J U N E 2 0 2 3 £4.

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CABIN COMFORT CHARGED UP TASTE OF NEW YORK PLUS

Exploring the effects of Electric vehicles are Top restaurants and bars in • Seoul • Liverpool hotels
temperature and humidity driving demand the Empire State • Tried & Tested reviews

A N D
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 CONTENTS

JUNE 2023

REGULARS FEATURES ON THE COVER J U N E 2 0 2 3 £4.99

CABIN COMFORT
Exploring the effects of
temperature and humidity
CHARGED UP
Electric vehicles are
driving demand
TASTE OF NEW YORK
Top restaurants and bars in
the Empire State
PLUS
• Seoul • Liverpool hotels
• Tried & Tested reviews

08 UPFRONT 22 C A B I N C L I M AT E HOT SPOT FOR CHANGE

The latest travel news Exploring temperature and The ever-developing Dubai is setting its
from around the globe humidity at 35,000 feet sights on becoming a global eco pioneer,
promoting sustainable practices across the D
20 INBOX 36NEW AND E
IN T H wth through inn
SAN
ovation

LINE
Middle East ts to su
staina
ble gro

Your online forum posts UPCOMING HOTELS Du bai com

mi

52 OPINION
Qualms with QR codes;
open-access operators in
the UK
62 4 H O U R S I N . . .
SEOUL
A tour of South Korea’s
exciting capital city –
from traditional temples
to local street food
74
IN LIVERPOOL
A host of new properties in
the booming northern city
40 POINTS MAKE PRIZES
Trade in your miles and
points for experiences or put
them towards a good cause
46 A B I T E O F T H E
BIG APPLE
Our pick of fantastic bars
and restaurants in New York’s

28
BIG PICTURE luxury hotels
Portraiture of Ghanaian
life, showcased at Photo 56 SWITCHED ON 3
London 2023 A look at the electrified
motoring industry

THE REPORT
66TRIED AND
66
TESTED AIRLINE
Korean Air Boeing
777-300ER Prestige Class
Seoul-London

46
68 T R I E D A N D

69
TESTED HOTELS
AND APAR T HOT EL S
Virgin Hotels New York;

56
Shilla Stay Gwanghwamun,
Seoul; Meliá Frankfurt City;
Renaissance Hamburg

70
Hotel; Room2 Chiswick,
London
COVER IMAGE:TRAVEL WILD/ISTOCK

71
73 S M A R T
T R AV E L L E R
Airlines flying between
London and New York

businesstraveller.com JUNE 2023

 EDITOR’S LET TER

CONTRIBU TORS

A
LL EYES WERE JAMES BATCHELOR
on the UK last Freelance motoring
month – twice, in journalist and
fact. First for the presenter James
coronation of King Charles III, Batchelor cut his teeth
and then again for the Eurovision on Car Dealer
Song Contest, which was hosted by Magazine and later
Liverpool on behalf of the Ukraine. joined Britain’s best-selling
The two events were about as opposite as you can get. weekly car news title, Auto
One a solemn display of ancient tradition with lashings of Express, also fronting the YouTube
formal pomp and ceremony, the other an exuberant, chaotic channel of its sister title Carbuyer.
celebration of music and nonconformity: think middle-aged On page 56, he tells us why
punk rockers singing anti-war songs in their underpants 2023 is the year to switch to
4 (thank you, Croatia). electric vehicles.
One thing they did have in common was the ability to
bring people together, with millions tuning in around the JOSEPH PHELAN
world to watch both spectacles. They also contributed a huge Joe is a freelance journalist
stimulus to the British economy, with an estimated billion- based in London. He has
pound boost for the hospitality industry as travellers came to previously written for
witness a piece of history and/or enjoy a hedonistic party. the BBC, National
On page 36, we round up a spate of new hotels in Liverpool Geographic, The
that opened just in time to capitalise on all the action. And if Observer, British
you didn’t manage to get tickets, perhaps you should turn to Airways’ High Life and
page 40 where we look at non-traditional loyalty benefits and Scientific American,
alternative ways to spend your points. covering everything from football
It’s a good reminder that there are many positives to in Greenland to Iceland’s outdoor
travelling at a time when we’re being encouraged to cut back bathing culture. On page 28 he
on flights to save the planet. But if you are suffering from charts Dubai’s sustainable goals
“flight shame”, there are other ways to offset your activity: you for the years ahead.
might consider getting an electric car for example – we round
up the latest models on page 56. Or perhaps you could give
the plant-based lifestyle a go – Korean Air recently unveiled a ANITHYA
brand new vegan meal offering. Turn to page 66 for a taster, BALACHANDRAN
or read our full report online at businesstraveller.com. Anithya is the Assistant
On that note, I hope you enjoy your travels this month. Editor of Business
Traveller India. Apart
from being a journalist
full-time, her other
passions include exploring
hidden gems across her city and
the world. On page 46, she writes
Tamsin Cocks Editor about some of the most indulgent
restaurants and bars in the
charming Big Apple.

JUNE 2023 businesstraveller.com

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 UPFRONT

Air New
Zealand to
debut Skynest
sleep pods in
September
2024
AIR NEW ZEALAND HAS ANNOUNCED
plans to debut its innovative Skynest
bunkbeds on ultra-long-haul routes
to New York and Chicago from
September 2024.
The six-pod Skynest sleep zone will
be positioned between economy and
premium economy, with each pod
offering a fully-flat bed, full-size pillow,
sheets and blanket, as well as a separate
reading light, USB port, ventilation
outlet, and “lighting designed for rest”.
Customers travelling in economy
8 cabins will be able to book one four-hour session per passenger on their
reservation, subject to availability, and bedding will be changed between
each session, with a 30-minute transition time built in to allow for this.
Air New Zealand’s chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty
said that the carrier was “still working through the exact details of how
the booking process will work, and we have yet to determine the price,”
but added that “at this stage are looking at around NZ$400 to NZ$600
(£200-£300) for the four-hour period”.

RADISSON HOTEL GROUP TO OPEN FIRST PRIZEOTEL IN IRELAND

RADISSON HOTEL GROUP has announced plans
for the first property under its prizeotel brand in
the UK and Ireland region.
The 145-room prizeotel Dublin will be located on
James Street in the city’s Liberties district, and is
expected to open in the first quarter of 2025.
Features will include a restaurant and bar in the
ground floor lobby area, and rooms “decorated in
a mix of urban style and relaxed ambience”.
Radisson describes prizeotel as “a value
engineered, high-design-focused brand for
tech-savvy, connected midscale lifestyle travellers
in vibrant, urban locations offering convertible,
flexible spaces”.
In its most recent press release Radisson
said that “additional openings and signings
in exciting European destinations will be
announced soon with a particular focus on the
UK and Ireland”.

JUNE 2023 businesstraveller.com

 UPFRONT

Ryanair orders up
to 300 Boeing 737
MAX 10 aircraft
RYANAIR HAS PLACED AN ORDER for up to
300 Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft, worth up to
US$40 billion at list prices.
The deal comprises 150 firm orders and a
further 150 options, with delivery scheduled
between 2027 and 2033.
The carrier said it would increase traffic
by 80 per cent to 300 million per annum by
March 2034.
Half of the deliveries will replace the
airline’s older 737 NG aircraft, with the 737
MAX 10s being configured with 228 seats
– 21 per cent more than the aircraft they MANCHESTER AIRPORT’S PLANS FOR
are replacing.
Ryanair took delivery of its first Boeing SHOPPING AND DINING AT REVAMPED T2
737 MAX 200 ‘Gamechanger’ aircraft in June MANCHESTER AIRPORT HAS UNVEILED plans for the final phase of its
2021, and the group has taken delivery of £1.3 billion Transformation Programme, which was first announced in 2015.
around half of the 210 aircraft ordered, with Terminal 2 will offer 27 new shops and restaurants when works are completed
the remainder set to enter service by 2025. in 2025, including a champagne bar, brasserie and food market with an
extended departure lounge, while a new shopping zone known as The Avenue
will feature store fronts opening out onto airfield views. 9
The first phase of the project, comprising an extension to Terminal 2, was
completed in July 2021. The second and final phase involves the remodelling
and upgrade of the original Terminal 2 building, including a new security hall
with 3D scanners, a second pier with additional boarding gates, and a new dual
taxiway system designed to improve airfield efficiency.
Once completed, more than 80 per cent of passengers will travel through
Terminal 2, with Terminal 1, which first opened in 1962, set to close.

FINNAIR REDUCES BAGGAGE

ALLOWANCES AND TIER BENEFITS
FINNAIR HAS INTRODUCED a new Superlight
ticket as of June 1 that replaces Economy Light
on journeys within Europe. Passengers on this
ticket may only bring one small bag that can fit
under the seat.
The baggage allowance in business class has
also been reduced on all flights. Business Light
tickets now include just one carry-on bag and
one small bag, but no checked luggage, while
Business Classic and Flex tickets will have a
carry-on allowance and just one checked bag.
Other changes include reductions to
baggage-related Finnair Plus tier benefits as well
as the removal of complimentary seat-selection
at check-in. More Finnair Plus Points will also
BOEING

be required to upgrade or purchase reward

flights from June 15 onwards.

businesstraveller.com JUNE 2023

 UPFRONT

IAG EXPECTS CAPACITY TO

BE AT 97 PER CENT OF 2019
LEVELS THIS YEAR
INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES GROUP (IAG) has reported a first
quarter profit for the first time since 2019, following what it said
10 had been a “stronger performance than expected at every airline”.
The group made an operating profit before exceptional items
of €9 million in the first quarter of 2023, compared with a loss of
€718 million in the same period of 2022.
Iberia delivered its best ever Q1 performance, fuelled by strong
demand in Spain and Latin America, which IAG said made the Hampton by
carrier “one of the world’s most profitable airlines”.
SWNS; ENRIQUE ESCANDELL

British Airways also returned to Q1 profit for the first time since
2019, with IAG reporting “strong demand from leisure travel”
while corporate travel is “recovering slowly”.
The group said that there was an “encouraging outlook” for the
summer, with 80 per cent of expected Q2 revenue already booked.
It expects capacity to be around 97 per cent of 2019 for the year.
Premier Inn par tners with Baylis &
Harding for new bathroom products
PREMIER INN HAS LAUNCHED a new partnership with British brand
Baylis & Harding.
The group’s 80,000 rooms across the UK and Germany will now
feature shower gel and handwash products by the family-owned
fragrances and beauty firm.
Guests in standard Premier Inn rooms will benefit from handwash,
and a hair and body wash from Baylis & Harding’s Elements White Tea
and Neroli range, presented in wall-mounted marble-inspired bottles.
Meanwhile customers in Premier Plus rooms will find products from
the group’s Goodness range, including an Oud, Cedar and Amber
handwash, and a choice of Lavender and Bergamot or Oud, Cedar and
Amber body washes.
Hilton unveils
City of London
property
HILTON HAS OPENED the latest London hotel
under its budget Hampton brand, situated on
the eastern edge of the City of London.
The 278-room Hampton by Hilton London
City is located on Osborn Street close to
Aldgate East Underground station.
Brand standards include free wifi and hot
breakfast. The hotel also has an open-concept
communal lounge and a bar area, as well as a
fitness centre with Peloton bikes.
Hilton currently operates around 2,900
Hampton properties in 33 countries, having
reached the milestone of 2,500 hotels in 2019.
The group is also set to open the 107-room
Hampton by Hilton London Old Street this
summer, located on Westland Place
around five minutes’ walk from Old Street
Underground and rail station.

JUNE 2023 businesstraveller.com

 UPFRONT

Gatwick airport unveils

new brand identity
LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT has unveiled its new brand identity
with a vision “to be the airport for everyone, whatever your journey”.
The new branding replaces the current italicised, turquoise Gatwick
name and “Your London Airport” tagline, and is already visible across
the airport’s social media channels.
Gatwick said “the new, modernised brand is designed to reaffirm
and showcase London Gatwick’s position as a major international
gateway,” adding that it also “recognises the airport as part of the
broader VINCI Airports network”.
The new vision will help to deliver “a personalised experience to
meet passengers’ individual needs,” including accelerating automation
across check-in and boarding, and the upgrade of Gatwick Airport
railway station, which is set to be completed later this year.

CHASE SAPPHIRE UNVEILS FIRST US

LOUNGE AT BOSTON AIRPORT
JPMORGAN CHASE & CO has opened the first US lounge under
its Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club brand.
The 1,080 sqm facility at Boston Logan International airport
is located in the Terminal B to C Connector between gates 11
B40 and B39, and is available to Chase Sapphire Reserve
cardmembers through their Priority Pass membership, who
can be accompanied by two free guests.
Features include a dining
menu by local chef Douglass
Williams, a taproom offering
local craft beer and coffee, a
centrepiece wine and cocktail
bar, two wellness rooms with
anti-gravity massage chairs and
guided meditations, and two
dual-head shower rooms.
The lounge has views of the HYATT UNVEILS NEW
airfield and Boston Harbour, and
features curated artworks. UPPER MIDSCALE
EXTENDED STAY BRAND
HYATT HAS UNVEILED its first upper midscale brand in the
Americas, and the group’s latest extended-stay offering.
Letters of interest have been signed for more than 100
Hyatt Studios, with construction set to begin this year and
the first property expected to open in 2024.
The group said the brand had been designed to be
flexible based on developer needs, accommodating both
extended-stay and shorter-stay leisure and business transient
guests “depending on the hotel’s market and guest base”.
Few details have been released about the new brand at
this stage, although Hyatt said that it would offer guest
room kitchens with convection microwave, as well as a
complimentary grab-and-go-breakfast and 24-hour market.

businesstraveller.com JUNE 2023

 UPFRONT

TIME DOMESTIC:
REOPENING OF
LONG-HAUL : THE DROP-IN, AUSTIN,
UNTIL AUGUST 10
OUT T H E N AT I O N A L This free outdoor concert series in partnership with
Our pick of events PORTRAIT Austin City Limits Radio takes place every Thursday
G A L L E R Y, L O N D O N , on the lawn of the Long Centre in downtown, with a
taking place around
JUNE 22 line-up of musical genres that span rock 'n’ roll,
the world funk-electro, reggae and blues. Plus, a weekly DJ for
pre-show performances, a full bar, food trucks and
lawn games. RSVPs open every Monday at 10am for
that week’s event but, as you’d guess by the name,
revellers can drop-in regardless.

The renowned museum, founded in 1856, is reopening

following a two-year renovation, which has seen
the refurbishment of nine galleries as well as a
redevelopment of the East Wing. The line-up includes
four exhibitions – from works by female photographer
Yevonde and renowned artist David Hockney to those
by African diasporic artists working in the UK and
America and never-before-seen portraits of
The Beatles by Paul McCartney. Exhibitions cost £5 for
guests under 30 (from £8.50 for over 30s).
12
S H O R T- H A U L : N O R M A N F O S T E R
R E T R O S P E C T I V E , PA R I S , U N T I L
A U G U S T   7, 2 0 2 3
The Centre Pompidou in Paris is hosting the largest
retrospective of legendary architect Norman Foster,
with works from the last six decades covering nearly
2,200 sqm. The exhibition explores 130 major projects,
featuring photographs, drawings, sketches, original
scale models, dioramas and videos. Tickets from €14.

A royal feast
AS ROYAL ASCOT RETURNS this month from
June 20-24, why not combine the equestrian
event with a suitably regal dining experience at
Woven by Adam Smith, located at Coworth Park
in Berkshire? The Dorchester Collection hotel
occupies 97 hectares of parkland, with its
meadow set to be in full bloom this month, and
comprises a Georgian manor house, private
cottages, spa facilities and polo fields in its
grounds. Woven by Adam Smith opened in
September 2022 and received a Michelin star
within six months. Chef Adam Smith is at the
helm, producing menus that champion seasonal
British produce alongside English wines. The
light-filled contemporary dining space designed
by Martin Hulbert doesn’t feel intimidating
despite the starry status. Menus kick off with
intricate snacks, including a lavish caviar-packed
CHUCK CHOI; BRYNNOSBORN-LUNALUNA

tart and an impressive selection of breads with

whacky condiments like lobster oil and pumpkin
seed satay. Next up are choices from the larder,
stove and pastry; highlights include a hand-dived
scallop with Jerusalem artichoke and Cornish
turbot with lobster. Don't forget to leave space
for the cheese room. Lunch menus cost £80,
with dinner at £130, plus wine pairings at an
additional cost of £80 per person.

JUNE 2023 businesstraveller.com


Experience world-
class dining with
Singapore Airlines
S
ingapore Airlines (SIA) offers a
food and beverage programme
that represents the best of
Singapore’s hawker heritage
and national cuisine, as well as
those of destinations across its
network, designed by celebrated
chefs and featuring a selection of
award-winning wines.
Chefs in the sky
The airline’s Book the Cook service allows
customers to experience a restaurant
quality, fine dining meal in the air,
and offers customers in Suites, First,
Business and Premium Economy
cabins the option to pre-order
dishes designed by the airline’s
renowned International Culinary
Panel (ICP). The ICP boasts seven
critically acclaimed chefs from around
the world, including Georges Blanc in
France, Matt Moran in Australia and
Yoshihiro Murata in Japan.
Unique dishes designed by the ICP, which
may include interpretations of dishes from
the ICP’s Michelin-starred restaurants, are
adapted to meet the conditions of taste buds
in the air and are prepared by the airline’s
catering partners. Onboard, the airline’s
cabin crew plate and serve the meals with
care and attention to detail. “We want to
cover as many bases as possible and deliver
to our customers an authentic dining
experience,” explains Antony McNeil, SIA’s
global food and beverage director.
The Book the Cook meal options are
updated regularly, spanning Singaporean,
Western, Indian and Malay cuisines. Popular
menu options include Singapore’s famous
Chicken Rice and well-loved Prawn Wanton
Noodle Soup, as well as the light and healthy
Breakfast Porridge with Coconut Milk and
Chia Seeds.
Championing hawker heritage
The flag carrier’s onboard food and beverage
menu pays homage to Singapore, renowned
for its diverse cuisine, street food and
Michelin-starred restaurants. In 2021,
A D V E R T I S E M E N T F E AT U R E
LEFT: Antony McNeil, SIA’s
global food and beverage
director ABOVE: Inflight dining
experience in Business Class on an
A350 aircraft; prawn and chicken
laksa, and Boston lobster thermidor
Singapore Airlines launched the Singapore
Showcase initiative, championing the city-
state’s legendary hawker culture, which is
featured on the UNESCO Representative
List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
of Humanity. The airline offers a series of
popular local dishes from renowned hawkers
on selected flights departing from Singapore,
including Michelin Plate winner Boon Tong
Kee’s Chicken Rice. “We are very proud
to bring popular local fare from Singapore
on board,” states McNeil. These popular
local dishes complement the existing dishes
available onboard or pre-ordered via Book the
Cook. “SIA’s Book the Cook and pre-order
opportunities allow the customer the option
to personalise their travel experiences onboard
SIA,” adds McNeil.
Boosting flavours
The airline has introduced serviceware made
from Forest Stewardship Council-certified
paper for Economy Class regional flights.
The new container allows for better heat
insulation and moisture, retaining the best
taste and texture of the meals. The new
container also opens up a wider choice of
options for customers in Economy Class,
with more soup and gravy-rich options
such as mee siam, laksa and congee.
You’ll now spot these dishes on
routes with flights under 3.5 hours.
Sip and savour
Alongside SIA’s world-class meals are
a selection of fine wines, chosen by the
airline’s three experts – Masters of Wine
Jeannie Cho Lee and Michael Hill Smith,
and celebrated wine writer Oz Clarke
(pictured below) – and served onboard by
highly trained air sommeliers.
SIA invests S$36 million in its beverage
programme annually and certainly reaps
the rewards. The airline consistently
performs highly in Cellars in the Sky,
Business Traveller’s annual
inflight wine awards,
and most recently won
five Gold awards in
the 2022 edition,
including the
Best Overall
Cellar award
for the second
year running.
To enjoy a world-
class dining experience,
book your next travel with
Singapore Airlines and kick-start your
trips with an experience like none other,
thousands of feet in the air.

