tct36

Corporatetraveller

the

LifeStyleBritish Airways and Iberia Airlines merger still has challenges to overcome

The best car rental companiesSatisfaction survey 2009-2010

page 84

spring 2010 no. 36

THE BUSInESS-To-BUSInESS MAGAZInE FoR THE CoRPoRATE TRAVELLER In THE BEnELUX

“ The trends are familiar, but accelerated”

Luc Pannecoeck, General Manager of Amadeus Benelux

Travel trends and forecasts for 2010

Highlights from expert’s reportsHigh Speed Rail Travel Set to Increase

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| Corporate traveller.nET spring 2010 |4

Corporatetraveller

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the Corporate traveller THE BUSInESS MAGAZInE FoR THE CoRPoRATE TRAVELLER In

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Corporate Traveller, LEo bvba also edits Experience Magazine,

Body In Motion and Toys & Games Magazine.

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TrAvel SupplIeS

056 Boeing’s Dreamliner becomes fastest selling jet in history Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner successfully made its first

test flight in December. 56 customers around the

world have already placed orders for a total of more

than 850 Dreamliner .

058 Car rental companies - Satisfaction survey 2009-2010The Corporate Traveller surveyed 1,000 readers

during 2009 to learn their opinions on car rental

companies.

063 High Speed rail Travel Set to IncreaseThe railways of Europe are aspiring to win over

new customers from airlines by offering seamless

national border crossings on high-speed trains.

AllIAnCeS

066 Mexicana joins oneworldMexicana has become part of oneworld - adding

Mexico and Central America’s leading airline to

the alliance. Its subsidiaries MexicanaClick and

MexicanaLink joined oneworld at the same time, as

affiliate members.

067 The Future of Air TravelAt the end of November, Mechelen University

College and Travel Magazine assembled a

particularly interesting panel discussion about

airline alliances.

InDuSTry newS

007 The JournalThe last news from the industry

TrAvel MAnAgeMenT

042 Travel trends and forecasts for 2010With 2009 now behind us, surveys and forecasts

are painting a slightly rosier picture for 2010.

The Corporate Traveller compiles some of the

highlights from these reports...

044 Copenhagen Summit and the Travel SectorTravel and tourism have been particularly active

in proposing initiatives that need to be taken.

As theirs is an industry with no geographical

boundaries, they are lobbying policy makers to

initiate fair and global legislation on emissions

reductions.

046 IMeX 2010 – on target for bigger businessA few months out from the opening of the eighth

IMEX in Frankfurt organisers, the IMEX Group, have

announced that they are on course to deliver more

business opportunities than ever when the doors

open on 25 May.

047 no more guilt!Do Europeans feel guilty leaving their families

behind when they head out on business trips?

049 Amadeus introduces the Amateur-expert TravellerAmadeus has identified the Amateur-Expert

Traveller, who is more knowledgeable, more

adventurous and more likely to live in an emerging

economy than ever before.

052 “The trends are familiar, but accelerated”The Corporate Traveller got the opportunity to

discuss the Amateur-Expert Traveller report with

Luc Pannecoeck, General Manager of Amadeus

Benelux.

055 Squatra - The largest Independent Travel Agencyin FlandersD&D Reizen, Focus Reizen and Omnitravel officially

joined forces on 4 January 2010.

042

| Corporate traveller.nET spring 2010 | 5

AIrlIneS

068 British Airways and Iberia Airlines merger still has challenges to overcome British Airways and Iberia Airlines have announced

that they had agreed the basis for a 4.5 billion euro

merger after nearly 16 months of talks. Under the

agreement, both airlines will retain their national

identities and brand names.

070 Business travellers fly in b.business or b.flexWith its travel classes b.business and b.flex

economy, Brussels Airlines offers the ideal solution

for business travellers. Roughly 30 per cent of

all Brussels Airlines passengers now opt for this

value-for-money proposition.

071 KlM celebrates 90 years of innovationKLM has been celebrating its 90th anniversary. We

take a look back over a year of special events and

innovations for the world’s oldest airline.

072 royal Jordanian Airlines Deploys prOS’ TechnologyRoyal Jordanian Airlines and PROS Revenue

Management, L.P. announce that Royal Jordanian

Airlines is deploying a new suite of Network

Revenue Management Systems from PROS. The

system is scheduled to be implemented in the

fourth quarter of 2010.

074 TAp voted “world’s leading airline to South America”TAP Portugal was elected the World’s Leading

Airline to South America at the Grand Final gala of

the 16th edition of the WTA World Travel Awards,

held in London on November 8, on the eve of the

049

056

082058

WTM World Travel Market. The Portuguese airline

will also increase the services to Africa.

075 Air Arabia to expand its operations in europe and expects further growth in BelgiumAir Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first

low cost carrier declared mid February that it has

seen rise in passenger demand for its services

between Brussels and Casablanca.

HOTelS

077 lindner group makes its entrance onto the Belgian hotel market in Antwerp The Lindner Hotels & Resort Group recently

announced that it was taking over the Golden Tulip

Antwerp Centre Hotel, renaming it in the process

the Lindner Hotel & City Lounge Antwerp. Lindner

also plans to implement a series of ambitious

upgrades to boost the hotel’s profile.

DeSTInATIOnS

080 Hong Kong Defies Downturn with Jump in Hotel Development With passenger arrivals on an upward trend, and

a near 10% increase in hotel capacity in 2009, the

Corporate Traveller decided to investigate the

Hong Kong situation further.

082 london Olympics in 2012 - will they hurt tourism revenues?When London narrowly beat Paris in its bid to

host the 2012 Olympics, there were celebrations

throughout the UK. It was estimated that hosting

the world’s biggest sporting event could bring

added benefits of 2.6 billion euros to the country’s

tourism industry. But that was back in 2005...

lIFeSTyle

084 Aural pleasure between Amsterdam and Boston Relaxation, entertainment, or inspiration: With the

Sennheiser MM 450 TRAVEL hitting the road may be

whatever you want.

088 3 Times Bose Bose has produced inventions that have improved

the performance of acoustic systems. Focus on three

state-of-the-art devices...

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The Traveller JournalNews from the travel iNdustry

Japanese Transport Minister Seija Maehara has guaranteed support for JAL

British Airways’ Chief Executive Willie Walsh, has said that European business-class travel may not survive the recession. With companies looking to cut travel budgets, the added expense of flying executives in

slightly larger seats for one or two-hour journeys has become unsustainable.

As a result, BA has seen a sharp drop in short-haul business-class passengers. These travellers have either traded down to the

economy cabin or moved to budget carriers instead. “Short-haul premium will never recover” said Mr Walsh. “That part of the business has changed for ever and we have to address it.” BA is understood to be reviewing its short-haul operations and the premium

seats could be removed from planes operating out of Gatwick and regional airports. However, BA may hold on to premium in short-haul flights operating from Heathrow, to take advantage of business-class transfer traffic.

New security measures for travel to the

US

JAL – Down but not out

Online registration now mandatory for visitors to the US

British Airways say business class could end on short-haul flights

Following the foiled terrorist attempt on the Northwest Airlines flight at the end of December, the US Department of Homeland Security has advised that a series of new, long term, security measures are being introduced.

These measures will include enhanced screening, random pat-downs, baggage inspection and explosive detection at both security checkpoints and the gates themselves.

Passengers flying into the United States from abroad can expect to see additional security measures at airports such as increased gate screening, pat-downs and bag searches. They should allow themselves extra time for security and arrive an additional hour earlier. During flights, passengers will be asked to follow instructions from the crew, such as stowing personal items, turning off electronic equipment and remaining seated during certain portions of the flight.

Suffocating under a burden of debt estimated at over 16 billion dollars, Japan Airlines filed for protection from its creditors on 19 January.

Bankers will have to waive loans and investors have seen the value of their shares wiped out. However, this does not mean the end of Asia’s largest carrier. The Japanese government has stepped in with billions of dollars in fresh capital to guarantee that the airline stays in the skies while it undergoes restructuring. A press statement issued by JAL has confirmed that flight operations will be continued and that customers should be unaffected. Tickets purchased and frequent flyer miles will be fully honoured, while the frequent flyer programme is expected to continue as usual.

JAL has already been bailed out a number of times by the Japanese government over the last decade but the economic crisis proved to be the final straw. The airline is now under the supervision of the Enterprise Turnaround Commission – a state backed organisation. Japanese Transport Minister Seija

Maehara assured “JAL is a foundation for Japanese development, therefore the government will provide necessary support until further funding is secured.”

There is a good possibility that some funding could come from American Airlines and its oneworld alliance. JAL announced, at the beginning of February, that it had decided to stay with its current partner American Airlines despite approaches by Delta and its SkyTeam alliance to woo it away. Both alliances were eager to win JAL’s allegiance and profit from its rich Asian networks, and had offered cash packages.

JAL currently has a fleet of 279 aircraft and operates over 400 routes. After restructuring is completed, the airline will emerge as a downsized version. A new management structure will be announced in February and measures to revitalise the business will commence. These will include moving to smaller, more efficient aircraft, consolidating underperforming routes and redundancies of around 15,000 staff.

Passengers heading for the US must now apply online for authorisation to enter the country at least 72 hours prior to departure. The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is mandatory for all passengers travelling to the US under the visa-free Visa Waiver Program. Passengers failing to obtain authorisation prior to departure can be denied entry.

Online authorisation can be obtained from the dedicated website which has been set up by the US authorities – https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov. More details about ESTA as well as questions and answers about the process are also available on the website. Passengers must ensure that the number on the ESTA matches the number of the passport they will use for the trip. The application process

takes 15-20 minutes to complete and authorisation is normally granted immediately, but may take up to 72 hours. Those making late bookings can still apply, but there is a risk that they may not receive immediate confirmation.

The ESTA is valid for multiple entries to the US over two years. During a transitional period, passengers must still complete on board the green I-94W arrival/departure form which will be handed as previously to US officials on arrival at the airport.

If the ETSA is not granted, application for a visa will be necessary. Passengers that do have a valid visa for the USA do not require ESTA approval.


The Traveller Journal News from the travel industry The Traveller Journal News from the travel industry

Airport body scanners being introduced

Swiss International

Airlines scoops 3 BTA

awards

Asia-Pacific airlines to acquire 8,000 new aircraft over next 20 years

As part of the new security measures on flights to the US, body scanners are starting to be introduced in the UK, the Netherlands and Italy, as well as in the US. The European Union is urging that they are installed across all 27 European member states.

In the UK, body scanners have already been introduced at Heathrow and Manchester airports. They will appear at other UK airports over the coming months. The Netherlands have also announced the introduction of full body scanners for flights heading to the US and Italy is installing more of the devices. Some European nations however, such as Spain, France and Germany are showing resistance until it can be proved that that do not cause health risks or infringe on privacy rights. European-wide legislation on the introduction of scanners is a possibility. If the EU does decide to mandate the use of body scanners across all its 27 member nations, it could take several months before binding regulations come into effect.

In the U.S., 40 full-body scanners are being operated in at least 19 U.S. airports. Six US airports are using them for primary screenings, instead of a metal detector, while a further 13 US airports are using them for secondary screenings of passengers who set off a metal detector.

Swiss International Air Lines was awarded the accolade for ‘Best Business Class to the Destination of North and South America’ at the Business Traveller Awards.

Markus Binkert, Director of Products and Services at SWISS said “this prize confirms that our new cabin product corresponds to the expectations of our clients in the Premium segment. Our new SWISS Business Class is differentiated

by seats which give passengers a maximum of space. These seats are equipped with innovative pnematic cushions which can be individually regulated by passengers.”

Swiss International was also voted ‘Best Airline on the European Network’ for the fourth time in a row, as well as being top of the category for ‘Direct or indirect flights to North and South America’.

Airlines in Asia and the Pacific will acquire some 8,000 new passenger and cargo aircraft over the next 20 years, according to aircraft manufacturer Airbus.

Valued at US$1.2 trillion, the requirement represents one third of predicted global deliveries between now and 2028, with the region driving demand for larger aircraft types.

In the passenger market Airbus predicts that traffic in the region will grow at an average annual rate of 5.9 per cent, which compares with a global average of 4.7 per cent for passenger traffic. As a result of this growth and continuous fleet replacement, the region is expected to take delivery of some 880 very large aircraft, 2,570 twin aisle wide-bodies and 4,560 single aisle aircraft.

John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Office, Customers, said that within 20 years the region would overtake the US and Europe as the world’s largest air transport market, with Asia-Pacific

airlines carrying over 30 per cent of global passenger traffic and around 40 per cent of all air freight. “To meet this demand larger aircraft will be needed to ease congestion and do more with less,” he said. “This will see airlines from the region account for over 40 per cent of twin aisle deliveries and more than 50 per cent of the demand for very large aircraft, such as the A380. With a modern, eco-efficient and comprehensive product line, including the only all-new aircraft in the very large segment, Airbus will be especially well placed to meet the needs of airlines in this region.”

The Asia-Pacific region is a core market for Airbus accounting for a quarter of all orders recorded by the company to date. Today there are some 1,430 Airbus aircraft in service with 66 operators across the region, with another 1,120 on order with customers for future delivery. This represents 32 per cent of the company’s total backlog, reflecting the importance of the region as the fastest growing market for new civil aircraft

The Traveller Journal News from the travel industry



Hertz Unveils New Corporate IdentityThe Hertz Corporation has launched a new corporate identity program, complete with a new logo.

The corporate identity program will include the introduction of a series of innovations to enhance the customer’s rental experience and will be rolled out at key rental locations, as well as internal and external communications, worldwide.

“As an iconic global brand and leader in its category, we are refreshing the Hertz corporate identity to ensure we will continue to be the first-choice rental provider in every segment we serve,” commented Mark P. Frissora, Hertz Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “The Company’s new corporate identity embraces our traditional values of speed, selection and service, as well as values which customers will come to identify with Hertz – a commitment to make the rental experience part of a rewarding, personalised journey

by refining every step of the rental process with the customer in mind. The Hertz brand identity will be vibrant and dynamic as we introduce innovations and other customer-focused attributes to enhance the rental experience. Hertz’s new logo leverages our signature yellow colour, signifying the Company’s 91-year legacy of service and innovation.”

“Our goal in the logo redesign was to create a more contemporary corporate image that reflects our strong brand recognition, and is in touch with the mindset of current and future customers who appreciate superior service, personalised choices and value,” commented Mike Senackerib, Hertz Chief Marketing Officer. “We believe, and our customer research bears out, that the new logo portrays Hertz as a modern brand with personality for business, leisure and insurance replacement renters, and equipment rental customers.”

As part of its re-branding, Hertz is also updating its worldwide facilities, including on-and-off-airport Rent-a-Car and equipment rental locations consistent with the corporate identity. With an emphasis on customer-friendly technology, Hertz facility redesign will incorporate multiple media channels, including leading-edge LCD displays to replace most fixed signage. The facility redesign project has commenced at larger rental locations and head quarter offices, and will affect facility interior, exterior and signage, as well as employee uniforms. In 2009, newly branded facilities will begin appearing in Atlanta, Chicago, Frankfurt and Shanghai.

Hertz, now in its 91st year, is the world’s largest general use car rental company, operating from over 8,000 corporate locations in 145 countries.

Survey Reveals Investment in High Speed Rail as the Business Traveller’s Priority

Caribbean Conference on

Sustainable Tourism

Development to be held in May

The Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC), the UK’s leading professional industry body for travel management companies, recently unveiled the results of a survey of 1,250 UK-based business travellers in its first Business Travel Manifesto. 70% of the survey’s respondents felt that high-speed rail networks should be a priority for government investment.

The survey revealed what business travellers really want from air, rail and road travel and overall the desire was for convenience, reasonable cost, speed and the ability to be able to work through the journey. The most compelling aspect of the survey was that 70% of the respondents felt that a high-speed rail network should be the priority for Government investment, over expansion of capacity at UK airports, and 60% said high speed rail when asked what infrastructure would make the biggest difference.

In terms of air, the survey showed that around 50% of business travel is economy class on scheduled

airlines, with 20% using no frills carriers. The first and business class experiences were only enjoyed by 16% of respondents. Heathrow is still the airport that dominates discussion and most travellers just want it to work better and be able to get to it easier. The majority of respondents were not happy with the airport environment as a place to do work (outside of business class lounges) and were frustrated by the time it takes

to move through airports, although largely satisfied with security measures. They want wi-fi, access to work stations and power points (also a requirement at trains and stations), appropriate levels of staff to minimise queuing and effective routing of passengers through airports. Delays remain the biggest frustration for the business traveller.

GTMC chief executive Anne Godfrey said “The delivery of the GTMC Business Travel Manifesto has provided real insight and clarity on what the business traveller wants

to be achieved by the future government. We hope our lobbying efforts in the next 18 months will make a real difference to the experience of the UK business traveller.”

After a one-year absence due to the global economic crisis, the Caribbean’s premiere international gathering on sustainable tourism is back. The 11th annual Sustainable Tourism Conference will be held from May 9-12, 2010 in Bridgetown, Barbados.

This year’s conference will examine critical issues relating to sustainability and will explore creative solutions to many of the challenges facing Caribbean Tourism Organisation member countries, including the effects of climate change. It will look at how member states can design and implement sustainable tourism policies and programs, offering a regional forum for information exchange on the successes and pitfalls of national, regional, and international initiatives.


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Two of the Middle East’s biggest airlines – Etihad and Qatar Airways -have announced alliances to develop and run their planes on biofuel.

Qatar Airways, Qatar Petroleum, Quatar Science & Technology Park and Airbus have announced that they are to work together to develop sustainable bio-fuel that could be used by the airline. More details on the project, including a possible timeframe, are to be announced shortly.

In January an agreement was announced by Boeing, Etihad Airways, the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and Honeywell’s UOP to develop a sustainable bioenergy project which will use saltwater agricultural systems for aviation bio-fuel. The integrated approach uses saltwater to create an aquaculture-based seafood farming system for plants that thrive in salty conditions – thereby not competing with potential food sources.

Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer James Hogan said “The development of carbon-neutral sources of energy is of major importance to Etihad Airways and the aviation industry. We are delighted to be a key member of the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Project, which will be based in Abu Dhabi and will be one of the

most innovative schemes of this nature in the world. The project’s findings will be of great use to Etihad Airways as we look to reduce the use of conventional fossil fuels and to develop a commercially viable alternative that is also able to meet the sustainability principles that we have committed to as a member of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group.”

Cyprus tourism plunges 10.9% in 2009

Aircraft manufacturers and major Middle Eastern Airlines form bio-fuel alliances

Luxembourg’s Abbaye de Neumünster joins Historic Conference Centres of Europe

Cyprus tourist arrivals plunged 10.9 percent in 2009, according to the government’s statistics office.

The recession in Europe is now taking its toll on the Mediterranean holiday island whose tourism-reliant economy and growth is expected to be minimal this year. Between January and December, 2.14 million tourist arrivals were recorded, compared with 2.40 million in the same period a year earlier.

The majority of the island’s visitors come from European countries badly hit by the global recession. Over 2009, there was a 10.3 percent decline in arrivals from Britain, the island’s largest source of visitors, and a 7.8 percent decrease from Germany.

The figures are slightly worse than the government’s projected 10 percent fall in arrivals for 2009. The struggling tourism sector has sparked fears of a rise in unemployment which could reach an unprecedented 7 percent or more.

Luxembourg’s Centre Culturel de Rencontre Abbaye de Neumünster has become the latest member of the Historic Conference Centres of Europe group. The Abbaye, which is located in the centre of Luxembourg City, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also the first site in Luxembourg to join the HCCE.

Centre Culturel de Rencontre Abbaye de Neumünster has a rich historical background, dating back almost 1,000 years ago. The abbey has served numerous purposes

over its history, including being a state prison and police station after the French Revolution. In 1997, it became the home of The European Institute of Cultural Routes.

Now completely renovated and transformed into a meeting and cultural centre with the latest technology, Centre Culturel de Rencontre Abbaye de Neumünster can host up to 1,800 delegates inside and 3,500 outdoors in theatre style. It has approximately 13,000 m2 of exhibition space throughout its 15 halls.



Contrary to information reported in some of the media recently, Air France has said that it has no intention of making corpulent passengers pay for a second seat.

Since 2005, Air France has been offering corpulent passengers the possibility of purchasing a second seat to ensure they travel in optimum comfort and safety. This second seat benefits from a 25% discount. Air France has made a change to its service, which is to refund corpulent passengers the cost of the second seat in economy they have purchased, if the Economy cabin is not fully booked.

In January American Airlines made minor increases to most of domestic fares, and some competitors have followed suit as the industry struggles to gain pricing power.

The American Airlines fare rises led to increases from Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines within a week. As of yet, United and US Airways have not announced that they will be matching the rises.

Growth returned to international tourism in the last quarter of 2009 contributing to better than expected full-year results, according to the latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.

Although international tourist arrivals fell by an estimated 4 percent in 2009, prospects have

improved, with arrivals now forecast to grow between 3 percent and 4 percent in 2010. This outlook is confirmed by the remarkable rise of the UNWTO Panel of Experts’ Confidence Index.

Over 2009, international tourist arrivals for business, leisure, and other purposes are

estimated to have declined worldwide by 4 percent, to 880 million. This represents a slight improvement on the previous estimate as a result of the 2 percent upswing in the last quarter of 2009. Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East led the recovery with growth already turning positive in both regions in the second half of 2009.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has signed a deal with Chinese real estate company Suning Real Estate Development to grow its mainland footprint with three new hotels.

The agreement covers the opening of two 350 room Hyatt Regency hotels in Wuxi and Xuzhou in 2012, followed by a 400 room Grand Hyatt Nanjing in 2013. The past 18 months have seen six Hyatt-branded properties open in Greater China, including two Hyatt Regency hotels in Hong Kong and two Park Hyatt hotels on the mainland.

Emirates Airline has said it plans to redeploy the superjumbo on its New York service during the second-half of the year after pulling it off the route last June.

Emirates, which have already taken delivery of its eighth A380, started flying the double-decker aircraft to New York at the end of 2008, but pulled the superjumbo from the route months later due to falling passenger demand. The carrier now flies the A380 to Toronto, London Heathrow, Paris, Seoul, Bangkok, Sydney and Auckland. It will start A380 services to Jeddah from February.

Emirates currently have 58 A380s on order at a value of more than $17 billion at list prices.

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has launched a new website to help consumers to file complaints on airline service.

The website (http://airconsumer.dot.gov), allows travellers to file complaints to the DOT, compare historical on-time and baggage mishandling records of airlines and get helpful tips about air travel. The site also contains a compendium of information on government rules and guidance on subjects such as baggage, fare advertising, refunds, overbooking, disability and flight delays.

“This updated web site is part of our ongoing effort to improve resources for consumers and ensure that airline passengers are treated fairly when they fly” said US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We want to make it as easy as possible for consumers to find the information they need to make their air travel experience as smooth and hassle-free as possible.”

UNWTO says International tourism on track for a rebound

Hyatt expansion in China

Emirates to reintroduce the A380 on its New York service

New airline consumer protection website launched by US Department of Transportation

Air France denies that corpulent passengers will be obliged to pay for a second seat

US Air Carriers Raising

Domestic FaresHertz, the world’s largest general use

car rental brand, has announced the appointment of Executive Vice President Michel Taride to President, Hertz International. His previous role as President, Hertz Europe, has been expanded to head up the company’s Asia and Pacific car rental and leasing businesses in addition to those in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Mr Taride will also be responsible for creating new joint business opportunities with the car rental and equipment rental operations in the Hertz International region. Now in his thirtieth year with Hertz, Mr Taride is based at the Hertz International headquarters in Uxbridge in the UK.

Michael Taride appointed President of Hertz International




Transportation authorities have ruled that Virgin America Inc can continue to be a US- certified carrier. This clears the way for Virgin America to increase its US expansion.

Competitors, led by Alaska Airlines, had challenged Virgin’s US status following media reports early last year that Branson’s Virgin Group owned virtually all of Virgin America’s voting securities. Under US legislation, domestic-operating airlines must be 75% owned by US citizens. However, in January, the Transportation Department ruled that Virgin does indeed meet its standard to be a US-certified carrier, with 75% of the airline owned by VAI Partners LLC, a Delaware limited-liability company, and 25% owned by Branson’s Virgin Group.

Virgin is relatively small, with just 100 daily flights and around 1,500 employees. Using San Francisco as its hub, it flies routes to Boston, Ft. Lauderdale, New York, Seattle and several other domestic destinations. With passenger growth in the US essentially stagnant, airlines have to grow their revenue by poaching market share from others, typically by undercutting their fares. Virgin America competes directly with Alaska, JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines, as well as some of the big carriers such as United Airlines, which also has a San Francisco hub.

Singapore Airlines is to replace its 12 weekly services between Singapore and Zurich with daily services on the superjumbo A380 from March 28.

The 471-seat A380 service will have a three - c lass configuration – 12 First Class suites, 60 Business Class seats

and 399 Economy seats. SQ346 will depart Singapore at 01:10, arriving in Zurich at 08:00 local time. On the return leg, SQ345 will leave Zurich at 12:00 and reach Singapore at 06:05 the next day.

Amadeus has announced that David V. Jones will continue to lead the company as President & CEO through 2010 and will be succeeded in January 2011 by present Deputy CEO and until now also CFO, Luis Maroto. David will work closely with Luis and with the entire senior executive team to ensure a smooth transition in the coming months.

Amadeus has also announced the appointment of Ana de Pro as new CFO and Sabine Hansen Peck as Vice President, Human Resources, responsible for Group HR worldwide.

Orient-Express to travel from Thailand to Laos

Virgin America to retain US certification

SIA to fly A380 to Zurich

Travelport Seals Full Content

Agreement with Gulf Air

Air travel in Brazil soars by 17.7% in 2009

Luxury train operator Orient-Express has scheduled its first-ever crossing of the Friendship Bridge between Thailand and Laos aboard the legendary Eastern & Oriental Express (E&O) for February.

The Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge, which opened last year, allows E&O to continue its journey into Laos. In the past, E&O could only go as far as the Thai north-eastern town of Nong Khai, opposite the Laotian capital of Vientiane. The first four-day/three-night Voyage to Vientiane journey departs on February 23 from Bangkok and traverses key historical and natural attractions in north-eastern Thailand and Vientiane before returning to the Thai capital.

Air travel in Brazil jumped by 17.7% during 2009 – its highest increase over the last five years. The improved outlook for civil aviation in Brazil reinforces expectations that ticket fares will be hiked early in 2010 because of strong demand for regional travel and a strengthening currency that is boosting disposable income for air travel.

Gol Linhas Aereas, Brazil’s second largest carrier, registered a sharp increase in traffic December as the local economy continued to pick up. GOL registered 2.83 billion in Revenue Passenger Kilometres during December, up 34.8% from the year before and 15% higher than in November. TAM remained the market’s leading airline for domestic flights with a 45.4 % market share, down from 50.3 % a year earlier. Smaller airlines, led by WebJet and Azul, saw their combined market share rise to around 13% from 7.3% in 2008, according to the Brazilian civil aviation regulator ANAC.

Travelport and Gulf Air have announced details of a new global full content agreement that will give all Galileo and Worldspan-connected travel agents worldwide access to the airline’s full range of published fares and inventory.

The new multi-year agreement marks the continuation of a long-standing relationship between the leading GDS provider and the pioneering airline, known for its traditional Arabian hospitality and award-winning in-flight product and services.

Amadeus makes key management appointments for 2010 and 2011


Back to real Hospitality

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annonce A4.indd 1 26/11/07 17:59:05



Nyhuset Corporate Apartments has opened new 5 star Suites in the historic heart of Brussels.

The luxury apartments are situated in Brussels’ city centre, near the Galerie de la Reine, the Grand Place, the Opera House and the Ilot Sacré – a well known Brussels restaurant area.

All suites are stylishly furnished and equipped with LCD-TV, Wifi, air conditioning, walk-in glass enclosed rain shower and a fully equipped kitchen. There is also a duplex penthouse which has an upstairs living

room with a roof-top terrace which enjoys breathtaking views over Brussels’ skyline.

In addition, residents can enjoy the convenient services of the Dominican Hotel located just around the corner. This includes free access to the Dominican’s spa and fitness centre, in addition to all the usual hotel services such as room service, laundry & dry cleaning, check-in/check-out, housekeeping and the restaurant and bar with its cloister garden.

