Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition March 2018

The Michelin Guide has “produced a legion of miserable gourmands”, the late AA Gill once wrote in a blistering article for Vanity Fair. The renowned food critic slated the guide for becoming an overpriced exercise in vanity to feed the raging egos of competitive chefs while giving “foodie trainspotters” the ultimate bragging rights, but in the process, sucked any modicum of joy out of the experience. Heading for a good night out with friends? Don’t subject yourself to the stifling, old-fashioned rigours of a Michelin-starred venue… It didn’t start out like this. The story of how a tyre-shaped figure (named Bibendum) became the mascot for excellent food begins with the Michelin brothers, Andre and Edouard, in France back in 1889. In order to drum up business for their tyre company, the…

CATHARINE NICOL Catharine Nicol is a former editor of AsiaSpa magazine and a freelance journalist with a passion for food, travel and wellness. In this issue, she first heads to Bangkok for the unveiling of the city’s inaugural Michelin Guide and the arduous task of sampling dishes from star-rated restaurants (page 50). Next she jets off to Japan’s skiing hotspot of Niseko, where she investigates what’s happening both on and off the slopes (page 38). STUART BARKER A former features writer and road tester for Motor Cycle News, Stuart Barker has been a freelance journalist for 17 years and has published six books, including a best-selling biography of Barry Sheene and a biography of Evel Knievel, which is due to be turned into a major motion picture starring Channing Tatum. He is currently…

Airbus’s newest and largest wide-body aircraft has completed its demonstration tour of the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, before it starts service with launch customer Qatar Airways. The new aircraft can accommodate 40 additional seats across business and economy class and features increased overhead storage. The cabin uses an Airspace design, with smooth curves, flowing lines and innovative LED lighting, with 16.7 million colours to create the desired mood. Carriers can also choose sunrise and sunset themes to help reduce passengers’ jet lag. The aircraft has already received 169 orders from 11 customers, including Cathay Pacific and Etihad. airbus.com…

AMARA SIGNATURE SHANGHAI Opening soon in the historic Changshou Road commercial zone, the hotel will comprise 343 rooms and suites between the 7th and 30th floors, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. Each room has classic interiors, plush bedding, modern bath furnishings, free wifi and a 43-inch flatscreen TV with satellite channels. amarahotels.com BELLAGIO SHANGHAI BY MGM The second Bellagio in the world, succeeding its sister hotel Bellagio Las Vegas, has opened in Shanghai with a panoramic view of the Bund. The 165-room property will feature award-winning chef Julian Serrano’s Italian restaurant Lago, a luxurious five-suite spa and 1,800 sqm of event space. dytmgm.com FAIRFIELD BY MARRIOTT SHANGHAI JING’AN Recently opened in Jing’an district, the new Fairfield by Marriott features a spacious and modern lobby flooded with natural light. All 195 rooms have LED TVs,…

FEATHERED FRIENDS A woman attempted to bring a peacock on board a United Airlines flight from Newark Airport to Los Angeles in late January, claiming the bird was for “emotional support”. CAUSING A STINK United Airlines flight UA895 from Chicago to Hong Kong was forced to land at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Alaska on January 5 after a passenger smeared faeces all over one of the toilets. SUPER FANS Two women were arrested at Singapore’s Changi Airport in late January after purchasing boarding passes to enter the transit area in order to meet a Korean boy band. The women had no intention of leaving Singapore. STOWAWAY PENSIONER A 66-year-old woman managed to fly from Chicago to London without a ticket or passport in January. The woman reportedly hid behind other passengers in order to evade…

ASCENT: United has launched what is now Sydney’s longest route, connecting the New South Wales capital with Houston. Flights take 17 hours and 50 minutes and cover 13,829km. Hainan Airlines will become the first Chinese carrier to launch a non-stop service between China and Latin America with new flights between Beijing and Mexico City via Tijuana set to launch on March 21. Lufthansa will bring back its Frankfurt-Shenyang service on March 27, flying to the Chinese city three times a week with its 279-seat A340-300. Malaysia Airlines will return to Brisbane on June 6 following an absence of nearly three years. The carrier will fly its A330 aircraft to the city four times a week. DESCENT: Alitalia is once again cutting its Rome-Beijing service, about 19 months after it last revived the route in 2016, due…