AIR
MILE S
VIKKI STONE is an
award-winning writer, composer,
comedian and musician. In 2023
she won the Best Family Show
Olivier Award for adapting
Hey Duggee Live.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU
14 TO THE WORLD OF
THEATRE?
I was a bit of a child prodigy
musician. I went to music
school at a young age and all
of my eggs were in one basket
from 16 onwards.
CONGRATULATIONS ON
YOUR RECENT OLIVIER
AWARD. WHAT WAS THAT
EXPERIENCE LIKE?
I look back at the video and
it feels like an out of body
experience. There was a
really serendipitous moment
when my best friend, Helen
George from Call the Midwife,
presented the award to us.
HOW DO YOU JUGGLE
WRITING, COMPOSING
AND PERFORMING?
I’m good at meeting deadlines.
DAVID REISS; GREENS87/ISTOCK
I have so many different shows
that if I don’t meet a deadline it
has a knock-on effect. Writing
goes through many different
eyes, so I don’t pressure myself
into submitting something
perfect for the first draft.
JUNE 2023
UPFRONT
WHAT ARE YOU
WORKING ON AT THE
MOMENT?
I’ve written the music and
lyrics for a production
of Alice in Wonderland
at Liverpool Playhouse
and Theatre Royal
Plymouth. I’m also working
on Christmas stuff –
Cinderella, Dick Wittington,
and Peter Pan. Everything
I write is known as family
co-viewing. Hey Duggee is
a TV show for under-fives
but it has plenty of stuff for
adults which goes over the
kids’ heads. For instance,
there’s an episode based on
Apocalypse Now.
HOW HAVE YOU SEEN
AUDIENCES CHANGE
OVER TIME?
There’s a bit of industry
snobbery about
pantomimes. I think it’s a
really important art form,
and it keeps most of these
buildings financially stable.
It’s often responsible for
the running costs of the
building for the year.
FAVOURITE THEATRE
PRODUCTION?
One of the best things I’ve
ever seen is Philip Glass’
opera Akhnaten at the
English National Opera.
FAVOURITE THEATRE?
I love the Lyric Theatre
in Hammersmith. I first
started performing there in
2016 and I’ve now written
shows for it. It feels like a
sort of church for me. It’s
very special.
HAVE YOU DONE
PRODUCTIONS
ABROAD?
No, it’s all been UK-based.
As a stand-up I was doing
55,000 miles a year and can
tell you everything about
every market town with an
arts centre in the UK.
DO YOU HAVE A
FAVOURITE SERVICE
STATION?
Tebay Services on the M6,
West Morlands services. It’s
got a farm shop.
UK LEADS
MOST REWARDING
TRAVEL EXPERIENCE?
THE WAY
Me and my husband don’t
see each other during Mastercard reveals the top ten
international travel destinations
the Christmas period as for European travellers, ranked by
I work on shows and he is share of inbound travel. Extreme
a professional drummer. heatwaves and risks of wildfires
As soon as we both in southern Europe have
finish, we run away to the prompted people to spend their
summers further north in the
sunshine and that feels very continent, while the US has risen
rewarding. We’ve been to one place from 2022.
Canouan in St Vincent
and the Grenadines and
Barbados, and we are
1.
currently deciding where UNITED KINGDOM
2.
to go next January.
MOST CHALLENGING
TRAVEL EXPERIENCE?
SPAIN
I had a tight connection 3.
at Stansted for a flight to
Porto. I’ve got really fancy, UNITED STATES
comfy Rixo pyjamas which I
decided to travel in. But my
4.
first flight was delayed so ITALY
then I was belting through
Stansted airport looking 5.
unhinged to make my flight
to Porto. I missed it.
GERMANY
6.
DREAM DESTINATION?
Japan.
FRANCE
7.
IFE PICK?
SWITZERLAND
I use flights to catch up
on films. I watched the
musical Dear Evan Hansen
8.
on a flight, and I was SWEDEN
unashamedly crying.
9.
INDISPENSABLE
TRAVEL GADGET?
NETHERLANDS
I always bring things like 10.
multi-socket gadgets but
then never use them. DENMARK
See the full interview at
businesstraveller.com Source: Travel Industry Trends 2023, Mastercard Economics
Institute, 2023 Mastercard International Incorporated
businesstraveller.com
Colin’s trading app
told him to invest
in gold for
the future.
Wouldn’t you
rather have
financial
advice that
is right for you?

Oury Clark, Straight Talking

Financial Advice Since 1935.
Find us at www.ouryclark.com/colin

The value of your investment can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount
you invested. Oury Clark is subject to the UK regulatory regime, this advert is therefore targeted at
consumers based in the UK.
 S U S TA I N A BL E T R AV E L L E R

DON’T LET IT
GO TO WASTE
LUFTHANSA HAS JOINED
fellow group carriers Austrian,
Eurowings and SWISS in offering
unsold inflight food at a discount
to reduce wastage.
The German airline introduced

Easy its buy-on-board menu for

economy short- and medium-haul
passengers in 2021, and said that
does it because its fresh food options
“are deliberately prepared without
EASYHOTEL PLANS to invest £4.5 million to colourants or preservatives, they
reduce its carbon emissions at 12 UK properties. have a short shelf life and must be
Measures include the installation of heat pumps, disposed of if they are not sold on
solar panels, improved metering, control systems and the designated flights”.
new more efficient air conditioning systems. As a result, Lufthansa has
The group said that following the work, it expects CO2 launched a new “Onboard
emissions across its UK portfolio to fall by 45 per cent by 2025. Delights Last Minute” initiative,
The properties benefitting from the investment are London Shoreditch, where passengers on European
Croydon, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Milton Keynes, flights to Frankfurt and Munich
Ipswich, Cardiff, Newcastle and Glasgow. can purchase unsold fresh food
16 at a discounted set
The group also plans to announce similar low-carbon investments for its hotels in Belgium,
France, Netherlands and Spain by the end of the year. price of €3.50.
EasyHotel has also installed free filtered water fountains, and is rolling out wooden key In addition,
cards, which are expected to prevent 55,000 plastic key cards from being produced in 2023. Miles & More
members can
now earn and
redeem miles
All change when they
purchase
F&B from the
THE HOXTON HAS LAUNCHED a new initiative to reward guests who choose to travel by Onboard Delights
LEE TRAVERS

rail while staying at two or more of its hotels. ‘The Good Rate’ will see £20/US$20/€20
deducted from the room rate at each location if guests travel between the properties by rail. To
benefit from the initiative, guests must present the relevant train ticket at check-in. The Good
Rate can also be used in conjunction
with existing Hoxton room offers
and promotions if stays are taken
consecutively and booked directly
through thehoxton.com.
Previous initiatives by the brand
include donating winter beds to
homeless communities through its
annual Stay for a Stay campaign,
and eliminating single-use plastics
or using repurposed materials
and upcycled furniture. The hotel
brand celebrated the launch of the
initiative with a special takeover of
the Eurostar, transporting guests to
the brand’s new opening in Brussels.
menu, with “at least”
one mile being credited
per Euro spent.
Lufthansa is targeting a 50 per
cent reduction in food waste on
short-haul flights by 2025,
compared to 2019 levels, with
other measures including
optimising catering processes
and reducing the amount
of products held
in stock as
standard.

JUNE 2023 businesstraveller.com

 WAYNE SLEZAK; SEBASTIEN GONIN
UPCYCLED GRAPES
LAST MONTH, ACTOR EMMA WATSON and her
brother Alex launched sustainable gin brand, Renais –
named after ‘Renaissance’ for its second life status. Grape
skins salvaged from the winemaking process at Domaine
Watson, the family’s vineyard in the Chablis wine region,
are distilled and then combined with Kimmeridgian stone
distillate (the ‘terroir’ of Chablis), pressed Grand Cru
grapes and natural botanicals such as linden flowers,
cubeb berries and acacia honey. Aside from the eco
production process, the carbon neutral product is
packaged in biodegradable mushroom packaging, while
the facility has solar-powered stills and any remaining
carbon emissions are offset through the support of wind
farm initiatives in India via Climate Partner. Enjoy the gin
over ice and in cocktails such as a classic martini or gin
and tonic. The second batch is released this month and
available to purchase at renais.co.uk for £45 (70cl), or
within cocktails at Scarfes Bar at Rosewood London.

FUELLING CHANGE 17

UNITED AIRLINES PLANS to triple its use of sustainable aviation

fuel (SAF) this year. The airline hopes to use ten million gallons of
SAF in 2023, about three times more than last year. This comes
as United begins to use a blend of SAF on flights departing San
Francisco International airport, with London Heathrow expected
to receive deliveries later this year too.
Emirates, meanwhile, has committed US$200 million to fund
research and development projects focused on reducing the impact
of fossil fuels in commercial aviation. Sir Tim Clark, president of
Emirates, said, “We are ring-fencing US$200 million to invest in
advanced fuel and energy solutions, which is where airlines currently
face the biggest impediment in reducing our environmental impact.”
The airline will identify partnerships with leading organisations
working on solutions in advanced fuel and energy technologies.

ECO LABELS
KOREAN AIR HAS RELEASED a collection of name tags and golf ball markers, made from the fuselage of a
retired Boeing 777-200ER aircraft with the registration number HL7715. The aeroplane had completed
11,274 flights to 95 cities around the world, with its last flight from San Francisco to Seoul
Incheon taking place in March 2020.
The colour of the products varies depending on the part of the fuselage
used, but all are made from Duralumin and include engravings of the aircraft
model and registration number as well as a unique serial number.
Act quickly, with just 5,000 name tags (KRW45,000/£27) and 2,000 sets
of golf ball markers (KRW56,000/£34) on sale via Korean Air’s e-skyshop.

businesstraveller.com JUNE 2023


I N F L I G H T E N T E R TA I N M E N T
Our tips to make time fly by
PARAMOUNT GLOBAL UK; CSA ARCHIVE, CREATIVEDESIGNART/ISTOCK
WATCH: Natural History
Museum: World of Wonder
This four-part documentary series
launched on Channel 5 last month
and takes spectators behind the
scenes of the iconic museum in
London, uncovering details about
the natural world, from dinosaur
discoveries to billion-year-old
meteorites and a peek at the
museum’s large storage vaults.
Each episode is narrated by actor
Bill Nighy, and features scientists
and experts from various fields.
Free to download at My5.
18
JUNE 2023
READ:
Ragged
Edge,
Stuart
Barker
This
non-fiction
book
discovers
the thrilling
story of the annual Isle of Man TT
motorcycle race, one of the world’s
most dangerous sporting events,
which takes place this month.
Scottish author Stuart Barker was
the former editor of the event’s
programme for eight years, but has
now turned to narrating its history,
atmosphere, tragedies and
legends. Vicariously live life on
the edge when turning the pages.
£22; John Blake.
UPFRONT
LOST IN
LISTEN: Manchester: Your
Airport, MAN
TRANSLATION
This podcast presented by Tom
Fordyce launched at the end of last
month, and offers unique insights
into the inner workings of the UK’s
gateway in the North. The six
episodes explore topics such as
the arrangements in place for
celebrity travellers, as well as
sustainability and how airports
win new routes. Free to download.
Idioms from around the world that have
us scratching our heads. This issue, it’s
a Norwegian expression.
Phrase: å svelge kameler
Literally: To swallow camels
Meaning: To give into something
DELTA CELEBRATES
45 YEARS OF
FLIGHTS BETWEEN
THE US AND UK
DELTA HAS CELEBRATED THE 45TH
ANNIVERSARY of service between the United
States and the UK.
The carrier operated its first nonstop flight
between Atlanta and London Gatwick on
April 30, 1978, using a three-engine Lockheed
L-1011 Tristar aircraft.
Delta’s inaugural transatlantic flight to
London offered first class, Medallion Service
(business class) and economy.
The route also saw the airline show an
inflight movie for the first time – Oh, God!
with George Burns and John Denver.
The anniversary coincides with the launch
of Delta flights between New York JFK and
Gatwick at the end of March, a route it has
not served since 2008.
The carrier also flies from eight US cities to
London Heathrow – Atlanta, Boston, Detroit,
Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York City, Los
Angeles, Salt Lake City and Seattle.
businesstraveller.com

In the round
LUXURY RENTAL BRAND onefinestay has
launched an exclusive partnership with the
London-based theatre group Revels in Hand
to offer guests the chance to book private
performances in the collection’s 508 properties
in the UK and the US. The collaboration will see
travellers request personalised performances
featuring West End actors, writers and directors,
with productions spanning scenes from William
Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to
immersive treasure hunts and dramas written
specifically for the occasion. The performances
are available to book through onefinestay’s
concierge services in the UK and US, and the
team can further enhance the event with features
such as private chefs and event tableware.
businesstraveller.com
UPFRONT
COMPETITION
WIN
A TWO-NIGHT
STAY AT HILTON
FRANKFURT AIRPORT
BUSINESS TRAVELLER has teamed up with Hilton Frankfurt Airport to offer
a lucky reader and guest the chance to win a two-night stay in a double room,
including breakfast and a three-course dinner at RISE restaurant (including 19
soft drinks). Located in the iconic “The SQUAIRE” building, Hilton Frankfurt
Airport is the perfect spot for those seeking a comfortable and luxurious stay. The
hotel combines futuristic design with world-class hospitality and offers a prime
location above the high-speed train station, with direct access to Terminal 1.
For full terms and conditions and to enter, visit businesstraveller.com/competitions
Commute in style
SEA CONTAINERS LONDON has launched a new
subscription service aimed at remote workers, freelancers
and digital nomads travelling regularly to London.
The ‘Commuter Club’ has three tiers and price
packages, all of which include overnight accommodation,
a 15 per cent discount at the property’s F&B outlets,
a personalised in-room amenity selection, use of spa
facilities, 24-hour gym access, secure bike storage and a
trunk to store personal belongings until their next visit.
Members also benefit from high-speed wifi, access to
the hotel’s public areas, private meeting and dining rooms
NIALL CLUTTON; QUABBE + TESSMANN
(for an additional fee) and can bring along their pets free
of charge (complete with a bed, bowls and treats).
Tiers range from £1,550 per month with 60 stays a year
to £2,700 for 120 stays and eight complimentary tickets to
the hotel’s private Curzon Cinema.
Members can also use up to ten per cent of their
night allowance at other hotels within the Lore Group
portfolio, including Pulitzer Amsterdam, One Hundred
Shoreditch and Riggs and Lyle in Washington DC.
JUNE 2023

Join the debate
READERS SHARE FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCES AND IDEAS
BUSINESSTRAVELLER.COM/FORUM
JET LAG
«S T E V E S C O O T S
For 18 years, changing time zones every
three to four weeks (+/- eight hours) was
no problem. My miracle cures used to range
from having one too many drinks after
landing and then sleeping for 12 hours, to
the occasional swig of Night Nurse (now
banned!) to ploughing through as if I was
18 again.
Like baldness, it gets worse with age,
and I have found it much harder to get
over jet lag in two or three days like I used
to before the Covid-19 pandemic, which
coincided (just before the shutdown of
20 travel) with my fiftieth birthday.
So, as many of us are now getting back
to our old travel schedules, are any of the
senior statesmen and women here finding
it harder to overcome? And what are you
doing to try and deal with it? Maybe it’s just
the eye-watering fares that are now
keeping us awake...
«C W O O D W A R D
These days if it’s a long-haul trip I try to
arrive on a Friday evening or Saturday
morning and have a ‘light’ weekend in
all respects.
If this is not possible then I cut down on
the booze (a little) and sleep as much as
possible – then there’s no protracted
suffering. Previously I proceeded almost
exactly as stevescoots above, but that
approach now causes much more suffering
than it did 40 years ago…
«S T E V E S C O O T S
I hear you on the suffering using the old
tricks. I try not to indulge anymore,
preferring the sanctitude of my hotel room
or apartment.
I am dreading when the youngsters we
hired during Covid make their first trips to
Hong Kong and I have to babysit. I might
just tell them to party and meet me in
the morning!
JUNE 2023
INBOX YOUR COMMENTS
«G O L D - 2 K
I thought it was just me! I spent the last ten
days between the US, Latin America and
Asia. I’m now back in the UK and feel like a
total zombie! I used to have one good
night’s sleep in my own bed and I was back
on the correct time zone, but now I’m like
the walking dead for three days.
I stay off the booze, drink loads of water
and on my last flight back from Singapore in
first class, I slept for nearly eight hours yet
still my body is saying WTF!
It definitely gets tougher with age.
I’m not convinced that the new generation
of aircraft reduce the effects of long-haul
travel – maybe it’s just a marketing pitch...
surely not?
Perhaps it’s the
howling kids,
disturbing sleep
mid-flight, that save
us from jet lag
«I N Q U I S I T I V E
I did a lot of long-haul trips before Covid,
mainly from the Far East to North America,
and was not much affected by jet lag.
My take is that jet lag is not only a
sleep issue, it is also aggravated by the
unplanned or mistimed toilet need.
So no matter whether I am hungry or
not, I will eat a lot after arriving at the
hotel in the destination, so that the next
morning I am able to maintain the
bathroom schedule.
And if I cannot sleep, instead of tossing
up and down in the bed, I just get up and
start making notes about the work that
I do not like, and that soon becomes
sleep-inducing!
«F D O S
I have just completed two separate trips to
the Middle East. The effect of jet lag was
not as bad as I remember pre-Covid and
I slept well at night during both trips.
My only real explanation is that I was
not fatigued from previous regular
long-haul travel.
At the age of 66, I am not looking to
travel with the same intensity and maybe
this will help in the longer term.
«M A R T Y N S I N C L A I R
I generally never suffer from jet lag but on
this last trip to Asia with Finnair I slept so
well – around seven hours’ total to HKG –
that it played havoc. I was adjusting to local
time for the first four or five days.
The only difference between this flight
and the others that I have done was that
there were no howling children in the
same cabin. Perhaps it is the howling kids,
disturbing sleep mid-flight, that are indeed
the saviour of jet lag…
While it’s normal to try and sleep your
way through a long-haul trip, I guess the
skill is to ensure you do not sleep too well,
especially for an evening arrival. I did have
a meeting as usual on arrival and ate out
afterwards, but I still suffered.
«S W I S S D I V E R
Interesting experience sharing. Thanks
all. As far as I’m concerned, there are two
categories: up to six to seven hours’ time
difference, and above that threshold. I deal
rather well with the former, eastbound and
westbound, and get rid of it in two to three
days. Simple rules: yes, the one too many
glasses of wine on the plane, and then
straight into local schedule after landing.
Over seven hours, the effect can
be exponential, and therefore longer
than the usual “one day per two hours’
time difference” rule to adapt. Needless
to say, 12 hours difference can be
rather challenging!
businesstraveller.com
Finally, I also try to get rid This is but an example, but get on with it, waking up at stupid o’clock
of the jet lag before flying After a “long-haul it does seem to happen or just hitting a wall at a silly hour during
back, as going back and Covid break”, I with varying severity to the day!
forth too quickly is difficult those that travel less often. The worst for me was a few years ago,
to manage.
thought jet lag would This leaves me when I travelled from London to Sydney
Of course I could do it be more difficult wondering: do we build up via Singapore, literally off the plane in
dry but, well, no way, as to manage any sort of immunity to SIN and back on again, landing in the
long as I can manage it! the most severe symptoms morning in Sydney and heading straight to
or are we just used to and the hotel then to a meeting. Well apparently
«C W O O D W A R D more able to cope with I glazed over and fell asleep in my host’s
Purely from personal observation, I would the ‘punishment’? office. He let me sleep for ten minutes and
suggest that those of us who have then sent me to the hotel to return the
travelled by air frequently and «S W I S S D I V E R following day!
for many years experience I think there is a sort of We are soon flying from Singapore to
less onerous jet lag than the habituation, and one that stays. San Francisco – 15.5 hours in the air and a
many that travel by air After a “long-haul Covid break”, 15-hour time zone difference. Wish us luck!
long-haul infrequently – I thought jet lag would be more
i.e. perhaps once every couple difficult to manage. But it wasn’t. This
of years. This is despite them could, however, also be the result of us
often taking the mitigation precautions knowing ourselves in these situations as we
and advice offered. What brought this to learned what works to cope with jet lag.
mind was that we had a relative from the SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES
UK visit us recently who, despite travelling «K 1 N G S T O N ON OUR FORUM
business class, was very seriously I have always suffered with jet lag. I’ve
BUSINESSTRAVELLER.COM/
incapacitated for almost three days. tried everything without success and just
FORUM

