Corporate Travel News - July 2024

 

Airport updates

100ml liquid limit temporarily reintroduced at six UK airports

The Department for Transport has temporarily reintroduced its rule, limiting passengers to 100ml of liquid in their hand luggage. London City, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, Southend and Teesside are among the UK airports who had eased their restrictions, allowing passengers to carry up to two litres in liquids.

 

 

Airline updates

Delta announces new route between London’s Heathrow and Orlando, Florida

Four new nonstop flights will operate between Orlando and London this winter, between 28^th October and 30^th March 2025. Flights will depart Orlando onboard Delta’s A330-900neo aircraft configured with 281 seats on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

 

 

Virgin Atlantic relaunches seasonal summer service to from Manchester to Las Vegas

Virgin Atlantic has relaunched its seasonal service from Manchester to Las Vegas, operating onboard a three-cabin Airbus A350-1000. The service was paused during the pandemic, and its return complements Virgin Atlantic’s existing daily connection between London Heathrow and Las Vegas.

 

 

Delta unveils accessible seating concepts at 2024 Aircraft Interiors Expo

Engineers at Delta Airlines’ product development department have created a new seating prototype that would allow passengers to bring their own wheelchairs onboard. Rather than checking their wheelchair in and relying on airport services when it’s time to board and exit the plane, the seat can be quickly converted to allow passengers with reduced mobility to bring their wheelchairs onboard. A second concept created by the team would involve converting two adjoined lavatories into a single double-sized lavatory to make it more spacious and easier to access.

 

British Airways opens doors to refurbished Lagos lounge

British Airways’ six-month refurbishment project of its airport lounge in Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos is now complete. New features include a new bar, the addition of a quiet room with daybeds, a redesigned entrance with floor-to-ceiling glass and new printing facilities. Seating inside the 360sqm facility ranges from sofas to clusters of tables and chairs, and guests can enjoy artwork by local artists displayed throughout. The self-service dining area offers dishes such as Chicken Akara, meat skewers, jollof rice, cakes, and more – First class passengers will also be offered Champagne and canapes. Read more

 

Delta collaborates with Italian luxury fashion house, Missoni for new amenity kit

Delta One customers will soon be offered new amenity kits featuring Missoni’s signature textured zigzag pattern on the exterior of the bag. Inside will be Grown Alchemist skin care products, a bamboo toothbrush and toothpaste, eye mask, ear plugs, socks and a pen. Read more

 

 

British Airways relaunches online platform for its On Business loyalty programme

After being unavailable since February last year, British Airways has confirmed companies can now access the On Business platform online. Members accessing their accounts for the first time since then will need to reset their password and will be required to use an authenticator app for an extra layer of protection.

 

 

Emirates unveils new premium lounge in Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, Terminal 2C

Emirates has opened doors to its 925 square metre lounge for First and Business Class customers and Emirates Skywards members. Close to AED 3.5 million has been invested in designing the 165 capacity lounge, which features a refreshed and modern look with new furnishings and cosy chairs, enhanced shower facilities, complimentary Wi-Fi and striking views of the airport runway. Read more

 

British Airways retrofits first of 12 aircraft with its Club Suite business class

British Airways confirms it has retrofitted the first of 12 Boeing 787-9 aircraft with its Club Suite business class product. The aircraft now features 31 Club Suites configured in a 1-2-1 layout, 37 World Traveller Plus seats (premium economy) and 136 World Traveller seats (economy).

 

 

Lufthansa Group announces new Environmental Cost Surcharge for flights departing the EU, UK, Norway and Switzerland

The new Environmental Cost Surcharge is being introduced to ‘cover part of the steadily rising additional costs due to regulatory environmental requirements’. The fee will apply to new tickets purchased for departures from 1 January 2025 and will vary between €1 and €72 depending on the route and fare. Read more

 

 

Qatar Airways resumes flights to Lisbon, Portugal

Qatar Airways will reintroduce its year-round direct service from Hamad International Airport in Doha to Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport, with six weekly flights during summer 2024. Read more

 

 

Lufthansa Group launches three weekly flights from Munich to Seattle

Lufthansa’s new nonstop service to Seattle bolsters its existing Seattle-Frankfurt route, totalling 10 weekly flights from Germany to Seattle. The Munich service departs three times per week, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays onboard its fuel-efficient A350-900 aircraft with modern, comfortable cabin design. Passengers can choose from Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class. Read more

 

Hotel updates

Leonardo Hotels acquires Hotel Gotham in Manchester

Located within a historic building on King Street, designed by Edward Lutyens in 1928, the hotel features 60 guest rooms and an immersive Gotham-themed experience. The hotel will join Leonardo’s Limited Edition Collection.

 

 

Travelodge opens seventh Bristol hotel, Bristol Abbey Wood Travelodge

The new hotel is located at the Abbey Wood Shopping Park, within easy access of the M4, M5 and Bristol City centre and opposite Bristol’s Ministry of Defence offices. It features 85 rooms aligned with the group’s new premium look and feel design, as well as an on-site restaurant called The Bar Cafe.

