Corporate Travel News - June 2023

Visa & Passport updates

Germany to overturn decades-long ban on Immigrants’ dual citizenships

Germany’s government has announced its new citizenship law is in its final drafting stages. The new legislation will make dual citizenship and naturalisation for non-EU citizens easier.

France bans all domestic short-haul flights where train alternatives are available

To limit carbon emissions, the French government has banned all domestic routes that could be made by train in under two and a half hours. However, connecting flights remain unaffected. This includes flights between Paris and cities like Nantes, Lyon and Bordeaux.

ABTA issues reminder of new post-Brexit passport rules

British passport holders visiting EU countries (except Ireland) must ensure that their passport was issued less than 10 years before the planned travel date and is valid for a minimum of three months after the planned leave date.

 

UK Electronic Travel Authorisation price announcement

The cost of the new UK ETA has now been announced as £10 per applicant when the scheme opens for nationals from the Gulf states and Jordan. This permits multiple journeys and will be valid for two years or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner. Read more

Airport updates

Berlin Brandenburg Airport rolls out facial recognition to replace boarding passes

Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines and other selected carriers can benefit from BER Traveller, a new digital service for biometric access control. Passengers can now get quick access to the security control’s priority lane using facial recognition, set up in the service provider’s app FastID.

 

 

Birmingham Airport to scrap 100ml liquid rule with £20 million security screening update

Birmingham Airport will be the second major UK airport to put an end to the restriction, after London City Airport. From June 2024 passengers can pack up to two litres of liquid in carry-on luggage and will not need to remove electronics when going through security.

 

Dublin Airport incentivises sustainable airline operations with new ‘low emissions’ discount

Dublin Airport’s aeronautical charges are the lowest of any capital city airport in Europe, but airlines that fly high-emission aircraft will be charged more by the airport operator, data.

Munich Airport installs five new CT scanners in latest phase of security tech updates

The new CT scanners are said to provide additional security by automatically detecting dangerous items, so passengers no longer need to remove their laptops and liquids from carry-on luggage.

Airline updates

Emirates and Etihad sign off interline expansion

The Memorandum of Understanding will provide travellers with additional itinerary options on visits to the UAE. Customers with either airline will be able to purchase a single ticket into either Dubai or Abu Dhabi, with a return via the other airport. Read more

 

United Airlines announces plans to triple its use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel this year

The US carrier has revealed that it will be using a SAF blend on flights from San Francisco International Airport and plans to do the same for flights departing from London Heathrow later this year. Read more

 

Qatar Airways to reintroduce direct Doha to Auckland flight from 1 September

The flight will depart daily at 01:50 local time, operating on an Airbus A350-1000 with 46 business class and 281 economy class seats. Read more

 

Emirates phases out paper boarding passes for passengers departing Dubai

Aiming for enhanced convenience and a speedy digitised check-in experience, Emirates will now require most passengers on flights leaving Dubai to use a mobile boarding pass rather than a printed one. Read more

 

Lufthansa’s new initiative tackles food waste by offering discounts on unsold inflight food

The new “Onboard Delights Last Minute” initiative will see passengers on European flights to Frankfurt and Munich offered discounted fresh foods like salads and sandwiches at a set price of €3.50. Read more

 

jetBlue continues Europe expansion with nonstop services from New York and Boston to Amsterdam

Tickets are now on sale for non-stop flights from JFK and Boston Logan International Airport to Amsterdam Schiphol. Services from New York will start on 29 August and from Boston on 20 September. Read more

 

Emirates pledges US$200 million to R&D into reducing the impact of fossil fuels in aviation

Emirates revealed it has made “the biggest single commitment by any airline on sustainability”, committing $200 million for R&D projects in advanced fuel and energy technologies over the next three years. Read more

 

Turkish Airlines adds Palermo, Sicily to its flight network

Passengers can now travel to and from the Sicilian capital of Palermo on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Palermo is the carrier’s ninth destination in Italy, also offering flights to Rome, Milan, Venice, Naples, Bergamo, Bologna, Catania, and Bari.

 

Etihad adds Osaka to its flight network

With a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner featuring 28 business class seats and 262 standard, Etihad Airways will fly to Osaka five times per week starting 1 October. Read more

 

Air Canada’s Aeroplan members will be offered free in-flight messaging on apps like WhatsApp and iMessage

As well as free messaging, Air Canada’s new partnership with communications company Bell will see customers on selected inbound international flights receive complimentary mobile SIM cards. Read more

 

Singapore Airlines will boost flights to Europe this summer

Singapore Airlines plans to introduce supplementary flights to Barcelona, Frankfurt, and Rome to cater for higher demand. Its service to Busan will also be resumed in August, however, flights to Vancouver will be suspended in October. Read more

 