21

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businesstraveller.com JUNE 2023

22

Thermal comfort and humidity are set to become

the next step change in cabin improvements

WORDS TAMSIN COCK S
T
he Atacama Desert in Chile
is generally considered to
be the driest place on Earth.
The South American plateau
receives little precipitation
(about 15mm annually) and is virtually
devoid of vegetation or animal life as a result,
with humidity reaching just 10 per cent.
In a business class cabin, the average
humidity is 7 per cent. In other words, it’s
drier than the driest place
on Earth.
The arid conditions arise A business class
because the outside air
cabin’s average
that’s drawn into the
cabin is very cold – around humidity is
-15˚C – so it can’t hold drier than the
any moisture. As cabin air
is also frequently refreshed
Atacama Desert
(roughly every two
minutes) the small amount
of moisture that’s generated is also filtered
out very quickly.
ELWISZ, SIMONKR/ISTOCK; EDUARDO CABENES
Most humidity in the
cabin actually comes from
passengers via exhalation.
The most humid part of a
plane is therefore in economy
(around 12 per cent), with
premium cabins suffering more. First class
passengers wither in around 5 per cent
humidity, while the cockpit and crew rest
areas suffer from the lowest levels, with just
2 per cent humidity.
businesstraveller.com
AV I AT I O N
“Your body dehydrates quickly when
you’re exposed to such an environment,”
says Ola Haggfeldt, chief commercial officer
at CTT Systems AB, a Swedish company
that specialises in aircraft
humidity. “You’re basically
losing 70 grams of water
every hour, so even if you’re
drinking water, you’re going
to dry out.”
We’re all aware of feeling
parched and dehydrated
on a long-haul flight,
disembarking with flaky
skin and bloodshot eyes
more suited to a Halloween
costume, but the lack of
humidity has more serious
effects than personal aesthetics
and comfort.
“From a health perspective, what
happens is you dehydrate your mucus
and respiratory system,” Haggfeldt explains.
“Typically, how the immune system works is
if you catch a virus or bacteria, your mucus
basically traps it and your stomach acid
kills it. When you’re dried out, this doesn’t
happen. So, while you don’t immediately
23
get sick because of a lack of humidity,
your chance of getting sick increases quite
significantly.”
It’s the same reason why more people
get sick in the winter – the cold, dry air
suppresses your immune system, making you
more susceptible to airborne bugs. Aircraft
these days are equipped with hospital-grade
HEPA filters, which kill 99.9 per cent of
any airborne pathogens, so you’re unlikely
to contract anything mid-flight. But the
second you step into a busy airport or a
crowded bus, your wrecked immune system
leaves you vulnerable.
Aside from your health, quality of sleep is
also affected, says Haggfeldt: “Studies have
shown you sleep better when you breathe
better, and you breathe better when there
is natural moisture in the air. Having better
sleep on an aircraft also means less negative
effects from jet lag.”
Humidity also plays a role when it comes
to inflight dining. Around 80 per cent of
your taste perception comes from scent
and odour, yet your sense of smell is greatly
reduced in dry conditions. As anyone
who’s ever had a cold can attest: if you can’t
smell something, you can’t really enjoy it.
JUNE 2023
 AV I AT I O N

RELATIVE
If humidity was improved in cabins, it would
also improve the enjoyment of food and HUMIDITY
wine, which airlines invest a lot of time and
effort into. Average cabin humidity
Liquid assets without active
It’s a no-brainer that more humid cabins
would be more humane, so why aren’t
humidification
humidifiers a staple on modern aircraft? on long-haul flights
Common issues with cabin humidifiers
relate to the increased onboard weight
as well as the unwanted byproduct of
increased condensation, which can cause
corrosion or mould and can also get
into the aircraft’s intermediate spaces
and potentially cause issues with
24 things like the electrical systems.
However, newer technology, such 2.3% 5%FIRST
PILOTS CLASS
as that produced by CTT, offers
a tandem dehumidifying effect
to reduce these unwanted
side effects, while increasing
humidity for the cabin.
Another issue, as with 7%
BUSINESS
everything, is cost and CLASS
demand. One barrier
to airlines investing in
more humid cabins is
that it’s hard to market
something you can’t see,
or necessarily even sense.
“When airlines
configure a new cabin 5% 12%
ECONOMY
interior, they start with a CREW REST
AREA CLASS
bag of money and a wish list
– we want those seats, that
galley, that fabric. Of course,
they’re going to exceed that
STUDIOGRAPHIC, ANHAD JANGRA/ISTOCK

bag of money, and then have to

start taking away. What do they
take away? The things you cannot
see,” says Haggfeldt.
“When you walk into a premium
TOP TO
cabin, in a glance you can take it in and BOTTOM:
think ‘Wow this looks really nice’, but how You can adjust
do you present humidity? It’s a feeling. The the temperature in
Lufthansa’s Allegris
strange thing is everyone knows the cabin cabins; humidity
air is dry. If you fly a lot, you really do feel percentages onboard

JUNE 2023 businesstraveller.com

 25

China Southern was

the first airline to
select humidifiers for
its business class
the difference – you don’t cabin on the A350 norm. Commercial airlines Premium cabins are most likely to be
need to take out your have also started adding the beneficiaries of new humidifying
contact lenses, you don’t humidifiers to the cockpit technology (not least because they are the
get sick, you feel more comfortable, but and crew rest areas, which most in need), but the positive is that
not much has been done about it. are now prevalent on aircraft even if just the front of the plane was given
“It’s like pressurisation in including the A380, A350 more moisture it would affect the entire
aircraft. Now on the 787, and Boeing 787. aircraft, meaning all passengers would reap
A350 and 777X, there is a But what about in the the benefits.
higher pressure in the aircraft passenger cabin? China Southern
to get closer to the pressure was the first airline to select an inflight Hot and bothered
on Earth, which is more humidification system for its A350 business Another invisible factor that has a major
comfortable. But getting to that step has class cabins, delivered in 2019, while impact on overall passenger comfort is
taken many years, with manufacturers having Emirates and ANA plan to fit humidifiers temperature. It’s perhaps not something
to build a fuselage that could withstand the on the Boeing 777X, and Lufthansa has that we consciously think about, given
increased pressure and so on. So, it’s going to requested humidifiers for its first class cabin that we don’t have much control over
take time.” on the A380. it, save from asking for another blanket.
However, things are starting to change. “There is also a big Australian carrier (we But it’s an area that’s increasingly being
On private jets, where humidity is more of a can’t officially say who) that has selected it to looked at, as it can have a major impact
problem due to the low passenger load, and debut on a coming project. Once these early on passenger satisfaction.
passenger expectations are higher, onboard adopters get it out there, I think it’s going to Dr Peter Vink, a professor of industrial
humidifiers have started to become the influence a lot of others,” says Haggfeldt. design engineering at TU Delft university,

businesstraveller.com JUNE 2023


26
says: “If you look at studies of aircraft, there
are three main factors influencing comfort
or discomfort. Number one is physical
comfort: dimensions of the seat and so on.
Number two is humidity, and number three
is temperature. In some cases temperature
is even more important, and it can greatly
influence a passenger’s choice of airline.”
In a study conducted by New York’s Tapis
Corporation, which develops materials for
aircraft interiors, sales director Matthew
Nicholls revealed the wrong temperature
significantly contributes to a poor flight
experience, and in more than 50 per cent
of cases, passengers were either “too hot” or
“too cold”, proving it’s a significant issue for
overall comfort.
Getting the formula “just right” is
difficult, however. Temperature controls
on aircraft have traditionally been very
old-fashioned, with basically a hot or cold
switch in the cockpit. On more modern
aircraft, cabin crew have more flexibility
to adjust the temperature by five degrees
in different sections of the plane – packed
TONG PATONG/ISTOCK
economy cabins can be cooled to negate
all the body heat, while first class cabins
may need more ambient temperatures –
but there are certainly still limits to what
can be achieved.
JUNE 2023
AV I AT I O N
Lufthansa’s Allegris
cabins will feature
seats that can be
individually cooled
or heated as desired
In some cases, airlines may
also deliberately adjust
temperatures without
passenger comfort in mind.
It’s an unspoken practice on
some carriers to keep the
cabin temperature lower
on day flights in order to upsell blankets
and hot drinks, while on night flights the
preference is warm cabins to encourage
passengers to relax and nod off.
Brenna Wynhof, regional director of
cabin marketing for Boeing says: “If you’re
talking about if improvements are possible
to aircraft existing today, that’s a really
significant challenge. The best opportunity
for improvement is a clean sheet design.
We saw that in the 787. That aeroplane
was a step change for thermal comfort and
environmental control systems as that’s the
only aircraft that doesn’t use bleed air to
bring it into the cabin. We have cabin air
compressors (CACs) that bring in more
humid air. When you couple that with a
composite fuselage, it just naturally holds
average temperature better than aluminium
and it can also withstand more moisture
better. When you have more humidity in
the cabin it’s more comfortable, and you’re
maintaining temperature better as well.
“We’re going to see more improvements
on the 777X as well. We have doubled the
number of nozzles in the air distribution
system and we’re also reducing thermal
gradients so it will be a better cabin
experience and a better comfort story than
what we’re seeing today.”
In February, Lufthansa
made a splash with the
reveal of its new Allegris
products (due to launch
this autumn). One function
in particular stood out:
a “microclimate” for first
and business class seats.
The personal seat heating
and cooling technology
in its premium cabins is a
world first.
Similar to the technology
found in cars, the new Allegris
seat can be heated according
to personal preference via a heat
mat under the seat and resistive
wires. Likewise, the seat can be cooled,
with a device that pulls air through the
seat cushion to cool it, along with a
ventilated trim and a three-mesh-layer
for unobstructed airflow. All can be easily
controlled by an individual passenger,
independently from aircraft cabin climate,
at the touch of a button.
Lufthansa Group’s head of customer
experience design, Kai Peters says: “Thermal
comfort is a key contributor to passenger
well-being. We’re certain that seat-heating
and cooling will be a great new feature and
add comfort for our customers. We know
that this feature has interested other airlines
and expect others to follow.”
While encouraging developments are
being made in the world of thermal comfort
and cabin humidity, it’s going to be a while
before we walk off a plane feeling like
we’ve had a spa treatment. But next time
you’re on a crowded flight, at least you can
be thankful for the additional heat and
humidity your fellow passengers provide! BT
businesstraveller.com
 Become a
preferred supplier
to one of the
world’s largest
business communities
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 S U S TA I N A BI L I T Y

Dubai is leading the charge when it comes to

sustainable innovation and growth

WORDS JOSEPH PHELAN

28

JUNE 2023 businesstraveller.com

 I
THIS PAGE: recently spent a week in Dubai’s
Emerging from the desert, prowling the sands in
desert, Dubai is home
to improbable feats a modified Land Rover in a
of engineering such bid to observe some of the
as the 828-metre Burj
Khalifa, the world’s
Middle East’s most elusive
tallest skyscraper residents. I glimpsed an abundance
of incredible wildlife — the Arabian
oryx, various owls, lizards, eagles,
vultures, flamingos — yet it’s a far
from natural sight that sticks in my
mind above all others: the ethereal,
sparkling Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum Solar Park.
Rising from the dunes like an alien
craft, the solar park – the largest
single-site solar park in the world – is
both a staggering feat of engineering
and progressive thinking, and an
awe-inspiring, almost celestial vision.
The park provides clean energy for
tens of thousands of Dubai residents,
and since its launch, has trimmed
Dubai’s carbon emissions by around
214,000 tonnes a year. By 2030, it
will be reducing approximately 6.5
million tonnes.
In many ways, the solar park
epitomises Dubai’s ongoing
obsession with both being green
and also the emirate’s devotion to
bringing the inconceivable to life.
Dubai is a place that has, for decades,
enabled innovative, determined
thinkers, architects and artists to
pursue their wildest dreams – the
Burj Khalifa, Palm Jumeirah, Cayan
Tower and Ain
Dubai are
Dubai is a place testament
to that.
that has enabled This
innovative thinkers mentality is,
to pursue their if anything,
quietly
wildest dreams becoming more
pronounced.
Dubai is firmly
on the way
to becoming
a global eco
superpower. It has
the ambition, drive,
impetus and financial
backing to make big things
happen, and given the emirate’s
businesstraveller.com
history of surpassing even the most
aspirational of targets, the world
is now sitting up, taking note, and
getting very excited.
A city in the sand
Dubai, the UAE’s most populous city,
is an improbable, implausible beacon
of ingenuity and technological
accomplishment. It’s a city that, to all
intents and purposes, shouldn’t really
exist, yet exist – and thrive – it does.
On the face of it, Dubai and its
neighbouring emirates have very few
of the ingredients needed to sustain
a population of millions. Around 80
per cent of the UAE’s surface area is
desert, it rains a mere 25 days per year,
and it has little arable land. Indeed,
until relatively recently the country
was sparsely populated, with only a
smattering of hardy souls calling it
home. To put that in some context,
in 1950 the UAE’s population was 29
approximately 70,578. It’s now
verging on ten million.
The UAE’s meteoric rise from
tranquil Middle Eastern backwater to
ultra-modern commercial superpower
is best illustrated by Dubai. Over
the last five or so decades, it has
transformed from an insignificant
fishing village to a colossal, sprawling
metropolis, a hub of commerce,
industry, finance and international
trade. It has also simultaneously
established itself as one of the world’s
most popular holiday destinations.
The city has become a byword for
modernity, a shining example of what
can be done with the right amount
of imagination, resourcefulness,
investment and endeavour. Yet
its success story is not without its
caveats. In 2008 the WWF ranked
the UAE as the country with the
world’s worst eco-footprint, and the
region has often come under fire
for some of its less-than-sustainable
practices, such as being compelled to
import 85 per cent of its food, or the
fact that the vast majority of its water
JAG CZ/ISTOCK
– upwards of 90 per cent – comes
from energy-intensive desalination
plants. Dubai, being the region’s
JUNE 2023
 S U S TA I N A BI L I T Y

largest city, has understandably borne

the brunt of the criticism.
“There is no doubt that there
are some environmental challenges
to the natural environment in
Dubai. This includes high carbon
footprint, limited water resources,
waste generation, and air pollution.
However, Dubai has recognised the
need to balance economic growth
with environmental conservation and
is actively promoting sustainability THIS PAGE:
Dubai has recognised
in various sectors,” says professor the need to balance
Mercedes Maroto-Valer, deputy economic growth
principal (global sustainability) with environmental
conservation,
at Heriot-Watt University and investing in things
director of the UK Industrial such as solar panels
and modern public
Decarbonisation Research and transport
Innovation Centre (IDRIC).
There is, undoubtedly, cause for
green optimism. Dubai, perhaps more
so than anywhere else in the world,
has made a habit of proving itself
capable of comprehensive, systemic
30 transformation. It has time and
again embraced change and emerged
stronger as a result – and its focus is
now firmly set on becoming a global
eco pioneer.

