Business Traveller magazine: March 2007 stories

ANZ and Star offer RTW routing avoiding the US
This winter sees Air New Zealand launch a non-stop Vancouver to Auckland service, and it's one which will enable round-the-world (RTW) passengers to avoid the US.
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What defines a Gulf airline?
Last week's news item concerning Qatar Airways' imminent introduction of transatlantic flights from Doha and Geneva elicited a number of emails from readers based in the Middle East region
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Delta will promote its double daily Gatwick-JFK service with bonus miles and keen pricing
Delta is promoting the launch of its second daily Gatwick to New York JFK service which gets under way at the end of this month
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West Coast rail line to Glasgow likely to be closed for at least another week
Passengers taking Virgin Trains' Anglo-Scottish services face disruption until at least the end of next week
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BA offers raft of FFP offers
Whether you're after a half-price redemption award through BA's Executive Club, two-for-one BA tickets with Airmiles, or the chance to earn up 120,000 bonus BA miles, now is the time to take advantage of the carrier's frequent flyer offers
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Easyjet to serve Geneva-Brussels
Easyjet is making its first foray into Belgium. From June 29, the budget airline will launch a once daily service between Geneva and Brussels
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Hyatt arrives in Kiev
Making a business trip to Kiev will soon be less of a hardship with the opening of a first class Hyatt hotel
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8 March 2007 stories

Rail is back in fashion as GNER boosts London-Leeds service
Adding an extra six trains a day will enable GNER to serve the busy London to Leeds route every half-hour from May 21
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November launch for Qatar Airways' Stockholm route
Nordic travellers will have another option when flying East this winter. As exclusively announced by Business Traveller last week, Qatar Airways is to offer four flights a week from November 30 out of Stockholm to Doha and beyond
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Flybe becomes Europe's largest regional airline
Following its merger with BA Connect (British Airways' regional division) budget carrier Flybe is now Europe's largest regional airline
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Now it's Air Canada's turn to offer RTW routing avoiding the US
Last week it was Air New Zealand (ANZ) - this week it's Air Canada. The Canadian carrier's launch of a daily non-stop Vancouver-Sydney flight this December will also enable global travellers to avoid the US
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Thistle Hotels to go 100 per cent wifi
Thistle Hotels has announced plans to make all of its UK properties fully wifi accessible by the end of 2007
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Emirates brings Airbus A345 flagship to Heathrow and Hamburg
Passengers flying between London Heathrow and Dubai later this month are in for a treat. From March 25, Emirates will be using its flagship Airbus A340-500 (A345) aircraft on selected flights into Heathrow
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Internet access in your hotel may soon be free
The possibility of checking emails for free in your hotel room has moved a step closer, with the launch of a new service by iBAHN
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Two business class returns to Hong Kong for £1,460
What must be one of the lowest business class deals ever offered between London Gatwick and Hong Kong is currently being made available by Oasis
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15 March 2007 stories

Conservatives' proposed green measures for aviation are open to abuse
For a multi-cultural island economy needing good connectivity with the outside world for wealth creation it seems barmy of the Conservatives to even think of restricting aviation
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New US biometric scans are all fingers and thumbs
Travellers entering the US will soon be subject to 10 fingerprint scans as part of the immigration identification process
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22 March 2007 stories

October launch for Jet Airways' Mumbai-New York service
Jet Airways has finally published schedules for its eagerly awaited service linking India with the US
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Qatar to serve Melbourne
Gulf airline Qatar Airways has finally secured the right to fly to Australia. In a deal signed last week Qatar can begin flying to Melbourne this year and is able to add a second Australian city, probably Sydney, next year
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Transatlantic 'open skies' ?
A crucial meeting of EU transport ministers in Brussels today (March 22) will determine whether transatlantic air service is deregulated
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Emirates boosts Johannesburg services and will add Cape Town
Emirates has been given permission to operate an extra four flights a week between Dubai and Johannesburg starting on June 3
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LCY-Zurich flights set to double
Right now only one airline plies between London City (LCY) and the Swiss banking capital of Zurich. But by April 10 this increasingly popular business route will be covered by no fewer than three carriers providing a whopping 15 flights a day, with all operating BAe146 jets
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Rotana expands loyalty scheme and announces new Centro brand
Rotana hotels, the upmarket hotel group with 23 properties across the Middle East, has announced plans to expand its loyalty scheme
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29 March 2007 stories


SIA to toughen PPS membership criteria
Singapore Airlines (SIA) will make changes to its PPS (Priority Passenger Service) Club from next September
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Flight check: London-Hong Kong, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines
The traditional wisdom is that the low-cost model works only for short-haul trips. Then again, before low cost came along, the wisdom was that people would tolerate high prices
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Can Emirates overtake SIA and become Oz's leading foreign airline?
Later this year passengers flying the Kangaroo Route between Europe and Australia will experience more choice and keener prices
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Easter disruption to Heathrow Express and Connect
Engineering work at Heathrow in connection with Terminal 5 spells disruption for train users over the Easter period
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Air Berlin to launch corporate travel website
Air Berlin has been making the news this week following its takeover of German competitor LTU. But of greater interest to travellers right now is the fact that Air Berlin will shortly launch a corporate website
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Free international telephone calls at The Lanesborough
Luxury London hotel The Lanesborough has started offering its guests complimentary international telephone calls
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