Prices start at 80 euros per day for the studios and 95 euros per day for the Penthouse with a minimum stay of 30 days.

The International Air Transport Association said 2009 showed the worst demand decline in history, despite December traffic improving 4.5% from a year earlier.

IATA said while traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, improved 4.5% year-to-year in December, the load factor, which measures the proportion of seats filled with paying customers, was 77.6%.

IATA, which represents some 230 airlines and 93% of scheduled international air traffic, said over 2009 passenger demand was down 3.5% compared with 2008 with the 2009 load factor at 75.6%. Middle Eastern carriers witnessed the fastest growth in passenger traffic, up annually 19.1% in December and 11.2% over 2009, as they increased their share of long-haul connecting traffic over their hubs. Latin American carriers recorded 7.1% growth in December on the year, however full-year traffic growth was muted at 0.3% due to the impact of Influenza A(H1N1) fears during the second and third quarters. Asia-Pacific carriers benefited from a 8.0% year-on-year improvement in traffic in December, boosted by the significant economic upturn in the region. By contrast, European carriers saw a 1.2% decline in December and North American carriers declined by 0.4%.

“Revenue improvements will be at a much slower pace than the demand growth that we are starting to see. Profitability will be even slower to recover and airlines will lose an expected $5.6 billion in 2010” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and chief executive officer. ““In terms of demand, 2009 goes into the history books as the worst year the industry has ever seen.”

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) has announced that Leigh Bochicchio, Vice President Program Lead Multinational Corporate Program for MasterCard Worldwide, has been elected to the At-Large Board seat in the first even run-off election.

Leigh Bochicchio joins ACTE’s recently elected Lutz Stammnitz, President of Corporate Mobility Services for Siemens AG and JoAnne Lloyd, Sourcing Director, Travel for InterContinental Hotels Group. Bochicchio, Stammnitz and Lloyd will serve three-year terms running through to 31 December 2012.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has rolled out a new tourism campaign with the slogan “Southeast Asia: feel the warmth.”

ASEAN consists of ten member countries – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The fourteenth edition of MITM Euromed, Meetings and Incentive Travel Market, will be held in the Olympic Congress Palace, in Lloret de Mar, Costa Brava, Spain from June 9 to 11.

GSAR Marketing, MITM’s organizing company, will retain the event’s proven format of individual pre-requested and pre-established individual appointments between exhibitors and buyers, continuing with its

selective fair modality based on giving priority to quality over quantity, and matching the number of buyers with exhibitors. The incentives, congresses and meetings hosted buyers, come from all Europe and the USA

and are strictly selected in accordance with their business potential.

Nyhuset Corporate Apartments launches new 5 star suites in Brussels

IATA says 2009 showed worst demand decline in airline history

ACTE Announces Board Run-Off Election Result

Association of Southeast Asian Nations launches massive tourism

campaign

MITM Euromed to be held in Spain this

summer



Amadeus and Air France-KLM, have agreed to extend their full content agreement until December 2013. The agreement guarantees Amadeus travel agents worldwide access to the entire range of fares, schedules and inventory relating to more than 74.8 million seats and 90,000 flights operated annually by Air France and KLM.

Jean Wieviorka, VP Corporate and Distribution, Air France and KLM said “Travel agencies are an essential part of our global sales strategy. We are delighted to have reached a cost-effective distribution agreement that will continue to give Amadeus travel agents worldwide an efficient access to the wide range of Air France-KLM services and fares”.

The full content agreement also includes the content of subsidiary airlines Martinair and VLM and ensures access to the same content through Amadeus as through any other direct or indirect sales channel, distribution provider or website.

Amadeus has recently announced long-term full content agreements with key airlines including British Airways, Iberia, Lufthansa, Swiss, SAS Group and Virgin Atlantic..

More than 80% of all airline bookings sold by Amadeus travel agencies worldwide are made on airlines with content agreements. This represents over 280 million bookings a year.

This summer Lufthansa will be offering flights from Munich to three new long-haul destinations. From the end of March, Tashkent, Teheran and Miami will be included in the timetable. In addition, services to Cairo, which were launched this winter from Munich, will be extended until 30 May 2010.

Lufthansa will begin operating the new service to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, on 28 March 2010. Many renowned multinational concerns have already established bases in the country because it is rich in raw material resources and agricultural produce. Germany is one of Uzbekistan’s principal import partners and is a key trading partner in terms of exports. Tashkent is also an interesting tourist destination. The city is the gateway to the legendary Silk Road. Lufthansa will serve Tashkent three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

On 29 March, Lufthansa will resume services from Munich to

Teheran under the flight number LH 608. Flights will depart for the Iranian capital four times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Services to Miami from Munich will also be resumed on 29 March. The “Sunshine State” is an increasingly attractive

destination for companies in the health care and IT sector. Flight LH 460, operated by an Airbus A330, will depart from Munich three times a week, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Fares to Miami and Teheran start at 499 euros, while flights to Tashkent are available from 779 euros. These fares apply to return flights in Economy Class and include all taxes, charges and the Lufthansa Ticket Service Charge if the booking is made online at www.lufthansa.com. Miles & More members can earn miles on these flights.

Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines passengers now have a wider choice of flights to African destinations.

Lufthansa customers can now book codeshare flights with Brussels Airlines to four more destinations in Africa. This means passengers can fly with the Belgian carrier from Berlin-Tegel, Hamburg, Hanover, Frankfurt, Munich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart through Brussels direct to the African capitals Conakry (Guinea), Freetown (Sierra Leone) and Kigali (Rwanda). Furthermore, Lufthansa can now offer its passengers two codeshare flights with Brussels Airlines to the

Angolan capital Luanda in addition to its own twice-weekly service from Frankfurt. Frequencies to Angola are thus being doubled from two to four per week. Members of Lufthansa’s frequent flyer programme Miles & More can earn miles on all flights operated by

Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines or redeem miles for award flights.

As part of the extended cooperation between the two carriers, Brussels Airlines, which belongs to the Lufthansa Group, will also issue its own tickets to passengers on Lufthansa flights from Frankfurt to Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt (Nigeria), Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) and also to Luanda.

Air France–KLM extend Amadeus full content distribution agreement until end 2013

Lufthansa launches three new long-haul routes from Munich

Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines expand codeshare services to Africa




The air transport industry may have just ended one of its most difficult years but Swiss International Airlines plans for growth are optimistic, with a number of new routes in the pipeline.

In December, Swiss CEO Harry Hohmeister presented airline’s expansion plans for 2010. “We are pleased to see that Swiss has succeeded in remaining profitable thanks to 5 years of efforts to lower our costs and improve efficiency” he said.

Following the opening of new links to Lyon and Oslo from Zurich in 2009, the airline has announced the launch of a new route to San Francisco to commence in June. SIA will offer six flights a week between Zurich and San Francisco, using Airbus A340-300 aircraft. The San Francisco flight will be in connection

with short-haul destinations such as Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Milan, Paris, and Tel Aviv. Two of the airline’s Airbus A340-300 aircraft are returning to service in spring 2010 after being temporarily withdrawn from the fleet and this additional aircraft capacity will be used to increase frequencies to Delhi, Mumbai, São Paulo, and Montreal. “We are also monitoring the demand in Asia. We will commence an additional weekly frequency to Shanghai next summer and we are looking at Beijing in the longer term,” added Hohmeister.

The airline also plans to boost its routes from Geneva and is considering destinations in South and West Europe such as Nice and Rome. In the meantime, from this spring, Swiss will serve London Heathrow with six daily flights from Geneva.

Brussels Airlines became the 26th member of Star Alliance during an official ceremony on 9th December in Brussels’ historic “Grand-Place”.

Brussels Airlines brings a network of 60 destinations to Star Alliance, including many exclusive destinations located in Africa. This means that customers on the Star Alliance network can now choose from more than 19,700 daily flights to reach 1,077 destinations in 175 countries.

Brussels Airlines’ management estimates that its integration into Star Alliance could help passenger traffic to grow by 10 percent over the next two years. It plans to continue to build up its network. “As we are financially in a better position, we are now looking to be more aggressive in building up our network and connections,” said Bernard Gustin, Co-Ceo of Brussels Airlines. “We will continue to build up our African and European networks and we are seriously looking to fly again to two destinations in the United States. Nothing has been yet officially concretized, especially as long as the dollar remains extremely low, but flying

to the USA would definitely be an important step in strengthening our hub competitiveness”.

With the entry of Brussels Airlines, Brussels Airport has now become a hub for Star Alliance. This means there will be a multiplication of new flights and frequencies from Brussels by Star Alliance partners for next summer. Air Canada will start a daily Brussels-Montreal/Toronto flight, United Airlines will fly to Chicago, and Blue 1 will launch non-stop services to Helsinki. The airport is also to be connected by a high-speed train link to northern Belgium and the Netherlands, which will greatly enlarge its catchment area.

Brussels Airlines HON Circle and Senator cardholders have been given Star Alliance Gold status while Brussels Airlines Frequent Traveller cardholders have Star Alliance Silver status. All other Star Alliance Gold and Silver status holders will be given the appropriate benefits when travelling on Brussels Airlines. Gold status privileges include access to 980 lounges across the network.

Swiss International Airlines Expansion Plans for 2010

Global recession has cost UK tour operators £ 2.1 Billion

Brussels Airlines joins Star Alliance, Brussels Airport becomes hub

The recession has cost UK Tour Operators £ 2.1 billion in lost profits over the last year, according to new research by market analysts Plimsoll.

David Pattison, senior analyst at Plimsoll Analysis says “The recession has hit the sector hard with more than half of the companies analysed in our new report making less profit

than they were a year before. The bill in lost profits stands at £2.1 billion. With demand so subdued and the resultant competition, many companies are unable to charge the prices they need to make healthy profit margins.”

However, the burden of lost profit is not being shared equally as Pattison explains, “570 companies have bore the brunt of the

downturn, but there are still companies getting it right in spite of it all. Amazingly, there are 233 companies that have maintained or increased their profit margins in the last year. All things considered that’s a pretty good achievement. Those companies prove that an efficient business selling the right product to the right market can still succeed in the current climate.”



Air New Zealand is to launch “Skycouch” lie-flat seats in economy class on its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft scheduled to be delivered in November.

The Skycouch is made up of three standard seats that can be changed into a single, horizontal space by removing arm rests and covering over the footwell, although the seats do not fully recline. 22 Skycouch seats will be fitted on the new aircraft, making up the first 11 rows of the economy class cabin. They will be launched on Air New Zealand’s services between Auckland and Los Angeles, and will become available on the carrier’s Los Angeles-London services from April 2011.

A single Skycouch is likely to cost the equivalent of two and a half

economy seats, though prices will not be confirmed until tickets go on sale in April. The airline says the new seating will transform international air travel, creating a flexible space ideal for couples, and for those travelling with children.

“For the past three years we have been designing a new long haul experience that will reignite the passion of today’s travellers,” said Rob Fyfe, Air New Zealand’s chief executive officer. “For those who choose, the days of sitting in economy and yearning to lie down and sleep are gone.” Mr Fyfe also announced an overhaul of the airline’s premium economy cabin, which he claims will offer improved dining and comfort.

According to the latest ITB World Travel Trends Report, a rise in the price of airline tickets is to be expected worldwide in the short to medium term.

The report says that airlines need to significantly adjust their ticket prices, noting that “current airline prices are clearly too low to allow airlines to become profitable again.”

Despite the worldwide recession, the ITB World Travel Trends Report expects commercial aviation to grow dynamically over the next two decades. The Chinese market is predicted to expand annually by around 8.4 percent, followed by the Asian-Pacific region at 6.9 percent, and South America at 6.4

percent. The E u r o p e a n market is forecast to grow by

3.4 percent, lagging significantly behind the expected global average growth rate of 4.9 percent. The ITB findings are based on the assessments of 60 tourism experts from 30 countries.

Dr. Martin Buck, vice president, CompetenceCenter Travel & Logistics, Messe Berlin, believes that the recession has already had a positive effect, “The over-capacity of the world’s airline industries has been reduced and older planes, which consume large amounts of kerosene, have been taken out of service.”

German airport operator Fraport AG has signed a preliminary agreement with airlines which may see fees increase by 12.5 percent over the next two years at Frankfurt Airport.

Fraport is planning a substantial expansion at Frankfurt, including a fourth runway that it hopes to open by 2011, and a third terminal which will open in stages after the new runway. Fraport has said it is spending about 1 billion

euros annually on just the airside facilities – the side of Frankfurt Airport where actual aircraft operations take place.

The new fee deal with airlines will see charges rising by 4 percent in July and by 3 percent in October. In April 2011, charges will be raised by another 3 percent and by 2.5 percent in October 2011. Fraport said it also hopes to agree promptly on the fee schedule between 2012 and the end of 2015.

For the second time, Schiphol.nl has been awarded first prize in the category ‘Best Airport Website’ in the ‘Webbie Aviation Awards’ organised by Flightglobal.com – the joint website maintained by several leading internationalaviation sector journals.

The content of Schiphol.nl was recently reorganised and the navigation structure adjusted. The airport’s

website also has its own video channel – SchipholTV. Flight information, the most popular section of the website, has been expanded and now features prominently on the homepage. A parking guide has also been added, providing visitors with information about where to park at Schiphol.

Schiphol.nl was awarded the gold ‘Webbie’, followed by the DFW International (silver) and Manchester Airport (bronze) airport websites.

Air New Zealand to launch lie-flat seating in economy class

Airline ticket prices expected to increase worldwide Airline fees to

rise at Frankfurt Airport

LAN Airlines seeks new acquisitions

Scotland’s Flyglobespan goes bust

Schiphol.nl voted best airport website

Lan Airlines SA, Latin America’s biggest air carrier, is studying the market for possible acquisitions. With its Latin American passenger traffic showing recovery over the last two months, LAN is seeking to expand its presence.

“We are looking at all the possibilities around and we are window shopping,” said its Chief Operating Officer Igancio Cueto. “It’s a time when the competition is consolidating,” added Ruben Catalan, an analyst who covers Lan for brokerage BCI Corredor de Bolsa SA in Santiago. “Companies are looking to increase their efficiencies through combining their operations.”

Flyglobespan, the Scottish airline and tour operator, has been placed under administration. All scheduled flights have been cancelled and the majority of the company’s 800 staff have been made redundant.

In 2009 Flyglobespan carried more than 1.5 million passengers and operated 12,000 flights. In the same year the airline announced it had made an operating profit of £1.2m following a loss of £19m in 2008. However its recent failed attempts to conclude a financing deal led to the announcement being made on December 16 that it had filed for bankruptcy.

The airline industry, including Ryanair and easyJet mounted an emergency operation to repatriate those left stranded at special ‘rescue’ rate fares.


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Amadeus has won the PhoCusWright travel technology innovation award for its Affinity Shopper product.

The product, which was developed for airline websites, was launched in November and piloted by Lufthansa Airlines. Part of the Amadeus Extreme Search technology portfolio, Affinity enables travellers to shop on airline websites by their desired travel experience, rather than on a linear date and destination basis.

The PhoCusWright award was presented to Amadeus during the Travel Innovation Summit in Orlando, in November.

Selected from over thirty other entries, Amadeus Affinity Shopper was recognized for its innovative design and technology infrastructure which solves challenges such as displaying instant response to all search functions – including budget, type of activity or geography – all on a single page. In the near future, the solution will allow for further services such as allocation of frequent flyer miles.

Dubai could be forced to cede ownership of Emirates Airlines as the city state fights for its financial stability.

Emirates Airlines is a key asset for Dubai. As one of the world’s fastest growing carriers, award winning Emirates posted a net profit of £163 million last year. The airline has ambitions to make Dubai a leading international hub and to become the world’s most important long-haul carrier within a decade. The biggest customer for the A380, Emirates has ordered 58 of the 500 seat aircraft. However financial experts believe the airline’s future could be determined by Dubai’s sister emirate, Abu Dhabi, which could demand ownership of the company for bailing out its neighbour if the troubles at Dubai World worsen.

Emirates is owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai, which is in turn controlled by the Dubai government. Dubai has sought a 6-month moratorium on debt repayments of nearly US$60 billion, connected to Dubai World and its construction subsidiaries and associate companies.

Hainan Airlines, China’s largest private airline, will be offering daily links between Brussels Airport and Beijing as from April 27th this year.

Hainan Airlines launched operations between Beijing and Brussels in 2006 and is currently offering three weekly flights during the winter season and four weekly flights during the summer season. Since the startup of this service, the direct flights between Brussels and China have become very popular with both holiday and business travellers.

Flights will be operated with Airbus 330-200 aircraft, offering 36 lie flat bed seats in business class and 177 seats in economy. All seats are equipped with

a state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system with personal touch screens. The flights will offer convenient onward connections to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei and a large number of other destinations in China and North East Asia.

“The availability of a daily direct service will be very much welcomed by business passengers” said Jos Stroobants, Director Aviation Development at Brussels Airport. “This announcement illustrates the growth of business relations between our countries, as well as the growing popularity of the many wonders of China for European holiday travellers, and the attraction of our own cultural heritage for the growing number of Chinese visitors”.

The US Justice Department has said that a tie-up of British Airways and American Airlines for transatlantic flights would lead to “competitive harm” and called for restrictions on the deal.

American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia of Spain, all members of the oneworld alliance, have signed an agreement to cooperate over flights between North America and Europe to help them overcome current industry challenges such as soaring fuel costs. They have applied for antitrust immunity from the US government on transatlantic flights.

The Justice Department’s antitrust division made its recommendation on the 22 December to the Department of Transportation (DOT), who in turn will be responsible for making the final ruling. The Justice Department has warned that it believes that the BA-AA tie up could lead to a 15 percent increase in transatlantic fares and “would result in competitive harm on certain transatlantic routes serving 2.5 million passengers annually.”

Reacting to the announcement, British Airways said it would be making a line-by-line rejection of the Justice

Department’s claims in the hope that the Transportation Department overrules the recommendations. A spokesperson from BA said “It’s important to note that the issues raised by the Department of Justice are virtually identical to those it made in the Continental/ United Star alliance case, which the DOT ultimately rejected. The quickest way to enhance competition in the global aviation marketplace and provide a competitive balance is to grant oneworld’s application for immunity. This will ensure a level and competitive playing field with both the Star and SkyTeam alliances who have already received this same grant of immunity.”

The proposed AA-BA tie-up has also drawn criticism from Virgin’s Richard Branson, who says the deal would threaten rivals.

Amadeus Affinity Shopper wins Award at PhoCusWright Travel Innovation Summit

Profitable Emirates airlines could become financial collateral for debt-stricken Dubai

Hainan Airlines to offer Daily Brussels-Beijing links

US Justice Department gives tepid response to request on AA-BA tie-up




Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic has selected Kiruna, in northern Sweden, as the second port for its SpaceShipTwo space shuttle. SpaceShipTwo’s first flights are due to to take off from Virgin Galactic’s home port in New Mexico, US, in 2011.

Once flights have been in operation for 6 to 12 months in the US, the shuttle will move to the to its new Swedish site to address the European market. In a recent interview with Swedish broadcaster TV4, Richard Branson said that spaceflight from Sweden could become a reality as early as 2012.

“We would love to send people up with rocket so they can experience the aurora from space. Sweden has been very welcoming and very enthusiastic about this project, so I am hopeful that we, very soon after having started our space program in New Mexico, will be able to start up in northern Sweden”, Branson said.

The Consumer Commission of the European Union is launching a review of the financial protection available to travellers who book flights direct with an airline.

Currently, only those who have booked through a travel agent or taken out independent financial failure insurance are covered for the cost of a new flight if their carrier goes bust. However, with the airline industry under pressure, the Commission considered whether the existing Package Travel Directive could be extended to cover independent travellers.

The consultation period was finalised at the end of January and the Commission expects to publish proposals for a revised directive in the autumn.

Virgin Galactic selects European space port in Sweden

EU to Review Financial Protection for Travellers Booking Flights Directly with Airlines

Emirates Airlines to operate flights to Amsterdam Schiphol

Kempinski Hotel Dukes’ Palace in Bruges voted Leading Business Hotel in Belgium

Hilton The Hague to open in April 2010

Emirates Airlines will be operating flights between Dubai and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol as from 1 May

2010. The new Emirates service will offer daily links on Boeing 777 aircraft, with three different service classes.

The Kempinski Hotel Dukes’ Palace has been recognized as the Leading Business Hotel in Belgium by the prestigious World Travel Awards.

The World Travel Awards were launched in 1993 to acknowledge and recognize

excellence in the world’s travel and tourism industry. Votes for the Awards’ various categories are cast by travel professionals from 183,000 travel agencies, tour and transport companies and tourism

organizations in over 160 countries across the globe.

Philippe De Meyer, General Manager of the Kempinski Hotel Dukes’ Palace commented “This award is a tribute to my entire staff which day after day ensures the most consistent and attentive service. We are delighted to be recognized in our first full year of operations with this distinguished honour and it is wonderful to be acknowledged for our consistent effort to deliver the most attentive service, amongst so many outstanding and renowned five star hotels in Belgium.”

A new member of the Hilton chain, Hilton The Hague, will open its doors at the beginning of April. The hotel will feature 195 contemporary bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms, including a ballroom with a maximum capacity for up to 400 guests.

Situated in the heart of the city, Hilton The Hague has a strong emphasis on design and is a textbook

example of how an existing building can be revived and revitalized.

The Hague, political capital of the Netherlands, is home to the Dutch Royal family and host city to the International Court of Justice. Strategically located between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the Hague is just 25 minutes from Schiphol airport and enjoys direct high-speed train links to Brussels and Paris.


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Eurotunnel has successfully implemented a revenue driving Fluid Pricing Solution from Amadeus.

The Fluid Pricing solution, which has been created to drive increased revenues, is a new component in Amadeus’s RMS system, which provides information to automatically drive price inventory within the Central Reservation System. Eurotunnel also benefits from being able to simulate multiple scenarios for future price and market demand relationships in order to better set pricing policies that guide future decisions.

Six months after Eurotunnel implemented the Amadeus

Fluid Pricing solution, their car yield revenue has increased by 2%. Paul Lymath, Strategic Planning and Analysis Manager, Eurotunnel commented “We have been using Amadeus Revenue Management products for over ten years and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Our partnership has allowed us to make more rapid, accurate decisions regarding pricing and customer acquisition.”

Bernard Rannou, Head of PMS and RMS development, Amadeus added “We have built a strong partnership with Eurotunnel and worked hand in hand with them throughout this implementation process.”

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport has signed a contract with Vanderlande and IBM for the implementation of a state of the art baggage transport system known as Backbone.

Schiphol will invest approximately 800 million euros in expanding baggage-handling system capacity and improving the quality and reliability of the system. The new Backbone system, along with the commissioning of transfer unloading quays, are key steps in Schiphol’s ‘70 MB’ programme which aims to increase capacity to 70 million baggage items in the future. The airport is working closely with KLM to realise the project.

The new transport system will link the airport’s West, E, D and South baggage basements, thus creating an integrated baggage system. Work is scheduled to start in March 2010, and is expected to last until mid-2013. Two rows of check-in desks in Departure Hall 2 will be closed alternately from May 2011 through September 2012 in order to facilitate the completion of the new Backbone.

Amadeus has partnered with Fourth Dimension Software (FDS), a software development and services company for the travel industry. The partnership offers a next-generation solution that combines systems and technologies from Amadeus and FDS’ systems, destined for tour operators and providers of packaged travel.

FDS’ CONTOUR® is a complete travel management solution for tour operators and providers of packaged travel, which optimises inventory management, packaging, reservations, multi-channel distribution and operational (mid-/back-office) business processes. CONTOUR enables tour operators to lower costs by streamlining and reducing manual processes and expanding multi-channel distribution. It adapts quickly and easily to changing market conditions with a highly efficient and flexible rules engine. CONTOUR offers deep integration with Amadeus services. Tour operators can efficiently access and package scheduled, charter and net-rate flights via Amadeus technology and distribute them across TravelTainment’s distribution platforms.

”We are extremely pleased to be able to contribute to the success of tour operators and leisure travel providers such as Nouvelles Frontières” says Philippe Chérèque, Executive Vice President, Commercial, Amadeus. “Their business processes are very specific and their workflows differ from one player to another. Together with FDS, we will offer them the highest service levels and reliability, helping them to continuously adapt to the industry and market changes.”

Once implemented, CONTOUR can be interfaced to Amadeus Web Services to easily source flights in a streamlined process and to Amadeus Master Pricer, the low fare search tool which enables tour operators to add the cheapest and most relevant flight component to the holiday package they create. CONTOUR can also be interfaced to TravelTainment’s multi-channel distribution front-ends, part of the Amadeus Leisure Group Portfolio, on which the largest European online travel websites and travel agencies are booking holidays.

Eurotunnel strengthens

revenue management strategy with Amadeus fluid

pricing

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol makes major investments in baggage management

Amadeus and Fourth Dimension Software partner to provide next-generation technology to tour operators and package travel providers worldwide



In December, the heads of 15 hotel groups came together under federation of the Paris City Council, the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau to sign a cooperative Charter. The Charter aims to attract major professional events, especially congresses, to the French capital and surrounding Ile de France region.

The hotels groups who have signed the Charter represent 475 hotels in Paris and the Parisian region. They are Accor Hospitality, B&B Hôtels, Best Western, Choice Hotels Europe, Concorde Hotels & Resorts, Disneyland® Paris – Business Solutions, Exclusive Hotels, Hilton Hotels, InterContinental Hotels Group, Inter-Hotel, JJW Hotels & Resorts, Louvre Hotels,

Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Rezidor Hotel Group and Starwood Hotels & Resorts. By signing the Charter, the hotels have undertaken to offer specific and advantageous conditions for major professional events. These conditions would include special terms for deposits, cancellations and quotas of rooms guaranteed several years in advance.

Through this unprecedented federation of a whole industry, Paris has brought together all the assets for attracting major association events against a backdrop of very keen international competition. With the establishment of a charter involving an important number of hotels, the Paris Convention Bureau is now well-equipped to give global, precise and detailed propositions to associations, even when several years in advance of an event.

Association congresses are a strategic market for Paris and generate 10% of business tourism nights. These major professional events also bring a high

financial contribution per visitor, with the average amount spent by a congress attendee at €321 per day, 50% more than that of a leisure tourist.

Parisian hotels and tourism organisations sign charter for hosting major congresses

BMI Regional has introduced an improved schedule on its East Midlands – Brussels route. The airline will add an extra (third) rotation on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 13 January 2010, to meet demand by business travellers on the route.

Peter Kenworthy, commercial director of BMI Regional said: “The introduction of an extra rotation on the East Midlands to Brussels route reflects the increasing popularity of the route amongst business

travellers, and the preference to depart from their local airport straight to the heart of Europe. BMI Regional continues to be the UK’s most punctual airline and through improved schedules we strive to provide business and leisure travellers with the best possible level of service to ensure business travel to Europe is a smooth and hassle-free journey for all of our customers.”

At the same time BMI are suspending all services between Heathrow and Brussels (see article on BMI restructuring)

On December 13 Thalys celebrated the launch of its new high speed lines to Cologne and Amsterdam. This means travel times from Brussels to Amsterdam and Cologne have now been reduced to 1h53 and 1h47 respectively. Times from Paris to Amsterdam and Cologne are now down to just 3h18 and 3h14.

Henceforth Thalys will be travelling at speeds of up to 260km/h between Liège and the German frontier, and up to 300km/h between Anvers and Rotterdam. With the new high speed link and an increase in the number of frequencies, notably a 7th return between Brussels and Amsterdam, this means that return journeys can easily be made in the same day.

BMI increases frequency on East Midlands – Brussels, but suspends Brussels-Heathrow

Thalys reduces travel times to Amsterdam and Cologne




The Starwood group has now opened its 25th hotel in India and plans to grow its footprint in the country by 60 percent by 2012. The latest addition, the Westin Pune Koregaon Park, was inaugurated in December.

The Westin brand forms part of Starwood’s expansion plans for India and is the first of six new Westin Hotels to be opened in the country over the next three years.

“As home to the world’s fastest growing population, India represents a significant opportunity for Starwood and our development partners,” said Frits van

Paasschen, President and CEO for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

India makes up 21 percent of the world’s incremental growth, and by 2016, its population is expected to be larger than that of Europe, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada and the United States combined.