A planet-first approach
Dubai’s leaders have pledged not
only to do things better, but have
also vowed to develop and spearhead
the world’s much-needed green
revolution. As ambitions go, they
don’t really get much bigger.
Its mission started as all such
projects should: by addressing its
own shortcomings. The Dubai
Supreme Council of Energy has,
for example, decreed to increase its
share of clean energy to 29 per cent
by 2030, and announced plans to and environmental conservation Several large-scale infrastructure
achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. in the Middle East, and is a great projects also go a long way to
Additionally, Dubai Electricity and example for arid regions around the successfully showcasing Dubai’s
Water Authority (DEWA) launched world who want to advance their lofty green credentials. The Dubai
a Dhs100 billion (US$27 billion) sustainable infrastructure,” says Sustainable City, for example, is the
WENJIE DONG, KERTU_EE/ISTOCK

Dubai Green Fund to facilitate the
financing of clean energy projects. As
if to further demonstrate the emirate’s
green focus, in 2022 Dubai Police
became the first police force in the
world to go carbon neutral.
“[Dubai] is taking leading steps
in promoting sustainable practices
Maroto-Valer. “Dubai Municipality
won first place in four categories
at the Energy Globe Award 2022.
The winning projects include the
Municipality’s conservation labs,
which incorporated an energy
management system to optimise
energy consumption.”
first operational net-zero energy city
in the emirate, and has been designed
partly to showcase the viability of
world-class, high quality, low-energy
living. The Dubai Metro, a state-of-
the-art, driverless metro system that
runs on electricity and provides a
low-emission alternative to traditional

JUNE 2023 businesstraveller.com

 31

modes of transportation, has not only
increased travel efficiency, but also
reduced traffic congestion and air
pollution in Dubai.
The Museum of the Future, opened
in 2022, is already one of Dubai’s most
popular attractions – it had more than
one million visitors in its first year –
and is home to art exhibits, immersive
displays and in-depth examinations
detailing what’s likely in store for our
fragile planet. It is a groundbreaking,
important undertaking, and one that
highlights Dubai’s commitment to
prioritising environmental projects,
and disseminating vital knowledge far
and wide.
An all-encompassing agenda
Of course, sustainability and its
associated long-term eco benefits
scores of businesses, on multiple occasions, owing to its
especially those in the
In 2022, the Dubai dedication to being green and also
hospitality sector, are Police became for continually seeking out new ways
fully aligned with. the first force in to improve performance. Its latest
Since March 15, investment, an advanced biodigester
2023, Dubai hotels the world to go that intelligently breaks down
have been mandated carbon neutral organic material, managed to reduce
to submit their 3.9 tonnes of carbon emissions in its
consumption of nine first two months of operation.
carbon emission sources, including Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa,
electricity, water, district cooling, a romantic desert resort that puts
liquefied petroleum a modern spin on the traditional
gas, landfill waste, Bedouin village, has also taken the
recycled waste, petrol, sustainability bull by the horns. In
diesel and refrigerants. the last few years it has implemented
This information is a host of green initiatives, from the
then assessed introduction of LED lighting and
to provide detailed insights on the solar panels to reducing its water and
sector’s overarching performance, energy consumption, and converting
and to provide advice and guidance used oil into biodiesel. It also donates
that will catalyse improvements across 5 per cent of its annual profit to the
ONDREJ BOCEK/UNSPLASH

can only truly be achieved if there
is wholescale buy-in, not only from
government and its various public
bodies, but also from the private
sector. This is something Dubai
has recognised, and is an approach
the board.
Numerous hotels have been ahead
of the game for a while. The H Dubai,
for example, has been awarded the
Green Key Certification by the
Emirates Green Building Council
Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve,
a national park that protects the
region’s fragile flora and fauna.
THIS PAGE: Restaurants are also getting in on
The striking Museum the act. Teible, which provides an
of the Future authentic yet entirely modern take

businesstraveller.com JUNE 2023


32
on traditional Middle Eastern food,
sources around 95 per cent of its
ingredients from within the UAE,
and recently installed an eco-friendly
wood wool ceiling. Lowe, which
has been awarded a Michelin Green
GCSHUTTER/ISTOCK; ZAFEERAH HEESAMBEE/UNSPLASH
Star for its approach to sustainable
gastronomy, avoids single-use plastics
and imaginatively uses leftovers to
create new dishes. Folia, based in the
Four Seasons at Jumeirah Beach, has
partnered with Tiny Footprint, the
world’s first carbon negative coffee
company, to minimise the impact of
caffeine consumption.
Going green is almost becoming
competitive in hospitality, with hotels
and restaurants vying to do things
better than their competitors. They
JUNE 2023
S U S TA I N A BI L I T Y
In Dubai, going
green is more than
just a good thing to
do – it’s a necessity
for long-term success
are actively pursuing ways to make a
positive difference, and such cordial
– yet eminently serious – rivalries are
sparking creativity and fermenting
tangible positive change. In Dubai,
going green is now far more than just
a good thing to do – it’s a necessity
for long-term success.
Attracting eco-friendly businesses
Dubai’s green agenda has, somewhat
unsurprisingly, made it a magnet
for eco-conscious startups, such as
Desert Control, a groundbreaking
initiative that has developed a
chemical-free ‘liquid natural clay’
solution capable of turning desert
sand into fertile soil.
More than 20 per cent of the
planet’s fertile land is degraded to
some extent, and it’s getting worse
by the day. Deserts are spreading,
valuable land is being lost, and some
of the world’s poorest regions are on
the cusp of being all-but decimated
as a result. This sorry state of affairs,
when coupled with a growing
global population, is a recipe for
widespread disaster.
“Evidence shows that soils are
eroding and degrading faster than
they can form,” explains Dr Daniel
Evans, an expert on soils and
biosciences at Cranfield University.
“The result is that soils are thinning
globally. In many regions, this
imbalance has led to the exposure
of the underlying bedrock or parent
material. Research and innovation is
essential to develop smart, efficient,
scalable solutions to reverse these
desertification processes and start
forming soil.”
Desert Control is just one of
hundreds of forward-thinking
companies attempting to tackle
significant worldwide problems,
and the backing such operations
receive in Dubai could be crucial
to overcoming all manner of global
challenges. Indeed, Expo Live, a
project launched on the back of
the wildly successful Expo 2020
Dubai, recently announced that
it will award a raft of US$50,000
grants to small companies that are
ABOVE: addressing reforestation, the cutting
Dubai-based of greenhouse gases, and improving
start-up Desert
Control has the quality of agricultural practices.
developed a
chemical-free liquid
natural clay that turns
A greener way
sand into soil The city’s sustainable infrastructure
and green initiatives could,
conceivably, also attract a new
segment of visitors interested
in ecotourism and sustainable
travel. Dubai has already started
to promote its green initiatives
through events such as the Dubai
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34 Sustainable Tourism Awards, which
celebrates hospitality establishments
that are driving environmental
awareness. The emirate has also
started to better advertise the
appeal of its desert and mountain
regions, with an uptick in tourism
in such areas providing additional
funds to protect and enhance Dubai’s
natural environment.
“Such initiatives demonstrate
Dubai’s commitment to sustainability
and show that it is not just a luxurious
holiday destination,” Maroto-Valer
adds. “Over the coming years, I
believe there will be an increased
focus on showcasing Dubai’s
sustainability and green initiatives.”
Dubai is not only an incredible
success story, but one that, only
50 or so years ago, would have been
all-but impossible to predict. In
recent decades it has expanded and
matured at a spectacular pace – but
is such growth sustainable? Will the
NAPA74, STEFAN TOMIC/ISTOCK
city continue to flourish as we push
into a future set to be dictated by
renewable energy, green technologies
and environmental preservation?
“Predicting what Dubai will look
like in 50 or 100 years is challenging
as many factors may influence the
JUNE 2023
S U S TA I N A BI L I T Y
OPPOSITE:
Atlantis, The Palm NEW HOTELS
overlooks the Dubai’s skyline is continually
Palm Jumeirah
altering, with new developments
and attractions popping up almost
daily. Nowhere is this more evident
than in the hotel sector.
Q Atlantis The Royal, which
opened its doors at the
beginning of 2023
to much fanfare, is
already an iconic
establishment worthy
of the Atlantis name.
Not only does it offer
a luxurious, wholly
grand hotel experience,
but it is also putting
sustainability at the fore. It
has, for example, pledged to
stop using single-use plastic bottles
by 2024.
city’s future trajectory,” admits Q Address Grand Creek Harbour,
Maroto-Valer. “However, based on the first five-star hotel to be
current trends and developments, located in Dubai Creek
I believe Dubai’s economy will Harbour, has been
continue to grow and the city will winning plaudits
retain its status as a world leader since its launch
in sustainable projects while in January 2023.
become more self-sufficient. Offering unrivalled
“Due to the vast investment views of the city’s
opportunities and flexible skyline, and with a
policies attracting foreign plethora of amenities
investment, there will likely – pools, restaurants,
be continued demand for new spas, lounges – to enjoy,
infrastructure, housing, and Address Grand Creek
commercial developments. Harbour is already making
Dubai has already made significant waves in the hotel scene.
investments in renewable energy
and desalination technologies as it Q NH Dubai The Palm opened its
looks to diversify its energy sources doors in February on the iconic
and reduce its dependence on Palm Jumeirah. Situated
thermal power. on the exclusive Palm
“Having already implemented West Beach, guests
several ambitious sustainable have direct access
projects, including the to the beach and
world’s largest solar power promenade. The hotel
project and the world’s first features 227 guest
3D-printed commercial building rooms and suites,
[designed by the Dubai Future plus 306 serviced
Foundation], I expect Dubai to apartments. Facilities
continue to push the boundaries include a sunset-facing
and develop innovative solutions rooftop infinity pool and the
for environmental challenges.” BT NH Collection Premium Lounge.
businesstraveller.com

WORDS MARK CASWELL
New and upcoming
Several of the city’s heritage buildings have transformed into chic boutique hotels
36
L
iverpool has long
attracted visitors keen
to soak up the city’s
footballing and music
culture, but it has come
a long way since my student days in
the 1990s, when boarded up houses
were still a common sight.
In 2003 Liverpool won its bid
to become European Capital of
Culture in 2008, and there has been
significant regeneration including
the Liverpool One development,
which succeeded in linking the city
centre with the historic docklands.
This in turn has led to the arrival
of several international hotel brands,
including the Hilton Liverpool in
2010, IHG’s Hotel Indigo in 2011,
and Accor’s Pullman Liverpool
in 2016.
All eyes were on the city last
month when Liverpool Arena
hosted the Eurovision Song Contest
2023 on behalf of the Ukraine, and
we have taken the opportunity to
round-up some of the more recent
and upcoming properties.
JUNE 2023
D E S T I N AT I O N
several rooms that cater for various
mobility needs available. Additional
facilities include a fitness centre,
conference room and barbecue area.
The property is also pet friendly.
questapartments.co.uk
INNSiDE Liverpool
Meliá’s four-star lifestyle INNSiDE
brand debuted in 2021 and occupies
the site of the former Echo and Daily
TOP TO BOTTOM:
A studio at Quest
Post building on Old Hall Street in
NEW HOTEL OPENINGS Liverpool City Centre; the city’s commercial district.
Gino’s Sky Bar at The 207-room hotel features an
INNSiDE Liverpool
Quest Liverpool City Centre open-plan lobby, a 24-hour gym,
Australia-based brand Quest
Apartment Hotels, part of The Ascott
Limited, opened its first European
property in Liverpool in September
2019. The serviced apartments are
located on the city’s Church Street,
a two-minute walk from Liverpool
Central train station. The 100-key
Quest Liverpool City Centre features
a mix of studios, one-bed and two-
bed apartments, all with smart TVs,
kitchenettes and king-size beds. The
property is wheelchair accessible, with
businesstraveller.com
hotels in Liverpool
and the 360-degree Sky Bar and
restaurant overseen by chef Gino
D’Acampo on the 18th-floor, with
views over Liverpool and the River
Mersey. Room features include TVs
with Chromecast, a free minibar with
healthy drinks, and rain showers in
the bathrooms. The property also
has 11 meeting venues, including the
Big Ideas Space designed for creative
thinking with a Samsung Flip chart
and sofas, and the Printing Press Cafe
for small receptions. melia.com
Novotel Liverpool
Paddington Village
Accor’s second Novotel property
in Liverpool opened in June 2022,
becoming the city’s highest hotel
at some 16 floors. Located in the
Knowledge Quarter, the property
is close to the university campuses
and opposite the Royal Hospital.
Accommodation includes 221 guest
rooms, starting from 25 sqm, and 32
long-stay apartments at 38 sqm. All
rooms feature a 55-inch Chromecast
TV, complimentary wifi, tea and
businesstraveller.com
coffee facilities, safe, mini fridge,
and luxury Rituals toiletries. Other
facilities include a ground-floor coffee
shop, Kensington Restaurant serving
international cuisine, a fitness centre
and four meeting spaces.
all.accor.com
Radisson RED Liverpool
The 201-room Radisson RED
Liverpool opened in December 2022,
and is located within a 19th-century
Grade II-listed building next to the
city’s Lime Street rail station, which
formerly housed the North Western
Hotel. Room sizes range from 21-42
sqm, and all come with Smart TVs,
37
work desk, rain showers and large
art works. Hotel features include
the modern barbecue restaurant
and bar, Stoke, as well as a fitness
centre, five carbon-neutral meeting
rooms with high ceilings and exposed
brick detailing, plus a private dining
room overlooking St George’s Hall.
radissonhotels.com
The Municipal Liverpool
TOP TO BOTTOM:
Superior room at
As the name suggests, this 179-room
Radisson RED; Palm hotel has been developed within
Court bar and lounge the city’s Grade II-listed Municipal
at The Municipal
JONATHAN COSH OF VISUAL EYE; GEORGE STANDEN/ISTOCK
Building on Dale Street, which dates
JUNE 2023

38
back to 1862 and was used by council
staff up until 2016.
The property opened last month
and operates under Accor’s MGallery
brand. Food and drink options
include the Palm Court bar and
lounge, The Botanic Tea Room,
and Seaforth, a British brasserie
with international influences.
The hotel also features a wellness
area including a swimming pool,
sauna and steam rooms, fitness centre,
laconicum, salon and spa. There are
also seven meeting rooms available.
all.accor.com
School Lane Hotel
DAVID CANNON/R&A 2014/GETTY IMAGES; 2015 INFINITE 3D LTD
Described as “the stylish little
sister” of Liverpool’s existing Hope
Street Hotel, the 55-room School
Lane Hotel is housed within the
1850s Russell Building in the city’s
Liverpool One district, which is
home to some great shopping and
dining options.
The hotel opened in time for the
Eurovision song contest last month,
with an entrance and reception areas
featuring specially commissioned glass
installations made by artist Katerina
Christou. Rooms feature super-king
JUNE 2023
D E S T I N AT I O N
beds with rain showers and Temple
Spa products. hopestreethotel.co.uk
UPCOMING OPENINGS
The Halyard at Ropewalks
Liverpool
IHG Hotels and Resorts is set to
mark the UK debut for its luxury
lifestyle Vignette Collection brand,
with the Halyard at Ropewalks
Liverpool joining the collection when
it opens later this year.
Owned by Molo Hotels, the 133-
room property will be located in the
WHAT’S ON IN LI VERPOOL?
Last month the Eurovision Song Contest drew huge crowds to the
northern city. Here are some other upcoming events to look forward to.
Liverpool Biennial 2023,
TOP TO BOTTOM: June 10 - September 17
School Lane Hotel
is located within The 12th edition of the contemporary
the 1850s Russell art festival returns this year. Entitled
Building; the Halyard ‘uMoya: The Sacred Return of Lost
at Ropewallks will
open later this year Things’, it has been curated by
Khanyisile Mbongwa. It is the UK’s
largest free festival of contemporary
Ropewalks district of the city, and
will feature a restaurant, fitness centre,
conference facilities and rooftop
terrace. ihg.com
Maldron Hotel Liverpool
City
Irish hotel group Dalata is set to
open a four-star property under its
Maldron brand in the second quarter
of 2024. The hotel will form part
of a mixed-use development next
to the Liverpool One complex, and
will feature 260 rooms, along with a
restaurant, bar and meeting facilities.
dalatahotelgroup.com BT
visual art and will take over historic
buildings, public spaces and
art galleries with a programme
of exhibitions, performances,
screenings, educational activities
and fringe events. biennial.com
151st Open Championship,
July 16-23
The major golf tournament returns
to the Royal Liverpool Golf Club for
the 13th time this summer. The Open
was last held at Royal Liverpool in
2014, when Rory McIlroy claimed
victory. This year, visitors will watch
156 competitors battle it out on the
green for the chance to win the
coveted trophy. theopen.com
Happiness!, July 14, 2023 -
March 3, 2024
A new exhibition launches at the
Museum of Liverpool next month
celebrating Sir Ken Dodd, one of
Liverpool’s most beloved comedians.
The exhibition will chart the life
and career of the comedic star,
with memorabilia from his personal
archive, and explore the role of
Liverpool as an incubator for some
of the nation’s favourite entertainers.
liverpoolmuseums.org
businesstraveller.com
 Points
make prizes
WORDS HANNAH BRANDLER

JUNE 2023 businesstraveller.com


Use your frequent travel perks for benefits beyond reward
flights and room upgrades
M
any of you will have
amassed thousands of
miles and points over the
years, redeeming such
travel currencies for flight
discounts, upgrades or hotel stays. That is,
until the year of 2020, when earning and
redemption cycles were scuppered due to
the grounding of flights, closure of hotels
and restrictions on global travel as a result
of Covid-19. Thankfully those days are now
behind us, but they did shine a light on
alternative ways to redeem your loyalty, from
discounted transport to once-in-a-lifetime
experiences and charitable donations. Here
we look at some of the non-traditional
opportunities to use your hard-earned miles
and points with frequent flyer and hotel
loyalty programmes.
On the go
Accrued miles and points can make your life
more comfortable from the moment you
leave the house.
Members of airline loyalty programmes
often get lounge access by joining or
achieving a certain rank: Silver and Gold
members of British Airways’ Executive Club,
or Sapphire and Emerald oneworld members
enjoy this perk, for example. Some hotel
groups additionally provide this benefit.
Radisson Hotel Group’s loyalty programme,
Radisson Rewards, for instance, enables
members to redeem 160,000 points for
Priority Pass Standard Plus Membership,
which includes ten free visits a year to more
than 1,000 airport lounges in 500 cities
across 130 countries.
You could also use your points to secure
free transport to and from the airport.
The Miles+More programme, which has
40 airline partners including carriers within
the Lufthansa Group, gives members the
option to exchange miles for Avis car hire,
provided that they have at least 7,500 miles.
businesstraveller.com
REWARDS
Meanwhile, Avios, the currency for reward
programmes of British Airways, Iberia,
Aer Lingus, Vueling and Qatar Airways,
can be used for Avis or Budget car rental
at thousands of worldwide airport and
non-airport locations.
Avios can also be used for an end-to-
end trip experience. Since March 2023,
OPPOSITE AND ABOVE:
customers can use points as part payment With Marriott Bonvoy Moments, you can bid on or buy
on British Airways Holidays packages. BA experiences at sporting events including F1 and tennis
Executive Club members, can reduce the
price of their next holiday from as little as
1,000 Avios. at Silverstone on July 9, benefitting from
prime seats in the Grandstand thanks to 41
Eager to experience the group’s support of the Mercedes-AMG
With demand for experiential travel on the Petronas F1 team. Bids run until June 8,
rise, airlines and hotels are also increasingly with further F1 Moments set to go live in
offering loyalty members a range of exclusive the Netherlands and Italy this summer.
experiences – from tickets to sports Accor’s All Live Limitless (ALL) has a
championships and stadium concerts to similar platform, Limitless Experiences,
cultural attraction tours or cooking lessons. which has the tagline “Money can’t
Marriott International’s loyalty buy” – though apparently loyalty can.
programme Marriott Bonvoy has a platform Members can make the most of the hotel
dedicated to such experiences. Marriott group’s collaborations with global sporting
Bonvoy Moments gives members the option events, from the Rugby World Cup 2023,
to bid or buy experiences (up to five per which kicks off in France in September,
calendar year) and search for these based to the forthcoming 2024 Olympics and
on their interests, date Paralympics in Paris.
and location. Upcoming The group has also been
experiences include Airlines and hotels a major partner of football
the chance to be both a club Paris Saint-Germain
player and spectator at are increasingly (PSG) since 2019 and
London’s The Hurlingham offering loyalty reserves a number of tickets
LAT IMAGES FOR MERCEDES BENZ GRAND PRIX LTD
Club, complete with for ALL members. Last
members a range of
VIP hospitality and an year Accor extended its
afternoon of tennis at exclusive experiences commitment to the club
The Giorgio Armani Tennis for a further four years,
Classic, plus two nights’ with a focus on providing
accommodation in London unique experiences to ALL
( June 29-July 1). At the time of members worldwide. You
writing, bids stand at 50,000 can score opportunities such
points and close on June as meeting high profile players
14. Car enthusiasts can also over a game of karting or yoga, or
catch the Formula 1 action secure early-bird tickets for certain
at the British Grand Prix PSG matches at the Parc des Princes
JUNE 2023

