Business Traveller

Welcome to the &rst issue of 2023 and there is a lot to look forward to. Restrictions on movement have been removed from nearly every country, and the forecast is for travel to come back almost to pre-pandemic levels. "ere will continue to be capacity issues, however, with so many people having le! the industry – a point addressed by Richard Tams in one of our columns this month (see page 53). "ere is also a shortage of aircra!, strange when only a short time ago they were parked up at every available storage facility including that famous one in the Arizona desert. But even here, there is some good news, since those aircra! which were permanently retired were the least economical and least fuel-e'cient. So, much as we miss…

RICHARD TAMS Richard is a London-based airline consultant who has worked in markets in Europe, North America and Asia. He has spent most of his career in the airline business and now runs his own consultancy, Tailwind Advisory. On page 53 he highlights the need for the sector to champion roles in the travel industry to attract talent. ANNIE HARRIS Business Traveller's art director Annie is responsible for making the magazine pop every issue. She recently travelled to London's Denmark Street to experience the newly built boutique hotel Chateau Denmark, which pays homage to the music heritage of the area through its eclectic design. Check out her verdict of the whacky hotel on page 70. JEREMY TREDINNICK Jeremy recently returned to his UK homeland after 27 years living and working in Hong Kong, but remains…

SPARK BY HILTON HAS BECOME the group's 19th brand, with the aim of filling “an open space in the industry by creating a new premium economy lodging option to meet the needs of even more guests and owners seeking value, quality and consistency”. Locations have yet to be announced, but 100 deals are “in various stages of development” across the US, with the &rst properties expected to open this year. Spark will be a “cost-e%ective conversion brand provid[ing] a unique opportunity for existing properties by reimagining the economy segment”. Signature features will include multipurpose adjustable work stations in rooms, “colourful exterior statement walls and energising artwork” in public areas, and a complimentary breakfast consisting of premium coffee, juice and a bagel bar. Hilton said that all hotels joining the brand would be required…

BRITISH AIRWAYS HAS UNVEILED its first new uniforms in nearly 20 years, replacing the current designs by Julien MacDonald OBE. BA said that the new Ozwald Boateng collection takes inspiration from the airline's people and the experience of flight, and features an airwave pattern “inspired by the movement of air over an aircraft wing”, as well as a variation of the carrier's speedmarque on the jacquard fabric of all tailored garments. The new uniforms include a tailored threepiece suit for men, with regular or slim fit-style trousers, dress and skirt options for women, as well as a jumpsuit - which BA says is an airline first. There are also tunic and hijab options. Engineers and ground operation agents will be the first to wear the new uniforms from this spring, followed by cabin…

AIR INDIA HAS ANNOUNCED plans to move four existing UK routes from Heathrow to Gatwick airport at the end of March. Flights from Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Goa and Kochi will all operate thrice-weekly, served by Air India's B787-8 aircraft. Moving capacity to Gatwick will allow Air India to add three additional weekly frequencies to its Heathrow-Delhi service this summer (increasing from 14 to 17 flights per week), and two extra frequencies to its Mumbai-Heathrow route (increasing from 12 to 14 flights per week). However Business Traveller understands that Air India will also drop its Hyderabad-Heathrow service from the end of March.…

IBERIA HAS TAKEN DELIVERY of its first A350 aircraft featuring the carrier's new business class seat, with a sliding door and longer bed. It is also the first A350 to feature redesigned sidewalls, which have widened the usable interior by four inches at armrest level. Airbus carried out the cabin redesign in order to fit ten seats across in economy, but Iberia has decided to stick with a nine-across layout, meaning that economy passengers on the aircraft will benefit from 1cm extra width per seat. In business class all seats have direct aisle access and new sliding privacy doors, while the central or “honeymoon” seats also feature an electronically controlled divider which can be raised or lowered. Iberia has also managed to make the fully flat business class bed 5cm longer than the…