Business Traveller February / March 2022

Welcome to the double February / March issue of Business Traveller. As you may have guessed, the Omicron variant certainly knocked our plans for a resumption of normal service in 2022, but we are back and have high hopes for this year. As I write, borders have reopened across much of the world, and many of us have resumed travelling. Each time this has happened over the past two years it has been leisure travel that has responded more quickly than business travel, but I think this year we will see it return in force. Speaking to both friends and colleagues as well as travel industry professionals, there’s an awareness that while hybrid working is here to stay, nothing beats meeting face to face. Potential customers and clients, suppliers and markets…

ALEX MCWHIRTER Alex has more than 50 years’ experience in the business travel industry, including more than 40 years as Business Traveller’s consumer champion. On page 48, he explores open access train operators and advises on the new services set to launch later this year. LAURA MILLAR Laura has been a journalist for 25 years and specialises in food and travel. She has contributed to titles including The Telegraph, The Independent and City AM. In this issue, she takes us to Los Angeles to explore new museum openings, exhibitions and additions to the food scene; see page 26. MARK CASWELL Business Traveller’s online editor Mark has covered aviation and hospitality for more than 15 years. He brings us the latest stories from the industry in Upfront, exploring airline and airport news, hotel openings and elite…

AA AND BA TO LAUNCH JOINT OPERATIONS AT JFK BRITISH AIRWAYS HAS ANNOUNCED plans to join fellow Oneworld member American Airlines to fly out of JFK airport’s Terminal 8 later this year. BA currently operates flights from Terminal 7 but will move to Terminal 8 on December 1, 2022. A redevelopment programme is underway at Terminal 8 to deliver five new widebody gates, four widebody hardstand parking positions, an enhanced baggage handling system, new customer amenities and expanded premium guest offerings, including more than 12,000 sqm of new and renovated space. Plans show that Terminal 8 will feature a co-branded premium check-in area, replacing AA’s former Flagship First check-in area, along with a new check-in area for business class customers. Once through security, there will be three lounges, the most exclusive of which will…

Hotels to adopt sustainability THE HOTEL INDUSTRY IS LAUNCHING a Basic Sustainability framework. Jin Jiang International, which has some 25,000 hotels under the brands Jin Jiang Hotels, Louvre Hotels Group and Radisson Hotel Group, is working with the World Travel and Tourism Council and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance on the initiative. The basic standards will be available for all hotels, whether part of the group or not, allowing for clarity and transparency for all travellers. The framework is currently being launched. Partner groups include Accor, Barcelo Hotel Group, Huazhu, including its affiliate Deutsche Hospitality, Indian Hotels Company Limited, Melia Hotels International and Minor Hotels, including NH Hotel Group. BRIEF ENCOUNTER Tumi is relaunching its Alpha Bravo collection with more than two dozen new styles ranging from backpacks to totes and briefs, including the Alpha…

READ: Burning Questions: Essays and Occasional Pieces, 2004-2021 Margaret Atwood The esteemed author has released a book of 50 essays on events, including the Trump presidency, the pandemic and the climate crisis. She asks, ‘How much of yourself can you give away without evaporating?’ and ‘What do zombies have to do with authoritarianism? Chatto and Windus; £20 LISTEN: The Reunion This BBC Radio 4 series reunites people who were involved in moments of recent history, with episodes presented by journalist Kirsty Wark. She talks to people at Tiananmen Square in 1989, the team behind London’s bid for the 2012 Olympics, and the stars of the 2003 film Love Actually. Free to download on BBC Sounds WATCH: Inventing Anna In 2018 a New York Magazine article on socialite scammer Anna Delvey went viral. The real-life story…

BONNIE COMLEY is a Tony Award-winning theatre producer and founder of BroadwayHD, a digital streaming service. WHAT IS BROADWAYHD? Everything I do begins and ends with sharing great stories and making theatre accessible. It’s why I started BroadwayHD, to make Broadway shows available to a global audience with the technology of streaming. WHERE HAVE YOU TOURED PRODUCTIONS? The US, Canada, China, Japan, and the UK. Recent UK projects include Broken Wings and Zorro The Musical. WHICH PRODUCTION LEFT A LASTING IMPRESSION? The Lion King – I was pregnant on the opening night and the family theme resonated with me. I was at the Tony Awards when Julie Taymor became the first woman to receive a Tony for Best Direction of a Musical. It felt like the start of a more inclusive Broadway for women; a principle…