ABOVE: The Virgin Red Room at Manchester’s AO Arena
RIGHT: Aerial view of Conrad Maldives Rangali Island,
where you can spend your Hilton Honors points
POINTS PROMOTIONS
Hilton Honors
Members have options to score extra
points for upcoming stays, with the
42 ability to earn 4,000 bonus points at
any of Hilton’s 270+ resorts around
the world, or 2,000 bonus points on all
other stays. The promotion runs until
September 5, 2023.
Marriott Bonvoy
Members can earn an exclusive bonus
on purchases of 2,000 or more Marriott
Bonvoy points until July 2, 2023.
Members can redeem their points for
free nights in extraordinary destinations
and unforgettable experiences.
British Airways Executive Club
BA has extended its offer to Executive
Club members, enabling them to earn
double Tier Points on flights taken as
part of a five-night package holiday with
British Airways Holidays when they travel
before December 31, 2023.
Virgin Red
Virgin Red members can earn up to
10,000 Virgin Points if they refer ten
friends and family to the programme.
Once they join, complete their first earn
YASH LIGHTROOM 2020
transaction and receive their first points,
both the new member and the original
member will receive an email with a
unique promo code for the 10,000 points.
JUNE 2023
REWARDS
stadium in Paris. Points tour, including a photo-
can also be used for access You can channel stop outside Pinewood
to the ALL VIP box, your inner Maverick Studios (from 85,500 Avios).
where guests enjoy high- Stateside, they can tour
end hospitality services. and fly an ex-military New York’s Hudson Yards
If you’re more of a T67 Firefly fighter development followed by
music fan, miles and with Virgin Red a dizzying sky-high visit to
points can also be used The Edge, the city’s new
for front-row tickets to observation deck (from
concerts around the world. 16,950 Avios). Further afield
Members of ALL benefit from in Tokyo, members can take
packages at the hotel group’s part in a Samurai course at a
Accor Arena in Paris and real dojo (from 20,200 Avios).
festivals such as British
Summer Time Hyde Park Adrenaline junkies
in London. Virgin’s rewards With experiences becoming an
club Virgin Red, meanwhile, increasingly important part of membership
gets you access to the private schemes, groups are starting to up the ante
Virgin Red Room at AO Arena Manchester. and compete to offer even more extreme
This month’s line up of events includes packages, with some out-of-this-world
comedian Jack Whitehall (30,000 points) (literally) opportunities emerging.
and musician Peter Gabriel (65,000 points). Virgin Red gives you the chance to
If you prefer the classical genre, the channel your inner Maverick from Top Gun
Miles+More programme is offering the and fly an ex-military T67 Firefly fighter
opportunity to see Madame Butterfly at aircraft (105,000 points), complete with
the Areni de Verona opera house in Italy on aerobatic stunts in the sky. If that altitude
August 12 (79,000 miles). is not quite high enough for you, and you
Culture seekers, meanwhile, can access a happen to have collected two million points,
variety of unforgettable experiences using you can enter a prize draw to win a trip with
Avios. Film buffs can explore iconic James Virgin Galactic. Winners will experience
Bond filming locations during a private taxi a two-hour space flight with at least five
businesstraveller.com
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minutes of weightlessness – that is, once
commercial flights launch. (Unsuccessful
bidders will not lose any points).
44 Meanwhile, Members of Hyatt’s World of
Hyatt programme can embark on a different
kind of Earth-based adventure by spending
their points on Lindblad Expeditions, a
luxury adventure travel company that takes
ships of fewer than 150 guests to areas like
the Galapagos, Amazon and Antarctica.
Window shopping
Now that your calendar is packed with
experiences, the rest of your points can be
redeemed for material goods. Members of
BA’s Executive Club can use Avios to reduce
the cost of wines, beers and spirits at The
Wine Flyer, with a sliding scale enabling you
to choose how many points you’ll part with
for a bottle, from 100 to 100,000 Avios.
Hilton Honors customers, meanwhile,
can redeem points for purchases at Amazon,
while ALL and Miles+More members can
put their points towards products including
sunglasses, headphones, games consoles,
luggage and smart watches.
You can even purchase inflight snacks and
drinks, fragrances, accessories or, for the real
avgeeks, flight merchandise. Value-wise this
might not be the best option, but it’s better
than letting them go to waste.
For the greater good
With hectic travel schedules, it’s easy to
forget about your valuable points, or simply
JUNE 2023
REWARDS
THIS PAGE:
Feeling charitable? Donate your points to causes like
Make A Wish International via your loyalty programme
Partners and programmes do change,
so stay up to date by reading our Smart
Traveller guides online: ‘How to donate
unused frequent flyer miles to charity’ and
‘Donating hotel points to charity’.
Often there will be a minimum donation,
for instance 2,000 points, which will increase
in increments. The company converts those
miles/points into cash contributions on
your behalf, and occasionally promises to
match these up to a certain cap, meaning
double the donations. Marriott Bonvoy
recently matched its members’ 18 million
points donations to charities supporting
those impacted by the earthquakes in Turkey
and Syria, bringing the total to 36 million
points donated. This has
not have the time to enabled organisations
spend them before they Some hotel groups such as the International
expire. But instead of give guests the Federation of Red Cross
letting these go to waste, and Red Crescent Societies,
travellers can donate miles chance to offset their the International Rescue
and points to non-profit carbon footprint Committee, UNICEF, and
organisations and charities through their points World Central Kitchen to
around the world. It’s as provide food and shelter for
simple as visiting the page communities in need.
of your preferred loyalty On the environmental
programme, whether it be an airline or side, some hotel groups also
hotel group, and searching for give guests the opportunity
the donation page. In some to offset the carbon footprint
cases members can contribute of their stay through points.
to a fund from which the Radisson Rewards members,
company will allocate the for instance, can offset a night with
donations to the project most 325 points, with Radisson stating that
in need at that current time, it allocates the points to projects that help
or they can select the charity that is closest to reverse climate change and aid positive
their heart, from emergency aid and disaster sustainable development.
relief organisations such as Red Cross to While flights and hotels are no doubt still
climate-focused companies like Fly Greener, going to be the main bread and butter when
health research charities including Stand Up it comes to miles and points redemptions,
To Cancer and Make A Wish International, it’s worth exploring alternative options,
and social enterprises that fight for diversity particularly if the expiry date is within sight.
and inclusion, such as UN Women. All that’s left to do is earn them! BT
JOIN THE CLUB BY BUSINESS TRAVELLER
The Club by Business Traveller includes access to a fantastic
range of travel-related discounts and benefits, with partners
including luggage providers, tech gadgets and health and
fitness brands.
Visit businesstraveller.com/subscribe to find out more.
businesstraveller.com
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46

WOR DS ANIT HYA B AL ACHANDR AN

JUNE 2023 businesstraveller.com

 FOOD AND DRINK

A BITE OF
THE BIG
APPLE
A handpicked selection
s the great Virginia Woolf once said: “One cannot think well, love well, sleep
well, if one has not dined well”. New York truly adheres to this, as a renowned
hub for eating, drinking and making merry. When it comes to food in the
Big Apple, images of cheesy pizzas and burgers might spring to mind.
However over the past few decades the city has proven it is capable of
of the finest bars and
producing more than junk food. The culinary evolution has made New York
restaurants in New York’s
a gourmet paradise for locals and visitors alike. Here we highlight some of the
luxury hotels best bars and restaurants in the city’s luxury hotels.

47

CHRISTIAN HORAN PHOTOGRAPHY; L PALMBERG; NYSC/SAG

CUT BY WOLFGANG PUCK, quality ingredients. Whether you’re seated

FOUR SEASONS HOTEL NEW YORK in the dining room, bar, or lounge, all areas
NIKADA/ISTOCK; JASON_V/ISTOCK; LIZ CLAYMAN 2019;

DOWNTOWN feature views overlooking the bustling streets

Helmed by renowned chef, Wolfgang Puck,
this establishment is one of the hotspots in
town for a great steak. With its own entrance
LEFT TO RIGHT: off Church Street, the classic steakhouse is
Get your steak fix at the go-to for New Yorkers to wine, dine,
CUT by Wolfgang Puck and unwind. The restaurant is open from
and then head to the
bar; delectable dishes breakfast through to dinner, with Sunday
at Ai Fiori brunch being a highlight. The venue marries
an elegant and intimate atmosphere with a
simple but hearty menu where the dishes are
crafted using immaculate technique and high
of lower Manhattan. The interior has been
conceived by French designer Jacques Garcia
and is complemented with artwork curated
by Gelila Assefa Puck. fourseasons.com
AI FIORI, THE LANGHAM NEW YORK
This fine dining restaurant showcases modern
interpretations of French and Italian Riviera
cuisine. Ai Fiori translates to ‘among the
flowers’ in Italian and prides itself on placing
great importance on seasonal ingredients.

businesstraveller.com JUNE 2023


LEFT TO RIGHT:
King Cole Bar at the St
Regis New York; The
Baccarat Hotel’s famous
The Bar; eclectic interiors
at the Mark Bar; The Palm
Court at The Plaza Hotel
48
ERIC LAIGNEL
JUNE 2023
FOOD AND DRINK
Located on the second floor of the Langham
Hotel on Fifth Avenue, the restaurant’s
menu features signature hand-made pastas
and traditional regional dishes inspired by
the land and sea. Plus, wine enthusiasts can
choose from over 1,000 selections presented
in the wine list. In addition to the main
dining room, Bar Fiori and its lounge area
offers guests the opportunity to experience
Ai Fiori in a more laid-back setting. The
restaurant is also available for private events
and offers different setups to accommodate a
variety of occasions. langhamhotels.com
BEMELMANS BAR, THE CARLYLE,
A ROSEWOOD HOTEL
Indulging in a tipple at Bemelmans is a rite
of passage for many New Yorkers. Whether
to experience a taste of opulence or simply
drown out the chaos of the city, Bemelmans’
famous martinis provide the perfect remedy.
The bar is regularly frequented by New
York’s elite crowd, comprising socialites,
politicians, movie stars and business moguls.
Walls are adorned with masterpiece murals
by Ludwig Bemelmans, the creator of
the beloved Madeline series of children’s
books. The charm of this glamorous bar
is enhanced by its extensive drinks menu
(there’s a full page just for Champagne) and
live entertainment 365 days a year, which
features either a solo pianist or a jazz trio.
The bar does not accept reservations so
expect to queue if you’re visiting during peak
hours and weekends. rosewoodhotels.com
KING COLE BAR, THE ST REGIS
NEW YORK
This historic bar is a Fifth Avenue icon. Its
name is derived from the majestic mural
that adorns the wall behind the bar, painted
by Maxfield Parrish in 1906. The painting
was originally commissioned by Colonel
John Jacob Astor, founder of the St Regis.
The Bloody Mary has been the signature
cocktail of the St Regis brand since 1934,
with each hotel crafting its own local
interpretation of the drink. This tradition
was started at the King Cole Bar, where it’s
known as The Red Snapper. As the story
goes, it was created by bartender Fernand
Petiot for a Russian aristocrat who asked him
to make a vodka-based cocktail. The name
“Bloody Mary” was deemed too vulgar for
the hotel’s upmarket clientele, leading it to
be rechristened as the Red Snapper.
marriott.com
THE BAR, BACCARAT HOTEL, NEW YORK
The Bar is a multi-sensory delight,
especially a visual one. The interiors of
businesstraveller.com
the establishment are inspired by the
great American long bars of a bygone era,
glamorous ballrooms of French hotels and
the royal stables at Versailles. All of these
grand inspirations are reflected through
the distinctive barrel vaulting and
natural-wood walls found in the space.
The crimson velvet and merlot-coloured
walls, leather seats on checkerboard
floors, glittering red Baccarat chandeliers
and fine art create an aura of decadence,
ideal for sipping cocktails and toasting to
the finer things in life. The 60-foot bar
houses Baccarat’s extensive collection of
celebrated wine and craft cocktails. All
drinks are poured into stunning pieces
of Baccarat crystal. Guests can also enjoy
coffee, tea and Alsatian-inspired cuisine
from culinary director Gabriel Kreuther.
baccarathotels.com
THE MARK BAR, THE MARK HOTEL
Known for its elegant and lively interiors,
the Mark Bar has been designed by
renowned French designer Jacques Grange
with specially made furnishings by Guy de
Rougemont and Vladimir Kagan. It’s a bar
that serves drinks with a stylish flair. Situated
in the heart of Madison Avenue it’s ideal
for after work drinks, pre-dinner tipples,
businesstraveller.com
or to celebrate a trip to the theatre. The bar
also serves handcrafted classic and signature
cocktails, while the Mark Restaurant offers
European classics by renowned chef
Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
themarkhotel.com
SALON DE NING, THE PENINSULA
NEW YORK
Salon de Ning is a favourite among local
New Yorkers and travellers alike. It appeals
to a wide range of people thanks to its
vibrant setting and refreshing cocktails.
The rooftop bar features dramatic skyline
views over Fifth Avenue and comprises
two outdoor terraces complemented by an
intimate interior bar. The lounge seating
areas allow for an exclusive, relaxing
experience while overlooking the bustling
city below. peninsula.com
THE PALM COURT, THE PLAZA
NEW YORK
Known for its iconic afternoon tea, The
Palm Court has been one of the finest
culinary establishments in the city for over
100 years. In 2013, The Palm Court was
renovated and relaunched. The new offering
consists of a grand bar, tea by Palais des
Thés, and a revised menu featuring inspired
American fare that is served from morning
through to evening. The renovation was
done by the renowned French architect
Thierry Despont who drew inspiration
from Central Park’s verdant grounds.
Therefore, around The Palm Court guests
will enjoy arboreal design elements such as
potted plants, ceiling-high palm trees, trellis
detailing, and custom furnishings with
cane accents. The room’s signature feature
is a soaring stained-glass dome reminiscent
of the original atrium built in 1907.
theplazany.co
701 WEST, THE TIMES SQUARE
EDITION
Chef John Fraser is the culinary brainchild
of 701West, who describes the venue as an
‘imaginative fine-dining restaurant’. Guests
can look forward to indulging in the à la
RICHARD MANDELKORN; FRANCESCO TONELLI
carte and three-course prix fixe menus,
which are enhanced with an extensive
Old World wine list, and brought to life
with personalised selections by a team of
sommeliers. The Salon, 701West’s opulent
cocktail bar, features an inventive cocktail
programme with table-side preparations, as
well as a Champagne trolley with premium
sparkling selections and entertaining
interactive elements during service.
editionhotels.com BT
JUNE 2023
 OPINION

Where did the

menu go?
Are QR codes a savvy sustainability measure or another
greenwashing tactic at the expense of the consumer?

DEREK PICOT
A HOTELIER FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS AND
AUTHOR OF THE HOTEL DETECTIVE AND HIS LOVER

P
icture yourself sitting at a
restaurant on a sidewalk of
Manhattan. You’re searching for
a menu, but none are on the
table. You flag down a waiter and
with a dismissive smile he points to a square
box with a pattern of black pixels. Sighing, you
retrieve your smartphone, point the camera,
and wait for a connecting signal.
But there’s no signal where you are seated.
52 Nor if you raise your arm in the air. You end
up wandering into the middle of the street,
tangoing with taxis and avoiding the glare of
the sun, but finally a tiny digital menu appears
on your screen. Straining your eyes, you can
just about make out the choices available.
But now you notice your favourite dish has
disappeared from the menu, and the prices have
all changed since your last visit a week ago.
(No time to query this though – your battery
has less than 3 per cent, so if you want
something to eat, you need to order quick!)
QR codes are not only challenging to read
and come with a host of potential technical
issues, but they also allow restaurant and hotel
operators to change prices to meet demand
through the day. They can go up and down as
fast as the NASDAQ stock exchange index.
Not only that, they can track your personal
information – what and how frequently you
order, where you ordered it, and more.
The QR, or ‘Quick Response’, code was
originally invented in Japan in 1994 to keep
track of car parts, but it has since found its way
into many industries. After the Covid-19
pandemic, it has become almost universal in
hotels and restaurants globally, when QR
freely available and prices could be changed to the wonderful benefits of less paper and
as frequently as a New York traffic light. more sustainability. But there are plenty of us
who don’t feel this way.
TRACKING YOUR PREFERENCES With one ear to the growing dissatisfaction
Like so many other changes that occurred at of QR codes, some operators have switched to
the height of the pandemic, from call centre the dreaded tablet, a device coated in a thick
operators working from home to the loss of rubber frame with smeared glass showing
reading materials in airport lounges and pictures of the menu offerings. It still offers
cabins, the great business travelling public cost savings from not having to print menus
graciously accepted the inconvenience. and the opportunity to change prices, which
However while many certainly suits the seller, but
things have returned to for the buyer it’s challenging
normal, the ubiquitous and
QR codes allow to use, unattractive to look at
pervasive QR code remains. restaurants to and unhygienic to touch.
Conor Friedersdorf, a change prices
columnist for The Atlantic, DIGITAL RESISTANCE
commented in October that to meet demand It’s unclear whether menus
it was the restauranteur’s throughout the day will return in any physical
worst idea and a Technomic and material format. But
survey found that 88 per having something tangible,
cent of respondents preferred paper menus. where you can feel its quality
Nicole Ozer, the North Californian and view together with your
representative of ACLU (the companion, can form part of a
American Civil Liberties great dining experience.
Union) has warned of the risks Rom Krupp of OneDine, a
that come with QR codes, from hospitality tech company, said on
privacy issues with your CNN that it will take time for diners to
personal information to adapt. He pointed out that many travellers
security issues from the potential for malware. still prefer to check in at the airport ticket
She also highlights equity concerns for people counter rather than via their smartphones or
who don’t have access to a smartphone. online, and added: “There is going to be a
Meanwhile, Chris Comparato, the CEO of percentage of customers who are not
Toast, a cloud-based restaurant management comfortable with the digital experience yet
software company, argues QR codes not only and would prefer a physical menu.”
offer pricing flexibility and marketing Printers and punters alike are hoping
information to operators, but permit the restaurants take note. It may well have been a
customer to order and pay from their prudent move to replace menus with QR codes
BENJAMIN SOUTHAN

codes were adopted as a “touch-free option”
by big brands to replace paper or card menus,
along with other Covid cleaning initiatives.
Of course, in the same stroke, printing costs
were reduced, marketing information was
smartphone wallet at the same time.
Those who have a deep-rooted affection
for mobile phones and produce them at
every social interaction may well enjoy the
efficiency of the whole concept and point
during the pandemic, but I can only hope that
restauranteurs and hoteliers will not take to it
as they did with not washing bed sheets and
towels – claiming it saves our planet, when in
fact, it saves the bottom line. BT

