Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition October 2017

Last month, I took a total of eight flights – that’s a personal best (though I’m sure it’s a record beaten many times over by some readers). While I love to travel, and still get a buzz out of the transit environment of airports, four international trips in a month takes its toll. I started to count the amount of time I spent loitering around airports (never mind the to-ing and fro-ing, or the actual travel time), and it totted up to more than 16 hours – that’s practically an entire day! Yes, I spent time in the lounge, snatching half an hour of work here and there, or enjoying a glass of bubbly and a bite to eat, but inevitably there is still a hefty amount of dead time. If…

JENNY SOUTHAN is the features editor of Business Traveller UK. In this issue, she subjects herself to a total body analysis in her quest to understand how a data-driven approach to workouts can improve your results. Find out what fitness tracking tools are recommended in “Measure of Success” on page 68. MARISA CANNON is a staff writer at Business Traveller UK and former deputy editor of BT’s sister publication in Hong Kong, Mix magazine. In this issue she puts Vietnam Airline’s B787-9 Dreamliner through its paces with a review of the premium economy product from London to Ho Chi Minh City on page 22. ALEX MCWHIRTER is an award-winning journalist specialising in aviation and rail transportation. He joined Business Traveller back in 1979 and his expert knowledge has enabled him to offer…

Qantas sets sights on world’s longest route QANTAS has ambitions to launch the world’s longest commercial flight within the next five years, with non-stop services from the east coast of Australia to London and New York. A non-stop flight between Sydney and London would take 20 hours and 20 minutes – almost three hours longer than the world’s current longest commercial flight: Qatar Airways’ Doha-Auckland service. Currently, no aircraft has the capability to make this journey, however Qantas hopes that by announcing its intentions it has “issued a challenge” to manufacturers Airbus and Boeing to successfully extend the range of new aircraft by 2022. qantas.com Dubai International trials free movie streaming DUBAI International Airport has launched a new service allowing travellers to stream the latest films and TV shows to their devices while at the airport.…

1 CONVENIENCE Being just 30 sq km in area, everything in Macao is within 20 minutes’ travel time or less. This helps minimise logistics and gives delegates more time to attend conferences, network, socialise and do business. 2 CHOICE Macao has Asia’s largest offering of integrated resorts, with more than 37,000 hotel rooms, 190,000 sqm of exhibition and meeting space, plus stunning entertainment, dining and retail options. Being able to host large-scale events under one roof also means easier coordination, fewer contract negotiations and lower costs. 3 NEW Macao is a relatively young destination with a constant stream of new venues, hotels and attractions, offering an appealing option for meeting and incentive planners looking for fresh options. 4 CONNECTIONS Macao is an open trading port with easy access to the world’s second largest economy (China); across the…

PREFERABLY NOT I have had several bad experiences with Jet Airways recently, mostly around their (distinct lack of) customer service and ability to resolve complaints without trying to distract people with “standard answers”. The most frustrating of these issues has been around my pre-paying for a “preferred” seat on one of their flights. I flew from Singapore to Chennai on Jet Airways flight 9W15. I paid S$52 (US$38) to sit in a front-row bulkhead window seat. The Jet Airways website clearly showed that the middle seats (B & E) had a bassinet in front of them, but window seats were unobstructed. Having boarded the flight however, with both bassinets occupied, these protruded more onto the window seats than the middle ones. I spent the whole four-hour flight cramped and having to twist my…

These days, whether travelling for business or leisure, nobody wants a “cookie cutter experience”. That’s why THE PLAZA Seoul, Autograph Collection has unveiled its “Delight Seoul” package – a unique offering for the independent traveller curious to discover more of the exciting metropolis by combining sightseeing, shopping, beauty and transport benefits. Firstly, guests will enjoy stylish accommodation at THE PLAZA Seoul. Designed by Italian architect Guido Ciompi, all 410 spacious guest rooms feature distinctive designs and colour schemes, customised eco-friendly furniture and captivating views over central Seoul. The chic accommodation includes complimentary wifi and modern touchpad room control systems. The package also includes tickets for Seoul City Tour Bus, giving travellers the freedom to visit key cultural attractions such as N Seoul Tower, the Blue House, Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung palaces; shopping havens…