Corporate Travel News - March 2025

 

Airports

London Luton Airport extends Prebook Security service after successful trial

Departing customers can pre-book a 30-minute slot up to four days ahead of their arrival at security. Slots are now available for booking between 3am and 3pm daily, an extension to the previous operational hours between 3am – 4:30am. Passengers who use the service will arrive to the specified gates at the allotted time, scan their boarding pass and QR code, and then will be directed to the front of the line.

 

Manchester Airport will become the latest UK airport to introduce barrier-less drop-off and pick-up areas

Towards the end of March, Manchester Airport will remove its existing barriers and introduce an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system to help reduce congestion and improve traffic flow. Drivers will no longer need to stop to pay on exit and instead will be required to pay online or by phone by midnight the next day.

 

 

Airline updates

Emirates to reinstate third daily flight between Dubai and Rome

From 1 June 2025, Emirates will again operate a third daily flight between the two cities, offering an additional 2,530 weekly seats. The service will be operated onboard a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, featuring 8 private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 310 spacious seats in Economy Class. Read more

 

 

Lufthansa Allegris long-haul cabin now available on services to San Diego and New York

Travellers can experience Lufthansa Allegris on services between Munich and San Diego from 30 March and New York-Newark from mid-April. Currently, the airline has nine A350-900 aircraft with Allegris onboard, six of which already offer the new exclusive First Class. Read more

 

 

Etihad announces nonstop flights to Sochi

Etihad will launch its new route between Abu Dhabi and Sochi on 29 May 2025, offering three flights per week onboard one of its modern A320 family aircraft with eight seats in Business Class and 150 in Economy. Read more

 

 

Lufthansa Group Airlines introduce Apple AirTag baggage tracking

Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines customers can now privately and securely share the location of their AirTag or Find My network accessory via the baggage tracing service. Read more

 

 

Iberia launches app to make communicating while travelling more accessible

The Háblalo Iberia app is a transcription tool to support communication for people with hearing or verbal communication difficulties. Users can write messages for the app to read aloud or speak into the app to record messages as text. There’s also the option to communicate using pictograms for words related to food, emergency services, and other travel-relevant points. The app can translate messages into English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Catalan. Read more

 

Lufthansa revamps meal choices for business class customers

Lufthansa’s business class passengers travelling on short and medium-haul routes longer than 2 hours now have an increased number of meal options to choose from. The carrier is offering a wider rage of vegetarian and non-vegetarian cold dishes on routes with a flight duration of around two hours. On routes with a flight time of three hours of more, travellers now have three hot dishes to choose from, instead of the previous two. Read more

 

LOT Polish Airlines launches direct connections between Warsaw and Lisbon

Flights to Lisbon will initially operate five times per week then increase to a daily service from 24th February, onboard state-of-the-art Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Read more

 

 

Air India adds additional flights to Birmingham, Gatwick and Heathrow

Beginning 30 March, Air India will operate three extra weekly flights between Delhi and Heathrow and an additional service on its routes from Amritsar to both Birmingham and Gatwick. Additionally, the carrier will add an additional flight to its services from Delhi to Zurich and Vienna. Read more

 

 

Hotel updates

Leonardo Limited Editions welcomes Zurich’s smallest five-star hotel to its portfolio

The Hotel Alden Splügenschloss Zürich has reopened following a redesign, featuring 22 individually furnished suites. Housed within a listed building, the hotel’s interior blends modern comfort with the elegance of times gone by. Guests can enjoy a stylish bar and The Alden Restaurant, which offers à la carte breakfast, business lunch and dinner options. Read more

 

 

Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha completes extensive renovation

The five-star Hyatt Regency Doha has reopened after a comprehensive renovation, updating its 388 guest rooms and 12 suites, lobby lounge, and business facilities to a more refined and modern look. Its 11 meeting rooms have also been upgraded with modern décor and the latest audio visual technology.

 

 

Village Hotels launches EV charging points at Blackpool and Manchester sites

As part of its rollout of ultra-rapid charging points, Village Hotels has added new points at Village Blackpool and Manchester Hyde. The charging points are compatible with any electric vehicle, use 100% renewable energy, and can fully charge EVs within 10-15 minutes.