Britain and the US have lodged a diplomatic protest with India after the government in Delhi introduced rules barring tourists from returning to the country within two months of any visit. The new visa rules, which also apply to other foreign nationals, are apparently a reaction to the arrest in the US of a Mumbai terror suspect, David Coleman Headley, who had entered India on a multiple-entry visa.

The British high commission in Delhi has urged the Indian government to rethink the policy, which is expected to hit tourists planning to use India as a base for touring the region. In addition many foreigners living in India prefer to use tourist visas rather than go through the complicated

process of trying to secure a visa that would grant them the right to residency. Some apply for six-month tourist visas and then travel to nearby countries, such as Nepal, to renew them. Those on longer-term tourist visas - for five or 10 years - are also required to leave the country every 180 days and tend to fly out for a couple of days before returning. Under the new rules, that would no longer be an option. Posts on internet travel forums suggest that some British tourists have already fallen foul of the rules and have found themselves stranded and unable to return to India after visiting neighbouring countries.

India already cracked down on business visas last year, informing thousands of holders that they must return to their home countries and prove that they meet much stricter criteria before new visas will be issued. Ironically, the clampdown comes as the country attempts to boost its tourism industry. The Indian government has apparently sought to defuse the row by giving consular officials the power to grant exemptions in exceptional cases, although there is as yet no clarity on how that might be applied.

Spanish airline Air Comet announced in the week prior to Christmas that it had suspended all its flights because of financial difficulties preventing it from paying its debts. The company said it had filed for bankruptcy and had requested government permission to dismiss all of its 700 employees.

Air Comet, which specialises in flights to Latin America, attributed its problems to a decision by a commercial court in London that enabled Nord Bank of Germany

to undertake a foreclosure procedure against it. Owned by Spanish tourism and transportation company Grupo Marsans, the airline owes 17 million euros in lease payments to Nord Bank as well as some 7 million euros in back pay to its workers.

Air Comet has a fleet of 13 planes and, prior to closure, carried 1,500 passengers a day on flights from Madrid to Bogota, Buenos Aires, Havana, Lima, Quito and Guayaquil in South America

Brussels Airport has opened a new information centre in the arrivals hall. The new centre centralises several services for airport visitors including an information desk, Lost & Found services, the public address system and a telephone inquiries service.

Extra services will be added at a later stage and the information centre will not only represent Brussels Airport but also distribute tourist information from other companies and organisations. This will include information on different regions, public transport, limousine services, accommodation in Belgium and finding tickets for cultural events.

“An extensive survey of passengers and airlines showed that the need for information in the arrivals hall was bigger and that is why we decided to bring together all our passenger services in the very heart of the arrivals hall”, explains Ruben Sicking, Director Operations of Brussels Airport. “The first passengers seemed very enthusiastic about the new service.”

Brussels Airport is one of the largest airports in Europe, handling well over 18.5 million passengers and 661,100 tons of freight annually. Brussels Airport links the European capital with 200 destinations worldwide through 100 different airlines of which 80 are passenger airlines and 20 full-freighter airlines.

Starwood’s new Westin Pune Koregan Park part of 60% Indian growth plan by 2012

UK and US Protest against new Indian Visa Rules

Spanish Air Comet files for bankruptcy

Brussels Airport opens new information centre in arrivals hall


BRUSSELS – AMSTERDAM 1h53Thalys faster than ever before

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Ray Bloom, Chairman of the IMEX group, has announced the launch of a brand new trade show for the US meetings industry. The new show, IMEX America, will take place at the Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas, from 11 to 13 October 2011.

IMEX America will benefit from a Strategic Partnership with MPI, as well as a broad coalition of support from some of the industry’s largest associations. Site (the leading association worldwide for incentive travel and motivational events) will hold their 2011 Annual Conference immediately following the first show, from 13 to 15 October, whilst the ICCA (International Congress & Convention

Association), DMAI (Destination Marketing Association International), AIPC (International Association of Congress Centres) and ECM (European Cities Marketing) will all add their support through a number of marketing and educational initiatives. In addition, ASAE (American Society of Association Executives) will organize dedicated association-led education on the day before the show.

The U.S. Travel Association has announced that the projected increases in inbound tourism for 2010, although modest, will enable the industry to add nearly 90,000 American jobs.

Leisure travel is expected to rise by 2.0 percent, business travel is projected to increase by 2.5 percent and international inbound travel will increase by 3.0 percent. These job gains come on the heels of 400,000 combined travel industry job losses in 2008 and 2009.

“The travel industry shares President Obama’s goal of putting Americans back to work. Our industry is uniquely capable of adapting to economic upswings and

quickly adding tens of thousands of jobs,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “What we are announcing is based upon modest increases in travel. Given its immense potential, we call on the Administration and Members of Congress to build a plan for economic recovery that drives significant increases in travel.”

According to the U.S. Travel Association, a federal economic recovery plan to significantly increase travel and create jobs would include passage of the Travel Promotion Act to encourage millions of travellers to visit the United States. In addition they are calling for improvements to visa and entry processes that adversely affected travel

to the US and for government funding for a “NextGen” air traffic control system.

The US travel industry currently employs 7.7 million workers.

IMEX launches IMEX America with strong support from associations

On 27 October, the CEOs of Star Alliance’s airline carriers welcomed their 25th member – Continental Airlines.

Continental’s joining Star Alliance will further enhance the alliance’s three main customer objectives of global reach, worldwide recognition and seamless travel. Continental’s membership follows last year’s announcement of a strategic partnership between Continental and United Airlines. Experts from both airlines and Star Alliance have been working together over the last 18 months in order to ensure the first successful transition of a major airline from one global alliance to another.

“Bringing Continental Airlines into Star Alliance has been a truly unique experience. This is the first time an airline has moved directly from one alliance to another and I would like to thank all those involved in ensuring a smooth switch,” said Jaan Albrecht, CEO Star Alliance.

“Continental’s joining makes the Star Alliance network even more extensive, offering our customers the broadest global access and greatest choice of service,” said Glenn Tilton, chairman and CEO of United Airlines. “We welcome our partner, Continental, which brings tremendous value to our customers, our employees and the communities we serve.”

With the addition of Continental Airlines, Star Alliance customers now have a choice of 19,500 daily flights serving some 1,071 airports in 171 countries.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will launch services to Nagoya and Tokyo in the first quarter of 2010. These are the airline’s first destinations in Japan.

Etihad will operate a four flights a week service to Nagoya, via Beijing, from Monday, 1 February, increasing to five flights a week from 27 March, subject to regulatory approval. A five flights a week direct service to Tokyo’s Narita airport commences on Saturday 27 March, also subject to regulatory approval.

Continental Airlines joined Star Alliance

Etihad to launch two Japanese destinations in first quarter 2010

US Travel Industry expects creation of 90,000 new jobs for 2010



The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNTWO) expects moderate growth for 2010 and believes the decline in international tourism may have started to bottom out. This is according to the latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.

On a worldwide scale, international tourist arrivals declined by 7 percent between January and August 2009, but the rate of decline has eased in the past few months. These results, as well as the most recent economic data, confirm UNWTO’s initial forecast of a 5 percent decline in international tourist arrivals for the full year 2009.

Nevertheless, the downward trend that started in September last year may have begun to bottom out. Arrivals in the two high-season months of July and August declined by 3 percent compared with a decrease of 8 percent in the first half of the year and data available for September points to a continuation of this upward trend.

The UNWTO Confidence Index is also improving after two periods at a historic low. The more than 330 experts surveyed worldwide by UNWTO confirm that confidence is picking up. In the latest survey, the percentage of experts with a negative outlook for the next four months has decreased from 62 percent to 42 percent.

Brussels Airlines’ Star Alliance partner, United Airlines, has announced the launch of a new daily transatlantic route between Chicago O’Hare and Brussels.

The service, to commence in March 2010, will mean the connection of Brussels Airlines’ hub with one of United Airlines’ major US hubs.

“We welcome the decision of United Airlines to launch this new transatlantic service to Chicago”, says Brussels Airlines co-Managing Director Bernard Gustin. “We are very much looking forward to our partnership with United Airlines who already operates a daily flight from Brussels to Washington Dulles. (...) This excellent news is another example of the many benefits we will be able to offer our passengers as we joined the Star Alliance in December.”

The European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) and the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) have hit out at new travel taxes in the UK, which they say will discourage visitors. Air Passenger Duty rose on 1 November and there will be more increases with rise in Aviation Poll Tax planned for the end of next year.

According to ABTA, inbound tourism will be damaged as foreign visitors are put off travelling to the UK and regional airports will suffer as airlines consider the profitability of maintaining routes. Those passengers willing to pay for a little extra leg room in premium economy will be taxed still further, which will take it out of the range for many travellers according to ABTA. They predict that

airlines may consider removing the service altogether if the Government insists on taxing it as highly as business and first class tickets.

“Increased taxes on travel will discourage visitors to Britain as people avoid paying them” said Jack Coronna, president of ETOA. “The UK government has raised airport departure taxes this month by between 10 and 40 percent and will raise them again in a year’s time. This is an insane and savage penalty on a group who can – and will – choose not to pay it. UK citizens may find it difficult to avoid paying this imposition, but tourists from elsewhere can easily avoid doing so – by staying away,” he said.

Coronna believes that the UK government could learn from other

European states that have abolished departure taxes and other charges on travellers. He cited the example of the Netherlands government, who realised that such a policy was a mistake and subsequently scrapped it. “The Netherlands imposed such a tax and have since abolished it after they were convinced it led to marginal fiscal gains but had a definite negative economic impact”.

Mark Tanzer, ABTA’s Chief Executive warned “These travel tax rises will put pressure on jobs and damage local economies reliant on tourist expenditure both here and abroad, when we are already suffering from the impact of the recession. They will undo a lot of the good work being done by the industry to keep prices at an affordable level”.

Brussels Airlines welcomes new Chicago service from partner United Airlines

Increased UK Travel Taxes will Discourage Visitors say ETOA and ABTA

Increased UK Travel Taxes will Discourage Visitors say ETOA and ABTA

UNWTO says Confidence in tourism sector slowly picking up

Travelport has appointed Gordon Wilson its new deputy CEO.

Based in Langley, the UK, Wilson will continue to serve as president and CEO of the company’s GDS and IT services and software businesses. Wilson’s appointment recognises the importance of the GDS business, IT services and software to the Travelport group of companies, said a Travelport spokesperson.




Etihad Airways has been voted the World’s Leading Airline, by a panel of more than 180,000 travel industry professionals from over 175 countries, at this year’s World Travel Awards (WTA). In addition to being named World’s Leading Airline, Etihad also picked up the award for Leading First Class for the second year in a row.

The World Travel Awards recognise the best airline, hospitality and tourism brands worldwide, with industry experts vetting nominations for their customer relations, creativity, quality of service, product innovation and business acumen. Etihad, the first Middle Eastern airline to win this prestigious award, was recognised for the excellence of its onboard product, luxurious airport lounges and strong service ethic during a period of phenomenal growth.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive, said: “Three years ago, Etihad

set itself one clear and simple goal – to be the best airline in the world. I am proud of the way Etihad people all over the world have embraced that vision, supporting our investment in state-of-the-art products by delivering superb customer service. Etihad is honoured to be recognised as the World’s Leading Airline by travel agents and other industry professionals – the people who really know what travellers are looking for in an airline.”

Mr Hogan said: “As we move into 2010, we intend to cement our place as the world’s best airline, opening up new routes, taking delivery of new aircraft, investing in

new products in the air and on the ground, and introducing a range of online initiatives

to make travelling with Etihad better than ever.”

Airlines must develop new routes in emerging economies if they want to survive says Dubai-based carrier, Emirates Airlines.

Speaking during a debate at World Travel Market, Emirates’ president Tim Clark (photo) said that they had been able to harness the growth in emerging markets by developing new links between cities in China, India, South America, and Africa. “As we started to connect these points, people started to flow in ways that we had not seen before. More fool those who do not harness what is going on, including the European carriers.”

As well as its key geographical location and hub operation, Emirates’ results have been

boosted by a program of cost cuts and lower fuel prices. Clark said Emirates will close the financial year significantly up on previous profit forecasts, thanks to the quality of its brand, a fall in oil prices and favourable exchange rates.

Seat factors remain “in the 80 percent region” albeit with a lower yield per seat, and the carrier has taken 16 percent off its unit costs, thanks to a recruitment freeze and efficiency drive. “We grew so rapidly that certain things got away from us, and we found a pattern of legacy processes that were not efficient,” said Clark.

He admitted that delays by Airbus with deliveries of the new A380s were “a real

blow.” Emirates will have 15 A380s by December 2010 rather than by June and won’t be able to introduce the aircraft on the route to New York as planned. Clark said the new airliner is a “crowd puller,” with passengers going out of their way to fly on it once they have experienced it. Load factors on the five A380s already delivered are about 90 percent.

Clark warned that those who were “disingenuous” about Dubai’s growth – particularly the UK press – “do so at their own peril. It is an open economy and suffered in the recession. We have taken stock and slowed down but watch this space very carefully”.

ETIHAD wins WTA award for World’s Leading Airline

Focus on emerging economies key to Emirates’ success

Tim Clark – Emirates’ CEO


ey_WTA Belgium_297x230_e.ai 2/22/10 4:31:48 PM



YTL Hotels and Properties is embarking on an ambitious expansion programme that will see it turn into an international hotel chain with properties in Asia, Europe and the US.

YTL intends to expand globally through acquisitions and new builds, and is looking to develop an umbrella brand for all its hotels by early next year. The first YTL property outside Malaysia and Indonesia will open in St Tropez, France in late May 2010, followed

by a hotel in Shanghai in late May or early June. The chain will also plant its flag in Los Angeles and two locations in Borneo, and is eyeing a ski resort in Japan.

YTL Hotels and Properties presently has four properties in Malaysia, namely the Tanjong Jara Resort, Pangkor Laut Resort, Cameron Highlands Resort and The Majestic Malacca. It also owns the Spa Village Resort Tembok in Bali, the JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur and the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur

Movenpick Hotels & Resorts is aiming its new US$1 meeting package at organisations with tighter budgets, to boost meetings at its three Asian properties.

Valid for planners who book 10 or more rooms at qualifying contract corporate rate or the Movenpick best available rate, the US$1 package is for meetings

finalised by March 31 2010, and which will take place between January 1 to September 30, 2010.

The package was launched in response to organisations becoming “more protective of their budgets”, said Christina Bartz, Movenpick vice president sales and marketing Asia. “By offering value-driven event and meeting packages, we are

confident that we can attract new business and retain existing clients.”

Available at Movenpick’s Phuket, Hanoi and Saigon properties, the package includes use of a venue such as the meeting room or ballroom, lunch, two coffee breaks, standard equipment and a room upgrade for the organiser.

The fifth annual Country Brand Index (CBI) has been published by US-based FutureBrand company and the Weber Shandwick agency. The survey incorporated interview data from nearly 3,000 frequent travellers from nine countries and over 30 experts on 26 categories. Germany was ranked the world’s leading country in the categories for ‘Ease of Travel’ and ‘Standard of Living’. It was also awarded 9th place in the overall international country brand index, amongst 102 rated countries.

“This is an excellent result which also confirms the performance of the German meetings and conventions industry” said Lutz P. Vogt, Managing Director of the GCB German Convention Bureau, “Germany ranks top exactly in the categories that are important for meetings and events: number one world-wide in the ‘Ease of Travel’ category plus number one in ‘Standard of Living’ – with a good business climate, high per-capita GDP and cutting-edge infrastructure playing a major role. With 16 international and 14 regional airports seamlessly interlinked with a 40,000 kilometres of railway network and 11,000 kilometres of motorways, Germany offers excellent travel connections throughout.”

The Country Brand Index features a variety of ratings. These range from best overall country brands to detailed rankings across a breadth of categories

YTL Hotels embarks on

international expansion

plan

Movenpick targets tight budgets with

US$1 meeting packages

International Survey Ranks Germany as Best Country for Ease of Travel

including Ease of Travel, Safety, Rest & Relaxation, Standard of Living and Most Likely to Live in.

As the overall Top Country Brand, the USA has made it to number one in 2009 for the first time – ahead of Canada and the 2008 number one Australia.



Air France-KLM reveals new strategy for short and medium haul routes

European court says EU airlines must compensate passengers for delays

To counteract recent rumours on a possible conversion of Air France-KLM short/medium-haul network into a low cost operation, the management of the French national carrier decided to reveal their new strategy earlier than planned.

On November 18th, Pierre Gourgeon, Air France-KLM Group CEO gave full details on the airline’s future offer on short and medium haul routes.

Air France will be repositioning with a new, simplified offer, from April 2010. “We have seen a slow erosion of our revenues since 2002 on short-and medium-haul routes. We had to react strongly,” explains Pierre Gourgeon. “There will now be two reservation segments – Premium and Voyageur. Premium will integrate both Business Class and fully-flexible economy fares and Voyageur will propose low fares in economy. With Economy Premium, we close the gap between regular economy class and business class” continues Gourgeon. “By contrary, Voyageur is conceived for savvy travellers. I am convinced that we will see a rapid turn-around as we will gain market shares again in Europe thanks to our low fares in both leisure and business travel segments”.

Air France will lower its current fares by 5% to 20% for its lowest fares and by 19% to 29% for its most expensive tickets. Other measures include rationalisation of the airline’s long haul network, with better offer in terms of product segment. Does Air France intend to emulate budget airlines? “We are looking to be more competitive. Our concept is to match the needs of our clients –especially SME and leisure travellers- but not to match at any price the budget airlines’ model, nor to become a low cost airline operation,” says Gourgeon.

The integration of the Airbus A380 will help the airline to reduce frequencies thanks to larger capacities. This has been the case with the recently launched A380 service to New York which is replacing two daily flights. The airline estimates that the Airbus A380 will reduce CO2 consumption per passenger/km by 20% and help save € 15 million per aircraft.

Air France will continue to streamline operations at its two hubs of Paris CDG and Amsterdam Schiphol whilst continuing to operate the best connection system in Europe. Air France-KLM believes these various rationalization measures should help it turn the corner and reach break even again by 2010-2011.

On November 20, a European court handed down a decision that will require airlines in the European Union to compensate passengers for mass delays. Passengers forced to wait three hours or more will be compensated 600 Euros, the same amount as if their flight had been cancelled.

Hendrik Noorderhaven of FlyersRights.org in the EU said: “This is an historic decision for airline passengers travelling within, or to Europe.”

Flyersrights.org president Kate Hanni took it a step further,

questioning why the United States has not yet taken similar measures stating: “Sadly, the US is woefully behind in prioritizing the rights of its consumers. We deserve nothing less in the United States than the very same rights the courts have just granted to consumers living in democracies across the European continent.”

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines operated its first ever passenger flight powered by sustainable biokerosene on 23 November.

To give an extra impulse to sustainable air transport, KLM also joined hands with North Sea Petroleum and Spring Associates to establish the SkyEnergy consortium. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) will advise the consortium in relation to ecological aspects.

“KLM leads the sustainability drive in global aviation. The Netherlands should make good use of this leading position to ensure clean, silent and sustainable air transport worldwide,” said KLM President & CEO Peter Hartman. “This is technically feasible. We have demonstrated that it is possible. Government, industry and society at large must now join forces to ensure that we quickly gain access to a continuous supply of biofuel.”

The development of biokerosene is a quest that KLM is pursuing in accordance with strict financial, technological and ecological criteria. “The food chain may not be jeopardised, and production of biokerosene should not go hand in hand with deforestation or excessive water consumption,” said Mr Hartman, adding: “The conservation of biodiversity is, of course, also a precondition. Our cooperation with WWF is both important and inspirational.”

Johan van de Gronden, director of WWF The Netherlands said “The establishment of SkyEnergy is a groundbreaking initiative. KLM’s demonstration flight serves as a concrete step towards achieving a more sustainable future.”

KLM Takes Strides in Sustainable Air Transport




A 3,000-square-meter, state-of-the-art Malo health spa has been inaugurated at the five-star Corinthia Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal. The €4 million spa is the largest in any hotel in Lisbon and offers the widest array of facilities and technologies for relaxation, treatments and fitness.

The spa’s treatment areas consist of 13 fully equipped rooms including a number of suites. The wet area, known as Acqua in Portugal, offers an interactive pool, hydro massage, Vichy showers, a walking circuit, a Roman spa, aqua beds, Jacuzzis, saunas, and a hammam. A heated pool is available all year round, as well as

a natural solarium, a gymnasium, a spinning room, a hairdressers and a beauty lab.

The Malo Spa also has a clinical section, combining traditional spa rituals with integrated health and cosmetic services

that include nutrition programs, plastic surgery, and physiotherapy consultation.

Corinthia Hotel Lisbon general manager Roderick Micallef believes that the Malo Spa will make the hotel one of Europe’s great spa destinations.

British Airways has agreed a merger with Spanish airline Iberia after nearly a year and a half of talks. Under the deal, BA will own 55% of the enlarged company and Iberia 45%. British Airways recently reported a record loss of £292 million and the new merger is expected to result in cost savings of £360 million per year.

The combined airline will carry 62 million passengers a year, making it one of Europe’s largest airlines. The group’s headquarters will be in London with Willie Walsh of BA to be chief executive and Antonio Vázquez, Iberia’s chairman, the combined airline’s chairman.

“The merger will create a strong European airline well able to compete in the 21st century. Both airlines will retain their brands and heritage while achieving significant synergies as a combined force,” Willie Walsh said.

The two airlines began merger talks in July 2008 amid a sharp decline in the number of air travellers, but have since struggled to agree terms. The deal is due to be completed in 2010. BA shareholders will receive one new ordinary share in the new holding company for every existing BA ordinary share and Iberia shareholders 1.0205 new shares for each held now.

Airbus SAS has won an order from Ethiopian Airlines for twelve A350 aircraft in a deal valued at about $2.8 billion at list price. The African airline will take first delivery of the A350 in 2017. This brings total orders for the A350 to 505.

Ethiopian Airlines signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus to buy the A350s, following delays in the delivery of its order for ten of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The Dreamliner order, placed in June 2005, still stands.

Airbus’s A350, a long-range widebody plane, is set to compete with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner as well as its 777. Airbus has said it plans to deliver its first A350 in 2013 and expects to reach capacity of 10 airliners a month at full production

Corinthia Hotel Lisbon opens lavish new Spa at cost of 4 million euros

British Airways – Iberia merger deal

Dreamliner delays cause Ethiopian Airlines to orders

jets from Airbus

Marriott International is launching a new brand called the Autograph Collection, aimed at customers who prefer independent, high-end hotels.

The Autograph Collection will allow independent hotels, many of whom have lost business in the recession, to maintain their character while using Marriott’s massive reach to bring in more customers and save on costs.

Marriott, with 3,200 properties worldwide, will operate the hotels as franchises. The hotel owners will pay Marriott in return for using the giant hotelier’s infrastructure, which includes its reservation and Marriott Rewards system, its purchasing power and its online site, Marriott.com.

“We can help them save money on food, beverage, supply discounts, credit card fees and third-party online bookers,” said Don Semmler, Marriott’s executive vice president of brand management.

There are 1,700 independent hotels, many of whom are trying to cut costs while attracting new customers during the downturn. “The universe of independent hotels has a lot of variation, some good, some bad,” Semmler said. “Our research tells us they want a trusted expert to help them navigate, so there is no disappointment.

Marriott International said it is in negotiations with 25 hotels to become franchisees by the end of 2010.

Marriott launches franchise for high-end, independent hotels



KLM Celebrates 90th Anniversary

Brazil Tourism Set for a Boost as Rio Wins Bid for 2016 Olympics

British Airways reinvents First class

KLM has celebrated its 90th anniversary. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, founded on 7 October 1919, is the oldest airline in the world still operating under its original name. Air France, which KLM merged with five years ago, is celebrating its 76th anniversary this year.

A celebratory symposium on 7 October marked the end of a busy year of events to mark KLM’s 90th year. The anniversary year was launched on 1 January with a Celebration Flight for 90 sick children from the High-Flyer Foundation (Stichting Hoogvliegers). Another memorable event was held in July, when 90 senior

citizens who had never before flown in an aeroplane were treated to a flight by KLM. Last weekend KLM held an Open House for KLM staff and their friends and family. Almost 40,000 people took the opportunity to take part.

Other highlights include KLM’s ‘Tour of Inspiration’. This autumn, a KLM lorry was travelling to 30 cities throughout Europe. The Tour of Inspiration presented all KLM’s products and services. The lorry started its journey on 18 September in Billund, Denmark, and ended it on 7 November in Munich, Germany.

After Rio de Janeiro won the bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games, both Brazil and South America are looking forward to reaping the benefits to tourism.

News that Rio de Janeiro beat Chicago, Madrid, and Tokyo in a competition to host the games was met with jubilation by the South American delegations at the 18th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly in Kazakhstan. “It is the first time that South America gets the Olympic Games and it is great news for Brazil,” said Mario Moyses, vice minister of tourism for Brazil.

Rio’s infrastructure will need substantial investment though. 25,000 of the 48,000 hotel rooms needed for the event are

already in the pipeline and the city will also be looking to provide accommodation on cruise ships. A high-speed train between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro costing US$20 billion will be constructed and the port area will be improved at a cost of US$210 million, said the vice minister. Rio also plans to upgrade its metro system. Not surprisingly, the news that Rio de Janeiro had won the Games boosted shares of infrastructure and tourism-related companies on the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange.

British Airways’ new First class service took off on 10 February, on a Boeing 777 headed for Chicago. The carrier is to make a £100 million investment in revamping its first class cabins on over 70 aircraft over the next two years.

British Airways’ head of customer experience Mark Hassell, said “We have contemporised First and created an intimate private jet experience onboard. We have resisted gadgets and gimmicks and focused instead on simplicity and quality. Every feature has been carefully considered and researched to ensure we are giving our customers what they want.” The new features include a 60 per cent wider bed fitted with an ‘intelligent’ mattress and 400-thread Egyptian

cotton bed linen. Each first class passenger has his own wardrobe, a leather-bound writing desk that converts into a dining table and a buddy seat to enable passengers to dine together. Personal in-flight entertainment is provided on a 15 inch screen.

Although British Airways took delivery of four long-haul Boeing 777-200s last year that were not fitted with first class, Mark Hassell explained that while there are some markets where first class is not appropriate, BA’s commitment to first class upgrades had been tested and ultimately confirmed with this new launch. All of BA’s long-haul aircraft that currently offer first class will be modified with the new design, along with Boeing 777-300, Airbus 380 and Boeing 787 aircraft currently on order.




New UNWTO Roadmap for Tourism and Travel Recovery

Ryanair’s Chief Exec says No Third Bid for

Aer Lingus

TAM Airlines

Chairman Calls it Quits

The 18th session of the UNWTO General Assembly concluded with unanimous endorsement of its ‘Roadmap for Recovery’ which included global strategies to stimulate recovery in the tourism and travel sectors. It underscored the enormous importance of the sector for job creation, trade, and development.

Taleb Rifai was unanimously elected as UNWTO’s Secretary-General for the period 2010-2013. He called for greater transparency and accountability and for the organization to become more program based and results oriented.

The Assembly expressed strong concerns about the dangers of increasing taxes at this time of economic uncertainty and called on governments to reconsider proposed increases. It called for a moratorium on burdensome travel taxes, which target tourism, citing in particular the UK Airport Passenger Duty. It said that these taxes place a serious burden on poor countries, distorting markets and undermining universal efforts to promote fair tourism trade.

The Assembly also passed a Declaration encouraging governments to review burdensome border control regulations and visa policies and to simplify them

wherever possible to boost travel and increase its economic impacts.

UNWTO now has 161 Member states and regions and a record of 409 Affiliate Members. The Assembly called upon those UN member countries that do not yet belong to the UNWTO to join the organization.

The Assembly’s next session will be held in the Republic of Korea in 2011.

Irish budget airline Ryanair has said that if rival Aer Lingus keeps slashing costs and fails to grow, the government would eventually ask it to bail out the former state carrier.

“If they continue down this road of constant restructuring programmes, constant job cuts and no growth the government will ultimately be forced to come to Ryanair and ask us to rescue it,” Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary told national broadcaster RTE.

