Business Traveller September 2021

Welcome to the September/October edition of Business Traveller. It has been a difficult summer for many, and not just in the travel industry. The floods in Europe and China and the wildfires in the US and Canada have quite rightly focused minds on the climate emergency. Travel will have to play its part in demonstrating a commitment to reducing its emissions in the years to come. There have been various predictions of when travel will return to its peak of 2019, and, while the date varies, commentators seem certain that it will then surpass that previous number. As an example, before the pandemic, industry aviation body IATA (the International Air Transport Association) predicted that airline traffic would double from about four billion passengers in 2018 to more than eight billion by…

HANNAH BRANDLER Our staff writer Hannah reports on all aspects of business travel for the magazine and website, as well as acting as our resident Francophile for all things French. This month she discovers the growing appeal of private jet travel amid the pandemic and the industry’s steps towards sustainability (page 32). ALEX MCWHIRTER Alex has more than 50 years’ experience in the business travel industry, including over 40 years as Business Traveller’s consumer champion. During the EU’s Year of European Rail, Alex explores whether the continent’s night train services will survive a raft of challenges; see page 48. TAMSIN COCKS Tamsin is a former editor of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific and she can’t wait to get back on a plane. On page 26, she rounds up a selection of 14 properties that have opened in…

Heathrow drop-off fee to begin in October HEATHROW AIRPORT HAS CONFIRMED that its £5 drop-off fee will start this October. All vehicles, including taxis and private hire services, will be charged to use the designated drop-off zones outside the airport terminals, although “blue badge holders, operational vehicles, emergency services, motorcycles, coaches and [Heathrow] colleague buses” will be exempt. The charge will be applied per vehicle and can be paid online or via telephone. In February Heathrow reported an annual loss of £2 billion for 2020. Revenues raised through the drop-off charge will “offset airport costs, including future sustainable transport investments" and lower passenger charges. JETBLUE LANDS IN LONDON JETBLUE’S TRANSATLANTIC services between London and New York JFK have started, with the first flight landing at Heathrow T2 on August 12. The airline says that it…

VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK RWANDA WE ARE ALL LOOKING FORWARD to our next holiday, but if we aim to travel less and travel better (or more “purposefully”) then reconnecting with nature may benefit both the climate and ourselves. How about helping to plant trees in the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda? Well known for its gorilla trekking, this can now be combined with reforestation and community partnerships to help regenerate the endangered mountain gorilla habitat. The Wilderness Safaris Bisate Lodge programme has seen more than 30,000 native trees planted and nurtured to date, which has had a positive impact on the surrounding area’s unique fauna and flora. The lodge’s on-site agronomist gifts guests an indigenous sapling to plant on the property, and GPS coordinates for the tree are provided for ongoing progress reports…

READ: The Man Who Died Twice, Richard Osman The TV presenter’s debut novel was a huge hit and is set to be adapted for the screen by none other than Steven Spielberg. In the meantime, the Thursday Murder Club returns in this sequel to solve the crime of stolen diamonds. Penguin; £18.99. LISTEN: Song Exploder Musicians reveal the backstories behind their hits in this Radiotopia podcast by Hrishikesh Hirway. Artists break down their songs and explain the process of writing and recording the music. Find out what prompted Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac to write ‘Go Your Own Way, or the inspiration for theme tunes for TV shows such as Game of Thrones and movies including The Martian. Free to download. WATCH: Schumacher Released on September 15, this documentary explores the life of legendary Formula…

Expedia Group finds out how traveller preferences have shifted as a result of the pandemic 34% have larger travel budgets now compared with 2020 36% would trade a pay rise for more holiday days 52% are likely to use a new mode of transport 59% are willing to spend more to make the trip more sustainable 71% are comfortable showing a vaccine passport to travel internationally 72% plan to take a trip in the next 12 months 75% are likely to choose a destination they’ve not yet visited Source: Traveler Value Index conducted by Wakefield Research for Expedia Group, April-May 2021…