £5 fee for vehicles dropping off travellers from next year. The airport describes the fee…

JESSICA NABONGO is a writer, entrepreneur, public speaker and travel expert. In 2019, she became the first documented black woman to visit every country in the world. WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO A LIFE OF ADVENTURE? Since my early twenties I have wanted to visit every country in the world, and I decided in 2017 that I wanted to do it by the age of 35. I have travelled internationally since I was four years old. It has been such a part of my life through my parents and I’m a geography nerd. MOST REWARDING TRAVEL EXPERIENCE? Going to some of the least-visited countries in the world. There are so many amazing experiences outside of the most-visited cities – for example, when you go to Tuvalu and you’re sitting on the runway in the middle…

THREE NIGHTS AT SAADIYAT ROTANA RESORT AND VILLAS, ABU DHABI BUSINESS TRAVELLER HAS PARTNERED WITH ROTANA HOTELS to give one lucky reader and guest a three-night stay with breakfast in a Club Rotana suite at Saadiyat Rotana Resort and Villas, Abu Dhabi. Experience the warmth of Arabic hospitality in the heart of Saadiyat Island, surrounded by natural beachfront beauty and wildlife. On neighbouring islands, guests can discover theme parks such as Ferrari World, while Saadiyat Island’s architectural landmarks span museums and cultural centres. The competition begins on November 1, 2020, and runs until November 30. rotana.com TWO NIGHT ALLINCLUSIVE STAY AT SOUTH AFRICA’S DULINI COLLECTION BUSINESS TRAVELLER HAS PARTNERED WITH THE DULINI COLLECTION to give away a two-night all-inclusive stay at one of its lodges on the Sabi Sand Game Reserve in South…

LISTEN: The Penguin Podcast Host Nihal Arthanayake interviews prolific authors and creative thinkers in this fortnightly series by the UK arm of the book publisher. Guests including Bernardine Evaristo, Anthony Horowitz and Nick Hornby are invited to speak about objects that have inspired their literary work. Free to download. READ: House of Glass: The Story and Secrets of a 20th-Century Jewish Family, Hadley Freeman Author and journalist Freeman investigated her family’s fascinating history over the course of a decade, studying letters and photos as well as an unpublished memoir. Released in March 2020, this moving memoir traces the lives of her grandmother, Sala, and her three siblings during the Second World War, exploring themes of courage and survival, haunting losses and the question of assimilation throughout. Fourth Estate; £16.99. WATCH: David Attenborough: A Life…