Aer Lingus’s new Chief Executive Christoph Mueller told staff on

Wednesday he planned to axe nearly one in five jobs and cut salaries to secure the loss-making carrier’s survival. The airline has struggled to compete with Ryanair, Europe’s largest budget airline and one of the most cost-efficient players in the industry.

Ryanair, still growing profit unlike rivals such as British Airways, has twice tried to take Aer Lingus over and recently saw a bid at 1.4 euros a share rejected by the government, which owns 25 percent of the airline. O’Leary said it was highly unlikely that Ryanair would table a third bid for Aer Lingus.

TAM airlines has announced that Commander David Barioni Neto has resigned from his position as the company’s chairman. Reasons for his resignation were not given.

Senior TAM executive Libano Miranda Barroso has temporarily taken over the position. Barroso is currently the company’s VP of finance, management and IT, as well as being chief executive officer of investor affairs and a member of the board of directors.

With peace returning to Sri Lanka, the country has declared 2011 a Visit Sri Lanka Year. It is targeting one million arrivals that year, compared to around 500,000 visitors expected this year.

Sri Lanka Convention Bureau senior manager Achini Dandunnage said “Over the last three months, we have seen foreign arrivals increase by 20 to 25 per cent.”

SriLankan Airlines is also optimistic and is introducing new routes to Europe in anticipation of more passengers. The airline has launched twice-weekly Colombo-Paris-Rome and Colombo-Frankfurt-Rome circuit flights. On December 16, it launched twice-weekly Colombo-Paris-Milan and Colombo-Frankfurt-Milan circuit flights.

Despite signs of an economic recovery, companies are unlikely to reverse expense cuts made to their travel policies, according to American Express Business Travel (Amex).

Amex head of advisory services Jonas Borglin said “C-level decision-makers who have control over travel budgets are determined to make a permanent change in the company’s travel purchase. “Amex estimated that companies saved from five to 20 per cent on travel and entertainment spending since changes were made in the last nine months.

Hotels that were able to comply with companies’ more stringent travel policies were increasingly favoured, although companies hit hard by the financial crunch would select hotels based on rates alone.

Commenting on the direction of airfares in 2010, Borglin predicted “a slight increase in airfares in general next year, although we may also see 20 to 30 per cent rebates on specific routes”.

SriLankan Airlines introduces new flights to Europe

Amex says Travel Budget Cuts Likely to be ‘Permanent’



Lufthansa relaunches Flynet for inflight Internet

EU extends in-flight liquids ban to 2012

From the middle of 2010, Lufthansa’s customers will once again be able to communicate via the Internet from above the clouds.

The airline is relaunching FlyNet, its on-board broadband Internet service. Together with its new business partner Panasonic, Lufthansa aims to equip a major part of its long-range fleet with FlyNet within the first year of operation. The service will gradually become available on all Lufthansa’s long-haul flights worldwide.

Lufthansa passengers will have WLAN Internet access and be able to send SMS messages by mobile phone. The new service will also permit inflight data transfer over standard GSM/GPRS mobile networks.

“In terms of communications, Lufthansa customers can look forward to a top-tier inflight service,” said Lufthansa CEO and Chairman Wolfgang Mayrhuber. “On long-haul routes, we offer business travellers, in particular, a range of communication options on a par with those available at powerful hotspots or upmarket hotels. FlyNet thus completes the standardised communications products for Lufthansa passengers throughout the entire travel chain.”

FlyNet is impressively user-friendly. Passengers with a WLAN or GSM/GPRS-compatible device can log on from any point in the aircraft cabin, just like at any public hotspot. They can choose to be billed via a mobile service provider, or pay by credit card.

Travelport launches hotel commission initiative to help Benelux travel agents boost their revenuesTravelport has launched its hotel commission initiative to Galileo-connected users in the Benelux. Following an exclusive agreement signed with Pegasus Solutions Inc, the new service was developed by the two organisations to empower Galileo-connected travel agencies to boost earnings from hotel commissions at a time of reduced commissions in other travel segments.

The exclusive program negotiated for Galileo agents will transfer booking data from the Galileo GDS to

Pegasus, which will then process, reconcile, consolidate and make weekly payments to agents.

Through the agreement, Pegasus, the preferred hotel commission service for travel agents, offers Galileo agents a reduced price on its commission processing services and the opportunity to more easily reconcile hotel bookings and collect hotel commissions. Processing more than $500 million in commissions each year, Pegasus delivers agents regularly scheduled, consolidated payments in their preferred currency.

Jet Airways Appoints New CEOJet Airways has appointed Nikos Kardassis its new acting CEO from October 15. Kardassis takes over from Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, now chief executive for British Midland International (BMI) in Europe.

Currently Jet Airways’ senior vice president of the Americas and previously the airline’s CEO (from 1994 to 1999), Kardassis retakes the helm at a time when the 16-year-old airline is going through its worst financial turbulence. Jet Airways posted a net loss of US$48.37 million in the quarter ended June 30. The airline is also facing a price war, a demand slump and pilot unrest.

The European Union will extend its ban on liquids in hand luggage until at least 2012.

EU Transport Commissioner, Antonio Tajani, said during a press conference last week that the ban would continue until technology that can tell the difference between dangerous and non-threatening fluids became widely available.

The ban was imposed in 2006 after UK police uncovered a terrorist plot to explode liquid explosives aboard planes in mid-flight above the Atlantic Ocean.

US Dept of Transport Warns Airlines not to set Arbitrary Limits on Baggage Claims

Last October the US Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a guidance letter to the airlines asking that they review their policies related to the reimbursement of passengers’ expenses related to lost, damaged, or delayed baggage.

Airlines were warned not to set arbitrary limits on reimbursements, such as the denial of related expenses for baggage

that is “expected” to reach the passenger within 24 hours. The DOT’s baggage liability rule contains no such limitations and even states that an airline “shall not limit its liability for provable direct or consequential damages.” According to DOT, an airline should remain willing to cover all reasonable, actual, and verifiable expenses related to baggage loss, damage, or delay up to US$3,300 per passenger.

The airlines were given 90 days notice to amend their contracts of carriage and related policies. Consumers who have been denied reimbursement coverage by an airline can file a complaint with the DOT at: Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings (C-70), US DOT, 1200 New Jersey Ave SE, Washington, DC 20590.




Give Consumers a Choice on Transatlantic Flights pleads BA Chief

Marriott eyes slow and uneven recoveryMarriott International expects to open 25,000 to 30,000 rooms in 2010, even though its Asia-Pacific properties have continued to suffer declines in occupancy and daily rates.

Marriott International chairman and CEO J.W. Marriott, Jr. said while the company had worked hard to rein in costs, it anticipated a slow and uneven

recovery. “Our continued focus on driving revenue, controlling costs and strengthening our balance sheet will position us to benefit from an improving economy.”

Overall, the company posted a US$466 million loss from continuing operations in the third quarter.

On 14 October, Willie Walsh, British Airways’ chief executive, made a plea to US authorities to strengthen competition on transatlantic flights.

Speaking in Washington DC, in a speech to the International Aviation Club, Mr Walsh called for parity among transatlantic global alliances by granting the oneworld alliance the anti trust immunity that its rival alliances, Star and Skyteam, already enjoy.

Mr Walsh said: “If approved, this agreement will bring substantial benefits to US-EU customers by offering an expanded route network, improved schedules and connectivity, greater access to discounted fares, fully reciprocal frequent flyer programmes and integrated corporate deals. Above all, it will provide customers with choice. The Star and Skyteam alliances already operate across the Atlantic with the benefit of anti-trust immunity. But surely a market of 800 million potential consumers deserves a choice of more than two network providers. If Star and Skyteam remain the only immunised alliances across the Atlantic, we could end up with an untouchable duopoly. I do not believe that customers would want that”.

Mr Walsh dismissed claims that access for new competitors to London Heathrow was restricted. He pointed out that the US-EU Open Skies agreement, which came into effect last year, enables any US or EU airline to fly from Heathrow to America.

He said: “Some people had argued that it would be impossible for competitors to gain access to Heathrow.

They were wrong. The first phase of the US-EU Open Skies deal made Heathrow an open airport. As soon as it came into effect, the number of operators flying between Heathrow and the US more than doubled.

“Slots at Heathrow are available – just ask the Star alliance. Star already possesses more than a quarter of Heathrow slots, far more than any other alliance at a competitor’s European hub. Yes, Heathrow is busy. But that is a consequence of the fact that it is the most competitive hub in the EU, with more airlines and more flights on transatlantic routes than any other airport”.

The US Department of Transportation is expected to rule on the oneworld anti trust immunity application by the end of October. DOT approval would enable British Airways and its oneworld partners American Airlines and Iberia to operate a transatlantic joint business, subject to European Union approval.

Starwood Opens Its 150th Hotel in Asia Pacific as CEO says Growth Opportunities in the Region are ‘Unsurpassed’Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has opened its 150th hotel in Asia Pacific – the ITC Royal Gardenia in Bengaluru, India.

The hotel, part of the group’s Luxury Collection, includes a business centre, meetings and events venues, tropical gardens, five restaurants and a spa. The opening of the new 292-room hotel underscores Starwood’s long-term strategic growth plans in Asia Pacific, where it has executed 23 new deals in 2009.

“Reaching our 150th hotel in Asia Pacific is an important next step for Starwood as we progress on

the journey to open our 1,000th hotel and resort worldwide,” said Frits van Paasschen, President and CEO of Starwood. “The growth opportunities in Asia Pacific are unsurpassed perhaps anywhere in the world. And we are working with our best-in-class partners to further extend our position as the region’s largest upper-upscale and luxury hotel company, while strengthening our place as the industry innovator in the select service segment.”

Starwood already opened seven hotels this year, prior to the opening of ITC Royal Gardenia, and another seven are slated to open by year end.

On 30 October Air France took delivery of its first Airbus A380. Three of the twelve planes on order will be delivered to Air France between now and spring 2010, to be closely followed by a fourth. Regular commercial services on the A380 were launched on 23rd November, with a daily service now running between Paris Charles de Gaulle and New York JFK.

Air France is thus the first European carrier to operate this Superjumbo, and the first airline worldwide to offer A380 transatlantic flights.

First A380 services for Air France


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Despite restrictions Tibet saw record tourism in 2009

A record 4.75 million tourists visited China’s Tibet in the first nine months of 2009, more than twice as many as in all of 2008 when unrest led to a ban on foreigners.

The local government has slashed the cost of holiday packages, hotels and tickets to draw tourists back to the picturesque Himalayan region, the Xinhua news agency reported. “It’s a high point for Tibet’s tourism industry,” Wang Songping, deputy director of the regional tourism bureau, was quoted as saying. Wang said visitors to the Buddhist region generated four billion yuan (586 million dollars) in revenue in the January to September period.

China banned foreign tourists from visiting Tibet after deadly anti-Chinese riots erupted in Lhasa and across the Tibetan plateau in March 2008. The number of visitors to the region fell to 2.2 million in 2008 as compared with four million the year before.

Beijing also barred foreigners in March of this year during the tense 50th anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against China that sent the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, into exile. Foreign tourists must obtain special permission from China’s government to enter Tibet, where resentment against Chinese control has seethed for decades.

World Travel Awards Unveiled European WinnersEuropcar, Adam & Eve Hotels, Carlson Wagonlit Travel and Virgin Atlantic Airways were amongst companies who triumphed during the World Travel Awards European regional ceremony, staged in the luxurious Marriott Praia D’El Rey in Portugal on 17th October. The awards, described by the Wall Street Journal as the ‘Oscars’ of the global travel and tourism industry, revealed who are the ‘best of the best’ in the region.

In the European categories, Lufthansa won the title Europe’s Leading Airline and Marriott Hotels Resorts & Suites won Europe’s Leading Hotel Brand. The accolade for Europe’s Leading Destination went to Lisbon, Portugal, while Carlson Wagonlit Travel took home the award for Europe’s Leading Travel Management Company. Viajes Iberia won the title of Europe’s Leading Travel Agency and Virgin Atlantic

Airways won Europe’s Leading Marketing Campaign for their ’25 Years Still Red Hot’ campaign. A number of national category awards were also presented throughout the evening.

Nearly 1500 travel companies were nominated in 177 categories in the prestigious ceremony, held in partnership with Marriott Praia D’El Rey, Bom Sucesso, TAP Portugal and Turismo Do Oeste. Senior management and decision makers of Europe’s travel and tourism industry came together to celebrate their achievements during the ceremony.

Each winner has automatically been put forward for the spectacular WTA Grand Final which will take place at the five-star Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott Hotel in London on November 8th, immediately before World Travel Market.

Business and leisure travellers from tier one and tier two cities across China will travel more and spend more in 2009 and 2010,

according to a study by TNS research agency.

According to the study, 90 per cent of Chinese business and leisure travellers claimed to travel more in 2009 over 2008, while 80 per cent of both business and leisure

travellers said their shopping budget in 2009 had increased or stayed the same, despite the recession. The study also found that 60 per cent of respondents combined business and leisure, while less than 10 per cent travelled purely on business. Neel Banerjee, head of the TNS travel and leisure practice in Hong Kong, said this suggested business travellers could be persuaded to extend their trip for a few days of leisure, perhaps including their family or friends.

The Chinese leisure market is being driven primarily by bargain hunting, with travellers taking advantage of attractive packages, low airfares and budget airlines and hotels. The survey respondents ranked Australia highest in terms of destination experience satisfaction, followed by Singapore, New Zealand and Hong Kong

TNS research forecasts Chinese to travel and spend more



Hotel foreclosures in California more than tripled in the first nine months of 2009 as business travelers and vacationers cut spending. In the period from January through to September, there were 47 foreclosures, up from 15 a year earlier.

According to Smith Travel Research in Tennessee, occupancy in Los Angeles dropped to 65 percent in January through August, down from 75 percent a year earlier.

Overall occupancy in the top 25 U.S. travel markets fell to 61 percent in the first eight months of the year, from 69 percent a year earlier.

Travel Slump Triples

Californian Hotel Foreclosures Moscow has the most expensive

rooms in the world for business travellers, according to the annual hotel survey by Hogg Robinson Group, a corporate travel services company. British business travellers paid an average of £266.56 for a hotel room in the Russian capital in 2009 (down from £303 in 2008). London hotel rates fell by five per cent to an average of £151.56, leaving it in the position as the 29th most expensive city.

Moscow is the most expensive city for business travellers

United Airlines, Continental Airlines Inc and All Nippon Airways are seeking a waiver of antitrust rules from the United States to allow them to coordinate on flights and fares between the US and Japan.

The three airlines, all members of Star Alliance, have filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation seeking antitrust immunity in an effort to compete more effectively with other global airline alliances. Anti-trust immunity would permit the carriers to share pricing, scheduling and other information on specific routes.

This application for anti-trust immunity came less than two weeks after Japan and the United

States reached a so-called “open skies” agreement to further liberalize air service, particularly into and out of Tokyo. “This joint venture, coupled with the recently announced open skies agreement between the U.S. and Japan, will significantly enhance our ability to serve customers in Japan and throughout Asia,” United Chief Executive Glenn Tilton said in a statement.

The filing also come at a time when the industry is awaiting the final outcome of an existing application from American and British Airways Plc for antitrust immunity that would allow them to coordinate trans-Atlantic routes. The Obama administration has vowed to take a closer look at these relationships and applications for issues of competitiveness.

United, Continental and ANA apply for anti-trust immunity on US-Japan routes

Lufthansa plans to relaunch

services to IraqAs Iraq is increasingly opening up to civil aviation, demand for flights to the country is growing. Lufthansa is examining the possibility of launching

services to Iraq this summer, subject to obtaining traffic rights.

The routes currently in the pipeline are to serve the capital,

Baghdad, and the city of Erbil in Northern Iraq from Frankfurt and Munich. Lufthansa previously operated flights to Baghdad, but services were stopped at the start of the Gulf War in 1990.




Mexico City expects tourist numbers to increase 35% in 2010Mexico City attracted 10.4 million tourists in 2009, with an estimated benefit to the capital of 3.3 million dollars.

Tourism was negatively affected by the recession in Mexico and the US and by the swine flu outbreak in April and May, when authorities shut down public entertainment venues and restricted restaurant activity. City Tourism Minister Alejandro Rojas is however optimistic and expects tourist numbers are expected to grow to 14 million in 2010.

United Airlines cuts staff

United Airlines, the third largest US airline, has cut staff by 140 workers. An additional 100 customer-service representatives and workers at the airport are being transformed to part-time status, according to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

United announced in June 2008 that it was grounding more than 20 percent of its fleet and laying off 7,000 workers as its fuel costs hit the stratosphere. Although oil prices later fell, United continued with the cost-cutting measures, which helped reduce its losses as a global recession cooled demand for business travel in 2009.

However some are questioning whether United is cutting too deeply. United and other carriers have automated much of the work that once was handled by customer-service representatives, encouraging passengers to check in for flights at home and trace lost bags using airport kiosks. United also is testing “line-buster” technology at O’Hare, using hand-held computers to rebook passengers who have missed connections.

United has replied to these questions saying that it needs fewer front-line workers because it is dealing with fewer travellers. It says it is confident that is has adequate resources to serve its customers.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has announced its agreement with the government of China to hold the 2010 Global Travel & Tourism Summit in Beijing from May 25-27.

According to WTTC research in 2009, China’s travel and tourism industry accounts for 9.8 percent of its GDP and 60.8 million jobs. Over

the next ten years, China is also expected to be the fastest-growing economy in the world – in addition to being the leader in terms of travel and tourism growth. All of this makes China an ideal location for the Global Travel & Tourism Summit.

The WTTC board was unanimous in its decision to select China. “Our members are all delighted that we

will be going to Beijing, capital of the world’s most dynamic travel and tourism economy and one of the most interesting and exciting new tourism destinations,” said Jean-Claude Baumgarten, WTTC president & CEO. “Our partnership with the government of China will provide a much-needed platform for dialogue among leaders of industry and government, shaping the future of travel and tourism

Beijing to host 10th Global Travel & Tourism Summit

Eurostar, the high-speed passenger service which links the UK and the continent, celebrated 15 years of service on 13 November.

Over the years it has carried over 100 million travellers and made the equivalent mileage of 338 trips to the moon. It celebrated the event with a multi-media advertising campaign, a 15th anniversary competition and a spectacular event at Searcy’s Champagne Bar at St Pancras International.

Eurostar celebrates 15 years and over 100 million travellers


S

ManageMent

GLEnn WASTyn, PRESIDEnT oF UTHE BTo AnD CoMMERCIAL DIRECToR BELGIUM AnD LUXEMBoURG FoR BCD TRAVEL

HERVé SEDKy, VP AnD GEnERAL UMAnAGER AMERICAn EXPRESS BUSInESS TRAVEL

TATE-SIDE, THE AMERI-

CAN SOCIETy OF TRAVEL

AGENTS’ RECENT TRAVEL

AGENCy BUSINESS TRENDS

SURVEy SHOWED, UNSURPRIS-

INGLy, THAT THE MAJORITy OF

AGENCIES REPORTED LOSSES

IN 2009. Comparing the first half of 2009 to 2008, 78.2 percent of agencies saw revenues decrease, 75.2 percent saw the number of transactions decrease and 63.6 percent saw a decrease in the number of clients. Corporate agencies saw the biggest fall in revenues. The survey also shows that most leisure agen-cies are expecting to recover from the beginning of 2010, with corporate agencies not expecting improvements until the second quarter or later. But have industry results been as severe in Europe?

Graham Ramsey, Group CEO of business travel and events agency ATPI said “as we have operations across Europe, as well as in the United States and the Far East, we are well placed to comment on these trends in the corporate travel sector. In our

With 2009, a traumatic year for the travel and tourism industry, now behind us, surveys and forecasts are painting a slightly rosier picture for 2010. The Corporate Traveller compiles some of the highlights from these reports, as well as comments from leading travel industry experts, for an overview of the year ahead.

Travel trends and forecasts for 2010

experience I think it is fair to say that the bulk of Europe has been less hard hit than the USA so the American Society of Travel Agents figures, whilst similar in trend, are not so extreme this side of the Atlantic.”

Willem Starink, Divisional Man-aging Director of ATP for Nether-lands and Belgium added “here in the Benelux region we have seen a slight improvement over the last quarter of 2009. The numbers of

transactions are already improv-ing but the value of the airfares is dropping – clearly this is great news for our clients as airlines continue to offer aggressively low fares to fill their excess capacity. We anticipate a further recovery effective from the second quarter of 2010, as airfares are likely to rise with improved load factors. Looking at our business we can already see large corporate accounts remaining prudent on their travel spend, but the SME

“We anticipate a further recovery effective from the second quarter of 2010, as airfares are likely to rise with improved load factors.”

[Willem Starink, ATP]


GRAHAM RAMSEy, ATPI GRoUP, UCEo

WILLEM STARInK, ATP DIVISIonAL UMD BELGIUM AnD nETHERLAnDS

market is showing strong signs of recovery – in fact almost back to pre – downturn levels”.

The hotel sector Turning specifically to the hotel sector, according to American Express, Europe is showing signs of recovery. Karen Penney, Vice President Business Solu-tions, American Express Global Commercial Card explained “we believe the start of recovery in the hotel sector is a direct result of the industry’s proactive response to balancing supply and demand. Many hotel chains have shut down floors, closed marginally profitable hotels, put a stop on new builds and postponed open-ings. The hotel market is still a buyer’s market but this window of opportunity may be closing.”

Across the travel industry as a whole, American Express Business Travel believes that the prolonged period of weak demand depressed prices across travel categories in 2009 but following this weakened demand it expects a pent up need for travel and meetings to be unleashed in early 2010. Travel industry buyers are echoing this confidence in the industry. World Travel Market’s Meridian Club poll of senior industry buyers, which was published in January, showed that 84% of are optimistic about the industry’s prospects for 2010. Only 6% fear 2010 will see the travel sector perform worse than it did in 2009.

Airline prices won’t stay at lower rates“Air ticket prices started to fall from last spring and they are cur-

rently still cheaper than usual” observes Glenn Wastyn, President of the Belgian Travel Organisa-tion and Commercial Director of BCD Travel Belgium and Luxem-bourg. “However we assume that the new trend for consolidation in the airline industry – merg-ers, anti-trust agreements and alliances, means that real airline competition is dropping, so ticket prices may go up. Whereas last year, airlines were looking for our support to overcome the crisis, this year we are already seeing a more bullish approach with their alliance partners.”

Changing attitudes on alternatives to travelA return on investment approach in travel is more important now than ever before and

Companies have been taking a closer look at ways to cut travel costs. ACTE’s survey of corporate travel managers ‘Corporate-Travel Spend Plans & Tactics’ anticipates the increased use of travel alternatives in 2010. Just over half of the survey’s respon-dents say they will rely more on electronic alternatives, such as web and video-conferencing, in order to meet their travel spend reduction goals. “Businesses are adapting to a fundamental shift in thinking focused on proving the value of travel and every employee connection” said Hervé Sedky, vice president and gen-eral manager, American Express Business Travel.

Despite this, doubts and confusion persist about the effectiveness of using these technologies as travel replacements. David Tarsh, spokesman for European Tour Operators Association agrees with these doubts. “Corporate travel has suffered from compa-nies trying to cut costs but this is actually a short sighted measure. When senior executives travel, it is usually to service and generate business. Businesses are starting

to realise that cutting marketing and travel costs are short term decisions which have long term impact for future sales. On the whole, there is a lot of optimism that 2010 is going to be better, but one has to keep that in context of the awful last year. It is still going to be horribly competitive for traditional travel agents and those agencies that did manage to make profits last year were successful in managing costs.”

“Last year the leisure market in Europe was more resilient than the business market, as consum-ers had not really been hit yet” says Glenn Wastyn. “Leisure was down 8% year-on-year, but business was down by 28% – a significant difference. It is pos-sible that the 2009 trend will reverse this as we anticipate that

household budgets in Europe will now start to be impacted further, but that business travel could eventually recover in 2010. We started to see a slight im-provement in December in the business travel market but it is still not up to pre-September 2008 levels. A positive sign is that industry thinks the upturn will be from the third quarter of this year but it’s still a little soon to say. Our business customers probably will evaluate their own business performance by the end of the summer in order to assess where to invest, and that is when they will establish their budgets”.

“Businesses are adapting to a fundamental shift in thinking focused on proving the value of travel and every employee

connection”

[Hervé Sedky, American Express Business Travel]

“Businesses are starting to realise that cutting marketing and travel costs are short term decisions which have long term impact for future sales”

[David Tarsh, European Tour Operators Association]


P

ManageMent

RIOR TO COPENHAGEN,

ORGANIzATIONS INCLUD-

ING THE WORLD TRAVEL AND

TOURISM COUNCIL, the World Economic Forum and IATA submitted recommendations in the hope that they would be used as guidelines by policy makers at the summit. The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) report “Towards a Low Carbon Travel and Tourism

Sector” was produced in coop-eration with numerous travel and tourism industries and organisa-tions. Analyzing that travel and tourism currently account for 5% of global emissions, the report addresses specific areas including air transport and ac-commodation, and puts together a clear framework of suggested measures for reduction of carbon

emissions. Although activities are already taking place throughout the industry to increase energy efficiency, the report called for support from policy makers at Copenhagen for a more global approach to legislation, as well as funding for investments in sustainability.

Aviation has been particularly proactive in its carbon emissions reduction programme. This is partly in response to the threat of regulations being imposed and also for the sound economic reason of saving on fuel costs. IATA’s CEO Giovanni Bisignani recently confirmed that “Air-lines, airports, air navigation service providers and manufac-turers are reinforced in their commitment to a net reduction in carbon emissions of 50% by 2050 compared to 2005.” Planes are being replaced by more fuel

The Copenhagen COP 15 Summit in December was an eagerly awaited event in the international calendar, both politically and environmentally. The carbon emission reduction targets set by the Kyoto agreement are coming to an end in 2012. It was thus hoped that Copenhagen

would be the stage for a new set of legally binding agreements for governments, as well as more in depth action plans for industry sectors. Travel and tourism has been particularly active in proposing initiatives that need to be taken. As theirs is an industry with no geographical boundaries, they are lobbying policy makers to initiate fair and global legislation on emissions reductions.

Copenhagen Summit and the Travel Sector

efficient models and the sector is undertaking other initiatives to lower its impact on climate change. These include more efficient air traffic management systems, such as NextGen, and work on sustainable biofuels.

global legislation and project funding are neededWith airline profits being squeezed, the industry is looking to policy makers for financing and incentives to support its green investments. It recommends that a portion of funds collected from fiscal measures, such as carbon taxes, be invested back in the aviation and the broader travel and tourism sector. This would provide much needed project funding for sustainable initia-tives, especially research and development into new aircraft technologies. In addition the

“Airlines, airports, air navigation

service providers and manufacturers are reinforced in their

commitment to a net reduction in carbon

emissions of 50% by 2050 compared to 2005.”

[Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s CEO]


aviation industry is particularly underlining the need for a more global, unified legislation. It says that national and regional legis-lation on emissions, such as the taxes levied on passengers at UK airports and the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme, create competi-tive disadvantages. It was hoped that in Copenhagen a new in-ternational aviation agreement would be put in place to avoid a patchwork of conflicting national and regional policies.

The hotel and accommodation sector is much less advanced in its carbon reduction pro-grammes. As around 80% of hotels are managed by small

to medium-sized companies, it is a fragmented and less inter-nationally organised sector. For hotels to improve their energy efficiency they need to invest in renovations such as replacing heating and insulation systems. Because of the high cost of these improvements, hotels are typically only refurbished every 20 to 30 years. Financial incen-tives, such as tax exemptions, would accelerate hotel refur-bishment and lead to significant reductions in emissions in the accommodation sector. It is also clear that there is a need for internationally accepted stan-dards and metrics to measure sustainability improvements in the travel sector. These global environmental standards are, in addition, needed by travel purchasers in order to make informed decisions on the sus-tainability of different suppliers and travel products.

next round to take place in MexicoDisappointingly, the Summit failed to reach a legally binding agreement on carbon emission reductions, or to implement sector-wide initia-tives, as had been hoped for by the travel industry. Many observers said that the sum-mit failed to meet even the modest expectations set by leaders and declared it to be a frustrating conclusion to a

“Overall, COP 15 alleviated external pressure on the aviation industry”

[Thea Chiesa, WEF]

“We’ve come a long way but we have much further to go”

[Barack Obama]

two year process. However, the machine is continuing to turn. COP meets yearly and the next summit, COP 16, is set to take place in December in Mexico.

