Business travel

Low-cost carrier Ryanair inaugurated a new base in Riga last November. It now serves Brussels-Charleroi and Paris-Beauvais from the Latvian capital.

US carrier Delta Air Lines has decided to stop awarding miles to passengers booking a flight with a "Basic Economy" fare. In doing so, the carrier is opening a loophole in the loyalty system in the United States.

On Wednesday, Amelia operated its first own flight between Brive and Paris Orly airports, a route hitherto operated on behalf of Air France.

Air Côte d'Ivoire recently launched Flymingo Box, the portable in-flight entertainment solution (W-IFE) designed by specialist Moment.

Christophe Burckart, IWG's Managing Director for France, confirms the Group's target of 1,000 flexible workplaces in France by 2030 and discusses the development opportunities for the Group's various brands, as well as new concepts such as Spaces at the Accor Arena.

According to consultant OAG, the number of seats scheduled by airlines is 41.7% higher than in the first week of 2021. The gap with 2020 is narrowing, with air capacity now 22.2% lower than in the first week of 2021.

In a recent report on the hotel industry in Portugal, consultant Horwath HTL highlights the ever-growing presence of international chains in the country's accommodation offering.

Is it still possible to eat on board trains and planes following the government's new restrictions? It may seem like a headache, but the SNCF is finding it hard to answer. However, the rule is clearer on planes...

Berlin's new Brandenburg International airport will have just missed the 10 million passenger mark in 2021. Although traffic is up 10% on 2020, it is still a long way from the 35.6 million passengers in 2019. However, the airport is forecasting 17 million passengers in 2022.

In line with its target of 1,000 hotels in China, up from 400 today, the Hilton group has just opened a luxury Conrad in the historic heart of Shanghai. The hotel has 728 rooms and a vast MICE area.

From Oslo to Hong Kong, via New York, Berlin and Zanzibar, the Preferred Hotels group will be expanding its collection of top-of-the-range independent hotels in 2022.

The Pullman Montparnasse has reopened its doors after four years of renovation work and a complete makeover. The programme includes 957 rooms and a 6,000 m2 events centre with 50 modular meeting rooms and a 742 m2 ballroom.

The Shangri-La Shougang Park opened its doors in Beijing on 28 December. Housed in a former power station, this atypical establishment is focusing particularly on the Winter Olympics, but also on MICE and business customers.

In mid-December, the French Transport Regulatory Authority (ART) published its annual review of the French rail market in 2020. The sector has been strongly affected by the health crisis, both nationally and regionally. The attractiveness of the French rail market remains intact, with interest shown by five private rail operators.

The Tapestry Collection by Hilton continues to expand in Europe with a new hotel in Rome. At the same time, the American group is preparing to transform the Hilton Athens into a luxury complex.

Accor is adding a new hotel in Kazakhstan with the opening of an ibis in Almaty, in a dual-brand complex which will also house a Novotel Living next March.

Regional carrier Twin Jet is relaunching the Toulouse-Marseille route on 17 January. This route completes the densification of its frequencies on the routes linking Metz-Nancy airport to Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse.

At the beginning of 2022, companies will be able to offer their employees a mobility voucher, based on the meal voucher model, for their home-to-work journeys. The scheme is an extension of the sustainable mobility package.

Irish carrier Aer Lingus is already starting its sales. The company is offering a reduction of 20% on its flights between France and Ireland until 18 January. This applies to flights between Dublin and Paris CDG, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice and Toulouse.

The Air France-KLM group has just signed a codeshare agreement with the Indian airline IndiGo. The agreement will give passengers of both airlines access to 25 destinations in India.