Corporate Travel News: May 2021
Coronavirus Travel Updates.
UK government announces green list country
From 17 May 2021, the UK government has given UK citizens the green light to resume travelling abroad to certain countries. The government has created a traffic light system for international travel this year. Most countries are on the red or amber list which requires various degrees of quarantining. There are 12 countries added to the green list including Portugal. Read more
Update on red list countries
From 17 May 2021, the government has announced that 12 countries including Portugal, Gibraltar and Israel have made the green list, however Turkey, Maldives and Nepal have been added to the red list countries. This system will be reviewed every three weeks. For more information, please see the government website here.
London Heathrow T3 to be devoted for red list travellers
From 1 June 2021, London Heathrow will devote terminal 3 to arrivals from red-list countries. Red list passengers are currently met from the plane and guided down to immigration channels and take to an approved hotel quarantine hotel.
UK and Ireland travellers face hotel quarantine entering Hong Kong and Singapore
The Hong Kong and Singapore government has announced that the flight ban has officially lifted from the UK and Ireland. Flights from the UK have been banned since December, following the detection of the new variant. UK and Ireland will face quarantine and testing arrangements upon arrival in Hong Kong. Anyone arriving will need to quarantine at a designated hotel and take three covid tests during that period and a final test on the 26th day.
EU to launch COVID-19 passport in July
The council of the European Union has given its support to a digital COVID-19 certificate. The new tool is to facilitate a safe and free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing proof that a person has either been vaccinated or received a negative test result or recovered from COVID-19.
Airlines/Airports.
British Airways trials digital queuing technology
British Airways will be trailing new intelligent queuing technology from Qmatic, that will enable customers to virtually queue at check-in by pre-booking their slot time in advance at the airport. The technology, which is optional for customers, will be trialled by BA for three months on selected flights departing from London Heathrow T5. Customers will be sent an email before travel inviting them to book their personal check-in time. Read more
Lufthansa purchases 10 new aircraft and looks to modernise current fleets
The Lufthansa Group is accelerating the modernisation of its fleet. New, high cost and fuel-efficient aircraft are replacing the older types of short, medium and long-haul routes. As a result, the airline has decided to purchase ten long-haul aircraft, five Airbus A350-900s and five Boeing B787-9. Read more
easyJet creates a new online travel tool
easyJet launches new COVID-19 Travel Hub powered by Smartvel on its website with a live travel map detailing the latest country requirements, information on testing resources and more for travellers across Europe. It includes the ability to obtain real-time information when searching popular destinations and for business travel. Read more
British Airways airlifts 27 tonnes of urgent medical aid for India
As the humanitarian crisis in India intensifies, British Airways has announced flights on the Boeing 777-200 aircraft loaded with emergency aid to Delhi to support the government as the country continues to battle rising Coronavirus cases with declining oxygen supplies. The load includes hundreds of urgent life-saving oxygen cylinders and shipments of oxygen concentrators, respirators and blood oxygen saturation monitors. The airline is also donating care packages for families in need. Read more
Etihad Airways introduces ‘Verified to Fly’ travel document
From 12 May 2021, travellers flying from Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways will be able to validate their COVID-19 travel documents before arriving at the airport. This will ensure passengers have met all the essential requirements before their flight. With the formalities out of the way, passengers can enjoy fast-track check-in at the airport by going to the dedicated Verified to Fly desk. Read more
Virgin Atlantic partners with Prenetics to offer COVID test kits
Virgin Atlantic partners with a COVID-19 testing provider, Prenetics to offer customers easy and competitively priced at-home testing packages. This service is available in a single purchase and delivered to their door before departure. ‘Green’ and ‘Amber’ packages will include every test needed for customers’ trips, based on the UK’s new traffic light travel system. Additional tests are available tailored to the destination passengers are flying to, including PCR and rapid antigen. Read more
SAS launches seasonal route between London and Lulea, Sweden
Scandinavian Airlines is to launch a new seasonal route between London Heathrow and the Swedish city of Lulea this winter. The new route will be the only direct, non-stop service between Lulea and the UK. This will be a twice-weekly flight between 17 December 2021 and 21 March 2022. The new route is a great opportunity for businesses and aimed to grow the Northern Swede side to attract visitors.
Air France carries out first long-haul flight on sustainable fuel
Air France – KLM has carried out its first long-haul flight on the Airbus A350 powered by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) produced in France. Flight AF342 off from Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport to Montreal with 16 per cent of its tank filled with sustainable aviation fuel produced in Total’s French plants. The biofuel used for this flight was made from waste and residue sourced from the circular economy.