Thea Chiesa, Head of Aviation, Travel & Tourism Industries at the World Economic Forum and also one of the main authors of the WEF’s report, remains pragmatic. She gave us her reac-tions on the Summit’s outcome. “I think we need to be positive about this and think about the next steps. Overall, COP 15 al-leviated external pressure on the aviation industry. No emissions targets or actions are imposed on the sector and there is an opportunity here for the aviation community to fill the gap left by COP15 and proactively shape its own future in advance of COP 16 in Mexico.”

IATA agreed that Copenhagen was a least a step in the right direction and saw it as an indication that the industry’s own efforts to reduce emissions have been recognised. “We came to Copenhagen to be part of the deal and we were encouraged by

the level of support for the in-dustry’s global sectoral approach and targets” said Giovanni Bisignani. “We will work closely with International Civil Avia-tion Organisation to prepare a global framework for managing aviation’s emissions and we will urge governments to ensure this framework is presented to COP16 in December 2010. The goals we have set ourselves show that the aviation industry is even ahead of its regulators in its approach to climate change. We have been diligent with our homework. Now governments must create the right legal and fiscal infrastructures to support us.”

As Barack Obama observed after the summit “We’re going to have to build on the momentum that we’ve established here in Copenhagen. We’ve come a long way but we have much further to go.” Could the December COP 16 summit in Mexico finally be the right time for achieving a real and concrete agreement?


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ManageMent

IMeX 2010 on target for bigger business

HE TRADE SHOW’S PER-

FORMANCE TO DATE

CONFIRMS THE RESULTS OF

THE LATEST IMEX GLOBAL

INSIGHTS REPORT (LAST

qUARTER 2009). THE REPORT

ASKED A STANDING PANEL OF

45 SENIOR INTERNATIONAL

MEETINGS INDUSTRy AND

CORPORATE PROFESSIONALS

FOR THEIR VIEWS ABOUT THE

COMING yEAR. 57% expected the number of meetings, events and incentives they organised to remain the same. A further 33% confidently expected the number of events they held to be even higher in 2010.

Says Ray Bloom, Chairman of the IMEX Group, “Our experi-ence of both exhibitor and hosted buyer numbers upholds these findings. It suggests that the underlining fundamentals in our industry are robust, despite a changing global economic outlook. This bears out the fact that virtually every sector of our industry is consis-tently prepared to commit to IMEX knowing they have the opportunity of meeting the right people, doing good business and being assured of getting all the support they need.”

Strong hotel representation Hotel groups will continue to be represented strongly at IMEX with many of the larger global groups bringing in additional hosted buyers for 2010. Ritz Carlton, Moevenpick Hotels, Fairmont/Swissotel Raffles and Starwood Hotels & Resorts have all increased their stand space. Scandic Hotels and Albert Man-agement of Latvia will exhibit for the first time and Warwick International makes a welcome return.

Other new exhibitors so far confirmed for 2010 include Co-lumbia, Meeting Point Interna-tional and Showcare. The IMEX Wild Card Winners for 2010 are also all first-time exhibitors in the international meetings and events industry. The Wild Card Pavilion will host one of the fastest emerging destinations in Africa – Uganda – together with the mountain town of Morzine in France and the new Hof Conference and Cultural Center, Iceland.

Demand for exhibition space has been particularly strong from Asian meetings and events

Four months out from the opening of the eighth IMEX in Frankfurt organisers, the IMEX Group, have announced that they are on course to deliver more business opportunities than ever when the doors open on 25 May.

industry suppliers with Macau, Sri Lanka and Indian Holiday all expanding their presence. US exhibitors have also confirmed their enthusiasm and commit-ment with Anchorage, Arizona, Chicago, Texas and New York City already contracted and all those who attended in 2009 expected to exhibit on the IMEX US Pavilion again in 2010.

The Spanish Tourist Office is now firmly established as the second largest exhibitor at IMEX

with just over 800 square metres of floor space. Both Madrid and Valencia will be taking their own exhibition stands.

Other exhibitors who have also increased their exhibition sizes at the Frankfurt show so far include the Czech Tourism Authority; Luxembourg; Carat Tours; Liberty International and Discovery Jordan.

Visitor and hosted buyer

registration is now open.

For more information visit

www.imex-frankfurt.com.


P rincipal findingsBelgians clearly put fam-

ily at the top of their priorities, though the extent to which they do so varies by region. Those who hail from Flanders suffer the least from the situation (21%), followed by those from Wallonia (32%) and Brussels (30%). Walloons more often opt to holiday with the family (74%) while Flemish split their vaca-tions between family (62%) and

No more guilt!

Do Europeans feel guilty leaving their families behind when they head out on business trips? British Airways asked this question in a study of 6,000 Europeans, 1,000 of whom were Belgian. The results are striking: close to a quarter of Belgians feel guilty at the thought of regularly leaving their partners and/or families when they travel for business. British Airways understands that this is an unpleasant situation and offers free flights to business travellers to help them achieve a better work-life balance.

friends (26%). Across all Belgians surveyed, one out of ten works 40 to 60 hours per week. With such a schedule, finding time to spend with the family often seems like an impossible mission. According to the Europeans interviewed, Belgium (along with Israel and Russia) is among the worst countries for work-life balance. Even so, close to half (48%) of Belgians assert they are satis-fied with the balance they have

achieved. What’s more, close to three-quarters of the Europeans surveyed feel that leaving on holiday is too expensive.

Finding a better balance Aware that too much time away from home can cause distress, British Airways is adding yet another benefit to its Club World advantages that help business travellers make the most of the time they spend with the airline. The newest offering is an extraor-dinary European Executive Club BA Miles promotion that lets fre-quent travellers earn free flights they can use for their loved ones. Through 31 December 2009, for every British Airways return flight in Club World business class or in First, passengers will earn enough BA Miles to redeem for a free flight on the airline. Just what the doctor ordered for the two-thirds of Europeans who want to spend some of their free time on holiday.

Direct access to Silver statusBritish Airways is extending a first-time promotional offer to holders of the Blue loyalty card and to all passengers who are not yet members of the Executive Club to receive Silver status for one year. By joining the Executive Club, they will receive all Club benefits and be automatically upgraded to the Silver tier once they have com-pleted their first return flight in Club World business class or in First. Silver status comes with a host of benefits, such as access to more than 250 lounges worldwide, priority check-in and a guaranteed economy seat on your chosen British Airways flight, even if it is full. Jean-Pierre Martin, Sales Manager at British Airways Belgium: “Many of us work under stress but we still want to be able to have a so-cial life and spend valuable time

with our family. But finding the right balance is not always easy. When travellers choose British Airways, they can work smarter and make the most of the money they spend on airline tickets. Plus British Airways travellers receive free flights they can then use with their loved ones.”

Travelling just got easierChoosing British Airways opens the door to a host of benefits for business travellers. In London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 they will connect quickly and smoothly without having to change termi-nals. They also have access to a dedicated, secure Club World check-in area and an expedited passage through customs. BA’s exclusive international lounges have everything a business trav-eller needs to maximize produc-tivity. Aboard the plane, the new Club World Kitchen offers hot or cold snacks for complete dining independence. And each seat in Club World is like a private capsule where you can sleep, work or relax. It even boasts a completely horizontal bed to ensure a good night’s sleep.

Flexibility, free time and comfortBusiness travellers clearly put a lot of stock in finding a good work-life balance. So British Airways has decided to build on its experience with British Airways Club World, where flexibility, free time and comfort are key. The bonus BA Miles promotional offer is one way to rebalance your family life when it starts to shift in the wrong direction. Every traveller who flies in Club World or First will receive a bonus flight—for free! To learn more about this offer, to join the Executive Club or to travel on British Airways and enjoy free flights, visit www.ba.com/rewardflights.

THE FAS T AIRLINE BET WEEN EUROPE AND ASIA

Finnair fl ies the fast and short northern route from Brussels to nine Asian destinations. Flying via Helsinki offers high fl ight frequency and smooth connections – Helsinki has been rated as one of the best transfer airports in Europe. Welcome aboard – book your fl ights at www.fi nnair.com/be. Learn more about our fast routes, modern fl eet and world-class quality at feel.fi nnair.com.

OUR ROUTE NET WORK COVERS THE WHOLE OF ASIA.

BEIJ ING

SHANGHAI

HONG KONG

BANGKOK

DELHI

TOKYO

OSAKA

NAGOYA

SEOUL


ManageMent

Amadeus introduces the Amateur-expert Traveller

Amadeus, a leading provider of technology and distribution solutions to the travel and tourism industry, has identified the Amateur-Expert Traveller. He is more knowledgeable, more adventurous and more likely to live in an emerging economy than ever before – and his rise in importance coincides with innovations in the trip experience and the growth of niche travel in the post-recessionary environment.

for travel agents to share their expertise with increasingly adventurous travellers.

The responsive journey:• 62% of those surveyed think that the journey experience is ripe for techno-logical innovation. The maturity of mobile internet will give rise to massive innovation around the trip itself.

All niches great and small:• travel companies’ revenue streams are becoming more evenly spread over a wider range of products. The traditional 80/20 sales distribution curve no longer applies to all. 38% of respondents said that 80% of their revenues is derived from 60% or more of their products. Similarly, niche travel is now presenting opportunities for travel companies. Those surveyed identified adventure travel (83%), religious travel (55%), and weddings (45%) as key growth areas for specialist holidays.

According to Ian Wheeler, Vice President, Market-ing and Distribution, Amadeus: “The growing expertise of travellers has had a profound impact on the travel industry, as the average consumer,

“The maturing of the mobile internet will give rise to massive innovation around the trip itself.”

MADEUS, A LEADING PROVIDER OF TECH-

NOLOGy AND DISTRIBUTION SOLUTIONS

TO THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRy, has identified the Amateur-Expert Traveller. He is more knowledgeable, more adventurous and more likely to live in an emerging economy than ever before – and his rise in importance coincides with innovations in the trip experience and the growth of niche travel in the post-recessionary environ-ment.

Based on primary research with 2,719 travel professionals, as well as 30 thought-leaders and senior executives from companies such as Kayak, Forrester and Qatar Airways, the report highlights three significant developments:

The Amateur-Expert Traveller:• the average consumer has been empowered by the internet, and the dynamics of the relationship between travel companies and their customers is chang-ing. 73% of industry professionals welcome the greater knowledge brought by user-generated content. This knowledge drives up customer expectations, and creates new opportunities

A


to Mexico, Miami or the Bahamas but you do know you want to go to the beach. Thanks to Extreme Search, a traveller could narrow their search to ‘beach holidays, anytime between November and January at 25 degrees Celsius’ . Relevant destina-tions from across the globe would then be displayed. Extreme Search is one of the many new technological concepts which will intuitively help travellers find what they want quickly, and guide them towards new experiences based on their interests.”

The rise of the BrIC economies As BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) econo-mies continue to grow, the traditional tourism and business travel landscape is changing. Our survey predicts that by 2020, China will be the third largest tourist destination in the world, ahead of traditionally second-placed Spain. Moreover, economic growth in these countries means that holidaymakers and business travellers are increas-ingly likely to be from Brazil, Russia, India and China. Successful travel companies will need to bear in mind the cultural specificity of serving Chi-nese or Brazilian holidaymakers instead of North Americans or Europeans.

In addition, while many industry watchers think the internet will take over the travel industry, 75% of industry experts think that we won’t all be booking our holidays online. As more of the world becomes accessible, we will still need the help of traditional travel agents to help us find that holiday that’s just a little bit more interesting. This is particularly true for the developing economies where a premium is placed on customer service and human interaction.

According to Wheeler: “The last year has been chal-lenging – there’s no doubt about it. But we can clearly see the desire within the industry to grow, adapt, and innovate around the whole consumer experience.”

ManageMent

empowered by the internet, is increasingly well-informed. However these greater customer expec-tations are actually being embraced by the travel industry, and they are spurring on a new wave of innovation in the wake of the recession.”

Innovation in new technologies across the whole trav-el experience will be a critical source of new services and revenue streams for travel companies. According to the survey, one third of respondents thought that virtual reality will soon have the biggest impact on the travel experience by matching holidaymakers with destinations much more accurately.

But virtual reality is just one of many different tech-nologies that will shape our travel experience in the future. Amadeus recently presented a new Extreme Search solution, a search engine that transforms travel websites into a ‘traveller playground’ where consumers can explore and select their trip based on their desired holiday experience, rather than simply searching for flights along specific routes on exact dates. Driven by Amadeus’ ‘Extreme Search’ concept, travellers can ask ‘Where can I go and what can I do, for the money I want to spend?’ and instantly find clear alternatives, on the same initial search page.

According to Wheeler “You do not always enter a store looking for a blue shirt or a striped tie. In the same way, you do not always know if you want to go

“Extreme Search is one of the many new technological

concepts which will intuitively help travellers find what they want quickly,

and guide them towards new experiences

based on their interests.”

The entire report can be found on the Amadeus-website:

http://www.amadeus.com/benelux/amateur-expert

IAn WHEELER, VICE PRESIDEnT, MARKETInG AnD DISTRIBUTIon, AMADEUS U


W

Amateur Expert Traveller

“The trends are familiar, but accelerated”

The Corporate Traveller got the opportunity to discuss the Amateur-Expert Traveller report with Luc Pannecoeck, General Manager of Amadeus Benelux. Pannecoeck does not observe any earth-shaking surprises in the survey results, but he does see some interesting tendencies.

hat was the reason for this survey?

Luc Pannecoeck: “Amadeus has already com-missioned several different surveys in the past. Two years ago, we conducted the Traveller Tribes 2020 survey, in which we took a look at the future. For us, as a technology provider, it is of course of great importance that we are able to look ahead. We can then can spot the needs of clients as early as possible and adapt our products accordingly. Acquiring this knowledge is the starting point and we can then add something more so that we can offer a solution with technology as a basis. For these reasons we commissioned the survey.”

“It is a broad study about the consumer in general. We didn’t want to focus on corporate or leisure travel, but we do see that these general tendencies tend to be also applicable for corporate travel.”

what are the most significant trends that this survey has brought to light?Luc Pannecoeck: “First and foremost, our report shows some trends that were already known to us, but that were hidden due to the economic crisis. In fact this was part of the reason for our analysis – to find out the current impact of the economic crisis on existing trends. And it is clear that to a large extent, the economic crisis has accelerated certain tendencies. Now, what are these tenden-cies? First of all, there is the switch to the online realm, which has a very strong presence and is seeing further growth. Furthermore there is also the question that many are asking about the role of the travel agent. This is also reflected in the title of our report – ‘The Amateur-Expert Traveller,’ in light of the fact that people are so well informed by everything that can be found in search engines and on the Internet, that they sometimes know more about the trip they’re going to take than the travel agents themselves. Thirdly, we are also seeing a clear tendency towards the use of technology as


ManageMent

a solution for a number of problems. Technology brings an increase in productivity for the travel agent, but also a humanisation of the travel experi-ence through mobile applications and so forth.”

How do you arrive at the conclusion that these tendencies are linked specifically to the economic crisis?Luc Pannecoeck: “We see a sharp increase in the number of online bookings. This is true for leisure travel as well as for corporate travel. One of the reasons for this becomes very clear in the study. The consumer is now, in comparison with a year ago, much more aware of the price factor. And he or she is also aware that certain airlines are not filling their seats due to the crisis, and that as a result, there are good deals to be had. These are just a few factors that logically go hand-in-hand with the crisis.”

Doesn’t the enormous abundance of information ensure that one simply gets too overwhelmed and that that makes it harder to make the right choice?Luc Pannecoeck: “I think that we have to make a distinction between so-called ‘managed’ travel and leisure travel. In the first case, you have a corporate organisation that asks a travel agent to take over a number of roles for them. Searching and booking is a part of that, but it goes much further when you take into account other functions such as reporting. The travel agent thus plays a big role and brings a great deal of added value in negotiating and searching for the best rates. When we look at the other end of the spectrum, with leisure travel, I certainly recognise that there is an oversupply, but you also see that consumers clearly know what they are looking for, assuming of course they are able to make conscious choices using the information they find.”

The traveller is thus spending a lot more time searching. Do you see this trend receding in economically better times? Luc Pannecoeck: “I do not think that this trend will have much to do with the economic crisis. The question that must be asked is what travel providers or middlemen can offer as added value to the client. When clients become used to going to a website to make a booking, they will tend to not drop everything to go back to the travel agent, unless the agent can show that they offer some extra value. This is a phase that we have entered somewhat already. Travel agencies and agents are very busy looking for added value and reinventing their model, because they are under a great deal of pressure. It’s necessary to make a distinction here between leisure and corporate travel. With corporate travel, a travel agency still plays a more

important role, but agencies’ service fees are com-ing under pressure, so they have to prove that these service or management fees are worth it.”

Do you see travel agencies fading from the landscape in the long run? Luc Pannecoeck: “We can only ascertain what is happening in the United States, which is a very mature market in the area of online travel. There, you see the growth of online stagnating at around 50%. Half book directly, but the other half still go through a travel agency. In Europe, we still lie a bit behind, but our expectation is that, after a period of strong growth in the com-ing years, that will also begin to stagnate here and a considerable part of travel will remain with the travel agent.”

According to the report, there are many opportunites for travel agents in niche markets... Luc Pannecoeck: “You can approach the market from a broad angle in order to be everywhere and offer all products. But you could also say, ‘I’m too small and I will choose to position myself as a niche player rather than a generalist.’ The niche can occupy a certain part of the market, for example youth and student travel, or it can mean a specific geographical destination such as Africa, or a particular city. Because of the Internet, the market for travel agents has become global instead of national, so one can position themselves in a very small niche and reach a sufficient number of customers on a global level.”

LUC PAnnECoECK, GEnERAL MAnAGER oF AMADEUS BEnELUX U


The report also announces the rapid ascent of the BrIC countries (Brazil, russia, India and China). what are the most significant consequences here? Luc Pannecoeck: “This is a complete change for the airline industry. Previously the market was mainly concerned with Europe and the United States. You had a typical network, hub and spoke, or transatlantic route, that was primarily oriented towards the West. But now you see demand be-ing created in the BRIC-countries. You therefore have another type of consumer and another type of network carrier. This has a big large impact on Amadeus as we have to incorporate other products that correspond to the needs of the client. The complexity is increasing.”

“This is one of the reasons why airline alliances are on the rise. You can no longer cover the market with just Lufthansa and United Airlines alone – for a start you will certainly need an Asian airline. All of this has an influence on our technology and its complexity. You have to deal with passengers who travel with five different airlines instead of one.”

with the concept of “The responsive Journey’, the study also points towards the growing need for mobile Internet during the trip. what things are happening in this regard?Luc Pannecoeck: “The travel agent and the travel industry have up until now focused on the experi-ence before the trip – in other words searching and booking. But from the moment that someone drives to the airport until the moment he comes back, there is little to no follow-up, with the exception of a certain emergency telephone numbers for help in some cases. With mobile technology, it is perfectly possible to keep in contact with the traveller dur-ing the whole travel experience. Above all, you can use a mobile link to give the customer directions or certain useful information, or for example to push recommendations for hotels and restaurants.”

Is there still customer loyalty in the world of the Amateur-expert Traveller?Luc Pannecoeck: “The study does indeed indi-cate that loyalty is considerably shrinking. The drawbacks that were formerly associated with

not being loyal no longer exist for the most part. Furthermore, with only a few exceptions, there are no more “bad” airlines anymore. The offerings in economy class have really become levelled out. The client is thus less attached to a particular brand and usually looks for the lowest possible fare. And it no longer matters so much which airline it is – I am talking about leisure travel here. Of course the more frequently you travel, the more you come into the realm of frequent flyer pro-grammes – and this is where you see increasing allegiance and brand loyalty on the part of the client.”

Did the study produce any results that shocked you?Luc Pannecoeck: “The sur-vey confirms tendencies that we already knew about but we have determined that the evolution is going much more quickly than we had expected. This certainly applies as regards booking directly and the whole online story and it also shows that the role of the travel agent is being ques-tioned more than before.”

Amadeus now needs to work with these results, of course. what is your plan?Luc Pannecoeck: “First and foremost we are investing greatly in online technology. We are building a new generation of search engine. In the future, this will make it possible to make content from different sources available within very short response times. So we are very deeply involved in the evolution of the online realm and search engines. In addition, there is the domain of mobile applications, where we are setting a number of steps in place. For instance, we have a pilot project in cooperation with Air France and the Nice airport for seamless check-ins with all documents using a mobile telephone. These are the blocks we are building on.”

“Now you see demand being created in the BRIC-countries. You therefore have another type of consumer, another type of network carrier, and that has a large impact on Amadeus. We have to incorporate other products that correspond to the needs of the client.”


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ManageMent

Squatra - The Largest Independent Travel Agency in Flanders

D&D Reizen (formerly located on the Brabant Dam), Focus Reizen (formerly

on zwijnaarde Street) and Omnitravel (until recently on Kortrijk Street) all placed great emphasis on quality, perfect service and diverse travel offerings. On Monday, 4 January 2010, they officially combined forces and have been known

under the name Squatra ever since. The name Squatra – which stands for Service & quality in Travel – reflects the philosophy and the ambition of this new travel agency which has moved into an attractive building at zonnestraat 8 in the heart of Ghent. In one fell swoop, this coming together has yielded the largest independent full-service travel agency in Flanders.

HE PURCHASING BEHAVIOUR AND PREF-

ERENCES OF THE MODERN CUSTOMER

DEFINES THE ROLE OF THE TRAVEL AGENT. To be sure, in the dot-com era and times of heavy competition, maintaining a strong sense of confidence between the clientele and competent personnel is of utmost importance. A travel agent is no longer a mere pur-chaser of travel products, but is instead evolving into a provider of personalised, individual ad-

vice. Of course, there is a market for services of this nature – now, more than ever. By combining the forces of D&D Reizen, Focus Reizen and Omnitravel, Squatra is responding to this trend directly. Qual-ity, reliability and experience are competencies that were always hallmarks of these three exceptional travel agencies. From now on, the traveller can enjoy the best that these three Ghent agencies had to offer together in one travel office, as the trusted brands of D&D Reizen, Focus Reizen and Omnitravel have faded from the Ghent landscape.

An increase in scale, powerful specialisation and the nearly perfect complementarity were the in-spiring factors for putting together this initiative, which is led by the managers of the three merged travel agencies: Luc Daels (D&D Reizen), Jan Van den Abeele (Focus Reizen) and Kristien De Belie (Omnitravel). The goal-directed bundling of these energies into one travel platform inevitably resulted in an even more creative approach and a broadening of the client base. “With this well thought-out concept, we are responding to the realities of the marketplace. We came together as like-minded partners, with a perfect chemistry existing between the three parties. The Squatra whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts,” says Luc Daels.

Squatra is a well-rounded travel agency that relies upon the most modern travel tools. Its geographic area covers all of east Flanders with several stars among its niche products in adjacent provinces. With its years of experience in travel and expan-sive industry knowledge, the team seeks to serve all of its target groups, with 30 trained travel consultants working together with 22 full-time employees. At Squatra, the customer can find a varied, complete yet attractively priced offering of travel and vacation solutions. Whether a far-away

trip or closer to home, the classic all-inclusive package tours to points south, cultural trips for active travellers, “do-vacations,” learning tours to exotic locales, customised travel solutions, air or car vacations, special train trips, city getaways, unique weekend outings, incentives and confer-ence trips, individual and group tours, school trips, luxury or economical tours -- neutral advice provided on a personalised basis to each customer can ultimately save a lot of money and hassle. In addition, Squatra features three of its very own niche programs: ‘Africa Explorations,’ ‘Focus on the Azores,’ and ‘Explorator.’ “Squatra will never become an anonymous ‘travel supermarket.’ We seek to earn the reputation of a delicatessen, where every type of travel customer can get per-sonal advice. This is Squatra’s backbone. With all of our employees, we seek to convey the emotion that comes from the very same trips that we sell,” explains Kristien De Belie.

Ghent’s newest travel agency has moved into a classy art-deco building at Zonnestraat 8, in the belly of Ghent’s shop district, which is easily accessible with public transportation. Those who come by car can park in the parking garages at Kouter and Korte Meer just around the corner. From the street, there is a striking view of the travel agency, with its entrance and cosy reception area on the ground floor. The offices on the second floor underwent something of a metamorphosis. It offers customers and employees an extensive re-ception and work room of no less than 700 square metres, with an interior adorned with the bright green-blue Squatra colours. “After we made our decision to merge, we really didn’t face very many cultural differences. With regards to our vision and strategic approach, we toed the same line from the beginning. Our bundled experiences, together with a strong focus on the customer, a sharp team and a wide array of products, will help our clients to make the best choices,” states Jan Van den Abeele.


sUpplies

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787 CABIn InTERIoR U

Boeing’s Dreamliner becomes fastest selling jet in history

Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner successfully made its first test flight in December. Following completion of the test program over the next few months, Dreamliner’s first commercial delivery is scheduled for the end of this

year – to All Nippon Airways. 56 customers around the world have already placed orders for a total of more than 850 Dreamliners – making it the fastest-selling new commercial jetliner in history. We asked Boeing’s Vice President of Marketing, Randy Tinseth, why the Dreamliner is having such success, especially in these challenging economic times.

Composite materials reduce fuel and maintenance costsOne of the Dreamliner’s biggest breakthroughs is its use of poly-mer composites for more than 50% of its structure. Although composites are not new, Boeing is the first large commercial jet transport manufacturer to develop composite manufactur-ing methods to this level. These composite materials bring the Dreamliner a number of advan-tages, especially in lowering operating costs. The plane’s fuse-lage is constructed from barrels that have been produced in one piece, spun around a mould. This allows a reduction in weight and in the number of parts used. The lighter, simpler structure reduces fuel consumption by 20% per passenger mile. The composite materials are more resistant to corrosion, fatigue and impact damage than their aluminium counterparts. Maintenance time is thus cut down by 30 percent and scheduled maintenance intervals are significantly longer. This means an estimated 50 more flying days over a twelve year period compared with current generation aircraft.

The 787’s composite structure has opened up new design pos-sibilities to improve passenger comfort. “I guarantee that when you get on this plane you will see a difference and you will feel a difference” says Tinseth. “We have tried to take the stress out of the whole flying experi-ence and to enhance the cabin experience with some really new concepts. Studies show that the lower the cabin altitude, the better passengers feel during a

HE REASONS FOR THE

DREAMLINER’S SUCCESS

ARE A COMBINATION OF MANy

FACTORS – large and small. You could say the whole is more than the sum of its parts” sum-marises Tinseth. “Overall, the 787 family has been designed to allow airlines to operate more routes profitably, while travellers enjoy greater comfort. Success is about targeting the right markets and listening to your customer. The Dreamliner is particularly well suited for today’s needs. When we first opened our order books in 2004, improved fuel efficiency was already important – and back then fuel costs were only around 24 dollars a barrel. Over the last few years, with the rise in fuel costs, it has become even more critical. The 787 adapts well to fluctuations in traffic needs, providing airline operators with greater efficiency so they can serve more point-to-point routes and frequencies profitably, even on long haul destinations.”

With environmental concerns now moving to the forefront, not to mention the introduc-tion of carbon taxes, the fact that the Dreamliner makes significant steps in environ-mental efficiency is also good market timing. The 787 emits 20% less greenhouse gases per passenger mile and, due to its design, its noise footprint is cut by 60%. The plane also makes significant steps in environmental progress during its manufacturing and end of life. Fewer hazardous materials are used in manufacturing and aircraft will be recyclable on their retirement from service.


BoEInG 787’S FIRST TEST FLIGHT U

787 BUSInESS CLASS U

RAnDy TInSETH, VICE-PRESIDEnT UoF MARKETInG AT BoEInG

flight. With the Dreamliner we have been able to reduce cabin altitude from 8,000 to 6,000 feet. We are also able to increase cabin humidity levels and we have new air filtering systems for cleaner air. The composite construction has allowed us to fit larger overhead bins and much bigger windows – 70% larger than in current aircraft of its size.”