JUNE 2023 businesstraveller.com


Meet for business,
stay for pleasure
The stunning Fairmont Windsor Park is the perfect
destination for both work and wellness
S
urrounded by 40 acres of charming
countryside, the Fairmont Windsor is
an ideal location for inspiring meetings
followed by a weekend of relaxation.
Easily accessible from central London,
and just 10 minutes from Heathrow airport,
it’s a convenient gathering spot for offsite
events. Arrive on Friday for a productive day
of meetings, before easing into the weekend
and enjoying the hotel’s extensive leisure and
wellness facilities plus nearby attractions such
as Windsor Castle, Ascot Racecourse and the
Wentworth Golf course.
The beautiful country retreat blends
heritage and modern luxury, with an incredible
range of offerings. An entire wing of the hotel
is dedicated to meetings and events. Here
you’ll find 15 elegant function rooms designed
to stimulate thought and discussion, with
smart, well-equipped interiors and inspiring
views of the surrounding
countryside. Arrive on Friday for
Delegates can enjoy
direct access to the a productive day of
manicured gardens – a meetings, then ease
perfect place to ruminate
during a coffee break, into the weekend
embark on team-building
activities, or get new corporate photos taken
with a stunning natural backdrop.
For large-scale events, the gorgeous
800 sqm Arora Ballroom is a beautiful room
for everything from corporate launch parties
to a spectacular dinner event. The pillar-less
space is easily customisable, with a foyer area
for pre-dinner drinks, working lunches, coffee
breaks and breakout sessions.
All meetings and events are supported by
an expert team who will curate a personalised
A D V E R T I S E M E N T F E AT U R E
experience to meet specific
requirements, ensuring a stress-
free planning process and seamless
execution of the big event.
After work is done, it’s time
to play – and this is where the
hotel truly dazzles. The Fairmont
Windsor Park is the perfect
bolthole to escape the stress of
modern life and reconnect with
loved ones in a tranquil setting.
Seven exceptional restaurants
and bars offer a range of
experiences to fuel the mind,
restore the body and nourish the soul, from
fine-dining to spa cuisine and inviting bars.
At 1215, the focus is on a farm-to-fork
ethos, with high quality British produce
sourced from local artisans and the kitchen
garden, while Greens Café is a wellbeing
restaurant serving up
nutritious salads and made-
to-order snacks.
Continue your
quintessential English
retreat at Schroders’
Botanicals Bar, where quality
gins have been sourced from
leading brands around the world. Alternatively,
retire to the Orchid Tea Room for an opulent
afternoon tea and handmade creations from
the Patisserie and Chocolatier team.
An enormous onsite spa offers a full menu
of cutting-edge treatments and facilities. This
includes 18 treatment rooms, a six-person
hammam, cryotherapy chamber, Himalayan
salt room, courtyard hydrotherapy vitality
pool and Japanese Ashiyu foot ritual bath.
To work on your physical health, there is a
modern indoor gym with a reformer Pilates
studio, outdoor gym, padel courts, tennis
courts, 20-metre indoor swimming pool, and
sports performance coaching available. The spa
also features an advanced 4D body scanner for
bespoke health assessments from a specialised
team of wellness experts. More advanced
treatments are also available at The Facebible,
with skin rejuvenating options and an onsite
GP (by appointment only).
Once you’re ready to retire, sink into the
perfect slumber at one of Fairmont Windsor
Park’s 251 stunning bedrooms and suites. Each
has been sublimely designed in a combination
of natural stone and soft textures to radiate
modern luxury and restfulness. Many offer
beautiful views over the grounds, while
premium rooms also include a balcony or
terrace to soak up the lush setting.
With purpose-built event spaces,
sophisticated culinary concepts, extraordinary
spa facilities and a wealth of activities within
the grounds, Fairmont Windsor Park is a
refined English countryside retreat that means
business — and pleasure.
TOP: The
Fairmont
Windsor Park is
an exceptional
events venue
LEFT: After
work, enjoy
the extensive
leisure and
wellness
facilities
 OPINION

Will open-access
open up?
Money and politics create barriers for open-access rail operators, but
their existence offers significant passenger advantages
ALEX MCWHIRTER
CONSUMER CHAMPION AND RAIL E XPERT

I
n the UK we can thank the rail which, in most cases, are not served by and London, but its application was rejected
privatisation in the 90s for the incumbents, hence gaining operator rights. owing to the “absolute level of abstraction.”
development of ‘open-access’ operators. Perhaps more interesting is Lumo, which This decision was made in February 2021,
The idea behind open-access was to offers the flagship London-Edinburgh route. when all TOCs financial situation were
provide the incumbent train operating In this case, Lumo sets itself apart by being the affected by the pandemic. A year later, the
companies (TOCs) with some competition, first UK rail firm to model itself after the ORR approved Grand Union’s bid to compete
and ultimately lead to passenger benefits. LCC (low-cost carrier) airline business model, against GWR, with a revised service that will
But matters haven’t quite worked as and was granted its licence based on offering a operate Carmarthen-London Paddington.
intended, with open-access mainline different product that would also compete This route is set to launch at the end of 2024.
operators still fairly rare. In the UK, this with LCCs. Lumo’s stopping points when it In 2021, Grand Union also applied to
54 includes Grand Central, Heathrow Express, heads north include Stevenage (not too far operate Stirling-London Euston over the
Hull Trains and Lumo. from Luton and Stansted) and Morpeth West Coast Main Line. This would connect
Unlike TOCs, who pay the government (close to Newcastle airport). towns and cities along the WCML that
hefty franchise fees, open-access firms must Why do open-access operators have to currently have limited long-distance services.
accept full commercial financial risk. prove such a point of difference? This relates A decision from ORR is still awaited.
During the pandemic, the to the “hefty franchise fees” When Lumo launched services to
government offered billions I mentioned earlier. Edinburgh, some readers wondered why
of pounds to support TOCs Open access firms One need only look at the Lumo did not call at either Peterborough or
under ‘emergency measures’ must prove they can ECML. The government Doncaster. It’s a good question. And again
and keep the networks open. offer something considers this a prestigious it’s all about abstracting revenue from the
Unsurprisingly, many route and expects bidders to incumbents. Both Peterborough and
open-access operators were different to gain the submit a generous offer. Doncaster are rail hubs that generate much
forced to cease operations right to compete Over the years, numerous traffic and revenue for LNER. Therefore,
during this period, with no ECML operators have had proposing services to such destinations would
such bail-outs available to to hand back the keys have jeopardised Lumo’s chances for approval.
them. Indeed, the pandemic forced because they found the fees What does the future hold for open-access?
Grand Central to abandon plans to unaffordable, including Opinions from rail experts vary. There’s also a
operate Blackpool-London Great North Eastern Railway question over what will be determined by the
Euston down the West Coast (GNER) and National Express Derby-based Great British Railways Transition
Main Line (WCML). East Coast (NXEC). Naturally, Team (GBRTT), a planned state-owned
any TOC that has paid the public body that will oversee rail transport in
UNIQUE SELLING government a hefty fee for the right to Great Britain – whenever it gets going.
POINT secure a franchise wouldn’t want competition. In October 2022, Transport Secretary
Open-access firms must prove they can offer Anne-Marie Trevelyan announced that
something different for the right to compete. FAIR GAME the Transport Bill to launch the GBRTT
On the East Coast Main Line (ECML) When an open-access firm launches a new would not be going ahead in the current
railway, the incumbent London North route, they must prove that they are not parliamentary session. However, in a recent
BENJAMIN SOUTHAN

Eastern Railway (LNER) faces competition
from Grand Central between West Yorkshire
and the Northeast to London. Then there’s
Hull to Kings Cross with Hull Trains. These
open-access operators serve areas or stations
reducing revenues for the incumbents, but
rather, filling in important gaps.
In 2021, prospective open-access firm
Grand Union wanted to compete with Great
Western Railway (GWR) between Cardiff
podcast, rail expert Christian Wolmar spoke
to Anit Chandarana, lead director at
GBRTT, who said he was “sanguine” the body
would be approved in the current life of this
government. We will have to wait and see. BT

JUNE 2023 businesstraveller.com

 BUSINE S S TR AVELLER RE ADER E VENT

An evening of fine dining and

award-winning wines
with Singapore Airlines
September 26, 2023 at
The Royal Automobile Club
89 Pall Mall, London, SW1Y 5HS

About this event

Business Traveller and Singapore Airlines invite you to a
truly special evening at the exclusive Royal Automobile
Club, 89 Pall Mall, St James's, London, SW1Y 5HS.
Singapore Airlines is the most awarded airline by both
customers and industry alike for its commitment to
service excellence. In the 2022 Cellars in the Sky
Awards it won the most awards including Best Business
Class Cellar and Best Overall Cellar. It is delighted to
showcase some of its award-winning wines over a
three-course dinner, with a tutored wine tasting.

Tickets
Business Traveller magazine subscriber: £45.00
Business Traveller Club member: £45.00
BT subscriber/Club Guest £50.00 (Max 1 guest per person)
Others: £60.00

Limited space!
Book your tickets today
for more info visit: businesstraveller.com/sia
 MOTORING

As motoring turns electric, we talk new models and debate the

pros and cons of public and private charging

housands of drivers have By the end of the year, stir in the market. Like
already made the sustainable electric cars represented One in three new the Funky Cat, the BYD
switch to electric. The latest more than 16 per cent of cars registered in name is raising eyebrows.
data from the Society of Motor new car sales, placing them The moniker is an acronym
Manufacturers and Traders ahead of diesels – something
the UK in April of ‘Build Your Dreams’,
(SMMT) shows that one in that would have been 2023 were which is emblazoned on
three new cars registered in the unheard of five years ago. electrified the boot lid of the Atto 3
UK in April 2023 were electrified. The month of December and Dolphin models.
The fact of the matter is that sales of alone saw 42,284 new While these two
56 electric cars and hybrids have been growing EVs hitting the roads – that’s 52.6 per cent brands are proof of a
exponentially for quite some time. But EVs, higher than the same month in 2021. new wave of Chinese
as they’re known, have been grabbing the The Tesla Model Y was the manufacturers in the
headlines more and more over the past year best-selling car in December UK, Chinese carmakers
due to higher fuel prices, the cost-of-living 2022, while its smaller brother, have been helping to
crisis, and pictures of queues of electric cars the Model 3, was second. The shape the UK electric car
at charging stations circulating on social Model Y even finished in third market for some time. The
media. Electric cars, it would seem, are a place in 2022’s overall sales. quintessentially British brand
noise that isn’t going away. Last year’s momentum has continued into MG has been Chinese-owned
Ironically, it’s that lack of noise that’s a 2023 with pure-electrics (or ‘BEVs’ – battery since 2005 and has peddled
major turn-on for EV owners. Combine that electric vehicles) still sitting just behind a strong trade in value-
with efficient home charging options, lower petrol in April’s new car registrations data. for-money electrics with
running and maintenance costs (in some its ZS EV crossover and
cases), and relaxing driving dynamics and CHINA BECOMES A MAJOR PLAYER MG5 electric estate car
it’s easy to see why most owners never look Many column inches are being devoted to over the past three years.
back once they’ve made the switch. two Chinese brands that have hit the UK Its recently launched
That said, values of used EVs have car market, and it’s easy to see why there’s MG4 was even named
plummeted every month so far in 2023 so much excitement. The first, GWM Ora, UK Car of the Year
and there are major concerns that the UK’s has launched a retro-styled hatchback that’s in 2023 thanks to
network of public charging points isn’t aimed at customers of premium EVs like its high equipment
keeping pace with sales of new cars fitted the Cupra Born and MINI Electric. With levels and strong
with a plug. Is 2023 the year to go electric? an electric range of just under 200 miles, electric driving
Here we explore the world of electric high equipment levels, competitive pricing range relative to
motoring in the UK in more detail. and distinctive styling, it’s certainly made a its price.
splash. There’s also its name – the Ora Funky
SUPERCHARGED SALES IN 2022 Cat. No, we haven’t made that up. THE NEW
Let’s just step back in time for a moment. The second newbie is BYD. Founded VINTAGE
Last year was a hugely important one for in the mid-nineties, the company has While sales of
the electric car. EVs took a major slice of become a powerhouse in battery new electric
the new car market, with most carmakers technology and offers a wide range of cars have been
prioritising their deliveries over petrol and cars. This year, it’s entering the UK with accelerating,
diesel ones due to component shortages. two hatchbacks and reckons it’ll cause a values of

JUNE 2023 businesstraveller.com

WORDS JAME S BATCHELOR

57

SIMON SKAFAR/ISTOCK

businesstraveller.com JUNE 2023


58
second-hand ones have plummeted. In April
2023 alone, prices of used electric cars fell
by 4.4 per cent – and that was on top of
months of declines. Prices of used EVs rose
to unrealistic heights in late 2021 and 2022,
owing to a shortage of new cars, and were set
to inevitably fall to more sensible levels.
However, two things have happened
that’s supercharged the decline. Firstly, high
energy prices have spooked owners and used
car dealers, and arguably more importantly,
Tesla slashed prices of its new cars in January
2023. Practically overnight, this change in
list prices led to values of used Teslas falling
through the floor. Average prices of a used
Tesla Model 3 dropped by £3,825 in January
alone; in the four months to February,
Model 3 prices fell by more than £13,000.
This means that some second-hand Model
3s are now being priced similarly to used
Nissan Leafs and Hyundai Konas, despite
the Tesla having a longer driving range and
considered to have more ‘premium’ kerb
appeal. These two factors alone have made it
a buyer’s market with plenty of ‘cheap’ used
EVs being available.
RALF HAHN/ISTOCK
CHARGING STRUGGLES
The electric charging network is certainly
growing. According to Zapmap, a UK-wide
JUNE 2023
MOTORING
The government
plans to build
300,000 charging
map of electric car charging
points, April 2023 saw
points by 2030
a 37 per cent increase in
public charging locations
compared to the same month in 2022,
bringing the current number to over 42,500.
In April alone there were 2,029
new points installed; on a
wider level, the UK’s charging
network has grown four-fold
between 2016 and 2022.
Despite the rise in places
to charge, there’s a belief that the growth is
not happening quickly enough. The most
vocal is the SMMT which has advocated
for a mandate to set legally binding targets
to ensure an abundance of charging point
locations. It also points to the government’s
own EV Infrastructure Strategy which states
that the UK needs between 280,000 and
720,000 charge points by 2030 (the date
from which sales of new petrol and diesel
cars are banned). The government also plans
to build 300,000 points by 2030, though
the SMMT says that 100 new points would
need to be installed daily to reach this figure.
The current number is around 23 a day,
it claims.
The UK’s charging network has also
been hitting the headlines for the wrong
reasons recently, with some
charging point firms hiking
prices to as much as £1 per
kWh (kilowatt hour) due
to soaring energy wholesale
prices. As of January this year,
the average price per kWh at
a rapid public charging point
was 70.32p, up from 44.55p in
May 2022. In some instances, charging
a car at a public rapid or ultra-rapid point
costs more than filling a car with diesel.
HOME CHARGING
To get the most out of an electric car and to
see a reduction in running costs, you have
to charge up at home. There are around
40 home charging point providers on the
UK market, selling 3.6kW and 7.4kW
wallboxes. The latter is the most popular,
and would fill up an Audi e-tron GT, for
instance, in 14 hours. It’s even possible to
install a 22kW home wallbox if you have a
three-phase power supply. Popular names
include PodPoint, NewMotion, BP Pulse,
Andersen and Myenergi Zappi.
Installation costs range from anything
between £450 and £1,300, which is a large
outlay but you will reap the cost savings
businesstraveller.com

