➔ Cathay goes premium
CATHAY Pacific has taken delivery of its first aircraft featuring the carrier’s new premium economy cabin which will soon feature on the carrier's services between Hong Kong and London. The new seat has a 38-inch
pitch – compared to 32 in economy – and has a greater width and recline angle, plus large meal table, footrest, 10.6-inch screen, USB port, power outlet and extra stowage space. Passengers also receive
an amenity kit, large pillow, noise-cancelling headphones, Champagne upon boarding and additional snacks. On the ground, Cathay’s
premium economy passengers will enjoy both priority check- in and boarding, plus a larger baggage allowance.
QATAR'S DREAM SEATS FOR B787
QATAR Airways will introduce brand new economy and business class seating on its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner the first of which are due to enter service this summer. The aircraft will carry 232
seats in the economy cabin and 22 in business class in a 1-2-1 configuration. Qatar says its new 80-inch long, 30-inch wide flatbed business class seats will offer almost twice the amount of personal space than existing business class set-ups, as well as 17-inch touchscreen entertainment. Economy will be configured
3-3-3, with seats that have a 32-inch pitch and seven-inch recline. Wifi and GSM networks will be available throughout the aircraft. Qatar is preparing to take
delivery of five Dreamliners this year – from a total of 60 on order – which will be used initially on intra-Gulf routes to provide flight crew with training hours, before being deployed on Heathrow-Doha services this summer.
Five minutes with... David Bishop
Senior Vice President, Global Sales Portman Travel Limited
David Bishop joined Portman Travel as part of the TMC’s acquisition of Fleet Street Travel in 2008. He is responsible for sales through Portman Travel’s four vertical markets: global sales, public sector, strategic sales and corporate sales. He manages a team of fi eld sales and telemarketing in global, domestic and public sectors.
The Boeing 777-300ER also
features a new look economy cabin, and has been deployed on routes from Hong Kong to Sydney, Toronto, Vancouver and New York. It will feature on Cathay services to and from London from May, with 48 of the carrier's aircraft due to feature the new product before the year’s end.
“This is an important
development for Cathay Pacific and another big step in our commitment to providing outstanding products and services to our passengers,” says the airline’s chief operating officeer, Ivan Chu. “We’re confident that both these new products will be winners.”
LOUNGING AROUND IN NYC
What is your most memorable business travel trip and why? That would have to be a trip to Las Vegas where I presented to 100 very serious US colleagues. We then all took part in a team building charity event which was followed by my oh-so-serious colleagues deciding to give me The Hangover experience! I saw them in a totally different light as they let their hair down. I had an early flight the next morning and, despite their best efforts, managed to keep a grip on things!
What is your worst business travel experience and why? No contest – it was my first business trip while with Barclays, travelling to Biarritz to see my largest client. It's a long story but just prior to the meeting the showerhead in my hotel bathroom flew up when I turned the tap on and I had to stay in soaked clothes for the meeting. I then missed my flight to Paris, couldn’t find my hotel and with only a few hours to sleep was woken by the previous guest’s alarm at 4am!
VIRGIN Atlantic and British Airways have unveiled new lounges for premium passen- gers at New York's JFK and Newark airports respectively. Virgin has invested some
$7million in a new 10,000ft2 Clubhouse (pictured), twice the size of its previous facility at JFK, with a theme of 'understatedly uptown, unmistakably New York'. A Central Park lounge area 'creates the aura of a private members club' and features a cocktail bar, and there's also The Den and The Snug spaces, plus an entertain-
ment zone, Clubhouse Spa, brasserie and quiet area. The airline plans to reveal
details of a new Clubhouse at New York Newark airport soon, where BA has recently introduced a new Galleries- style lounge. It too is double the size of BA's previous lounge at the airport. The lounge has seating for
up to 177 people, including private dining booths for First class flyers and self- service dining for Club World customers, plus two bars, an entertainment zone and a dedicated work area.
What is your favourite destination worldwide and why? It’s not very original, but it has to be New York – I will never tire of it and it’s my most visited city for both business and pleasure. I love the energy, attitude, food and buzz of the place. I am proud to have completed the New York marathon, enduring five hours pounding the streets.
What three items do you never leave home without when on business? I’m an Apple guy and can’t live without my iphone, ipad and the all-important chargers to keep me wired to the world.
What destination/s would you like to visit next and why? I'd love to visit Rio, especially in 2014 when the World Cup is on. Football, sun, sea and sand – spectacular!
THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE 51
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112