‘Success has caught competition by surprise’The mainstays of the Dream-liner family are the 787-8, which seats up to 250 passengers and the 787-9, which seats 250 to 290 passengers. Both have a

range of just over 15,000 km. A third plane, the 787-3, which was designed for regional routes, may now be scrapped as it currently under review for market viability. The possibility of a fourth model with higher capacity requirements, the 787-10, is being studied. The 787 range has been designed to be complementary to Boeing’s 777 family, although it flies at a similar speed and altitude. Dreamliners come fitted with either Rolls-Royce or General Electric engines – “As we have a lot of customers for this aircraft, we wanted to give them a choice of engine” explains Tinseth.

“I think the 787’s success has caught our competition by sur-

prise and made them rethink their strategy. The fact that the Dreamliner is much more fuel efficient has led competition to lower its prices in some cases and we believe it was a big in-fluencer in the fact that Airbus subsequently launched its A350. As to the economic downturn, it does not really seem to have hurt the Dreamliner. Although we have had some cancellations, our clients are staying with us

and no airplane in history has seen this type of success. To put things in perspective, the A380 was launched in the year 2000 and has now sold around 200 planes. We launched in 2004 and have already sold over 850.”

Dreamliner’s order books are filled until 2013. We asked Ran-dy Tinseth how long he believes it will remain in production and

how he foresees future sales. “ Our production is now on track and we aim to increase capacity to 10 aircraft a month by 2013. We should be producing 787s for 25 or 30 years no question about it, especially as we foresee an addressable market for us of around 3000 aircraft over the next twenty years. Sales for the 787 have already exceeded our expectations, so we are off to a very good start.”


O

sUpplies

The best car rental companies

Satisfaction survey 2009-2010

Survey

The Corporate Traveller surveyed 1,000 readers during 2009 to learn their opinions on car rental companies. Here

is what we found.

1 hertz.............................................18%

2 europcar .....................................17% avis ...............................................17%

4 Budget .........................................16%

5 sixt ................................................10%

6 alamo ..............................................5%

1 europcar .....................................19% hertz.............................................19%

3 sixt ................................................18%

4 avis ...............................................13%

5 alamo ..............................................7% Budget ............................................7%

VER THE COURSE OF 2009, WE INVITED

1,000 CORPORATE TRAVELLER READERS to participate in our car rental satisfaction survey. This e-survey gathered 422 answers to four ques-tions.

Best brand recallThe first question in the survey was more focused on rental companies’ marketing. Respondents were asked to name the first three car rental companies that came to mind.

The top six below show the companies that ranked highest in top of mind awareness (TOMA) among business travel professionals.

Notice that four of these companies are running neck-and-neck in the ranking. With their total combined TOMA close to 70%, they stand out as the four tenors on the car rental stage.

Best service“Which car rental company offers the best service?” The second question in the survey needs no expla-nation. Four names led the voting.


1 europcar .....................................24%

2 hertz.............................................21%

3 sixt ................................................17%

4 avis ..................................................8%

5 Budget ............................................7%

6 alamo ..............................................6%

1 sixt ................................................22%

2 avis ...............................................15% europcar .....................................15%

4 hertz.............................................13%

5 Budget .........................................10%

6 alamo ..............................................8%

Most user-friendly websiteThe third question posed to the panel was simple, yet extremely important. Since people generally rent cars using the internet, we wanted to find out which websites our readers felt were the easiest to use.

Here, three companies pulled ahead of the competi-tion, driving away with close to two-thirds of the votes together.

Best partner networkWhich car rental company a business chooses can be influenced by certain partners who contribute to the total business trip. Airlines, hotel groups and credit card issuers are just some of the service providers who, when combined with a car rental, offer real advantages.

The fourth and final question of the survey was: “In your opinion, what is the best network available?”

CONCLUSION

The major international rental

companies rank at the top of the lists

created by their customers. This makes

sense, since they can be found and used

everywhere, making them more available

in every corner of the globe.

PresentationOFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY: »EUROPCAR KEDDY

COORDINATES OF THE BELGIAN DIVISION: »Weiveldlaan 8

1930 Zaventem - Belgium

T + 32 (0)2 709 71 00 - F + 32 (0)2 344 12 13

WEBSITE: »www.europcar.be - www.keddy.be

GOOD REASONS TO RENT A CAR: »A global leader in car rental, Europcar has more than 5300 car hire stations throughout Europe,

Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia-Pacific – 160 countries in total. No matter where

you are or need to go. Europcar offers a selection of rental cars from leading car manufacturers.

Rent a small car, an automatic car, an eco-friendly car, luxury cars, or minivans and trucks if you

need something a bit bigger. And at Europcar, we understand the environmental impact of what

we do. That’s why we have wholeheartedly embraced a sustainable development program and are

proud to be the first car rental company with certified ecological commitments. After all, what’s

good for the Earth is good for our drivers. On the top of that in Belgium, with our 7000 cars and

trucks, Europcar Keddy can offer you tailor made solutions to your mobility, what ever will be your

car rental expectations. A dedicated team will help you to satisfy all your needs.

GREEN POLICY: »Offset your Carbon Emissions with Europcar! Europcar is teaming-up with Climate Care to offer

you the possibility to offset your CO2 emissions when you rent a car with Europcar. Offsetting

enables you to neutralize your emissions by funding sustainable energy projects that reduce CO2.

Go for Green with Europcar: At Europcar we commit to offer our customers the newest range of

vehicles which benefit from the latest innovations in terms of Green technology (CO2 emissions, hybrid,

flexi fuel, LPG...) Our corporate passenger vehicles have an average age of 4 months and emission of

154g/km CO2 meaning the Europcar fleet has a much lower emission than the European average.

Europcar and Sustainable Development: Environmental respect has always been a key objective

for Europcar International. In 2007, we have developed the Green Charter with our main partners.

And in June 2008, Europcar charter was certified by Bureau Veritas, formalizing our commitment

towards protection of the environment. We invite you to find out more about our commitment

towards sustainable development.

OVERVIEW PARTNERS: »As a mobility provider, Europcar has teamed up with major partners. On European level:

Easy Jet: Europcar and easy Jet have formed a strong, strategic partnership to provide Europe’s

leading low-cost airline with a dedicated and tailored service. Together, Europcar and easy Jet work

to improve the customer experience and offer the best possible deal to travellers. Joint services

include an easy-to-use booking system where in just a few clicks; the customer can reserve a flight

and a rental car simultaneously. Europcar has also set up special counters to serve easy Jet

customers at some of their main destinations. (www.easyjet.com)

Accor: Europcar & Accor work together to ensure their customers have the best offers & quality

service for their travel needs. An easy reservation process & preferential rates on car rental for

Accor guests & loyalty programmes enables this strategic partnership to boast optimal service &

quality throughout the travel process. With 168,000 people in 140 countries, Accor is the European

leader and one of the world’s largest groups in travel, tourism and corporate services, with two major

international activities: hotels: over 4,000 hotels (over 466,000 rooms) in 92 countries, casinos,

travel agencies, and restaurants; services to corporate clients and public institutions: 19 million

people in 34 countries use a broad range of services (food vouchers, people care and services,

incentive, loyalty programs, events) engineered and managed by Accor. (www.accor.com )

Local partners•

Since 2 years Europcar Belgium has also major partnerships in Belgium such has: Carrefour,

IKEA, Touring, VAB, ...

OVERVIEW LOYALTY/CLIENT PROGRAMS: »We have partnerships with all the main airlines and card companies Worldwide such as: Lufthansa,

American Airlines, BMI, and recently

Amex: American Express Company is a diversified worldwide travel and financial services company

founded in 1850. It is a global payments, network and travel services provider and international

banking company. American Express operates in over 130 countries around the globe. Membership

Rewards, the programme from American Express that brings members luxurious design, leisure

and travel, just for using their Card. (home.americanexpress.com)

Hertz BelgiumPresentation

OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY: »HERTZ BELGIUM S.A

COORDINATES OF THE BELGIAN DIVISION: »Excelsiorlaan 18

1930 Zaventem, Belgium

WEBSITE: »www.hertz.be

GOOD REASONS TO RENT A CAR »Hertz Rent A Car offers flexibility in mobility. You can rent from a couple of hours to days, weeks,

months or longer. Hertz is the world’s largest general use car rental company, operating from

over 8,000 corporate locations in 145 countries. Hertz is in its 91st year of delivering quality

car rental solutions to leisure and corporate customers.

Product and service innovations such as Hertz #1 Club Gold, Worldwide Online Check-in,

specially designed NeverLost® satellite navigation systems, Hertz in-car DVD Entertainment

and unique cars offered through the company’s Prestige, Fun and Green Collections, set

Hertz apart from the competition.

GREEN POLICY: »Hertz offers a special collection of cars with low CO2 emission; the Hertz Green Collection.

With the Hertz Green Collection you can reserve fuel efficient environmentally-friendly

cars that are both easy on the wallet and suitable for families and small groups travelling

together. Unique is that the vehicles are make and model specific to be reserved and available

worldwide.

OVERVIEW PARTNERS: »Airlines e.g. Lufthansa, Air France etc., hotels e.g. Marriott, Touring, VAB.

Credit card companies e.g. American Express, Dav El Chauffeur Service and many more.

OVERVIEW LOYALTY/CLIENT PROGRAMS: »Hertz #1 Club

Sixt AGPresentation

OFFICIAL NAME OF THE COMPANY: »SIXT AG

COORDINATES OF THE BELGIAN DIVISION: »Postbus 8

1930 Zaventem

T + 32 (0)2 753 25 60 - F + 32 (0)2 753 25 61

E-mail: [email protected]

WEBSITE: »www.sixt.be

GOOD REASONS TO RENT A CAR »Premium products and all-round service

Sixt offers its clients in car rental and full-service leasing a broad range of high-quality vehicles

and comprehensive additional services. The Sixt rental fleet comprises over 50% vehicles of the

premium brands BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. All vehicles feature high-quality equipment, such

as climate control, automatic transmission and navigation systems. They stay in the fleet for no

more than six months, so customers always rent mint condition vehicles. In addition, customers

benefit from fast, uncomplicated leasing procedures.

Great value for money

“Drive first, pay economy“ – the slogan captures the Sixt philosophy. Thanks to close cooperation

with leading car manufacturers, Sixt can offer high specification, mint condition vehicles at

consistently attractive prices.

Clear service focus

At Sixt, great service quality and a strong service mentality are core values for all members of

staff. The quality of the mobility services provided is of great importance, particularly for business

customers – Sixt’s main customer segment. Key features of Sixt’s service focus include customer-

specific, tailored rental and leasing offers (rather than “off the peg” solutions) and competent,

comprehensive and friendly service.

An attractive brand

In Germany – one of the biggest European mobility markets – Sixt is among the best-known

service brands. It is regarded as a premium brand offering the best vehicles, excellent service,

friendly staff and smooth rental and leasing procedures. Sixt’s image is positive and associated

with attributes such as “likeable,” “dynamic,” “high-performance” and “unconventional.” Sixt’s

international brand promotion bases itself on this strong positioning. Active marketing campaigns

target business and private customers worldwide, informing them about the range of services on

offer and communicating Sixt’s “spirit of mobility.” The message is that mobility means individual

freedom, and car rental should be associated with the maximum possible comfort, convenience

and fun.

Innovation leader in mobility services

Sixt is one of the most innovative providers of mobility solutions. In car rental and leasing, Sixt

regularly develops new products and services that provide even greater convenience and better

value for customers. Sixt leads the way in its use of new technology. For example, the Sixt website

www.sixt.be enables customers to make bookings quickly, simply and safely.

GREEN POLICY: »Sixt’s activities in the field of corporate social responsibility are focusing on providing our customers

with clean and ecological alternatives to the traditional engines. Being a premium provider, Sixt

aims at demonstrating, that using ecological vehicles does not necessarily mean less comfort or

luxury for demanding business travellers. As early as in 2007, Sixt offered natural gas vehicles

in the Volkswagen Touran EcoFuel model shortly followed by the purchase of hybrid vehicles - the

Lexus RX 400h model. The last couple of years, the investment in green vehicles has continued.

Into its rental fleet in Denmark, Sixt has added electric cars making it the first mobility provider in

Europe to offer its customers this modern, low-cost automotive technology. In the Netherlands, Sixt

customers can enjoy driving the CO²champion among all cars – the smart fortwo diesel which has

the world’s lowest carbon dioxide emissions.

In addition to investments in a green fleet, the introduction of paperless procedure at all branches

and in the head office has drastically reduced paper waste and complements Sixt’s ecological

activities.

OVERVIEW PARTNERS: »Sixt is the preferred partner of all major hotel chains, particularly Hilton Hotels. Sixt maintains

exclusive partnerships with over 50 airlines and the affiliated mileage programmes. With six low-

cost airlines, seamless flight & car rental reservations are possible by means of fully integrated

booking engines. In addition, Sixt works along side all major travel and business organisations who

operate in Sixt countries. These partnerships include, among many others, the Institute for Travel

and Tourism (ITT), Society of Government and Travel Professionals (SGTP) and the United Nations

World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).


O

TRAVEL serviCes

High Speed rail Travel in Europe to IncreaseThe railways of Europe are aspiring to win over new customers from airlines by offering seamless national border crossings on high-speed trains. New European legislation has opened up the rail market to competition and the construction of high-speed track has moved up a gear, revolutionising travelling habits. Railteam, the alliance of high speed train operators, recently predicted that the amount of high speed track in Europe will grow from its current 6,000 km, to more than 15,000km over the next ten years.

N 1ST OF JANUARy, COM-

PETITION ON EUROPEAN

RAIL NETWORKS WAS OFFI-

CIALLy DECLARED OPEN. New legislation means that train op-erators can now negotiate ‘path-ways’ with all European track operators. Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, which runs the ICE high speed train service, seems par-ticularly interested in leveraging this opportunity. It already offers serves six neighbouring coun-tries – Austria, France, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands and has stated its intention to operate on further routes outside of Germany thanks to the new legislation.

Deutsche Bahn could launch ICe high speed services to londonDeutsche Bahn has already shown interest in the UK market

and the possibility of launching a Cologne-Brussels-London route. “With the High Speed 1 rail network in place, the mar-ket for high speed connections between Germany and UK is very attractive” says Deutsche Bahn’s Andreas Fuhrmann. “Recent market analysis we car-ried out shows that there could be 1 million passengers a year from Germany to the UK, but of course it has to be cost effective for us.”

The High Speed One network between London and the Euro tunnel could accommodate larger train carriages from the continent, but some modi-fications would be needed to conform to safety and security specifications. Deutsche Bahn’s ICE-3 trains could be suitable for the run to the UK. In Decem-

DEUTSCHE UBAHn’S ICE-3 AT CoLoGnE


TRAVEL serviCes

ber, Deutsche Bahn ordered 15 new ICE-3 high-speed trains. Designed to be lighter, faster and interoperable for use on international networks, they are due to enter service at the end of 2011.

Eurostar spokeperson Lesley Re-tallack commented “We are used to competition as we have been competing with airlines on our routes since our debut in 1994. Since then we have achieved market share of over 70% and carry more passengers to Paris and Brussels than all the airlines combined. Its true that London to Paris and Brussels are prime routes for other operators, but we have a head start on new com-petitors thanks to the experience we have gained. We also benefit from a very strong pricing policy that appeals to all segments with three classes of fares that have scarcely risen over the years and are good value A newcomer to the

market will always look exciting and maybe customers will want to give them a try. We will just have to work even harder to retain our customers’ confidence.”

After a difficult start to the year Eurostar is focusing its immediate plans on facing the competition, the creation of a single Eurostar organisation and especially addressing the recent problems caused by weather conditions.

“We conducted an in depth re-view on these problems and have

already started to implement a whole range of changes to ensure we are better placed to look after our passengers when disruptions do occur. This is a major focus for us right now.” The other big news from Eurostar is that Eurostar International Ltd is to become a single entity during this year, as opposed to the current joint venture between SNCF, SNCB and Eurostar UK Limited. “We have done remarkably well in getting as far as we have over the last 15 years, but as a single venture we will be quicker and better adapted to make decisions on this more competitive envi-ronment” comments Retallack. “We will need to be a bit more flexible and nimble depending on what the competition throws at us. Although the EU legislation means competition on our routes, it will also give Eurostar the opportunity to go further afield. Amsterdam is very attractive to us – and we are looking at other

destinations from a commercial and tactical point of view.”

partnerships and competition on routesDeutsche Bahn has been ramping up its agreements with other high speed railways. It has intensified its partnerships with France’s SNCF, Denmark’s DSB and Aus-tria’s ÖBB to offer more frequen-cies on international routes. “We

InSIDE THE ICE-3 U

oLIVIER PoITREnAUD UCEo THALyS InTERnATIonAL

THALyS NEW HIGH SPEED LINES TO AMSTERDAM AND COLOGNE CUT JOURNEy TIMES

In December Thalys celebrated the launch of its new high speed lines all

the way through to Cologne and Amsterdam for its customers in Paris

and Brussels. With travel times to Amsterdam reduced by 49 minutes

and Cologne by 29 minutes, Thalys is expecting a major increase in

passenger traffic.

The new lines allow Thalys to reach speeds of up to 260km/h between

Liège and the German frontier, and up to 300km/h between Anvers and

Rotterdam. This means travel times from Brussels to Amsterdam and

Cologne are reduced to 1h53 and 1h47 respectively. Times from Paris

to Amsterdam and Cologne are now down to just 3h18 and 3h14.

With the considerable time savings and an increase in the number of

frequencies, notably a 7th return between Brussels and Amsterdam,

return journeys can easily be made in the same day. Thalys is targeting

an increase of 65% in passenger traffic on its Paris to Amsterdam

route and 30% more from Paris to Cologne by 2013.

Thalys’ CEo Mr olivier Poitrenaud commented “The 13th December,

the day we launched these new services, was a very significant date

for us. For passengers from Paris to Cologne or Amsterdam, we have

now crossed the generally accepted barrier of 3.5 hours which makes

a journey by rail viable for the business traveller. In fact since the launch

we have already seen a rise of 8% in our traffic on these routes.”

THALyS TICKETLESS TRAVEL U

cooperate on our Franco-German routes with SNCF” explains Fuhrmann. “We run an ICE service between Frankfurt and Paris and SNCF offers Stuttgart to Paris on TGV trains. We are also in negotiations with SNCF to offer partner services between

Germany and South of France, as there will be new high speed lines opening there at the end of 2011. As to services to Brussels, our Cologne-Brussels route is run in cooperation with Thalys, meaning that there are services on this line nearly every hour.


Thanks to new high speed infra-structure in Belgium, our travel times are becoming increasingly attractive and we are gaining good market share from airlines. Our Frankfurt to Paris service now only takes 3h45 minutes and Frankfurt to Brussels just 3 hours and 6 minutes. These may be longer than flight times, but when you factor in check in and travel from the airport to the city, together with improved pro-ductive time during the journey, it is competitive.”

Thalys, a cooperative venture between SNCF, SNCB, Deutsche Bahn and NS, is no stranger to the borderless European travel philosophy. It offers high speed services to France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. At the end of 2009 it launched new high speed links to Cologne and Amsterdam as part of its development plan, baptised ‘Metamorphosis’.

“These new high speed offers are particularly interesting for our business clientele who can now easily make a return journey in one day” says Olivier Poitrenaud, CEO of Thalys International. “Over the next 18 months we plan to consolidate and develop these new high speed offers to increase capacity and gain a big-

ger market share. We will raise the number of return journeys between Paris and Amsterdam to ten a day before the end of 2010.”

The Thalys Metamorphosis also includes the ongoing renovation of its entire fleet of 26 trains.

“Our train renovations have im-proved comfort levels and made life easier for the business travel-ler” continues Olivier Poitrenaud. “There are individual power sockets for every seat, and WiFi is now available on all our trains. Booking has become simplified with the introduction of our ticketless system and following a successful trial at the end of last year we are launching a mobile ticketing service. The plan is to send electronic tickets directly to passengers’ mobiles in the form of a barcode. 2010 will also see the launch of on board business lounges on our renovated trains. These will be small meeting rooms with four seats that can be rented out and we are looking into offering a dedicated catering service along with a ‘business meeting package’ as part of this. We are also going to be promoting our Thalys Concept which has been developed with partners to offer a real door to door service with a low environmental impact. One example is our partnership with the city of Cologne, which means that public transport within a radius of 100km of the city is included in the price of the ticket.”

“Apart from our two recent addi-tions to Cologne and Amsterdam, we do not have expansion plans for new routes for the time being. When we pass the psychological threshold of 3.5 hours in journey time, we start to lose market share, so for example Amster-dam to Marseille would be too long. As to the UK, if we were to offer services, we would need to make large investments in new

train stock and we would have to be certain that this would be profitable for our investors.”

“My view on the new liberalisa-tion of the market, is that at Th-alys we are used to competition” summarised Olivier Poitrenaud. “As part of the Railteam network we are both in competition and in partnership with other operators. You just have to look air alliances such as SkyTeam to see that this does work. Our co-operation with Deutsche Bahn’s ICE on the Brussels to Cologne route illustrates this perfectly. Similarly NS, the Dutch high speed network, will be launching its own high speed service from Brussels to Amsterdam at the end of 2010 or early 2011. That means we will both be offering services on this route. From the moment the customer has a choice, there is competition, but this is not a problem for us – es-pecially as it is a market which is really growing.”

The Railteam alliance recently published a study which showed that high speed rail is now seen as the preferred option for distances up to 1,000 km. Travel-lers perceive high speed rail as offering better punctuality, more comfort, city centre destinations

PENDOLINO TILTING TRAINS TO RUN BETWEEN BRUSSELS AND LUXEMBOURG

Infrabel, the Belgian rail infrastructure manager, has confirmed major modernization works

are to commence on its line between Brussels and Luxembourg. The track improvements

will include modifications to allow Pendolino tilting trains to run along the route. The

Pendolino, a train initially developed in Italy (hence its name), is train which inclines or tilts

when cornering in order to reach much higher speeds. When the line works are completed

and the Pendolino introduced, travel time between the two capitals will be only 2 hours 15

minutes – a reduction of 22 minutes.

The improvements to the line are expected to cost 680 million euros, with additional works

for adapting tracks to the Pendolino to cost a further 22.7 million euros. The possibility of

putting Pendolinos in service on this line has been the subject of discussion for over a year.

With the decision now made to go ahead with this project, the Pendolino will be able to travel

the entire distance between Brussels and Luxembourg, at speeds of up to 160km/h, by the

time works are completed in 2014. The trains will then be able to continue further on the

TGV line which links Luxembourg with Metz and subsequently Metz with Strasbourg.

LonDon’S ST PAnCRAS STATIon CoULD BE GREETInG UnEW ARRIVALS

and a reduction in environmental cost in comparison to short haul flights. The study forecast that by 2020 the number of interna-tional high speed rail journeys on the Railteam network will have increased by at least 50 per cent, to 68 million a year.


allianCes

M

Mexicana joins oneworld

EXICANA IS THE LEADING CARRIER IN

MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA. Mexicana is one of the world’s most experienced airlines, start-ing service in July 1921. With affiliates Mexicana-Click and MexicanaLink, it serves 14 countries and 67 destinations – 37 of them in Mexico. Mexicana itself flies to 41 destinations in 14 countries, includ-ing 11 destinations in Mexico. MexicanaClick’s network encompasses 29 destinations in Mexico, plus Havana (Cuba), and MexicanaLink operates to 18 destinations in Mexico.

The mainline Mexicana operates 63 aircraft – 26 Airbus A320s, 21 A319s, 10 A318s, two A330s, two Boeing 767-200s and two Boeing 767-300s. They make more than 200 departures a day, using the two-letter airline code MX. Mexicana offers two classes – Executive and Economy – with in-flight entertainment screens throughout the fleet and complimentary in-flight meals and drinks in both cabins.

Mexicana boarded 8.3 million passengers in 2008, with MexicanaClick carrying another 3.4 million. The group employs 8,400 staff. Mexico City – the world’s second most populous metropolis – is the airlines’ main hub, with Cancun and Guadalajara secondary hubs.

Among its most recent awards, it was named World Travel Awards’ Best Airline Mexico and Central America for the 11th year running, Best Business Class Latin America for the third year running and Best Internet Site in Latin America (all in 2007), and Best Airline in Mexico for two years running by Global Traveler magazine.

From now on, members of the MexicanaGO fre-quent flyer programme can earn and redeem mile-age awards on all oneworld partners, who include some of the biggest and best airlines in the world – American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pa-cific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN

Mexicana has become part of oneworld® – adding Mexico and Central America’s leading airline to the alliance. Its subsidiaries MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink joined oneworld at the same time, as affiliate members. All three airlines will offer

the alliance’s full range of services and benefits from the first flights tomorrow. They extend the oneworld network to almost 700 destinations in nearly 150 countries, with a combined fleet of some 2,250 aircraft operating more than 8,000 flights a day, carrying 325 million passengers a year, with annual revenues of US$100 billion.

Airlines, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Qantas and Royal Jordanian and almost 20 affiliated airline. Russia’s leading domestic carrier S7 Airlines is on track to join during 2010.

MexicanaGO Conquer and Discover cardholders have oneworld Emerald and Sapphire status re-spectively, gaining them access to some 550 airport lounges worldwide offered by the alliance’s airlines. Mexicana Explore cardholders have oneworld Ruby status.

The 21,000 customers in these top three Mexicana-GO tiers have been sent new membership cards, bearing the oneworld logo, to ensure they receive their alliance benefits.

oneworld Governing Board Chairman, American Airlines Chief Executive Gerard Arpey, said: “oneworld is very selective about who we invite on board to join us as a new member. We only consider airlines with brands that match the quality of our established partners, who share our priorities of safety, customer service and profitability and who can expand our existing combined network in key regions, rather than simply replicating what we already offer. As the leading carrier in Mexico and Central America, Mexicana more than fits the bill. We are delighted to be welcoming it and its custom-ers on board oneworld.”

Iberia Chairman and Chief Executive Antonio Vázquez said: “Iberia has been honoured to act as Mexicana’s sponsor into oneworld, a process that has reinforced the excellent relations between both airlines. Mexicana will considerably strengthen oneworld’s long established position as the leading airline alliance in the Spanish-speaking world and in Latin America, making it easier for more custom-ers to reach more places more easily and for better value with some of the world’s best airlines.”

Mexicana Chief Executive Officer Manuel Borja said: “As a member of oneworld, we can now offer our customers more choice and convenience, a much more extensive global network, more oppor-tunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer rewards, more lounges, more customer service support and better value – services and benefits beyond the reach of any individual airline. For Mexicana and our employees, becoming part of oneworld, flying alongside some of the most respected names in the airline industry worldwide, strengthens our posi-tion considerably in an increasingly competitive marketplace.”


I

At the end of November, Mechelen University College and Travel Magazine assembled a particularly interesting panel discussion about airline alliances. Members of groups such as Star Alliance, Oneworld and Sky Team came together for this public forum to present an in-depth look at the consequences and advantages of airline alliances.

The Future of Air TravelAirline Alliance Discussion

economic added valueFor the panellists, it was clear. The alliances came about in the first place because they bring added value economically. Shar-ing infrastructure components such as offices, computer systems, desks, personnel, et cetera can save a lot of extraneous costs. An-other basic example is the act of working together to fill up flights. An A380 aircraft is oftentimes too large for an airline to fill up on its own. Being part of an alli-ance can succeed in making this much easier. Flying with larger and more efficiently filled aircraft is not only economical, but also interesting from an ecological perspective. With such alliances, the airlines can take on a leader-ship role in that area.

In addition, the airlines have the opportunity to expand their network without having to oper-ate additional flights. The large alliances’ networks are spread out over all continents, some-thing that is often impossible for one airline alone. Also, in many cases, an alliance is viewed as just a beginning. Within the

alliances, certain airlines are working much more closely with one another. These instances of cooperation can save consider-able costs and address practical concerns for the airlines as well as the consumers.

The futureThe current reality is that there are three large alliances that cover roughly three-quarters of the market. Of course, the panel also discussed the potential evo-lution the alliances may undergo in the near future. As far as that is concerned, Sky Team sees several opportunities in China. This alliance strives to achieve a worldwide presence, but not at the expense of quality. Its candi-date airlines must fulfil a certain set of criteria, and the number of members cannot become too great.

oneworld also considers itself to be extremely selective when it comes to signing on new mem-bers. Does it add something to the existing network? Do they have a good reputation in the area of safety? Are they finan-cially sound? Without a doubt, quality takes priority over quantity.