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over time. On a standard tariff, a Tesla
Model 3 would typically cost just under
11p per mile, but high energy prices and
price caps have skewed that slightly.
To get the cheapest fill-up it might be
wise to consider smart home charging.
Wallbox providers such as Ohme integrate
tech with your energy tariff and charge
your car at the cheapest times. Some energy
providers have run trials of Vehicle-2-Grid
(V2G) technology that will charge your
car when there’s low demand on the grid.
When there’s high demand, it will take
excess energy from your car’s battery and
sell it back to the grid. Providers such as
Ovo Energy and Octopus are currently
crunching the data so keep your eyes peeled
for the results.
CONCERNS OVER ULEZ
Several UK cities have introduced or are
trialling and considering schemes to reduce
emissions and boost air quality. They go by
different names and the most well-known
60 – and currently controversial – is London’s
Ultra-Low Emission Zone.
The scheme, better known as ULEZ, was
introduced by London Mayor Sadiq Khan
in 2019 and has generally been regarded
as a success in cleaning up air quality. It
currently applies to cars that meet, at a
minimum, Euro 4 emissions for petrol cars
(generally cars registered after 2005) and
Euro 6 for diesel-powered cars (generally
cars first registered after September 2015).
Cars that don’t meet these requirements
have to pay a daily charge of £12.50.
The scheme has been criticised by
political and industry groups, who have
branded it a tax on the poor given the cost
of purchasing cleaner car models. This has
been amplified by the plans to extend the
size of ULEZ by 18 times to cover all of
Greater London. The Mayor will face a
legal challenge in the High Court later this
year as four London borough councils and
Surrey County Council seek to block the
ULEZ expansion.
It would be fair to assume that the
MATT VOSPER; DAVID SHEPHERD
introduction of more ‘clean air zones’
nationwide is only a matter of time.
Naturally, electric cars and hybrids are
exempt on a purely zero-tailpipe-emissions
basis. Perhaps it’s time to swerve in the
electric direction. We’re here to help out
with tips on the best EVs and hybrids. BT
JUNE 2023
MOTORING
FIVE BE S T E V S
AND HYBR IDS ON SALE
▶ Hyundai IONIQ 5, from
£43,445
It’s been on sale for two years, but
the Ioniq 5 still looks razor sharp and stylish. It’s a surprisingly large car – more SUV than
family hatchback – but that equals a spacious interior that’s also brimming with tech. The
Ioniq 5 can travel up to 285 miles and it has super-fast 800-volt charging speed capability.
◀ Range Rover Sport 3.0 P440e,
from £89,980
Official tests claim the latest Range
Rover Sport plug-in hybrid can
manage up to 70 miles of electric
power, a range that gives real
flexibility. On top of that it drives just
as well as you’d expect it to, and
pampers passengers with its super
plush interior.
▶ Polestar 2, from £44,950
Polestar will introduce several new
EVs in the next five years, but its
first still remains one of the best
on the market. It has a good range
(up to 341 miles) and super cool
styling inside and out. An updated
model arrives in the autumn with a
boosted range of up to 395 miles
and tweaked styling.
◀ Lexus NX 450h+, from £54,400
Lexus’s NX has always been an
attractive SUV option, but the
recently introduced 450h+ plug-in
hybrid version is the most compelling
yet. Its 40-plus-mile electric range will
slash bills – especially for company
car drivers – plus it’s good to drive
and has a luxurious interior.
▼ Volkswagen ID. Buzz, from £58,915
VW’s new take on its iconic Type 2 bus has been a long time coming, but you could say it’s
been worth it. It has retro styling in abundance, space for five people and is the coolest EV
in town right now. More versions including a camper are on the way, too.
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Buddhist 1
GYEONGBOKGUNG
temples, PALACE
palaces and Start your tour of central Seoul by
traditional delving into the city’s empire-rich
street past at the largest royal palace, which
comprises several offices, residences
food in the and royal gardens across 40 hectares
downtown of land. The palace was first built
Jongno-gu by the Joseon dynasty in 1395 but
area of the the buildings have been damaged
South and restored several times, first by
fire during the Hideyoshi invasion
Korean
in 1592 and then again during the
capital Japanese occupation (1910-1945).
A project to restore the structures
to their former glory has been
ongoing since 1990. Enter through
the main Gwanghwamun Gate and
proceed through two more gates
to reach Geunjeongjeon Hall, an
exquisitely decorated throne room
with a captivating dragon-adorned
ceiling. The hall was used for events
such as coronations and receiving
foreign envoys. Further highlights in
these expansive grounds include two
peaceful pavilions to the north and
west, and the National Folk Museum
of Korea to the east. Time your visit
to coincide with the changing of the
guard ceremony, which takes place
at 10am and 2pm just beyond the
Gwanghwamun Gate. During your
visit, you’ll notice plenty of people
dressed in hanbok, the traditional
Korean dress, which can be rented
at various shops in the vicinity –
those sporting the attire get free
entry. Tickets start from KRW3,000
(£1.80). Closed on Tuesdays.
2 CHEONG WA DAE
Just behind the palace is another
historical attraction, though this
one is associated with more modern
politics. This 250,000 sqm compound
served as the presidential office and
residence until May 2022, when
the incoming president Yoon Suk
Yeol announced plans to relocate to
southern Seoul. The premises opened
to the public for the first time in 74
years and pamphlets state “Cheong
Wa Dae returns to the people”. The
hilly site is commonly referred to
as the Blue House, a nod to the
150,000 handmade tiles on the roof
of the main office building, though
businesstraveller.com
the public park also includes several
other stately buildings, the president’s
former residence, pristine gardens, a
heliport and pavilions, with Mount
Bugaksan forming a picturesque
backdrop. If you have time, it’s
worth strolling along the historical
Bugaksan Mountain Trail, which has
also reopened to the public after more
than 50 years. There are three routes
which vary from 1.5 to two hours.
Entry to Cheong Wa Dae is free
but tickets must be booked in advance
(closed on Tuesdays).
3 JOGYESA TEMPLE
The downtown district is also home
to this temple of Korean Buddhism,
originally built in the late 14th
century but rebuilt after a fire in 1910
as Gakhwangsa and later Taegosa
Temple. As the chief temple of the
Jogye Order, it was renamed Jogyesa
in 1954 and the complex now houses
the Central Buddhist Museum, the
administrative headquarters of the
Jogyesa Order, along with a beautiful
courtyard featuring a 500-year-old,
10-metre-high white pine tree which
is protected as a Natural Monument.
The Dharma Hall, built in 1983
from pine wood from the Baekdu
Mountain in North Korea, hosts
rituals and ceremonies throughout
the year, but it’s also worth visiting
during Buddha’s Birthday in May
to get a glimpse at the colourful
lantern-filled grounds. Visitors
can also sign up to a temple stay
programme to experience the life of
Buddha practitioners, taking part
in activities such as making lotus
paper flowers and chanting practises
(from KRW60,000/£36 per person).
4 GWANGJANG MARKET
After those steep inclines, you’ll be
craving some street food to reset
your stamina. Look no further than
this covered traditional market,
which dates back to 1905 and boasts
5,000 stalls comprising everything
from lacquerware to clothing and
upholstery. Join the market at the
east gate for the food section, or
follow the delicious mouthwatering
4
63
scents. Prepare to weave in and out
of locals and join queues for popular
delicacies including hotteok (pillowy
pancakes, filled with both sweet and
savoury options – recommended is
the honey and cinnamon version),
gimbap (cooked rice rolls wrapped
in seaweed) and bindaetteok
(mung bean pancakes). While it is
predominantly takeaway-only, there
are some small areas of counter
seating. The food market is open
PHATTANA, JGREGORYSF, SANGA PARK/ISTOCKL’; HANNAH BRANDLER
year-round from 9am-11pm.
5 BIJINDO RESTAURANT
Still hungry or prefer a sit-down
meal? Head to this discreet seafood
restaurant at 74 Sambong-ro, but
bring along a translation app (or a
Korean friend) as it does not have
English menus. The small, buzzy
venue is filled with locals indulging
in the likes of grilled abalone served
in iridescent shells, addictive water
parsley and shrimp pancakes, and
kimchi in beautiful ceramicware.
Dishes come sharing-style and will
leave you incredibly satisfied. BT
JUNE 2023
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 65

TR IED AND TE STED A I R LI N E T R I E D A N D T E S T E D H O T E L S A N D A PA R T H O T E L S S M A R T T R AV E L L E R

Korean Air
Boeing 777-300ER
66 Virgin Hotels New York 68 Renaissance
Hamburg Hotel
71 A guide to 73
airlines flying
Prestige Class Shilla Stay Gwanghwamun, 69 between
Seoul Room2 Chiswick,
Seoul-London
London 72 London and
New York
Meliá Frankfurt City 70

businesstraveller.com JUNE 2023


Korean Air Boeing 777-300ER
Prestige Class
SEOUL-LONDON
66
B A C K G R O U N D Korean Air’s route from
Seoul Incheon to London Heathrow is
operated daily by a Boeing 777-300ER
configured with 291 seats across three
cabins: first class (eight seats), Prestige
(business class, 56 seats) and economy
(227 seats). Korean Air also operates a
277-seater version of the aircraft, with
upgraded first and business class products.
The carrier recently launched a codeshare
with fellow SkyTeam member Virgin Atlantic,
enabling customers to book through Virgin
to travel directly to Seoul.
C H E C K - I N Flight KE907 departs Seoul at
1055. I completed online check-in 24 hours
before the departure and received a digital
boarding pass, but decided to check in
my luggage.
Korean Air has a large premium check-in
zone to the far right of Terminal 2 departures,
with ten counters for Prestige passengers,
members of the airline’s Million Miler and
Morning Calm Premium programmes, and
SkyTeam Elite Plus members. This opens
at 0530 and was very busy on the Friday
morning, but the queue went quickly. First
class passengers can use a dedicated
KOREAN AIR
lounge, located to the right.
Security was crowded, with snaking
queues. Unfortunately, Korean Air does not
JUNE 2023
TRIED AND TESTED FLIGHT
provide a fast-track option for premium
passengers, which is a shame.
T H E L O U N G E There are two lounges for
Prestige passengers, located in the east and
west wings of the terminal. Passengers are
directed to the one closest to their gate. My
flight was at gate 242 so I used the west
My first impression was that
the seats have an enormous
amount of legroom
lounge, located on the second floor opposite
the food court and open from 0400 until
0000. Unsurprisingly the lounge was busy,
but it’s a huge space packed with various
seating options so it didn’t feel hectic. There
are plug sockets throughout and wifi is free.
Hot and cold buffet options are provided,
as well as several coffee machines and tea
facilities – though the cups are incredibly
small, so you need about five refills for a
normal mug. There’s also a bar area.
On my way out I noticed a UV phone
sanitiser machine, so wiped my phone of
germs before heading to the aircraft.
B O A R D I N G Gate 242 is a ten-minute walk
from the lounge. The terminal feels very
well-kept and tech-savvy – a robot known
as Airporter can carry luggage to your gate.
Boarding began at 1015, with premium
passengers prioritised.
Once boarded, staff hung passengers’
coats and assisted with luggage in the
overhead lockers – it cannot be stowed
underneath the seat in front during take-off
or landing. Once seated, cabin crew took the
two meal orders for the flight on a tablet.
The staff confirmed my pre-ordered Korean
meal and asked if I wanted to be woken for
the second service. This was all very well
organised. Passengers are then offered a
choice of Champagne, water or orange juice
along with some pretzels and a napkin that
highlights the inflight dining videos on
the IFE, where you can learn more about
Korean cuisine. We began taxiing at 1100
and took off shortly after.
T H E S E A T Prestige class is fitted with 56
seats in a 2-3-2 configuration split across
two zones, with two rows just after first class
and the remaining six rows after the galley.
My first impression was that the seats have
an enormous amount of legroom, and have
an attractive teal design which matches the
cabin crew’s chic uniform.
All seats face forward, but only aisle seats
have direct aisle access. Passengers in the
middle or at the window must walk in front
of other passengers (or climb over them if
the bed is laid out). The seats are less
private than on its other 777-300ER aircraft,
which feature enclosed suites. This version
has a slight divider which hides your face
from your neighbour if you pull it out.
Seat controls in the armrest are easy to
use, with recline, lie-flat and upright options,
businesstraveller.com
as well as options to lift the footrest. The
seat was very comfortable when upright and
reclined, with a firm footrest. While the seat
reclines 180 degrees, the headrest is at a
slight angle and has a gap just beneath it so
it can be a little unsupportive on your neck
when lying down. That said, the seat is wide
and the blanket is very cosy.
The tray table is neatly hidden in the
armrest, which you push to release and pull
out, folding it in front of you (when folded, it
has a cup holder) and the table slides back
and forth. Between seats there are also two
cup holders and bottles of water.
Seats feature a 15.4-inch monitor attached
to the back of the seat in front, with a remote
control. The IFE system is good and had
several new releases.
Korean Air does not offer wifi, but it’s easy
to catch up on offline work thanks to a sturdy
table, plug sockets by your feet and built-in
USB ports by the armrest (where you can
also fit your phone). The seat, however, lacks
storage space.
A Korean-style vegan menu
was launched in March and
must be ordered in advance
Passengers also receive an amenity kit,
excellent noise-cancelling headphones and
slippers. The amenity kit contains a soft eye
mask, Atelier Cologne toiletries (hand
cream, body lotion and a lip balm), a shoe
horn, hairbrush, toothbrush and toothpaste.
B E S T S E A T The two rows which have a
cabin of their own feel more private – almost
like a subset of first class – so I would advise
businesstraveller.com
these for a more exclusive experience. That
said, the first row here has several bassinet
seats, and 8A and 8J don’t have windows.
Being midway down the second zone of
the cabin is advisable. I had a window seat
on the outbound trip, and an aisle seat on
the return. Both were good, however the
window seat felt more private and I could
enjoy the views from 35,000 feet. My seat
on this leg of the journey, 15D, was in the
last row of the cabin – you are served last,
but service was speedy. The upside is that
you have your own smaller overhead locker.
F O O D A N D D R I N K Two meals are
served on this flight along with snacks such
as pizza, cookies, ramen and an energy bar.
Lunch began at 1200. The menu included
a Western-style dish and a Korean dish.
I opted for the Korean-style vegan menu,
which launched in March 2023 and must
be ordered at least 24 hours in advance.
Having visited the Korean Air Catering
Centre at Seoul Incheon airport to watch
the process and hear from its creators (find
out more at businesstraveller.com/features/
experiencing-korean-airs-vegan-meals)
I was keen to try it in the air. The dishes
held up well, with tasty, well-designed
courses. The highlight was the roasted
shiitake mushrooms in Gochujang sauce.
The second meal was served two and a
half hours before landing.
Wines included Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut
Champagne, two whites, two reds and a port.
There was also a selection of cocktails,
spirits, beers, non-alcoholic beverages, tea
and coffee. Water was replenished regularly.
T H E F L I G H T The flight was smooth. As it
was more than 14 hours, I had time to work,
watch a film and nap. Lights were dimmed
after lunch, so people could get some rest.
A R R I V A L We landed at 1710 and quickly 67
disembarked. The carousels for luggage,
however, were not working. Bags were piling
on top of each other, with no Heathrow T4
staff in sight to help.
V E R D I C T I had a great journey with Korean
Air thanks to excellent onboard service,
tasty food and a comfortable seat – though
suites on the other 777-300ER look more
private and luxurious. Hannah Brandler
FLIGHT DURATION
14 hours 30 mins
C ONFIGURATION
2-3-2
SE AT WIDTH
20.1 in/51 cm
SE AT PITCH
74 in/188 cm
PRICE
Internet rates for a one-way Seoul–London flight in
July start from KRW3,671,600 (£2,179)
CONTACT
koreanair.com
JUNE 2023
 TRIED AND TESTED HOTEL
Virgin Hotels
New York
B A C K G R O U N D Virgin Hotels New York
officially opened in April 2023. There are now
a total of eight Virgin Hotels properties, all of
which are located in the US except for two
recent openings in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
W H E R E I S I T ? The property is located in
the heart of Manhattan, in the city’s NoMad
neighbourhood. Nearby attractions include
Madison Square Gardens, Times Square and
the Empire State Building.
W H A T ’ S I T L I K E ? Full of character,
with attention to detail at every turn.
The design language was spearheaded
by Brooklyn-based MARKZEFF and
architectural firm Stance to bring out Virgin’s
distinctive brand personality. This begins
in the lobby, with a fun “Where’s Richard”
68 mural by Nigel Sussman.
After the lobby you head to a bank of
six “smart lifts”, though I found them to be
noticeably slow.
R O O M S The hotel features 460 rooms,
known as “Chambers”, including 39 suites
and two penthouses. I stayed in a Chamber
King, which felt spacious for a New York
hotel at 25 sqm, while floor-to-ceiling
windows offered thrilling views of the city.
There are lots of distinctive and quirky
details. Virgin-red accents pop up throughout,
MICHAEL MUNDY 2023
from the front door to the Smeg minibar
fridge. The custom-made king-size bed has
a unique concept to double up as a casual
work area. This is achieved with a sofa
extending from the headboard, with built-in
JUNE 2023
US power sockets and USB
ports. More bizarrely is a chair
back attached to the bottom
corner of the bed, though I
found this more of a novelty
than a practical solution.
Otherwise the bed was
extremely comfortable, with a
soft mattress, luxurious pillows
and soft white cotton sheets.
Opposite was a wall-mounted
HD TV screen with 74 TV
channels, plus Chromecast
to stream your own content.
The TV can also be used to
order room service, adjust the
air conditioning, and request
a host of concierge services.
Automatic lighting is controlled by A signature Italian restaurant will also open
motion sensor – although this can be a bit this summer on the fourth floor.
distracting if you are a restless sleeper.
A comprehensive minibar section was M E E T I N G S The hotel features 1,765 sqm
packed with goodies, from Perrier Jouët of event space, including Level 38 – the Loft
Champagne to bottled cocktails. There Event Space, and the Conservatory terrace
was also a Nespresso machine with on the third floor.
complimentary capsules and a selection of
premium snacks. L E I S U R E The fifth floor gym is large
A sliding door separates the bedroom with a good selection of internet-enabled
from the dressing room. This is a stylish TechnoGym equipment overlooking the
space with some nice details. An elegant Empire State Building. There is also a large
dressing table features a flattering backlit outdoor terrace which is a great spot for
mirror, and could also be used as a desk, yoga sessions.
with power sockets and USB ports nearby. A small pool is located on the fourth floor,
which is connected to a stunning pool bar.
Virgin-red accents pop up The Exhale Spa is also due to open
everywhere, from the front towards the end of the year, which will be
located on the lower “Sub Cellar 2” level.
door to minibar fridge
On either side are two wardrobe spaces that V E R D I C T Stylish, packed with personality
can be concealed with a draw curtain, and and a fantastic location. Virgin Hotels New
feature an iron and ironing board, umbrella York certainly stands out and appeals to
and yoga mat. a cool, modern guest. Tamsin Cocks
A separate shower and toilet are behind
frosted glass doors. The shower was large
BEST FOR
with a bench seat and rain shower option,
Stylish stays in the heart of Manhattan
plus Red Flower amenities in large bottles
for shampoo, conditioner and shower gel.
DON’T MISS
Spectacular views from the Everdene terrace
F O O D A N D D R I N K Everdene is the
hotel’s all-day dining space. This is an
PRICE
enormous 372 sqm area occupying the
Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay
whole of the third floor, with multiple
in July started from US$300 (£239) for a
sections and a fantastic wraparound terrace.
Chamber King room
Its size, decor, and numerous spaces lend
themselves well to all kinds of occasions,
CONTACT
from casual meetings to cocktails and
1227 Broadway, New York, NY 10001;
dinner. There is also live music six nights
+1 844 556 7597; virginhotels.com/nyc
a week.
businesstraveller.com