 

 

Hyatt Place Leeds and Hyatt House Leeds accepting reservations from 10 March

Housed within a new development on Sovereign Square nearby the city’s rail station, the two hotels will share facilities including a fitness centre, meeting space, and 24/7 marketplace. Combined, there are a total of 305 units, including 217 rooms at Hyatt Place and 88 extended stay studios and one-bedroom suites with kitchen facilities at the Hyatt House.

 

 

Millennium Lakeview Hotel reopens in Dubai Investment Park

The newly rebranded Millennium Lakeview Hotel was previously known as Copthorne Lakeview Hotel. The property is a ten-minute walk from the nearest metro station, and a 14-minute drive from Expo City or 20 minutes from Al Maktoum International Airport.

 

 

Wyndham Hotels and Resorts adds 25 properties to European portfolio

17 of the total 25 hotels across Germany, Austria and the Netherlands have joined Wyndham’s Trademark Collection brand and the remaining eight will be reflagged under the Vienna House Easy brand. Centro Hotel Mondial Munchen Trademark Collection by Wyndham, Vienna House Easy by Wyndham Hanover and Boutique 53 & 56 are just a few of the properties included in the deal.

 

Radisson Collection Hotel, Berlin opens in the heart of Germany’s capital

Located in the vibrant Mitte district, the hotel has opened with 427 elegant rooms and suites, a restaurant offering world-class Greek cuisine, elegant Atrium Bar, and 15 versatile event spaces spread across three floors. Its central location puts it in close proximity to the Pergamon Museum, Berlin State Opera, Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall, and other iconic sites. Read more

 

Hilton announces signing of DoubleTree by Hilton Belfast City Ten Square

The 131-room hotel is located in the Linen Quarter, next to Belfast City Hall and is just 11 minutes from George Best Belfast City Airport by car or 30 minutes from Belfast International Airport. It also features four versatile meeting rooms, a ground-floor bar, tap room open on Fridays and Saturdays, a steakhouse, and rooftop bar with an outdoor terrace. Read more

 

 

Le Relais de La Malmaison opens with 12 event spaces just 15 minutes from Paris

Le Relais de La Malmaison, a member of Radisson Individuals, combines sophistication with a warm, inviting atmosphere across its 88 rooms and suites. The hotel boasts a world-class wellness and fitness centre, a restaurant serving seasonal French dishes and a cosy bar where guests can enjoy handcrafted cocktails or afternoon tea. Its 12 event spaces offer natural daylight and direct access to gardens – two of these exclusive spaces have capacity for up to 60 guests, making them perfect for executive lunches. Read more

 

Hilton opens Hilton Cairo Nile Maadi with views overlooking The River Nile

Designed for both leisure and business travellers the 255 room and suite hotel’s features include four food and drink outlets, six meeting rooms with capacity up to 500 guests, spa, fitness centre with views of The Nile and an outdoor swimming pool. Read more

 

 

Marriott’s recently opened Casa Brera in Milan joins the group’s Luxury Collection

After opening in Milan last September, the hotel is now part of The Luxury Collection. It features 101 guest rooms and 15 suites including the Presidential Milanese Suite with two connecting terraces and lounge area. There is also an outdoor pool, fitness centre, a meeting space, and four restaurants (three Italian, one Japanese cuisine). Read more

 

 

IHG acquires German ‘Lean Luxury’ brand Ruby Hotels

InterContinental Hotels Group has announced the acquisition of Germany’s Ruby Hotels, adding 30 open and pipeline properties to its portfolio across cities including Amsterdam, London, Dublin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Zurich. Read more

 

 

Hilton’s opens first Signia property outside of the US in Jordan

Signia by Hilton Amman is strategically located in Amman’s Shmeisani business district, a sought-after location for business and leisure travellers. The hotel combines modern grandeur and sophisticated style throughout its 272 guest rooms, 11,270 square metres of meetings space, 3,400 capacity convention centre, four dining options, and spa and fitness centre. Read more

 

Ground updates

Eurostar resumes direct services between London and Amsterdam

Eurostar will restart its services between the two cities from 10th February, operating three daily services on weekdays and Sundays and two daily services on Saturdays. By 22nd April, passenger capacity will increase by 200 to a maximum of 600 passengers from Amsterdam. In future, Eurostar plans to expand the schedule to include five daily services between London and Amsterdam. Read more

 

Blacklane expands chauffer services to Saudi Arabia

Business travellers can now use Blacklane’s chauffer services to travel around Jeddah, Makkah, and Riyadh, from airport transfers to city-to-city rides or hourly bookings.