Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition July - August 2019

Welcome to the July/August 2019 issue of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific. It’s coming up to the summer holiday season, and what better time to reflect on how the stresses of all our business travel can impact on our mental and physical health. For many of our readers, crossing continents at almost the speed of sound, surviving on a smidgeon of sleep – and likely lapping down enough liquor in the name of networking to make your doctor cringe – are all part and parcel of being a road warrior. Business travel, however stressful it can feel sometimes, certainly has its moments that make all that globetrotting worthwhile – but it’s important to take a step back sometimes and reflect on what we’re doing to our bodies and minds. On page 48, our writer looks…

BUSTLING BUSAN South Korea’s second largest city has a thriving business culture coupled with a relaxing beachside lifestyle FLINDERS RANGES Within driving distance of Adelaide, this scenic slice of South Australia is a must-visit for lovers of the outdoors SERVICED APARTMENTS We take a look at some of the most luxurious serviced residences on offer across the Asia-Pacific region DEALING WITH BACK PAIN Back pain can be the bane of any business traveller’s journey. Here’s how to minimise your risk of suffering from it…

JOHN STRICKLAND John Strickland has held senior positions in areas including network planning and revenue management with airlines such as British Caledonian, British Airways, KLM and Buzz. His 35 years of experience has exposed him to the business models of regional, global, legacy and low-cost carriers. He now consults for airports, airlines and investors whose businesses require strategic insight. In this issue on page 60, he argues that compensation culture is pushing airline payouts beyond what is reasonable. SALLY BROWN Sally Brown is a freelance journalist specialising in mental health, and a BACP-registered therapist in private practice. She writes about travel burnout on page 48. “What came through from my research was the extent to which an individual’s mindset determines their experience of business travel,” she says. “But it’s not about simply ‘thinking…

AIRLINES trying means reducing environmental impact in recent years – whether by pledging to reduce waste, setting up carbon offsetting schemes, or investing in more sustainable fuels. Now, United says it is the first to combine all three on a commercial flight. In June, it took a Boeing 737-900 from its Chicago O'Hare hub to Los Angeles using a 30/70 blend of sustainable jet fuel made from agricultural waste, supplied by Boston-based World Energy. Pilots used single-engine taxi procedures instead of both engines to reduce fuel burn on the runway, and used a continuous descent approach instead of a stair-step approach, which also saves fuel. In economy, traditional snacks were swapped for a plated service featuring compostable cutlery, including a recyclable hot drink cup. Over in the premium cabin, serviceware and plastic lids…

SINGAPORE Airlines’ (SIA) new regional business class product will be available on three of its four daily Perth flights from July 1. The seat product first debuted on the airline’s new Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft last year. Perth was the second destination to receive the new Dreamliner. SIA operates a daily flight to the city using the aircraft. Since then, the regional seat has also been outfitted on new Airbus A350-900 aircraft that SIA has specifically configured for regional routes. These “medium-haul” aircraft differ from the airline’s previous A350-900s, which feature the same long-haul business class seat product as its B777-300ERs. SIA recently began flying one of these regionally configured A350-900s on a second daily flight to Perth and will deploy a second A350-900 on yet another daily flight on the route on…

JAPAN’S All Nippon Airways (ANA) will be giving its domestic services a seat product overhaul over the coming years with select aircraft set to be retrofitted with new Premium Class and economy class seats, and an increase in the size of the premium cabins. The overhauls, including eight Boeing 777-200 and 11 B787-8 aircraft, will begin this autumn and are expected to be completed by the first half of the 2022 financial year. The Premium Class seats will see larger 15-inch seat-back touchscreens installed, along with an expanded in-flight entertainment library. ANA is also expanding its onboard wifi entertainment service, so passengers can watch videos on their own devices via the ANA app. In-seat USB and power outlets will also be available across all seats. In the economy class cabin, meanwhile, a…