 

 

Hyatt acquires ‘me and all’ hotels brand, adding 1,000+ rooms in central cities across Germany

The me and all hotels portfolio features six hotels currently with plans for new builds in key locations across Germany, including Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig, Stuttgart. me and all hotels combine central locations, urban design, leading-edge technology and vibrant public spaces, appealing especially to city and business travellers. Read more

 

 

New Room Energy Management System (REMS) at Crown Plaza London Docklands reduces room energy usage by 46%

RBH Hospitality Management has implemented a Room Energy Management System across all guest rooms, which optimises energy consumption by intelligently adjusting HVAC, lighting, and appliance usage based on room occupancy. The system detects human presence and monitors room status, ensuring that energy-consuming appliances are only active when necessary, leading to substantial reductions in overall energy consumption. During a trial, rooms fitted with the system returned a 46% reduction in energy usage, compared with uncontrolled rooms. Predictions for the next 10 years show the installation will save over 300,000 kWh. Read more

 

Copthorne Hotel Aberdeen reopens after months of renovations

Guests booked to stay at the newly-renovated Copthorne Hotel Aberdeen can look forward to refreshed rooms and public spaces blending comfort and modernity, tailored to meet the needs of today’s discerning travellers. Nestled in the heart of Aberdeen’s West End, the hotel also offers easy access to attractions including Aberdeen Maritime Museum, Aberdeen FC Pittodrie Stadium, and Aberdeen Art Gallery.

 

Travelodge continues Spanish expansion with five new hotels

Travelodge has opened new locations in Alicante Puerto, Barcelona del Valles, Madrid Alcala de Henares, Malaga Aeropuerto and Murcia, totalling 635 rooms.

 

 

 

Dalata Hotel Group announces opening of Maldron Hotel Manchester Cathedral Quarter

The new 4-star Maldron Hotel Manchester Cathedral Quarter features 188 bedrooms, a restaurant, coffee dock, and two state-of-the art meeting rooms. Located on Chapel Street, the hotel is just minutes from Arndale Shopping Centre, the AO Arena, and the city’s dynamic business districts. It’s also a short walk from Manchester Victoria Station which has excellent links to Old Trafford and the Etihad Campus, ideal for travelling sports professionals and fans. Read more

 

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts opens doors to luxurious Paris hotel in Domain de Montcel Park

30 minutes from Paris and moments from the Palace of Versaille, Dolce by Wyndham Versailles – Domain du Montcel features 178 rooms, 14 hectares of gardens, two restaurants, a bar with terrace, and a fully-equipped spa and wellness centre. Meetings and event facilities include a state-of-the-art conference centre with 18 meeting rooms and the largest Baccarat ballroom in the region (550 square metres). Read more

 

Hilton debuts two hotels in Portugal as part of plans to more than double its Portuguese portfolio

DUO Hotel Lisbon, Curio Collection by Hilton opens with 75 rooms in the vibrant Cais do Sodre neighbourhood near the capital’s famous ‘Pink Street’ and Mercado da Ribeira. DoubleTree by Hilton Lagoa Azores is just a 10-minute drive away from the city of Ponta Delgada, and features a restaurant and bar, rooftop bar, pool, and a wellness space. In addition, each of the 101 rooms and suites offers panoramic views of the landscape and picturesque Atlantic Ocean coastline. Read more

 

Two new Hilton properties set to open in Reykjavik and Akureyri, Iceland

Akureyri “Skáld” Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton opens its doors in summer 2025 with 70 rooms blending modern comforts with Iceland’s rich cultural heritage. Its proximity to the Diamond Circle and Arctic Circle will make it an ideal base for whale watching or Northern Lights incentive trips. The second property in Brietartún, Reykjavík is planned to open in spring 2026 with 170 rooms, located adjacent to the historic Freemasons’ Hall and the vibrant Lkemmur area. Read more

 

Hilton debuts first Tapestry Collection property in the North East of England, in York

The 62-room Elmbank York, Tapestry Collection by Hilton overlooks the picturesque Knavesmire Strays and is just a short walk away from York’s historic city centre and train station. The location also allows convenient access to York Racecourse, National Trust properties, and York Castle Museum. Read more

 

 

Ground updates

New Avanti West Coast timetable change adds more seats and services on selected routes

Avanti West Coast has announced changes to its timetable, which now offers more connectivity in the West Midlands with additional services between London and Birmingham on weekdays and Saturdays. The changes also include the introduction of its new fleet of Hitachi trains – a fleet of 23, including 10 seven-carriage electric trains and 13 five-carriage bi-modes. Read more

 

Avanti West Coast completes Pendolino refurbishment, with all 56 of the fleet now fully refurbished

The £117m refurbishment is the UK’s biggest-ever fleet upgrade, with 574 carriages enhanced in just over two years. Improvements include 25,000 new, ergonomic Standard Class seats, more than 2,000 additional Standard Class seats, improved lighting, power points at every seat, refurbished toilets, new carpets made using sustainable British wool, and more. Read more