Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition November 2018

Welcome to the November issue, and one where we have cause for celebration. The first reason for having a party is, of course, the Business Traveller Asia-Pacific reader awards, the results of which you can read in this issue. Each year we ask you, our readers, to nominate the companies who have most impressed you over the previous 12 months. Some winners change each year, while some remain the same, testament to the consistency of their product and service. It must be a difficult balancing act, ensuring you continue to offer what your customers want, day in and day out, yet at the same time moving with shifting markets and demographics to ensure you never look outdated and continue to attract new generations of customers. For those who succeed in this, for…

KATE FARR Together with writing partner Rachel Read, Hong Kong-based freelance writer, editor and blogger Kate Farr is co-founder of boutique writing and editing agency Editors’ Ink. The two each run separate blogs; Kate covers travel and parenting at Accidental Tai Tai (accidentaltaitai.com) while Rachel writes about food and beauty at Through The Looking Glass (rachttlg.com). For this issue of Business Traveller, they round up ways to explore the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, for travellers who are short on time (page 34). MARISA CANNON Formerly a staff writer at Business Traveller, London-based Marisa Cannon is now a freelance journalist as well as content editor for British Airways. Having covered the hotel sector in Asia for many years, Marisa has seen countless new properties open their doors, from city hotels to leisure resorts. This…

SINGAPORE AIRLINES has relaunched its non-stop flights between Singapore and New York. The 16,700-kilometre journey to and from New York’s Newark Liberty International Airport takes up to 18 hours and 45 minutes. Previously flown by the airline until its cancellation in 2013, the route is now served by an Airbus A350-900ULR (ultra long range) and has a new menu designed specifically to combat jet lag on ultra-long flights; there’s also only a business class and a premium economy cabin. singaporeair.com…

ALTHOUGH THE ISTANBUL NEW AIRPORT was due to celebrate its official opening on October 29, it seems that flight operations will not commence until the end of 2018/beginning of 2019. The plan is to move aircraft between the old and new airports at the end of December, but the situation could well change and, at the time of going to press, details were scarce. Once open, the new airport will have the capacity to handle as many as 200 million passengers, although the initial passenger volume will be 90 million. See our October 2018 issue for a behind-the-scenes look at the airport. igairport.com/en…

TAIWANESE AIRLINE EVA Air and Shanghai-based carrier Juneyao Airlines have each launched new fully flat business class seat products for their recently delivered Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. EVA Air’s seats in Royal Laurel Class (its business class) are from Designworks, part of the BMW Group, while Juneyao Airlines’ seats (pictured) are Thompson Aero’s Vantage XL seat product. Travellers can experience the new seats on EVA Air’s Taipei-Hong Kong flights throughout this month, and on domestic Juneyao Airlines flights between Shanghai, Shenzhen, Sanya, Chengdu and Chongqing. evaair.com; juneyaoair.com…

CATHAY PACIFIC has begun offering travellers the ability to pay to access its airport lounges. Marco Polo Club members are now able to pay a HK$600 (US$75) fee per visit using their credit card to enter its facilities in Manila, Melbourne and Vancouver. Currently the offer only extends to three lounges: the Manila Cathay Pacific Lounge at Ninoy Aquino International Airport; the Melbourne Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge at Melbourne Airport’s Terminal 2; and the Vancouver Cathay Pacific Lounge at Vancouver International Airport. Passengers must have a valid booking on a Cathay Pacific or Cathay Dragon-operated flight on the day of travel. cathaypacific.com…