British Airways introduces power nap pods in the lounge
British Airways has unveiled its latest lounge enhancement, the new ‘Forty Winks’ nap lounge, featuring power nap sleep pods. The new pods are currently available in the London Heathrow lounge and the sleep pods will also be added to its Concorde Room at LHR T5 and New York’s JFK T7 when global travel restrictions ease and those lounges open. Read more
KLM announces four new European destinations
KLM has launched four new routes to Europe as travel gradually resumes across Europe. The airline will launch flights up to seven times a week to Belgrade, Dubrovnik, Palma de Mallorca and Verona this summer. Read more
SAS resumes direct flights to New York
SAS is resuming its direct route from Oslo to New York from 3 July 2021. The New York route will start twice-weekly round trips and will look to increase depending on frequency. The route will provide easy access to the city and onward travel to the rest of the USA via Newark Liberty International Airport. The route will be operated by the Airbus A330 with 226 seats. Read more
Iberia launches ‘Deliverfly’ pre-order inflight foodservice
Iberia has launched a new service enabling passengers to purchase inflight meals and snacks in advance of their flight. Customers on short or medium-haul flights can now place orders via the “Manage my booking” page on the Iberia website. Customers will receive an email confirmation of their order, which is delivered to their seat flight.
London City adapts to a fully digital control tower
London City Airport has become the first major international airport in the world to be fully controlled by a remote digital air traffic control tower. All flights on the summer schedule are being guided to land by air traffic controllers which are based 115km away at Nats’ air traffic control centre in Swanwick, Hampshire.
Glasgow Airport routes resume after travel restriction eases
Several domestic routes at Glasgow Airport are to restart following the lifting of remaining travel restrictions in Scotland and other parts of the UK. The airport has remained open during the pandemic to ensure a number of lifeline services to the Scottish Islands and another vital hub connectivity is used. The restart includes flights to England.
Hotels.
IHG set to open Hotel Indigo in Exeter, UK
IHG hotels and resorts are to open its latest UK hotel Indigo property in Exeter in 2022. The hotel will be housed within the former House of Fraser department store on the city’s high street. The building will be transformed into a 104-room hotel and will feature a restaurant and bar, rooftop bar and lounge with views of Exeter Cathedral.
Travelodge to open 17 new hotels
Travelodge has announced that it will open 17 new hotels and expand its super rooms and Travelodge Plus concepts. The new openings will take place for the summer season and will continue to grow its network to 597 locations in the UK, Ireland and Spain. The first hotel will open in the town of Boston, Farringdon, Newark, Rochdale and Witney, alongside in London and Bristol for business presence and staycations in holiday locations such as Lake District and Dorset.
Leonardo Hotel plans to open in Bristol
Leonardo Hotel Bristol Glassfields will open its latest UK hotel located on Temple Way in Bristol. The hotel is scheduled to open on 17 May 2021, when the next stages of the roadmap out of lockdown allows for the reopening of England’s accommodation sector. The hotel features 197 rooms with free Wi-Fi, meeting rooms and onsite bar and restaurants.
Accor debuts Novotel brand in Cambridge
Accor has opened its first Novotel property in Cambridge, located close to Cambridge North rail station and the city’s business and science parks. The new hotel will feature 217 rooms with fast Wi-Fi, a restaurant and bar, gym facilities, an indoor pool, five meetings accommodating between 10 and 150 people.
Radisson Individual brand to debut in Scotland
Radisson Hotel Group has signed its first property under the Radisson Individual brand in Scotland. The River Ness Hotel is located on the banks of the eponymous river in Inverness and is set to open later this year. The hotel will include 76 rooms, a bistro bar and a gym. The hotel will be located close to Inverness attractions and close to public transport.
Innside by Melia partners with Gino D’Acampo for UK restaurant and bars
Melia Hotels International has announced a new partnership with Italian chef Gino D’Acampo to create a new hospitality empire at the groups Innside properties in the UK. The collaboration will launch with the First Street Bar and Kitchen at Innside Manchester which will offer an all-day dining concept and all dishes will be created by Gino and his team.
Ground Travel.
Great British Railways to oversee rail timetables and pricing
Control of mainland Britain’s railways will be handed to a new public sector body under the most sweeping rail reforms since it being handled privately. The government pledged to end the ‘fragmentation of Britain’s railways with trains and tracks both becoming the responsibility of the new body Great British Railways (GBR)
LNER restores most train schedules since fleet issue
Both train operators LNER and GWR had previously experienced issues with their Hitachi units leading to them both being removed from service for passenger safety. Both operators can confirm that most of their schedules have been restored and services to/from Inverness from London and Lincoln to London.
Information on this page is sourced from third-party sources. While effort is taken to verify the accuracy of this information, CTM recommends that travellers seek independent advice and/or information from their CTM travel consultant, CTM travel tools, or direct from their chosen travel suppliers relating to the status of supplier services, schedules and booking conditions as information may change regularly.