At Star Alliance, the guiding light is the principle of being able to go anywhere. New members are thus brought aboard with the purpose of re-

T DOES NOT OFTEN

HAPPEN THAT STAR

ALLIANCE (represented by Kar-dien de Werker from Singapore Airlines), oneworld (spoken for by Mairead Ryan) and Sky Team (with Marleen Wyckmans of Air France/KLM and Marco van Nieuwkerk of Alitalia) all respond to a mutual invitation to come together. Indeed, this was a premier opportunity to get an even-handed look into the world of airline alliances.

ducing the white spaces on the alliance’s map. Africa is a good example of such white space, mainly because of the fact that the quality of the airlines there often leaves much to be desired. Nonetheless, they are hard at work getting rid of these white spaces over time.

An air travel market with three playersIt seems that the alliances are continually gaining the upper hand in the world of air travel. The branding of Sky Team, one-world and Star Alliance is being expressed more frequently – on the aircraft themselves, in com-munications, at the airports… and worldwide, we see that the members of the same alliance are grouped with one another in terminals more often. Naturally, this means an enormous win for travellers with regards to trans-fer time. By sharing frequent flyer programmes, the customer can only reap the benefits.

The world of air travel seems to be evolving toward a landscape with three large players, each with worldwide coverage. This is a very meaningful situation for the traveller, who can arrange a complete trip via one airline. The various national and inter-national authorities are able to invoke scores of antitrust regula-tions to ensure that competition remains safeguarded.


W

CoSTS SUCH AS MAInTEnAnCE WILL BE oPTIMISED U

BA AnD IBERIA AT START oF UMERGER nEGoTIATIonS In 2008

British Airways and Iberia Airlines have announced that they had agreed the basis for a 4.5 billion euro merger after nearly 16 months of talks. Under the agreement, both airlines will retain their national identities and brand names – but within a new holding company known as TopCo. Hurdles still to be overcome though include the outcome of the application for US antitrust immunity along with American Airlines, and talks with BA’s unions to quiet threats of industrial action.

British Airways and Iberia Airlines 4.5 billion

euro merger still has challenges to overcome

ILLIE WALSH, BA’S CHIEF

EXECUTIVE, ANNOUNCED

THAT ‘THE MERGER WILL CRE-

ATE A STRONG EUROPEAN AIR-

LINE, well able to compete in the 21st century. Both airlines will retain their brands and heritage while achieving significant syner-gies as a combined force”. TopCo will develop the group’s strategy and ensure synergies, while BA and Iberia will continue to have their own separate management and hubs in London and Madrid respectively. The fact that the two airlines are retaining their own brands and national identities is a crucial one, as it means that they will be able to preserve their rights to specific flight routes.

Positioned as a ‘merger of equals’, British Airways will own 55% of the enlarged company and Iberia 45%. Of the 14 board members, 7 each will come from Iberia and BA. Willie Walsh will be TopCo’s Chief Executive and Antonio Vázquez, chairman of Iberia, will become the combined airline’s chairman. Finance and operations will be headquartered in London, with TopCo listed on the London Stock Exchange. The business will be registered and tax-domiciled in Spain.

Cost savings and threat of industrial actionHopes for cost savings and im-proved efficiency are driving the deal, and the agreement talks were accelerated due to the heavy losses incurred by both airlines during 2009. The airlines’ finan-cial difficulties follow a sharp decline in the number of passen-gers due to the both the recession and increased competition from low cost carriers. BA announced a pre-tax loss of £292m for the six month period to September, as well as a 3.6 million sterling defi-cit in its pension scheme. Iberia

posted a loss of 30.4 million euros in the three months to Septem-ber. If the merger is completed, it should return the combined group to profitability, allowing them to slash costs and improve buying power. TopCo’s size would mean huge economies of scale would be made in purchasing aircraft, fuel, IT systems and maintenance. The airlines have announced they would target savings of 400 million euros per year by the middle of the decade.

The merger has, however, prompted fears of further job

losses at the two airlines. BA is currently dealing with the threat of industrial action by its cabin crew over the 4,900 job losses already announced, as well as changes to their working conditions. The UK aviation union Unite is holding back support for the merger until it receives assurance that there will be no further compulsory redundancies. A 12 day strike over the Christmas and New Year period was nar-rowly averted when the UK high court ruled that the strike would be illegal due to the way

airlines


the union had con-ducted its ballot. It is estimated that the strike would have caused BA losses of up to £30 million per day. Unions say that there may still be strike action early this year but whatev-er the outcome, this episode has certainly not been positive for BA’s relations with its customers.

Merger is a logical progression of BA – Iberia relationshipCommenting on the merger, a spokesper-son from Iberia said “Most people in the industry would agree that we are going to see more and more consolida-tions in the airline industry. We have already seen the Air France-KLM fusion and several acquisitions by Lufthansa. This merger between British Airways and Iberia should not really come as a surprise to anyone as the relationship has been developing for many years. Be-sides both being members of the Oneworld alliance, we already have code sharing agreements

on some of our routes. British Airways has been an investor in Iberia since 2001 and now holds around 13% of Iberia, while Ibe-ria Airlines holds a 10% stake in British Airways. The merger, for us, is a logical progression. The finalisation of phase one of the Open Skies agreement is what has made this possible as, prior to Open Skies, a merger such as this would have meant the loss of precious rights to some flight routes including to the US and Latin America.”

The BA – Iberia merger will give passengers access to more frequen-cies, destinations and lounges, as well as better syn-chronised connec-tions. Passengers of BA will gain up to 59 destinations including 13 in Latin America,

where Iberia is European leader. And with the third runway at Heathrow now looking unlikely, a growing number of BA passen-gers could find themselves flying to international destinations via Iberia’s Madrid hub. Iberia customers, in turn, will gain up to 98 new destinations.

All of these will create potential for higher revenue for the air-lines, while schedules and fares will be worked on more closely.

next steps in merger and antitrust immunity with American AirlinesBA and Iberia are scheduled to sign a contract within the first three months of this year and they hope to conclude the merger by the end of November. The deal will also need to be rubber stamped by shareholders and authorities, including the European Commission. Iberia Airlines itself still has the right to back out of the deal if they do

not find the outcome of negotia-tions satisfactory. BA’s pension deficit and union woes, as men-tioned above, could be possible blocking points. However, if the merger is finalised as planned, it would create an airline of 419 aircraft carrying over 60 million passengers a year. With annual revenues of 15 billion euros, TopCo would be Europe’s third largest airline in terms of revenues, after Lufthansa and Air-France KLM, and the sixth largest in the world. British Airways and Iberia are also hop-ing for a tie up with American Airlines, as this would make them far more competitive on transatlantic routes. They have applied for EU-US anti-trust immunity (ATI) and now await approval from US authorities in Washington. A final decision is awaited from the US Depart-ment of Transportation early this year.

PASSEnGERS WILL GAIn ACCESS To BETTER ConnECTIonS U


airlines

B or her car at very economi-cal rates (i.e. no additional cost, in contrast to other parking arrangements) and leave it safely and conveniently in the VIP parking lot, where an attendant watches the car. In addition, b.business tickets are always changeable.

For those who cannot take advantage of the outstanding offerings of the b.business class, the b.flex economy class of travel may be just the right choice. Flexible tickets, fast lane security, extra baggage and a nice meal on board are just a few of the many ad-vantages enjoyed by business travellers who want full service in economy class.

Those who travel in b.business or b.flex economy receive fre-quent flyer miles that may be redeemed for flights to several different destinations. The loy-alty programmes of Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa – Privi-lege and Miles&More, have been partnered together since October 25 with the purpose of providing a unique frequent flyer offering.

More than 30 per cent of all Brus-sels Airlines passengers choose either b.business or b.flex. This is proof positive that both products,

With its travel classes b.business and b.flex economy, Brussels Airlines offers the ideal solution for business travellers. Roughly 30 per cent of all Brussels Airlines passengers now opt for this value-for-money proposition.

Business travellers fly in b.business or b.flex

which were s p e c i f i c a l l y developed with the business traveller in mind, are highly valued in the travel world.

The airline’s selection of flights keeps expanding every month. In April of 2009, Brussels Air-lines successfully launched new service to Vilnius, Palermo and Seville. Thanks to joint coop-eration with Lufthansa, you can book Brussels Airlines tickets to the German cities of Hanover, Stuttgart and Nuremberg. The number of daily flights to Frankfurt and Hamburg has also increased. In the months to come, the flight offerings will be further improved. The Star Alli-ance group of airlines, the most popular alliance in the business world, will make flying with Brussels Airlines much more interesting. Thanks to its part-nership with the Star Alliance, Brussels Airlines will gain access to a worldwide route network, with numerous frequent flyer advantages and all sorts of new commercial products.

“Flexible

tickets, fast lane

security, extra

baggage and

a nice meal on

board are just a

few of the many

advantages.”

RUSSELS AIRLINES CON-

NECTS BRUSSELS AIRPORT

WITH OVER 50 EUROPEAN DESTI-

NATIONS. Since time is money for a considerable number of business travellers, Brussels Airlines flies to nearly all of these airports sev-eral times per day -- four times a day to Barcelona and Madrid, six times a day to Geneva, five times a day to Birmingham, four times a day to Rome... no other airline does better. By choosing Brussels Airlines, our business clients save a great deal of time and costs. Thanks to the excellent travel schedules, even one-day business trips are possible, in which you can avoid extra costs for hotels and other accommodations.

The frequency of the flights is an important factor for business travellers, but saving money and comfort are just as significant. For these reasons, Brussels Air-lines has developed two travel formulas that address the needs of the modern businessman or -woman.

B.business is the airline’s top-of-the-line product. Those who select b.business choose the highest level of comfort, are guaranteed a spot in the front of the aircraft, have the middle seat unoccupied, and are provided with a meal inspired by top Belgian chefs, including Vrancken Champagne. This class includes lounge access at all airports. At Brussels Airport, a b.business passenger can park his


K

© KLM - MAI

© Capital Photos/PResslink

LM, OR KONINKLIJKE LUCHTVAART

MAATSCHAPIJ, WAS FOUNDED ON 7 OCTO-

BER 1919 to serve the Netherlands and its colonies. High points over the years have included the launch of the world’s longest distance scheduled service in 1929 – from Amsterdam to Jakarta, KLM’s first transatlantic flight in 1934 and, of course, the merger with Air France five years ago. Air France KLM now operates a combined fleet of 620 aircraft and carries 75.5 million passengers a year.

As a tribute to its proud Dutch heritage, KLM commenced the year of anniversary activities with a special Celebration Flight on 1st January 2009 over the various Dutch regions. “Two aircraft were used to represent the old and the new faces of KLM – a Boeing 777-200 and a Boeing 737-800 painted in retro KLM livery from the 1960s” explained Air France KLM’s Bernard Castel. “The VIP passen-gers on board included clients, senior executives and 70 chronically ill children in partnership with the Stichting Hoogvliegers Foundation. In a similar vein we also organized a flight for 90 senior citizens who had never flown before. We flew from Amsterdam on a circular voyage over Holland in a Fokker 50 aircraft. The feedback was great – and I think we gained some new clients!”

Corporate social responsibility has been at the heart of KLM’s festivities and each year it supports a charitable cause under its Foundation KLM Air Cares. The cause chosen for the airline’s 90th year was Cycling Blue for Kenya. KLM carried out a series of international actions throughout 2009 for the campaign in order to raise finance for purchase of bicycles to enable children to go to school, and to set up repair workshops for bicycles.

Tour of InspirationOne of the largest communications actions during KLM’s celebrations was the organization of its ‘Tour of Inspiration’ last autumn. The Tour trav-eled through 30 European cities using a specially equipped lorry to showcase KLM’s products and services. On ground and in-the-air services pre-sented ranged from self-checking kiosks, to onboard catering and the latest inflight entertainment services. Also on show were KLM’s next generation business class seats and its new Economy Comfort Class. The Economy Comfort class, to be launched this December, will offer greater passenger comfort than regular economy (including seats that recline back twice as far), but at only a slightly higher cost. “These are exactly the type of products that

KlM celebrates 90 years of innovationKLM has been celebrating its 90th anniversary. We take a look back over a year of special events and innovations for the world’s oldest airline.

we wanted to put ‘in the hands’ of our clients by organizing the Tour” said Castel.

“The Tour commenced in Amsterdam on 18 Sep-tember and we made our first stop in Billunde in Demark. The roadshow then continued through several European countries including Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, the UK, France, Italy and Spain before terminating in Munich on 8 November. At each stage of the tour, events were organized to specifically target our local clients in each destina-tion. The feedback on the Tour from our clients has been very positive. Although we are already in regular contact with them, this marketing initiative gave them the chance to experience first hand our latest products and innovations for medium and long haul flights. It was also a great opportunity for networking and exchange. The ideas and sugges-tions gathered from our clients have been passed on to our dedicated innovation department so that we can continue to anticipate future market needs.”

Sustainability and innovation core to future developmentThe anniversary celebrations officially ended on 7 October with a symposium, presided over by KLM president and CEO Peter Hartman, at the airline’s head offices in Amstelveen. KLM sees sustainability as a core ingredient of its growth strategy, and this was reflected in Peter Hartman’s speech at the symposium. He predicted that the main changes the airline faces in the shorter term involve the develop-ment and application of sustainable fuels. “We are working hard in this area and hope to be able to redouble our efforts as soon as the economic crisis allows”. In 2009 Air France KLM was confirmed as “Sector Leader” in air transport sustainability for the fifth consecutive year.

Notwithstanding its 90th anniversary celebrations, 2009 was a dynamic year for KLM. The month of May saw the debut of a transatlantic partnership between Air France KLM and Delta Air Lines. Under the agreement, the partners will operate their trans-atlantic businesses jointly. The airlines will also co-operate on routes between North America, Africa, the Middle East and India, as well as on flights between Europe and several countries in Latin America.

As Bernard Castel underlined “We may have a long history but our aim is to continually innovate and improve. As part of this we are undergoing a major renewal of our passenger fleet. As regards our medium haul and regional aircraft, we have begun replacement of our Boeing 737-300s and 400s by the latest generation Boeing 737 aircraft – the 737-700 and the 737-800. Our long haul Boeing 747-400s are being replaced by Boeing 777-300ERS. This will extend our maximum range and give more comfort and choice to passengers with the latest on-board in flight entertainment systems.”


airlines

M

“With our increasingly

broad network, it is

imperative that we

employ sophisticated

technology to make the

most of our opportunities.

PROS is best suited to

deliver tangible results.”

ARKING A NEW

MILESTONE IN ROyAL

JORDANIAN’S COMMITMENT

TO GROWTH AND CONTINUAL

ADOPTION OF STATE-OF-

THE-ART TECHNOLOGy, the Airline will implement the PROS Origin-and-Destination Busi-ness Solution. The centrepiece of this solution, the PROS O&D Revenue Management System, will maximize network revenue by optimizing the price mix of passenger flows across RJ’s burgeoning hub in Amman.

About prOS PROS Revenue Management L.P. is a leading provider of pric-ing and revenue optimization software products, specialized in price analytics, price execu-tion, and price optimization. By using PROS software products, customers gain insight into their pricing strategies, identify detrimental pricing practices, optimize their pricing decision-making, and improve their business processes and financial performance.

PROS’ software products incor-porate advanced pricing science, which also includes operations research, forecasting, and sta-tistics. PROS’ high-performance software architecture supports real-time high volume transac-tion processing and allows PROS to handle the processing and database requirements of the most sophisticated and largest customers, including customers with hundreds of simultaneous users and sub-second electronic transactions.

More possibilities, more revenuesComplementing this solution will be PROS Real-Time Dynamic Pricing (RTDP), which enables RJ to infuse commercial strate-gies and business tactics into the system’s automated process

Royal Jordanian Airlines and PROS Revenue Management, L.P. announce that Royal Jordanian Airlines is deploying a new suite of Network Revenue Management Systems from PROS– a world leader of pricing and revenue optimization science and software. The system is scheduled to be implemented in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Royal Jordanian Airlines Deploys PROS’ Technology

Optimising passenger service


“Other IT systems were

also implemented

to make it easier for

passengers to deal with

all travel procedures, like

the advanced boarding

pass and Common Use

Self Service check-in

system (CUSS).”

“Additionally, the airline opened

a 24/7 Call Centre, which offers

RJ customers from all over the

world reservation services,

information regarding the

frequent flyer program, flight

schedules, luggage and ticket

fares.”

to enhance revenue quality. In addition, the PROS O&D Group System will round out the solu-tion to optimize group traffic and network seat utilization. The entire solution will be integrated seamlessly with Royal Jorda-nian’s passenger service system platform.

“This deployment perfectly underscores our recent commit-ment to increasing revenues,” said Royal Jordanian President/CEO Hussein Dabbas. “With our increasingly broad network, it is imperative that we employ sophisticated technology to make the most of our opportuni-ties. The PROS solutions have

demonstrated their effectiveness at managing these kinds of real-world circumstances, and we believe PROS is best suited to deliver tangible results.”

State-of-the-art requiredGuido Ruther, Chief Commercial Officer-, said, “Royal Jordanian is distinguished by several at-tributes, including a modern aircraft fleet, a network of 57 direct international routes, and the broader oneworld alliance network that extends our network to more than 700 des-tinations globally. Our business model requires the support of state-of-the-art technology and Royal Jordanian prides itself on employing the best solutions available. The PROS solutions clearly fit that profile. We are confident that these systems — and the company behind them will help us achieve our strategic initiatives.”

In welcoming this decision from Royal Jordanian Airlines, PROS Senior Vice President, Business Development, Benson Yuen said, “With Royal Jordanian’s unique advantages and their strong, clear-sighted leadership, they are well positioned to gain the greatest benefit from the proven technology and business processes PROS provides. Forg-

ing this partnership with Royal Jordanian has been both an honor and a pleasure.”

wider choice for passengersIn light of the airline’s mod-ernization and development policy, RJ introduced several other advanced, state-of-the-art systems, linking up with the oneworld airline members; the most significant are the electronic ticketing and the departure control systems, the Internet booking, the frequent flyer program (Hitit) and a new group revenue management and the revenue accounting (Sirax) systems.

Other IT systems were also implemented to make it easier for passengers to deal with all travel procedures, like the ad-vanced boarding pass and Com-mon Use Self Service check-in system (CUSS). Additionally, the airline opened a 24/7 Call Centre, which offers RJ cus-tomers from all over the world reservation services, informa-tion regarding the frequent flyer program, flight schedules, luggage and ticket fares. Royal Jordanian provides competitive ticket prices and valuable offers to give wider choices to pas-sengers.


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C

TAP Portugal was elected the World’s Leading Airline to South America at the Grand Final gala of the 16th edition of the WTA World Travel Awards, held in London on November 8, on the eve of the WTM World Travel Market. The Portuguese airline will also increase the services to Africa.

Increased flights to Africa

“On behalf of TAP, it is with great excitement that we see ourselves recognised

as leaders among the airlines that operate in

South America.”

REATED IN ORDER TO

RECOGNISE, award and celebrate excellence in all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry, the World Travel Awards are today the most pres-tigious in the industry. The WTA winners were elected through an online voting process involving travel and tourism professionals, mostly travel agents, with the voting process also open this year to the travelling public.

recognised efforts“The award of this prize fills us with pride and satisfaction and represents an enormous incen-tive for all of us here at TAP. This distinction praises and recognises the efforts that the Portuguese airline has persistently made, over the last few years, to pro-mote and strengthen its presence in South America, particularly in Brazil, where we carry the most passengers of any foreign airline and provide daily links from Europe to Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Recife, Natal and For-taleza,” declared Luiz Mór, TAP Executive Director.

“On behalf of TAP, it is with great excitement that we see ourselves recognised as leaders among the airlines that oper-ate in South America. For us, this prize carries with it added responsibility towards our cus-

tomers and crowns the success of our efforts and investment in this market, motivating us to continue improving.”

African continentTAP will also open a new route to Marrakech in June, operating 3 flights per week on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The com-pany continues to pursue its ex-pansion strategy in Africa, which has shown steady growth since 2001. Passenger numbers have risen from 236,000 to 541,000, an increase of 129%.

With the opening of this new route, TAP will now cover a network of ten cities in eight Af-rican countries, operating a total of 55 flights per week between Portugal and the continent. In Morocco, Marrakech now joins Casablanca, which is currently served by 13 flights a week.

TAP flies seven times a week to both Sal and Praia in Cape Verde, and operates the same frequency to Dakar in Senegal. The company increased its ser-vice to Luanda to 10 flights per week last year. TAP also flies the Maputo and Johannesburg route three times per week, as well as running one extra direct flight a week to the Mozambican capital. Finally, the airline operates three flights per week to Bissau and one to São Tomé.

TAP is “world’s leading airline to South America”


S

Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first low cost carrier declared mid February that it has seen rise in passenger demand for its services between Brussels and Casablanca. The company, which started operations between its hub at the Mohamed V International Airport, Casablanca and Brussels South Charleroi Airport on May 10, 2009, has carried over 40,000 passengers on this route by far.

Air Arabia to expand its operations in Europe and expects further growth

in Belgium

ADEL ALI

BOARD MEMBER AND GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AIR ARABIA

Adel Ali, awarded world’s Low Cost Airline “CEo of the year” 2007,

2008, 2009 has been given credit for setting up the Middle East and

north Africa’s first low-cost carrier (LCC), Air Arabia. Adel has brought

over 27 years of strategic aviation, tourism and marketing experience to

Air Arabia since the company commenced operations in october 2003.

Adel’s distinctive leadership style, vision, skilful management combined

with his charisma, makes him an inspiration to his team and has made

Air Arabia the world’s best low cost carrier (LCC) in 2009.

Adel previously served as Vice President (Commercial and Customer

Service) for Gulf Air, where he played a central role in the airline’s

recovery. Before that, he spent over 20 years with British Airways where

he also held senior management positions, including General Manager

(Middle East and Africa).

PEAKING TO THE BELGIAN

MEDIA following a press conference organized by the airline, Mr. Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia said that “Brussels was among the first five destinations the airline started operations to from its nine month old hub in Casa-blanca, Morocco. We have seen a notable increase in demand for our services on this route and we believe there is a good potential for further growth”.

Air Arabia, the largest Arab airline by market value operates direct services to over 60 cities from two hubs in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates and Casablanca, Morocco. The airline started operations from Sharjah Inter-national Airport in October 2003 offering value for money services to the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. In May 2009, Air Arabia launched its second hub at the Mohamed V International Airport, Casablanca covering Europe and Africa. The airline will also launch its third hub in Alexandria, Egypt later this year.

“Air Arabia operations from Maroc hub have seen an or-

ganic growth over the past nine months.” Mr. Ali concluded. “We have been able to offer the European residents as well as the Moroccan community living in Europe a great choice to visit Morocco more often, benefiting from competitive fares and reli-able services”.

Air Arabia offers four flights per week between Mohamed V In-ternational Airport, Casablanca and Brussels South Charleroi Airport. The carrier currently operates direct services to 12 cities from its hub in Casablanca including Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Basel, Amsterdam, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Barcelona and Istanbul. The airline will start new services to the French city of Montpellier in March this year as well as enter new African markets.

Air Arabia fleet consists of brand new Airbus A320 aircraft offering its passengers the best economy configuration in the market with 32” seat pitch as well as an all inclusive free luggage allowance. The carrier has a confirmed or-der with Airbus for the purchase of 44 Airbus A320 aircraft.

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L

hotels

LInDnER HoTEL AnD CITy LoUnGE AnTWERP U

INDNER HOTELS & RESORTS IS A FAMILy-

MANAGED GERMAN HOTEL GROUP WHICH

OPERATE 33 BUSINESS AND LEISURE HOTELS in the four and five star bracket. Under the leader-ship of Otto Lindner, expansion has been impres-sive and it has tripled its number of hotels over the last ten years. Between 2002 and 2008 revenues more than doubled to reach 156 million euros. “We have achieved this by exercising sound judgement in opening new hotels and taking over distressed hotels and revitalising them” explains Otto Lind-ner. “We have the advantage of belonging to a parent group that includes a full service provider in the real estate segment, an architectural firm and an operating company for hotels. All of these talents are key factors in successfully building a hotel group.”

why Antwerp?The Hotel & City Lounge Antwerp marks Lind-ner’s introduction onto a fifth European market, following on from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Spain. “We been working hard on building our brand recognition in Germany and we are now considered as a bigger player there” says Linder. “With this phase completed, the next step was to export our expertise to neighbouring European countries. Our strategy is to grow hotel occupation levels from the local market, whilst as an added value we profit from clientele from our German feeder market. Why Antwerp? It is Belgium’s sec-ond largest city and has a thriving local business community, including the diamond industry and a very big seaport. Transport links are good, as

The Lindner Hotels & Resort Group recently announced that it was taking over the Golden Tulip Antwerp Centre Hotel, renaming it in the process the Lindner Hotel & City Lounge Antwerp. Although the 174 room business and spa hotel only opened in its original guise just over two years ago, Lindner plans to implement a series of ambitious upgrades to boost the hotel’s profile. German group Lindner is already a well-known brand in its homeland, but this is its first foray in Belgium. We asked Otto Linder, CEO of Lindner Hotels, about the reasons behind this acquisition and the group’s future plans.

lindner group makes its entrance onto the Belgian hotel market in Antwerp


hotels

oTTo LInDnER – CEo oF LInDnER HoTELS U

GUEST RooM ULoUnGE WITH PAnoRAMIC VIEWS V

Antwerp is served by a high speed rail network and two airports – Antwerp and Brussels. In addition the strong economical relations between Antwerp and Germany confirmed our decision to acquire the hotel. We have a potential catchment area of 15 million Germans living within less than a two hour drive away – and a 1,600 place carpark. In fact German business and leisure visi-tors to Antwerp currently account for 50% of our business here. Corporate travel keeps us busy in the week and we are cross selling to leisure tour-ism for the weekend. The Dutch leisure tourism market is huge and keeps our weekends full in Antwerp.”

Building brand awareness is central to Lindner’s strategy. “For a start we attract attention to our hotels by offering things that are a little different. We have opened themed hotels, golf hotels, spa ho-tels and we were even the first to offer multimedia hotels in Germany. Lindner also carries out a lot of promotional and marketing work to build its brand on a local, company-wide and partnership basis. Our advertising campaigns, direct mailing and newsletter campaigns have been crucial to building our brand awareness and with driving direct bookings. In addition we have forged a number of successful marketing partnerships, such as with the Private Label Company, a subsidiary of Leading Hotels of the World, and with ADAC, Germany’s largest automobile club.”

“Elsewhere we are looking at other European opportunities, including a possibility in London. As an overall business philosophy though, we do not believe in long term strategy plans. We want to be ready to look at good opportunities as they arise, taking chances and advantages, listening to the market. That is the beauty of being a family owned group – I can take decisions within minutes. The shortest time we have managed so far between first looking at a hotel property and taking it over was two weeks. These days we tend to see bigger companies eating up the smaller ones. But we are faster and we are able to take decisions quicker. In these times this really makes a difference. As we work closely as a real estate developer with quite a


“Of course we are looking to see how the economy is going to recover, but the Belgian market seems to be well positioned.”

MEETInG RooM U

RESTAURAnT U

lot of banks, we are aware of what is called debt for equity swaps. We are in a fortunate position to have insight on these opportunities. This is how we have acquired a number of our hotels and was the case with the former Golden Tulip in Antwerp, which was under the ownership of German institutional investors.”

Belgian market seems to be well positioned“Of course we are looking to see how the economy is going to recover, but the Belgian market seems to be well positioned. Although trends are not yet stable, in autumn we saw the first sign of recovery from our market research. The VAT rate on food in Belgium has been lowered from 21% to 12% which gives us a higher efficiency on food revenues. All in all there are a lot of positive signs for the Belgian market.”

Lindner Hotels plans to implement a series of am-bitious improvements to boost the Antwerp hotel’s profile. These include a substantial expansion of the hotel facilities and upgrades to service levels. With 13 conference rooms, a top floor reception and events lounge with panoramic views and a recently awarded “5 Hamer” certificate, the hotel enjoys a reputation as a premium business location. “We can see that with this hotel we will be able to build up Lindner’s brand awareness in Belgium and use it as a jumping point into the Belgian market” says Lindner. “That is our strategy for development in new countries and we are already looking at pos-sibility hotel opportunities in Brussels now.”