Emirates’ Rugby World Cup liveried A380 takes debut flight to Istanbul

The livery is “inspired by the fast-running lines of the backs, evident in the delicate lines that run seamlessly through the livery”. As the Official Airline of the Rugby World Cup in 2023 and 2027, passengers will also be able to watch both World Cups live and on-demand from their seats. Read more

 

Finnair announces new Superlight ticket type and baggage allowance changes

From 1 June, the new Superlight ticket will replace Economy Light tickets on all journeys within Europe. The ticket will include a small bag but no other carry-on baggage, and this allowance includes purchases made at the airport. Read more

 

Air Canada partners with IAGOS to collect worldwide data on climate parameters

Air Canada is the latest airline to join the IAGOS programme, which uses commercial aircraft as “a global observation platform of climate change and air quality”. One of the carrier’s Airbus A330 aircraft has been outfitted with special diagnostics sensors. Read more

 

Turkish Airlines refreshes its inflight menu for economy and business class travellers

Recipes for the carrier’s new menus showcase local and seasonal cuisines, with 80% of the ingredients sourced from local producers. Business class passengers will also be offered homemade mocktails and detox drinks. Read more

 

Lufthansa to acquire 41% stake in ITA Airways

Subject to approval from the relevant authorities, the carriers have agreed for Lufthansa to purchase a 41% stake in ITA for €325 million, with the potential to acquire the remaining shares at a later date. Read more

 

Qatar Airways resumes flights from Doha to Bahrain

The airline will offer a daily service between the two destinations and plans to offer two more daily services from 15 June.

 

Emirates updates inflight connectivity system, giving passengers in all classes free wifi access

Emirates Skywards members travelling in any class can now access free app messaging, while first-class passengers and Silver, Gold and Platinum members in business class have unlimited internet access. Platinum members also have complimentary internet access across all classes. Read more

 

Etihad’s CO2 emissions dropped by more than a quarter in 2022, compared with 2019 figures

The carrier’s annual sustainability report reveals that it achieved a 26% reduction in CO2 emissions per Revenue Tonne Kilometre in 2022, compared to its 2019 baseline. Read more

 

Virgin Atlantic relaunches ‘Twilight Check In’ for Manchester Airport departures

The Twilight Check-In service allows passengers departing from Manchester Airport to check in, tag, and drop off checked luggage between 4pm and 8pm on the evening before their flight.

 

Delta relaunches direct Edinburgh-Atlanta service

The daily service will operate until 5 September, reconnecting Edinburgh with the state of Georgia for the first time since 2007. The carrier will also operate a seasonal Edinburgh-Boston service this summer, along with its year-round New York JFK route.

 

Virgin Atlantic relaunches services from UK to Dubai, The Maldives, Turks & Caicos, and Las Vegas

Virgin Atlantic will begin services to The Maldives and Turks and Caicos in October. The seasonal London Heathrow-Dubai route will also operate four times a week from October to March, while flights from Manchester Airport to Las Vegas will begin in summer 2024. Read more

 

Qatar Airways resumes direct services between Tokyo Haneda and Doha

Starting 1 June, Qatar Airways has resumed its scheduled non-stop Tokyo International Airport and Hamad International Airport service. This doubles the carrier’s weekly flight frequency from the greater Tokyo area, from seven to 14 flights. Read more

 

Qatar Airways signs multi-million-dollar deal with Shell for SAF supply at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Shell will source 3,000 metric tonnes of neat SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) for Qatar Airways at Amsterdam Schiphol airport, as the carrier becomes the first carrier in the Middle East and Africa “to procure a large SAF amount in Europe beyond government SAF mandates.” Read more

Hotel updates

Madrid’s first Curio Collection by Hilton opens doors in city centre

The Hotel Montera Madrid, Curio Collection By Hilton showcases authentic dining experiences with the Madrilenian restaurant La Braserí and rooftop cocktail bar El Cielo de Chicote. And its 93 rooms were designed with sustainability in mind, with controlled LED lighting, energy-saving window fittings and reusable water bottles. Read more

 

Berlin’s first DoubleTree by Hilton opens following extensive multi-million euro remodelling

The 420-room hotel is located in Berlin’s Kurfürstendamm neighbourhood and will feature 11 function rooms to cater for meetings and events as well as secure underground parking for guests. Read more

 

Ground updates

LNER trials new low-priced standard class fares, available for travel from 11 June onwards

As part of a major ticketing overhaul, LNER will introduce simpler and more flexible ticketing options. The trial aims to put an end to the current ‘outdated practice’ where flexible single tickets can be almost double the cost of a return. Read more

 

 

LNER marks 100^th anniversary with its first named and liveried Azuma train, ‘Century’

Named ‘Century’, the train features a livery with ‘a unique photographic timeline of the last 100 years of LNER’. Read more