Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition April 2020

Welcome to the joint March and April 2020 issue of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific. Firstly, apologies for the joint nature of this issue. As you know, the travel industry has been badly affected by the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, and many airlines continue to operate reduced frequencies on routes, with some services remaining suspended altogether. As such, business and leisure travel has been rightly curtailed, and so we took the decision to delay our March issue and have this double issue, just as we do for our January/February double issue over the Chinese New Year period. It isn’t an easy time to be a traveller, but perhaps it’s a good time to think about where to go next. If that’s the case, then this issue can offer a range of destinations…

4 HOURS IN NEW YORK – HUDSON YARDS Manhattan’s new hotspot is home to cutting-edge art and architecture CELLARS IN THE SKY Our judges conducted extensive tastings to find out who serves the best wines, and which bottles should choose BUSINESS CLASS REVIEW Taking a flight on Air France’s newly delivered Airbus A350-900 in business class from Paris to Toronto HOW TO DONATE TO CHARITY Rather than waste those excess air miles sitting in your virtual wallet, here are ways to donate them to charity…

DAVID O’BYRNE A seasoned reporter based in Istanbul, David has worked all around southeast Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. He has been published in the Financial Times, The Independent and The Sunday Times, and has been a regular reporter for the BBC, France 24 and RTE. He has also written travel articles and guidebooks, including much of the Time Out guide to Istanbul. On page 20, he explores the Turkish city’s large-scale upgrades to its transport and accommodation infrastructure. HANNAH BRANDLER Business Traveller UK’s staff writer Hannah Brandler writes about business travel for the magazine and website. Her past articles have tackled the likes of sustainability in hotels, the expansion of design-led serviced apartments and the rise of female-only members’ clubs. On page 40, she turns her attention to how hotels…

ECONOMY CLASS passengers travelling with Air New Zealand on long-haul flights may soon get a whole bed to themselves. The carrier has unveiled lie-flat sleeping pods for the economy class cabin, dubbed “Economy Skynest”. Each Skynest will have six sleeping pods measuring about 200cm long and 58cm wide arranged into two bunk beds. Each pod will come with a pillow, sheets, blanket, earplugs, privacy curtains and lighting designed for sleep. The airline said it will make a final decision on whether to operate the Economy Skynest next year after it assesses the performance of its new Auckland–New York route.…

QATAR AIRWAYS has opened its new Premium Lounge at Singapore Changi Airport. The lounge, which is located in Terminal 1, marks the airline’s fifth international Premium Lounge. Passengers will see Qatar Airways’ signature “Marhaba” engraved sandstone wall with a display of white orchids at the entrance of the lounge. “The lounge design is inspired by modern-day Arabic architecture, reflecting Qatar Airways’ heritage,” said Akbar Al Baker, chief executive at Qatar Airways Group. The new space also has five “Quiet Pods”, which are seats that offer a semi-private area with soundproofing, reading lights, a coat hanger and universal charging points. There’s also a full kitchen for à la carte food orders, on top of an existing buffet spread offering an “international” menu. A mixologist is also available at the lounge’s bar, offering mocktail and cocktail options.…

FEATURING flying boats and propeller aircraft from the early 1900s, Qantas launched a new safety video that explores ten decades of flying to commemorate the airline’s centenary year. The video, which is screening on Qantas international and domestic flights, re-creates historical settings and uniforms starting from the 1920s, all the way to the present day. The airline used computer-generated imagery to depict the original 1920s Avro 504 and the 1930s De Havilland 86 planes. A century of evolving fashion is also re-created by using 50 wigs and 30 moustaches to capture the head-to-toe style of each era. Various crew uniforms from throughout the decades were sourced from the airline’s own collection and from retired Qantas crew. The Australian carrier said the video was a result of more than 12 months of development and…