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Destinations

BRIAn WILLIAMS, MAnAGInG DIRECToR oF SWIRE HoTELS U

Hong Kong Defies Downturn with Jump in Hotel Development

Hong Kong, gateway to the Far East, founded its affluence on trading, finance and tourism – three sectors that have been sorely afflicted by the global downturn. Despite this, Hong Kong, a territory of only 7 million inhabitants, is amazingly still the world’s 17th richest nation – and that is when counted separately from China. Even Hong Kong’s tourism sector is looking particularly dynamic when compared to the current global picture. With passenger arrivals on an upward trend, and a near 10% increase in hotel capacity in 2009, the Corporate Traveller decided to investigate the Hong Kong situation further.

Although visitor arriv-als over the first nine

months of 2009 were down by 2.8% compared to 2008, August and September figures were up by 5.8% and 2.5% respectively. These figures also reflected a rise in long haul traffic from EMEA and the US. Moreover the num-ber of Hong Kong hotel rooms jumped by 9.5% in 2009, with many other new openings in the pipeline recently announced.

Swire group backing the trend The Swire Group is a key player in Hong Kong’s evolving land-scape. One of territory’s oldest and most influential conglom-erates, Swire has interests in shipping, trading, aviation and property. In 2008 it formed its own hotel group, Swire Hotels, to create and manage its own line of boutique luxury hotels. Its first Hong Kong hotel, the Upper

House, was opened in October. Located in Pacific Place, a major commercial and retail hub, the hotel’s 117 rooms are the most spacious in Hong Kong, starting at 730 square feet. Architect An-dre Fu, hailed by Vogue UK as a ‘Design Wunderkind’, is behind the hotel’s avant-garde design. Swire’s second Hong Kong hotel, East, followed in January this year. East is being positioned as a business lifestyle hotel. It offers 345 rooms in the Quarry Bay district, home to over 300 multinational companies. East has been especially conceived to target this business commu-nity, including those on a longer stay.

We asked Brian Williams, Managing Director of Swire Ho-tels, why the group is making investments in this sector now. “The idea to launch our own hotel company was a natural

evolution as we have significant expertise in property manage-ment and tourism. Our property arm, Swire Properties, has long been developing properties for world class hoteliers and we al-ready have investments in Hong Kong hotels such as the Island Shangri La, the JW Marriot and the Conrad. For our own brand hotels we see opportuni-ties for luxury boutique hotels that target the sophisticated,

demanding traveller looking for something on the cutting edge of innovation, with great service. This is where we are positioning the Upper House and East.

We will continue to develop and manage hotels for other groups but we will also be opening more of our own, including the launch of a second brand of hotels in Hong Kong next year.


Our goal is quite simply a good return on investment. We are essentially a property business who wants to maximise value on our real estate. As property developers we see particular potential in mixed use develop-ments which combine retail, commercial and hotel space in the same complex. These complexes function as inter-op-erative eco-systems, attracting investors and visitors alike. The locations of Pacific Place and Quarry Bay chosen for our new hotels are good illustrations of this strategy.”

The world’s tallest hotelSwire is far from being the only investor in new hotels in the territory. The Ritz-Carlton has just announced the opening of a 393 room hotel for early 2010. Located on the 102nd to 118th floors of the ICC Tower on Hong Kong’s Kowloon side, the new Ritz-Carlton will have the pres-

tige of being the world’s tallest hotel. Other arrivals include the Preferred Hotel Group’s 494 room Mira Hotel, inaugurated in September, and the International Hotel Group’s Hotel Indigo, due to open in 2012.

The Hyatt Group, present in Hong Kong since the late six-ties, is also upping its stakes in the territory from this year. Early in 2009 it opened a new Regency Hotel in the Shatin dis-trict and in October it reopened the Regency Tsim Sha Tsui following a three year closure. Hyatt Regency Shatin’s Edith Cheng explained “Many people may think that 2009 is not the best year to add more hotels to the market, but we have been seeing an increase in our business despite the ‘economic tsunami’. We are targeting the traveller looking for globally branded hotels in specific busi-ness locations. For example our

new Shatin hotel is situated next to the Hong Kong Science Park, home to over 200 IT and electronics companies, as well as the University of Hong Kong for whom we regularly host large international forums.”

There is no denying that Hong Kong tourism has been through a tough time recently, with the global economic crisis, swine flu and SARS. However, Hong Kong is dynamic, financially resilient and knows how to make the most of its opportunities. Many hotel groups are currently look-ing at prospects in Asia – and Hong Kong has proven since the handover to China in 1997 that it has a significant role to play in Asian business. It has the dual advantages of being part of China, the world’s most cash rich nation, whilst retaining its sta-tus as a special economic region. A key opportunity therefore for Hong Kong is as a bridge to the

international community eager to do business with China and throughout Asia. Even more im-portantly, Hong Kong hoteliers agree that inter-Asian travel has been growing exponentially over the past few years and now makes up over half of hotel occupancy rates. This trend is expected to continue and Hong is well positioned, as an Asian crossroad, to welcome this traf-fic.

“A lot of hotel brands are keen to get in to Hong Kong” continues Brian Williams. “Real estate prices make hotel development challenging but there are a number of ongoing projects. Over the next 10 years we predict that there are still more hotels needed – especially those offering high quality and good value for money – particular requisites for the Asian market and an area where Hong Kong excels.”


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Destinations

London Olympics in 2012

Will they hurt tourism revenues?

THE oLyMPIC HAnDoVER CEREMony FRoM BEIJInG UTo LonDon

oLyMPIC STADIUM UnDER ConSTRUCTIon U

When London narrowly beat Paris in its bid to host the 2012 Olympics, there were celebrations throughout the UK. It was estimated that hosting the world’s biggest sporting event could bring added benefits of 2.6 billion

euros to the country’s tourism industry. But that was back in 2005. Since then we have seen the recession and the negative impact that the Olympics had on Beijing tourism in 2008. With a budget estimated at over 10 billion euros, is the London win really such a blessing and can the UK expect to recuperate this investment in tourism?

HERE NOW TWO CAMPS OF THOUGHT

REGARDING THE GAMES. Those, especially government backed organisations, who believe it will really bring tourism benefits, and other in-dustry experts who are less optimistic. Even Tessa Jowell, the Minister for the Olympics warned at the end of last year that “The economic downturn has changed the landscape for London 2012. We bid for the Games in one economic climate, but we will be staging them in another.”

An excellent opportunityTourism bureaus VisitBritain and Visit London are working hard to maximise the opportunity of hosting the 2012 Games. Their primary objective is to fill the capital’s hotel rooms. While hotel supply has been deemed as sufficient for the games, there will be over 13,000 new rooms available in the capital by 2012, bringing the total to 130,000. New arrivals will include the 1,000 room Park Plaza in Lambeth early this year and the Shangri La Lon-don Bridge Tower hotel, to open at the landmark 70 story ‘Shard’ building in 2012. Visit London is plugging the Games as ‘an excellent opportunity to reinforce Britain’s reputation as a world-class destination for business events’ and its studies of previous Games show that corporates can account for up to 50 per cent of tourism benefits from hosting the Olympics. Keen to fulfil this potential, VisitBritain has set up a number of initiatives including the new eventBritain unit and a “Fair Pricing and Practice Charter” to encourage fair pricing during the Games.

About 90% of the Olympics budget is earmarked for urban regeneration projects, including transport and housing. In fact back when London was still bid-ding for the games Ken Living-stone, then the city Mayor, said that one of the major reasons he wanted the Olympics was to get budget for developing London’s transportation. The much needed improvements made to transpor-tation have been impressive. By this summer, the new Docklands Light Railway will be extended up to Stratford International station, site of the Olympic park (and also a Eurostar station). In addition a new ‘Javelin’ rail ser-vice will operate a high speed link between St Pancras International station and the Olympic Park in just seven minutes.

previous host cities showed tourism lossesContradicting the official government line that Games will be beneficial to tourism is the Euro-pean Tour Operators Association (ETOA). The ETOA is part of the working group, which includes VisitBritain and Visit London, specifically set up to develop tourism throughout 2012. It is concerned that the Olympics will cause damage to the city’s


nEW PARK PLAZA WESTMInSTER BRIDGE HoTEL U

tourism industry, with a loss of as much as 2.6 billion euros. The ETOA has carried out its own research on losses in tourism experienced by host cities of previous Games. It studied visitor statis-tics for the Olympics in Beijing, Athens, Sydney, Atlanta, Barcelona and Seoul. Whilst some of these cities saw a peak in demand during the games, all saw a major disruption to their normal tourism market and none revealed any conspicuous tour-ism growth. The data from Beijing is particularly worrying. International visitors to Beijing plumet-ted during 2008. In the month before the Games they fell by 30% on the previous year and in the months following the Games international arrivals were more than 20% down. The ETOA research also highlights a comparison with the two similar markets of Australia and New Zealand. In the five years prior to the 2000 Games, Australia and New Zealand were enjoying parallel growth in tour-ism – but Australia lost significant ground to New Zealand following the Sydney Olympics.

“A pattern emerges when a destination becomes known as the Olympic host city. It starts with the phenomenon of overbooking – which leads to overpricing” commented the ETOA. “Organis-ers booking events in advance, book more rooms than they need, knowing that they will be able to give a proportion back if necessary. That’s the way it works in the tourism industry. There are three main dangers with these ‘pencil’ bookings. In the case of the Beijing Olympics it let to a vast overbuilding of five star hotels – more than ever

could be justified. Secondly hotels believe that they are booked up, so they can name their price. When buyers find they cannot negotiate their prices as usual, they go where they are sure of getting a supply, at a good rate. Organiser logic becomes ‘if I am going to Europe I will avoid London this year because of the Olympics.’ This syndrome happens at every Olympics. Finally hotels find themselves with rooms that they think are booked, dumped back on them at the eleventh hour.”

Imaginary cloud of profitETOA Executive Director Tom Jenkins adds “Another factor is that people don’t travel to watch athletics events, at least not in the same numbers as they do for football. And those that do travel are not classic tourists in terms of spending habits. They do not go to the theatre or to restaurants as much and they spend less on accommodation. We believe it is our responsibility to make sure all these facts are known in advance by the market, especially as Minister Tessa Jowell has said that those who benefit from the games, should be those who pay, and by that she means the tourism indus-try. If these issues are not properly aired and we do not carry out a rigorous assessment of the real accommodation demand, tourism will fall victim to the Games. This assessment needs to include lessons learnt at past Olympics. Many studies we have now are carried out by firms of accountants and are, frankly, over optimistic.”

“Landing an Olympics involves a necessary amount of exaggeration in the bid process to express that a city is the best suited to host the event” warns Jenkins. “The trouble is this creates an imaginary cloud of profit that can be gained from hosting an Olympic games. If London follows the pattern of Beijing, it could see over 2.5 million fewer visitors at a loss of 1.7 billion euros.”


liFestYle

Aural pleasure between Amsterdam and BostonRelaxation, entertainment, or inspiration: With the Sennheiser MM 450 TRAVEL hitting the road may be whatever you want.

ife between the cities

No matter if you are a commuter, a top manager or a globetrotter: City trips, long-distance flights or extended journeys by train or bus are part of your everyday life. You pass the time between two destinations with the help of professional journals or daily newspapers, movies and good

music. As a smart traveller, your luggage and your outfit as well as your electronic equip-ment are perfectly concerted for being on the road. But did you ever think about a suitable travel headset? The Sennheiser MM 450 TRAVEL combines mobility with practicability and thus guarantees optimal auditory enjoyment on every cruising altitude.

The ideal travel companion A missed call, engine noises or a distracting conversation from the next seat may hamper travelling as well as unhandy objects do. Anyone who is on the road a lot knows: An ideal travel companion mustn’t distract nor

put an additional strain on things. The MM 450 TRAVEL by Sennheiser is optimally fitted for the circumstances of travelling, starting with the design, passing the additional features, and ending up with the fulfilment of the most modern demands regarding a sound quality that is as clean as it is full. The revolutionary NoiseGard™ function blocks out noises of all kind and thus protects the sensitive ear: Being able to have low music playing despite loud background sounds provides relaxed listening plea-sure instead of just multiplying the noise.

A total isolation is prevented with help of the TalkThrough

Button: The noise cancelling is maintained while at the same time the voice of the flight attendant or newsworthy announcements become clear and understandable. Bluetooth keeps your hands free, enables easy storage and avoids cable spaghetti, when an unexpected call requires extra technical ap-plication. The in-flight adapter caters for on-board entertain-ment offers, and a 3.5 mm audio cable allows connection to many additional sources.

And thanks to the built-in mi-crophone no important call will be missed. In addition, the Head Set controls allow convenient volume adjustment directly at the right ear-cup and a harmo-

L


FEATURES/BENEFITS OF THE MM 450 TRAVEL

noiseGard 2.0™–advanced Sennheiser active noise cancellation lets •

users enjoy music in peace

TalkThrough –one press of a button turns on the external microphone •

so you can talk to fellow passengers or the flight attendant without

removing the headset

Wireless freedom–Bluetooth• ®2.1 guarantees hands-free

convenience without wires and the advanced A2DP profile for Stereo

Bluetooth®delivers optimized hi-fi stereo sound

Invisible microphone –with high-performance sound quality for clear •

conversations

Direct cable option –for use on airplanes, with an airline adapter •

included

Easy headset controls –in one intuitive cluster•

Sennheiser sound quality–hi-fi headphone drivers ensure superior •

dynamic range, detail and excellent bass

Wearing comfort –padded ear-cushions provide an excellent soft fit, •

even on long trips

Easy-2-Go –the headset folds into a compact bundle for travel and •

storage,while the headband is metal-reinforced for durability

Flexible–replace the battery with a spare on long trips –or recharge •

it via the USB port on your laptop or the supplied lightweight wall

charger with different plug fittings for Europe, the USA, the UK and

Australia

Connect everywhere –to mobiles, laptops, MP3 players, or in-flight •

entertainment systems with an all-in-one headset solution

Peace of mind–thanks to the 2-year international warranty•

HEADSET MM 450 TRAVEL

ean no. 40 44155 04564 2

UpC no. 6 15104 17073 5

art. no. 502891

GENERAL DATA

Wearing style Supra-aural

ear cup style Closed acoustics

technologyBluetooth® 2.1 + EDR / supported profiles: A2DP + AVRCP + HSP + HFP

talk time without noisegard™

20h

play time without/with noisegard™

10h / 8h

Charging time 3h

range 10m

Weight 105g

HEADPHONES

Frequency response 15 – 22,000 Hz (*)

Distortion Less than 0.1% at 1KHz

sound pressure level (1khz, 1mW)

107 dB

MICROPHONE

Frequency response 100 – 10,000 Hz (*)

pick-up pattern omni-directional

ACCESSORIES

included

USB wall charger for US, EU, UK and AU plus USB charging cable

In-flight adapters (3.5mm double mono adapter and 6.35mm adapter)

3.5mm audio cable

Carry case

nious design including ultra-soft ear pads for exceptional comfort and a metal-reinforced headband make the MM 450 TRAVEL a sturdy travel com-panion. The foldable headset is supplied with a moulded travel case – for frequent flyers with style. Well then: No matter if you go business class or not – Hear first class!

Silence is golden with the MM 450 TRAVEL for multimedia mobile phones. This best-of-breed Stereo Bluetooth® headset features Sennheiser’s NoiseGard™ 2.0 active noise cancelling system. With 90% of background


liFestYle

MM 400 – enjoy music and never miss a callFor Modern mobile people who demands high end and wireless stereo sound quality while enjoying music on their phone – with ability to take calls simultaneously

Wireless freedom – Bluetooth® 2.1 guarantees hands-free convenience without wires and the ad-vanced A2DP profile for Stereo Bluetooth® delivers optimized hi-fi stereo sound

Invisible microphone – with high-performance sound •

quality for clear conversations

Direct cable option – for use on airplanes, with an •

airline adapter included

Easy headset controls – in one intuitive cluster•

Sennheiser sound quality – hi-fi headphone drivers •

ensure superior dynamic range, detail and excellent

bass

Wearing comfort – padded ear-cushions provide an •

excellent soft fit, even on long trips

Easy-2-Go – the headset folds into a compact bundle •

for travel and storage, while the headband is metal-

reinforced for durability

Flexible – replace the battery with a spare on long •

trips – or recharge it via the USB port on your laptop or

the supplied lightweight wall charger with different plug

fittings for Europe, the USA, the UK and Australia

Connect everywhere – to mobiles, laptops, MP3 •

players, or in-flight entertainment systems with an all-

in-one headset solution

Peace of mind – thanks to the 2-year international •

warranty

pX 210 BT – precisionHigh-quality, collapsible, closed type stereo mini-headphones with Bluetooth® wireless transmission technology, ideal for use with Bluetooth® enabled audio/video devices.

Bluetooth• ® 2.1 digital wireless transmission technology

– recommended Sennheiser BTD 300 BT adapters

sold separately

Also available: adapters for audio and iPod connectors•

Supports apt-X• ®: Sophisticated audio compression

technique for true hi-fi quality

neodymium magnets and duofol diaphragms for •

excellent sound reproduction

pXC 310/pXC 310 BT enjoy the rhythm, not the rattleOutstanding sound quality with optimum protection against ambient noise: with the new models PXC 310 and PXC 310 BT sophisticated travellers are spoilt for choice when it comes to Sennheiser´s selec-tion of high quality travel headphones. PXC 310 and PXC 310 BT are high-end collapsible stereo mini-headphones with Sennheiser NoiseGard™ 2.0 active noise compensation and TalkThrough function. Both models are ideal for use on a plane, train, bus or in any other noisy environment.

Some other interesting options…Collapsible, metal-reinforced headband – improved •

folding mechanism

Integrated track and volume controls for enhanced •

usability and convenience

option of using cable as well•

Extensive accessories included: multi country charger, •

rechargeable Lithium-Polymer battery and carrying

case

pXC 310

High active noise attenuation up to 90%•

neodymium magnets and duofol diaphragms for •

excellent sound reproduction

Collapsible, metal-reinforced headband – improved •

folding mechanism

Intelligent, easy-to-use operating/MMI interface•

TalkThrough function•

optimized for inflight entertainment systems (aircraft •

adapters included)

Extensive accessories included: inflight adapters, multi •

country recharger, rechargeable Lithium-Polymer

battery and carrying case.

pXC 310 BT

Same specifications like PXC 310•

Ideal for use with Bluetooth• ® enabled audio/video

Bluetooth• ® 2.1 digital wireless transmission technology

– recommended Sennheiser BTD 300 BT adapters

sold separately

Supports apt-X• ®: Sophisticated audio compression

technique for true hi-fi quality

Adapters for audio and iPod connectors also available •

separately

option of using cable as well•


With the Prestige, Green and Fun Collections, there are now even more reasons to love the road.

Ask our representative for the options!

Start your journey at www.hertz.be

087167 230x297.indd 1 24-09-2008 14:59:45


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liFestYle

3 Times BoseThose who seek the best acoustics immediately think of Bose. The company is

primarily known for its research in this field, which has produced inventions that have improved the performance of loudspeakers, home entertainment systems, automotive

music systems, noise-reducing headsets, and much more. The frequent flyer will also find what they’re looking for in Bose’s extensive offerings. The editorial board of The Corporate Traveller tested and evaluated three of their products: the Bose quietComfort® 15 Headphone, the Bose SoundDock 10 and the Bose SoundLink.

Bose quietComfort® 15

HE qUIETCOMFORT 15 HAS AN OVER-THE-

EAR DESIGN, INCLUDING EARCUPS THAT

SWIVEL AND FOLD FLAT TO FIT IN A STyLISH CASE. Through significant engineering advancements in active and passive noise reduction technologies, the QuietComfort® 15 headphones offer more attenu-ation in louder environments and across a wider range of frequencies without compromising the audio quality and comfortable fit of the acclaimed QuietComfort headphone line.

The QuietComfort® 15 headphones debut a more sophisticated, proprietary electronics approach to active noise reduction, placing microphones both inside and outside the earcup. This electronics system better senses the sound in almost any environment and then more effectively measures, compares and reacts to the noise to produce an opposing cancellation signal.

New proprietary ear cushion technology provides additional passive attenuation. It features a new mechanical design and uses materials selected for specific acoustic properties to block more noise from entering the earcup.

Consistent experienceThrough research in user testing, the QuietCom-fort® 15 headphones overcome the inherent chal-lenge of all headphones, the performance variation from user to user, caused by the difference in head shape and size. Bose engineers used a proprietary acoustic design to deliver a consistent experience for all owners.

The resulting performance is demonstrable. The engine roar fades further away, there is less

distraction at work or at home, and when music is preferred, it is heard more clearly: within a quieter environment, more definition and detail are revealed.

The QuietComfort® 15 headphones benefit from decades of research in on-head audio. Proprietary active equalization technology electronically tunes the frequency response of the headphones, ensur-ing the accurate reproduction of instruments and vocals. BOSE® TriPort® acoustic headphone struc-ture is incorporated, a technology featuring small ports in the earcups that dramatically increase the low-frequency output of the system. Deep low notes are delivered naturally, without a manufactured “boost” and without increasing headphone size or weight.

MultifunctionalThe QuietComfort® 15 headphones feature an around-ear design that maintains the renowned comfort of its predecessors. A single earcup cable can be detached for untethered noise reduction. Once the cable is removed, listeners need only flip a switch on the right earcup to activate the propri-etary technology.

A single AAA battery powers the QuietComfort® 15 headphones for approximately 35 hours of use. The green on/off indicator light flashes when there is approximately five hours of battery life remaining. For compact storage, the earcups rotate to a flat resting position and fit easily into the provided newly designed carrying case.

The new QuietComfort® 15 Acoustic Noise Cancel-ling headphones are available in silver for € 349.


The new SoundDock® 10 system was designed to reset the standard for how good an iPod can sound from a single enclosure. It maintains dock-and-play simplicity in a small, elegant design, yet plays with exceptional clarity across the full musical range, with the low-note performance and volume levels of much larger sound systems.

“The SoundDock® 10 system is for people who want the sound quality of a primary music system for their iPod or iPhone,” said Phil Hess, vice president of the Bose Home Entertainment Divi-sion. “We started with a clean sheet and a clear goal: to deliver unparalleled audio performance without the need for complicated equipment. We then developed new technologies to deliver that performance without compromise.”

Advanced engineering The SoundDock® 10 system was designed as an in-tegrated system and uses advancements from every Bose engineering discipline. Measuring just 23 cm high, 43,2 cm wide and 28,7 cm deep, it incorporates new and existing Bose technologies, including a new version of Bose proprietary waveguide technology, debuting for the first time and developed specifically for the SoundDock® 10 system. The new waveguide was reduced from 190,5 cm to 132 cm without com-promising audio performance and is folded precisely in the system’s small enclosure, using every cubic cm of acoustic space. It is matched with a newly designed BOSE® woofer, made exclusively for the SoundDock® 10 system to deliver four times the efficiency of a conventional woofer.

Together, the new waveguide and custom BOSE® woofer deliver very deep low notes, without enlarg-ing the enclosure or requiring a separate subwoofer. They are connected by a proprietary multi-purpose metal cap that met a required combination of ben-efits: it seals the waveguide and woofer, provides magnetic shielding, directs air through the enclo-sure and withstands the high internal pressure created by the system when played.

Two proprietary BOSE® Twiddler® transducers (a combination of a high-frequency transducer and mid-range driver) are optimally positioned in the

front of the system to complete the full-range of accurate musical reproduction.

The SoundDock® 10 system’s electronics pack-age is integral to achieving its performance and size. Proprietary digital signal processing algo-rithms improve musical instrument detail and definition. Audible distortion is reduced, and all frequencies can be heard when the system is played quietly. The system is driven by efficient amplifiers and a

switching power supply housed within the system, eliminating the need for an external transformer. Users need only manage a simple power cord.

A proprietary vibration isolation structure is used to maintain iPod or iPhone performance, regard-less of the listening level. For heat management, components are precisely positioned to create a “chimney effect,” efficiently cooling the system.

new FunctionalityThe SoundDock® 10 system is Made for iPod and Works with iPhone certified, compatible with any click-wheel iPod or iPod Touch, and the iPhone 3GS, 3G and original iPhone model.

It features a new, proprietary interchangeable docking architecture, designed to “future-proof” the system and protect an owner’s investment as new

Bose SoundDock® 10

media player technologies emerge. A Bluetooth® dock is included in the box and streams music wirelessly from a stereo Bluetooth® music phone. As new devices become established standards, new docks will be made available.

An auxiliary input allows for the connection of ad-ditional equipment – an iPod shuffle, MP3 player or portable CD player. A video output lets users play video from an iPhone or iPod on a TV while listening to the soundtrack on the SoundDock® 10 system. An infrared remote controls the system and the basic functions of an iPod or iPhone, in-cluding playlist navigation. It also allows listeners to switch back and forth between sources.

“ T h e S o u n d -Dock® 10 system is a thrilling p r o d u c t made possible through our research,” said Hess. “We believe its performance and elegance stand alone. And we believe that becomes evident the very first time an owner listens to a favorite iPod playlist or an internet radio station.”

The SoundDock® 10 digital music system is avail-able from Bose beginning on October 12, 2009 for € 799.


Bose SoundLink™ wireless music system

The SoundLink™ wireless music system is a one-piece portable speaker system that allows users to play music from their computer without any wires. The SoundLink™ was designed as a simple solu-tion for people who listen to music stored on their computer, but don’t want to be at their computer to enjoy it.

Setup is easy. No software or Wi-Fi connection is required. Just plug the included SoundLink™ USB key into the computer, select music -- from iTunes®, Internet radio or any other music source and the audio will stream to the SoundLink™ system via a

long-range wireless link that works through most walls and floors.

“Many people use a computer as their pri-mary source for music,” said John Roselli, category business manager for Bose Corpora-tion. “But that convenience and experience is diminished by having to be at the computer to hear it. The Bose SoundLink™ system unlocks that music, streaming it almost anywhere quickly and easily, even outside.”

portableFor added flexibility, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery is included, making the SoundLink™ wireless music system truly portable. It’s charged by the system’s AC power supply. No outlet is required. The battery provides all the power the system needs for up to three hours when played at full volume or for longer periods at more moderate listening levels.

Advanced Bose engineering in electronics effi-ciency and speaker design enable the same high-quality audio performance whether

plugged-in or operating on battery power. The SoundLink™ system features a proprietary acous-tics package, which combines exclusive BOSE® waveguide speaker technology and neodymium transducers to deliver room-filling, high-quality audio from a very small enclosure.

The system’s infrared remote control operates the power and volume, and can send transport control commands to most applications, allowing users to skip tracks or play/pause from a distance. Touch-sensitive volume buttons also are located on the unit itself.

Although designed primarily for wireless connectiv-ity to a computer, the SoundLink™ system features an auxiliary input for connecting additional audio sources, including an iPod, iPhone, MP3 player or CD player.

The new SoundLink™ wireless music system comes in Gloss Black, and is available from for a price of € 549.

BUSINESS TRIPS AREABOUT MAKING MONEY,NOT SPENDING IT

b.fl ex economy+. The affordable ticket for business travellersIn time like these, you are looking for good deals also on air travel. That’s why we recommend youto book b.fl ex economy+. That way you can... • change the booking for free • take the fast lane through security • get a full refund on ticket cancellations

Peace of mind and no extra charges. It’s the smart way to deal with your travel budget.

brusselsairlines.com

SNBGEN13424_ADbt3_297x230_QE 1 9/11/09 2:42:38 PM

“ Internet, e-commerce … a piece of cake with Amadeus. ”

“ We like to see ourselves as pioneers on the travel market. Working from home, internet, e-commerce … you name it. We set the course and expect our technology partner to share our vision. Now, that is where we hit bull’s eye with Amadeus. Time after time, Amadeus comes up with the tools, the means and the know-how to help us turn our dreams into reality. Be it for leisure or business-travel projects. Internet, e-commerce, working from home, migration, integration, consolidation … a piece of cake with Amadeus”

Mickey Creyf - General Manager, Business Travel Services (BTS), Antwerpen (BE)

www.talktoamadeus.com

“I need internet tools & services ”

21748 Media_The_Corporate_Traveller_230x297.indd 1 8/12/09 14:35:37

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