Corporate Travel News: March 2022
Covid Update
The UK scrap all restrictions on international arrivals
All remaining UK Covid-19 measures including passenger locator forms and testing for all international arrivals entering the UK will end Friday 18 March from 4am.
Heathrow removes the face-covering mandate
Face coverings at Heathrow will no longer be mandated in Heathrow terminals, rail stations or office buildings. The change mirrors steps taken by other transport organisations in the UK and applies across all of Heathrow airport.
Airline
British Airways adds three routes to Southampton and Edinburgh
British Airways has confirmed plans to operate three weekly routes from regional UK airports this summer. The carrier’s subsidiary BA CityFlyer will fly between Southampton and Dublin, as well as from Edinburgh to both Guernsey and Jersey.
American Airlines to operate more flights from Heathrow T5
American Airlines has outlined plans to increase its presence at Heathrow T5 this summer. The US carrier will co-locate up to 11 daily flights at T5. The services will be between Heathrow and Dallas-Fort Worth, LA, Miami and New York JKF arriving at and departing from T5.
Qatar Airways Resumes flights to London Gatwick
From 5 June 2022, ‘Qatar Airways has announced plans to resume its daily flights from Doha to London Gatwick. The airline will operate a B787-8 Dreamliner service featuring 22 seats in business class and 232 seats in economy. The aircraft consumes 20 per cent less fuel and its carbon dioxide emissions are 20 per cent lower than other similar aircraft.
United adds five flights from the US to London
United has announced adding five new flights to London Heathrow Airport including two more flights from New York/ Newark, additional trips from both Denver and San Francisco, as well as a new direct flight from Boston. United will be the only US carrier to offer nonstop service between the nation’s top seven business markets and London. United will offer 22 flights per day from the US to London than any other US carrier.
Etihad Airways launches the Etihad Mangrove Forest
After two years of research and development, innovation and transformation through its Greenliner programme to tackle aviation decarbonisation, Etihad Airways in collaboration with Environment Agency Abu Dhabi has launched the Etihad Mangrove Forest to provide guests, corporate accounts and partners the ability to adopt mangroves in Abu Dhabi to reduce the carbon footprint. Read more
United launches bag drops shortcut services
United Airlines has launched a new service enabling passengers to self-check in their bags at selected US airports. The Bag Drop Shortcut service works in conjunction with the United app, with customers checking in via the app and selecting the number of checked bags. The new service has initially launched in Chicago, New York, Newark, Washington DC, Houston, Denver, LA and San Francisco.
Delta launches a new plant-based inflight menu
Delt has launched a new plant-based menu for premium customers on selected flights. The carrier has partnered with Impossible Foods and Black Sheep Foods to offer Delta One and first-class passengers a range of plant-based dishes on selected routes.
Manchester airport to reopen Terminal 3
Manchester Airport has announced plans to reopen it’s Terminal 3. The terminal has been closed for the last two years as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Six airlines will move across to Terminal 3 from 27 March, Aurigny Airline, Blue Islands, British Airways, Eastern Airways, Loganair and Ryanair.
Frankfurt airports Terminal 1 celebrates 50 years
Frankfurt airport celebrates the 50th anniversary of the opening of its Terminal 1, which combined all passenger processes under one roof and introduced intermodal transport at the airport. The facility was inaugurated on 14 March 1972 and was initially designed to handle 30 million passengers per year. The figures surpassed and pre-pandemic the airport welcomes some 70 million passengers travelling through Terminal 1.
Hotel
Premier Inn opens 393-room Paddington Hotel
Premier Inn has unveiled its latest London property, the 393-room hotel is now the largest non-airport Premier Inn in Greater London and features the group’s newest Premier Plus rooms, as well as a Bar and Block steakhouse restaurant. The hotel is located on North Wharf Road next to the A40 and North of Paddington Basin and is the first of three Premier Inn hotels set to open in London’s Paddington/ Marylebone district.
Accor’s SO/ brand to debut in Paris
Accor’s luxury SO/ brand is set to debut in France in July. The brand forms part of Accor’s global lifestyle hotel partnership with the UK-based developer Ennismore. SO/Paris will be located in the Moreland Mixit é Capitale complex featuring 140 rooms and 22 suites. The hotel will also have a 360-degree view of the city with a rooftop restaurant and bar, a fitness centre and pool and also cater for business meetings with a 200sqm space.