Shilla Stay
Gwanghwamun,
Seoul
B A C K G R O U N D Shilla Stay is an upscale
business hotel brand from The Shilla Hotels
& Resorts, a Korean group (named after the
ancient Shilla Dynasty) which is a subsidiary
of Samsung and member of Leading Hotels
of the World.
The Shilla Hotels & Resorts operates two
premium hotels in Seoul and Jeju under
The Shilla brand, while its Shilla Stay brand
launched in 2013 to attract business guests.
There are now 12 properties under the brand,
with the Gwanghwamun outpost (named
after the nearby gate of the Gyeongbokgung
Palace) open since 2015.
W H E R E I S I T ? In Seoul’s downtown
Jongno-gu district, surrounded by historic
attractions such as the Gyeongbokgung
Palace, the South Korean president’s
former residence, and Buddhist temple
Jogyesa. It is also close to financial, media
and government buildings, and under ten
minutes’ walk from subway stations Jonggak
(Line 1) and Gwanghwamun (Line 5).
W H A T ’ S I T L I K E ? The unassuming
19-floor building fits into the high-rise
surroundings. A sleek and darkly decorated
hallway leads to a bank of lifts for the
eighth-floor lobby – floors 2-7 are reserved
for offices.
The open-plan lobby features smart and
minimalist interiors by Italian designer Piero
Lissoni, characterised by clean lines and
dark furnishings while exposed filament
businesstraveller.com
TRIED AND TESTED HOTEL
lighting and a modern fireplace brighten up
the space.
The hotel’s facilities are all located on the
eighth floor, with a small reception desk, a
café/restaurant and a stylish lounge area as
well as a communal co-working table that is
popular with digital nomads.
Check-in takes place after 3pm, with
check-out by noon (with an express option
to drop off your keys if you have pre-paid).
R O O M S The 338 rooms are located on
floors 9-19, with keycard access required
in the lift, and come in four categories
(standard, deluxe, premier deluxe and
grand). The first three measure 24 sqm,
with the latter at just under 48 sqm.
My premier deluxe room on the 18th floor
was small but had everything I needed for a
short stay. It is well-designed for work, with
a built-in wardrobe as you enter and then a
The downside is the room
gets very hot and you can’t
control the air conditioning
window-facing desk, sofa (in premier deluxe
and above) and double bed in the main
space. While I didn’t spend much time in the
room, it was well-suited for the moments
when I needed to work or sleep – the
blackout curtains and comfy bed helped
ease my jet lag symptoms.
High-speed wifi is offered
throughout the property, and there
are well-located UK and European
plug sockets in the room.
Amenities include a 40-inch LED
TV, a minibar (though no contents),
complimentary coffee and tea bags,
two complimentary bottles of water
per night, a safe, iron and ironing
board, and two bathrobes and
slippers. The bathrooms include a
Toto toilet, large refillable bottles of
beautifully scented toiletries, along
with an excellent rain shower. A sliding door
from the main space hides the glass wall to
the bathroom, which is an interesting albeit
unnecessary touch.
The downside is that the room gets very
hot and you can’t control the air conditioning
– the receptionist told me that the hotel had
central heating and I could open the window
to cool the room, but the streets below are
noisy at night.
F O O D A N D D R I N K The hotel has a
large restaurant on the eighth floor which
offers a buffet for breakfast (6.30-9.30am on
weekdays, 7-10am on weekends) and lunch 69
(11.30am-2pm; 12-2.30pm). Breakfast comes
at an additional £14. The adjoining bar is
open every evening from 6pm-11pm.
M E E T I N G S Four meeting rooms range
from 23 sqm to 85 sqm on the eighth floor.
L E I S U R E There is a fitness centre on the
eighth floor.
V E R D I C T An ideal and well-located stay
in Seoul, with all the necessary amenities
required for work needs. Hannah Brandler
BEST FOR
Business travellers in need of a comfortable stay
and workspace
DON’T MISS
Exploring the local historic attractions and
stylish cafés
PRICE
Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in
July started from 154,000 KRW (£92) for a
Premier Deluxe room
CONTACT
71 Sambong-ro, Jongno-gu; +82-2-6060-9000;
shillastay.com/gwanghwamun
JUNE 2023
 TRIED AND TESTED HOTEL
Meliá
Frankfurt City
B A C K G R O U N D Meliá Frankfurt City
opened in June 2021 and marks the group’s
fourth property in the city. The hotel is located
in the new 45-storey One Forty West Tower.
W H E R E I S I T ? The hotel is located 15
70 minutes from the airport, ten minutes from
Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof central railway
station and ten minutes from the main
finance district. The Frankfurt Trade Fair
grounds, Messe Frankfurt and Festhalle, are
a ten-minute walk away.
W H A T ’ S I T L I K E ? A private side
entrance is useful for the hotel’s regular
stream of VIP guests, while a private
underground car park with dedicated
lift means VVIP guests can bypass the
WALTER LUTTENBERGER
public altogether. Guests staying in a The
Level-category room will be whisked up
to the 15th floor Level Lounge for a more
personalised check-in experience. This is a
chic multipurpose space, with panoramic
city views, plus outdoor terrace with heaters.
JUNE 2023
R O O M S The hotel has 431 rooms in seven
categories, plus five accessible rooms. All
rooms offer a fairly spacious 25 sqm, and
suites start from 36 sqm. What differentiates
them is a private outdoor terrace, in-room
amenities (such as a coffee machine in
The Level rooms) and access to the Level
Lounge. All rooms have a window that
can open, which coordinates with smart
air conditioning.
I stayed in a Level Room which was
spacious and elegantly presented, with a
defined lounge area. The king-size bed was
firm, with master light switches, USB outlets
and European plug sockets by the bedside,
along with reading lights, side tables and
a phone. A Smart TV was facing the bed
above a range of amenities, which included
a Nespresso machine and kettle. The
in-room safe has a power supply so you
can charge devices while you store them.
A large glass desk provided a good space
for working, with a selection of European
The in-room safe has a power
supply so you can charge
devices while you store them
plug sockets and a desk light. Wifi was fast
and easy to access, but annoyingly, it cut out
on the balcony, which offers stunning views.
The bathroom was clean and functional,
with a combined bath/shower and Ritual
shampoo, conditioner and shower gel, plus
lotion, soap, shaving kit and a hairdryer.
I did have a problem with heating in the
room, as the temperature kept resetting to
the default 23 degrees. I had to open the
balcony door to let some cool air in.
F O O D A N D D R I N K Oben Restaurant
(meaning “above”) on the 15th floor is the
hotel’s star dining venue. The sleek space
has floor-to-ceiling glass windows and a
buzzy atmosphere, with a separate bar area,
funky artworks and an in-house DJ. The
Mediterranean menu, headed by Spanish
chef Iñigo Urrechu, encompasses tasty
starters and a strong selection of seafood
mains. This space is also open for breakfast
to The Level guests, with a continental
buffet and hot options to order.
Neu on the ground floor is the hotel’s
main all-day dining area, with a modern
menu of Germany and Spanish influences.
M E E T I N G S The hotel is a popular events
location with 23 rooms spread across 2,275
sqm. The largest ballroom can host up to
800 people. There is also a breakout lounge,
catering facilities and 14 conference rooms
with digital video-conferencing equipment
and professional technical support.
L E I S U R E There is a fairly standard gym
on Level 2, which all guests have access to
24/7. On the same level is a unisex sauna
(open until around 9pm) along with an
outdoor terrace and sun beds.
There’s no spa or pool, which is really the
only thing holding this property back from
five-star status.
V E R D I C T I really enjoyed my stay at Meliá
Frankfurt City. The room was comfortable
with good facilities, and Oben is a fantastic
dining destination. Extensive business and
conference facilities also stand out.
Tamsin Cocks
BEST FOR
The spacious outdoor terrace for guest rooms in
The Level categories
DON’T MISS
Sundowners in the Level Lounge followed by dinner
and a DJ set at Oben Restaurant and Skybar
PRICE
Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in July
started from €265 for The Level room category
CONTACT
Senckenberganlage 13, Frankfurt, 60325 Germany;
+49 69 6681 980; melia.com
businesstraveller.com

Renaissance
Hamburg Hotel
B A C K G R O U N D The hotel occupies an
early 20th century building designed by
renowned German architect Fritz Hoger.
From 1925, the building served as the
headquarters for Broschek publishing,
which produced the Die Welt national
newspaper until the Second World War.
Renaissance Hotels is a brand within
Marriott International’s luxury portfolio.
W H E R E I S I T ? The Renaissance
Hamburg Hotel occupies a fantastic location
in the heart of Hamburg. It really couldn’t
get much more central, with the upmarket
Jungfernstieg promenade around the corner,
featuring plenty of shopping, leisure and
dining facilities. Both the Gaensemarkt and
Jungfernstieg U-Bahn stations are located a
five-minute walk away.
W H A T ’ S I T L I K E ? On the outside, the
century-old building offers grand heritage
vibes, while inside has a buzzy, modern feel.
The entrance lobby area is quite cramped,
with a few standing check-in desks clustered
together near the doorway, and a small 24/7
amenity store located just off the reception.
However the service was excellent, with
engaged, friendly staff.
R O O M S The hotel offers 205 guest rooms
including 23 suites, ranging from 20-150
sqm. I stayed in a Superior room, which felt
spacious at 30 sqm.
I really enjoyed the design aesthetic in the
rooms, a kind of ‘cool cargo chic’, with lots of
references to the nearby Port of Hamburg.
businesstraveller.com
TRIED AND TESTED HOTEL
Eye-catching details included a bedside
table made to look like an old wooden
container (shipped from the Port of Kolkata),
cargo font typography emblazoned on the
walls and an industrial-themed headboard.
The colour scheme featured calming
dark greys, blacks and a light khaki on
the walls, with lots of rustic wood finishes
for the TV stand, tables and wardrobe
(which featured an iron and ironing board,
safe, comfy dressing gowns, tea/coffee and
an empty minibar). Other cool design
details included the Frankfurt skyline on
the lampshade.
The bedroom windows are
soundproofed, and can be
opened to let fresh air in
The large king-size bed was soft and
comfortable with a featherbed mattress.
Charging ports and master light panels
are located by the bed, along with
personal reading lights, with a 55-inch wall
mounted flatscreen opposite – although the
number of English-language channels
was limited.
The work desk was well-designed for
business travellers, with a large glass
pane floating between two pillars of wood
providing ample room. A phone and selection
of USB and European plug sockets were
easily accessible, while a Nespresso coffee
machine and capsules were also perfectly
located within arm’s reach of the desk. Wifi
came in two tiers, with a complimentary
wireless connection, or a high-speed
connection option for an additional fee.
Two large windows are another striking
feature of the room, which overlook the lively
commercial area. These are soundproofed,
and can also be opened to allow fresh air in –
an uncommon feature in hotels these days.
The bathroom was a decent size, and
continued the cool, industrial design theme,
with a neon light stop in the shower, plus
a manhole drain cover design detail in the
floor. Large amenities from Tokyo Milk were
in the shower, along with soap, body lotion,
shower cap and mouthwash.
F O O D A N D D R I N K BRICKS restaurant
and bar is the hotel’s dining space. An
extensive buffet is served daily from
6.30am-11.30am (7am-12pm at weekends),
with weekday lunch (12-2.30pm) and
dinner (5-10pm, Tuesday-Friday). It’s a lively
space, with an international menu featuring
vegetarian and vegan options.
The separate bar area, located behind
reception, is a very inviting space, with funky
neon lights, eclectic furnishings and a cool
aesthetic that attracted a vibrant evening
crowd for drinks and bar snacks. BRICKS
bar is open daily from 11am-midnight. 71
M E E T I N G S There are eight event rooms
available, comprising 454 sqm of space,
with the largest capable of hosting up to
120 people.
L E I S U R E There is a bright and airy gym
located on the sixth floor, which offers a
selection of equipment and is open 24/7.
V E R D I C T I really enjoyed the distinctive
design of this property and had a very
comfortable stay. Dining options were
limited, but the central location means there
are lots of nearby options. Tamsin Cocks
BEST FOR
Rooms with lots of character in the heart
of Hamburg
DON’T MISS
A signature cocktail in BRICKS bar
PRICE
Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in July
started from €299 for a Superior room
HAKAN AKDEMIR
CONTACT
Grosse Bleichen, Hamburg, 20354, Germany;
+49 40 349 180; marriott.co.uk
JUNE 2023

Room2 Chiswick,
London
B A C K G R O U N D Room2 was founded
in 2015 by the Lamington Group. The
properties under the brand are referred to
as ‘hometels’, combining home-style living
with hotel facilities. The brand’s main USP
is its commitment to sustainability, which is
thorough and impressive.
The brand’s three properties are located
in London’s Chiswick and Hammersmith
neighbourhoods and Southampton.
Properties are set to open in Glasgow,
Belfast, York, Manchester, Liverpool and
London’s Fulham.
The 86-room Room2 Chiswick opened in
December 2021 and is net zero. It’s the first
hotel of its kind to offset both operational
and embodied carbon (the amount emitted
during the construction of a building).
87 8
2 W H E R E I S I T ? On Windmill Road, just
off Chiswick High Road, close to plenty of
shops and restaurants. It’s a four-minute
walk to Turnham Green underground station,
which is served by the District line (and
Piccadilly in the early morning/evening).
W H A T ’ S I T L I K E ? The hotel is housed
within a low-rise modern building, with
large glass windows on the ground floor.
Industrial-style interiors feature brickwork
and ceilings with an exposed structure
design, but the spaces remain cosy thanks
to a warm colour scheme, soft furnishings,
lush greenery and pieces by local artists.
The furniture is manufactured within ten
miles of the property and uses only natural,
JUNE 2023
TRIED AND TESTED HOTEL
recycled or reclaimed materials and FSC-
certified wood.
Staff check people in with iPads from
two high-top tables in the entrance area,
which doesn’t quite work when it’s busy as
it’s a small area. Check-in is from 2pm and
guests get a full 24-hour experience – ideal
for those with later flights. For check out,
choose a time slot and drop off your key.
To the left of the entrance is the stylish
lounge and a café-style counter. This is a
beautiful light-filled space, with a mixture of
seating areas for working or socialising.
R O O M S The ground floor has 18 rooms,
while the three upper floors house 58 rooms.
There is also a lower-ground courtyard with
23 rooms, a gym and laundry room.
There are five categories: 16.5 sqm Snug,
22 sqm window-less Sleepwell, 22 sqm
Studio, 27 sqm Lounge, and 30 sqm Suite –
the latter are penthouse rooms with an oven
and dishwasher.
All accommodations include king-size
beds, a sofa and work desk, free high-speed
The brand’s main USP is
its thorough commitment
to sustainability
wifi, a fully equipped kitchen with a fridge-
freezer, induction hob, kettle with Clipper
fairtrade teabags, microwave, toaster,
kitchen utensils and crockery.
There’s also a safe, a digital Roberts radio,
QR code for dry cleaning, a 43-inch TV
with Chromecast, and blackout curtains.
Bathrooms feature a rain shower and
handheld shower, along with large-sized
and beautifully scented toiletries.
The room design echoes that of the
public spaces, with pink and purple marbled
prints by Maiden Marbling transformed
into wallpapers to give an earthy feel, while
Petronella Hall’s beautiful hand-sketched
line art depicts dancing bodies.
My Lounge room on the lower-ground
courtyard level was spacious, with a narrow
kitchenette opening up into the shared
bedroom and living area. There’s a comfy
window-side cushioned bench with a table
which you can use for dining or working.
On the eco-side, there’s a 3-in-1 recycling
bin, while lighting and heating systems only
work when someone is in the room.
F O O D A N D D R I N K The lounge has a
café that sells pastries, sandwiches and
snacks from B-corp certified companies
(businesses that meet high environmental
and social standards), and a bar for drinks.
Breakfast is offered here from 7am to 11am
for £12.50 – items include pastries, yoghurt,
granola and porridge.
M E E T I N G S The lounge area is popular
with co-workers and has plug sockets.
L E I S U R E There’s a small 24-hour gym.
V E R D I C T Room2 Chiswick is an excellent
example of how hotels can successfully
incorporate sustainability into their
operations in a stylish and non-invasive
manner. Hannah Brandler
BEST FOR
A net-zero stay with comfortable
bespoke furnishings
DON’T MISS
Co-working with a croissant in the
light-filled lounge
PRICE
Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in
July started from £225 for a Lounge room
ANDREI BOTNARI
CONTACT
10 Windmill Road, Chiswick, London
W4 1SD; 020 3988 0220; room2.com
businesstraveller.com

airlines flying between
Our guide to…
London and New York
WORDS MARK CASWELL
L
ondon-New York is regularly cited
among the world’s most lucrative air
routes, with Heathrow-JFK becoming
the first billion-dollar route in 2019.
With Delta recently having
relaunched flights between JFK and Gatwick,
we round up the airlines currently operating
nonstop flights between London and New
York’s two busiest airports – JFK and Newark.
AMERICAN AIRLINES
AA operates a year-round service between
New York JFK and London Heathrow, and
recently unveiled its revamped JFK Terminal 8
facilities in conjunction with transatlantic joint
business partner British Airways. (For more
information, see our feature on airport
upgrades at businesstraveller.com)
In March of this year the carrier also
reopened its first class lounge at Heathrow
Terminal 3, after a three-year closure due to the
Covid-19 pandemic.
BRITISH AIRWAYS
BA flies from both Gatwick and Heathrow to
JFK, and in December the airline moved
operations into JFK Terminal 8 to co-locate with
American Airlines (see above).
Last month the two carriers opened the
Bridge Bar within the recently-launched
Greenwich Lounge at the terminal, inspired by
the Golden Age of Travel, with “a rich and
sophisticated take on mid-century modern
design with a classic 1960’s feel”.
British Airways also flies from Heathrow to
New York’s Newark Liberty International,
and last year added a daylight London-bound
MAX TARKHOV/ISTOCK
service on the route.
DELTA AIR LINES
Delta relaunched flights between JFK and
Gatwick in April 2023, a route it has not
businesstraveller.com
SMART TR AVELLER
operated since 2008. The daily service
complements the carrier’s existing route to
Heathrow, and coincides with the 45th
anniversary of Delta flights between the US
and UK.
JETBLUE
JetBlue launched its first transatlantic services
between New York JFK and London Heathrow
in August 2021, followed soon after by flights
between JFK and Gatwick.
The airline currently offers three flights per
day between New York and London, having
recently added a daytime flight between JFK
and Heathrow for summer 2023.
NORSE ATLANTIC AIRWAYS
The newest entrant between JFK
and London, Norse launched
flights from Gatwick in August 2022.
The carrier serves the daily route
with Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft
configured with 282 seats in economy
and 56 in Premium. See businesstraveller.
com/tried-and-tested for our review of the
inaugural service.
UNITED AIRLINES
United is the only carrier on this list
not to serve London from New York
JFK – but the airline does operate up to
seven daily flights between Newark
and London Heathrow.
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
Virgin Atlantic operates daily flights
between London Heathrow and New
York JFK.
The carrier had planned to relaunch flights
between Gatwick and JFK in May 2020, but
the onset of Covid-19 led to Virgin closing
its operations at the south London airport.
JUNE 2023
 SNAPSHOT

THE BIG PICTURE

74

COURTESY OF DERRICK OFOSU BOATENG AND HOMECOMING GALLERY

Floating on air
Photo London 2023 marked the eighth edition of this photography fair. Held at Somerset House last month, it brought
together more than 110 exhibitors from 55 cities. International photography dealers and galleries participated in the
event, with themes ranging from the socio-political to the musical. Among these was Homecoming Gallery, which
exhibits contemporary images by rising stars. This bright and joyful image, entitled 'Out Red', was taken by Derrick
Ofosu Boateng in Accra, Ghana. The self-taught snapper grew up taking photos on his father's iPhone and his colourful
portraits aim to challenge perceptions of Africa, showing the positivity and strength of Ghanaian life. photolondon.org

JUNE 2023 businesstraveller.com

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