IN THE AIR ➔ Hong Kong means business
ahead. It’s filling the gap that no one else is filling and some people are saying it’s exactly what they’ve been waiting for.” Both cabins have a Sky Bar,
NEWS BTS
HONG Hong Kong Airlines launches its highly
anticipated all-premium class service from London Gatwick this month, with bookings that are ‘ahead of expectations.’ The daily service to Hong
Kong features 34 flatbed seats in Club Premier class and 82 cradle seats with 54-inch pitch in Club Classic (pictured), with the latter already selling well.
EASYJET AIMS HIGH
EASYJET aims to increase its percentage of corporate customers from 16-18 per cent to 22-23 per cent in the next three years, says the airline’s CEO Carolyn McCall. She says that easyJet hopes to secure £100million more incremental margin in that period. “Yield is more important than volume. With an 87 per cent average load factor we don’t need more passengers,” she says. Her hope is that higher frequencies, extra baggage allowances and allocated seating would help woo corporate travellers – but the package for business travellers will end there. “There will be no special
food and no special seating area. The business travellers we’re after don't want that sort of thing, particularly with our average flight time of one and a half hours,” she explains.
“The all-Club class aircraft
will provide passengers with a private jet style ambience and an exceptional crew to guest ratio,” says the airline’s general manager UK, Gerard Clarke. “We’re very pleased with how things are going and bookings have been brisk. Club Classic has been designed with SME and premium leisure customers in mind, who tend to plan
wifi internet access and AVOD entertainment, while Club Premier passengers have enhanced dining options and a limousine transfer option on the ground in London. Passengers from London have access to the No.1 Traveller lounge at Gatwick’s North terminal, plus fast-track security. “Our intention is to build our own lounge here, demonstra- ting our commitment to the route,” says Clarke. He adds, “The service will be
daily to begin with and we'll see how it progresses.“ Paris is being evaluated for a second all-premium service. In total, the airline will take delivery of three brand-new A330-200 aircraft with the new two-cabin configuration.
LUTON GOES FOR GROWTH
LUTON Airport has revealed plans for major expansion, upping capacity by over 50 per cent and creating up to 6,000 new jobs, but is expected to meet with opposition from concerned local residents. The airport’s owners, Luton Borough Council, want to increase capacity to 18million passengers annually, using the existing runway, up from around 11.5million currently. A public consultation project got underway in February with a planning application due to be lodged in April. Robin Harris, chair of London
Luton Airport Limited, says, “The need for additional airport capacity in the South East of England and the enormous growth that low-cost carriers have demonstrated in recent years gives us every confidence that London Luton Airport will continue to become ever-more attractive to airlines.” He adds, “We are committed
to ensuring the airport will be a good neighbour and any growth in passenger numbers
is managed in a responsible manner. Impacts on noise, the environment and road traffic flows will be fully evaluated as part of the process to ensure the airport’s development continues to be as sustainable as it has always been.” The airport’s biggest carrier, easyJet, welcomed the plans, with commercial manager Hugh Aitken declaring it “an important step for the airport’s long-term future”. He also urged caution, adding, “We need continued focus on improving access to the airport and the speed at which pass- engers can transit through it.” Further expansion to enable
Luton to handle 30 million passengers a year is also on the cards but does not form part of this year’s proposals. The South East’s need for
more flight capacity falls under the spotlight again this spring as the government begins a new consultation, with London Mayor Boris Johnson’s plans for a new airport in the Thames Estuary included in the study.
Five minutes with... Simon Cook
PROFILE
Associate Vice President of Sales, Europe ARIK AIR
Simon's role includes overall sales coordination for UK and European markets, driving traffic to Arik Air’s daily flights from Heathrow to Lagos and Abuja and onward to its West African destinations. He has spent over 20 years in the travel industry, including 12 in aviation, having also worked for Finnair, Luxair, Czech Airlines and Aer Arann.
What is your most memorable business travel trip and why? You would think it would be Nigeria (for many reasons!), but snowmobiling in Finnish Lapland, along with smoke saunas, husky sledding, ice-breaker boats and swimming in frozen lakes is quite hard to beat.
What is your worst business travel experience and why? There are too many to mention – delays, cancellations, missed connections, rodents in hotel bedrooms, a stolen hire car, policeman firing machine guns over my head, you name it!
What is your favourite destination worldwide and why? My favourite city in the world is Galway on the west coast of Ireland. The city is full of culture, a really vibrant place with tremendous nightlife and fantastic people. And within an hour of the city centre are the wonderful landscapes of Connemara, the cliffs of Moher and the Burren. I highly recommended it.
What three items do you never leave home without when on business? My BlackBerry – I just can’t help myself – a good book and a credit card.
What single thing could be done to improve your business travelling life? I commute into London every day on trains that are way too hot so, here's an idea, how about thermostats on trains?
What destinations would you like to visit next and why? It's got to be Australia for the British Lions Tour in 2013. I'd take my golf clubs and my drinking boots too, of course!
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