Business travel

Google Maps is introducing a new feature in 25 cities, including Paris, warning motorists of the difficulty of finding a parking space near their final destination. The next step is to offer a solution by indicating available parking spaces...

Finnair is unveiling its flight schedule for summer 2018, which will see the airline densify its offer in Asia, while adding new destinations in Europe.

In its turn, Transavia is getting a chatbot to automate the exchanges that can be automated in its customer relations. Named Laura, the new tool is available via Facebook Messenger.

HOP! Air France is launching a new business route on 28 August, with a daily flight operated all year round between Rouen and Lyon.

Etihad's withdrawal from the capital of Air Berlin is likely to bring the airline's history to a close. The carrier is likely to be integrated into the giant Lufthansa, the candidate favoured by the German government. The name Air Berlin will then be no more than a memory...

How is air traffic doing at the Qatar Airways hub in Doha? The discontinuation of flights to four countries has led to a drop in traffic. But the airline is planning to get back on track by speeding up the opening of new routes, as Salam Al Shawa, Senior Vice President Marketing and Corporate Communications at Qatar Airways, explains.

Lisbon, Belgrade, Zagreb. The most unlikely destinations are now linked to China. The challenge is to attract not only tourists but also investment from the Middle Kingdom.

The UK authorities are lifting the laptop ban restrictions on flights from two new international airports, Tunis and Istanbul.

Delta has recently been experimenting with a new way of communicating with its reservations service: a video chat is now available at Ronald Reagan airport in Washington.

In September, MagicStay will be inaugurating a new coworking space called Business Travel - The Hub, combining the worlds of business travel and start-ups.

Boston joins the club of business destinations served by Iberia with aircraft equipped with its new Premium Economy class.

American Airlines has just announced some new European destinations that will be joining its flight programme in summer 2018.

Air Berlin filed for bankruptcy on 15 August. A loan granted by the German government is currently enabling the airline to maintain its flight schedule, pending a possible takeover by the Lufthansa group.

Marriott has shortlisted eight start-ups to join the TestBED European acceleration programme. Two French solutions are on the list.

Qatar's isolation by its neighbours is having a positive effect: the government of the small Emirate has just revised its conditions for granting visas, offering free travel and flexibility to 80 countries.

Munich continues to grow as part of Lufthansa's hub strategy, with more capacity on intercontinental routes.

The arrival of Airbnb and others on the long-stay market is encouraging hotel residences to reinvent themselves around innovative concepts, surfing on the very current trends of co-working and co-living.

The W Bellevue hotel has opened its doors in the high-tech suburbs of Seattle. The new establishment is clearly banking on the business clientele of the digital giants based in the area.

Air France is experimenting with immersive in-flight entertainment, offering virtual reality headsets projecting 3D films and series. The test phase began on 1 August and could be extended.

Flightright has published a study on "Black Days" in the airline industry: these spikes in flight cancellations hit French airports particularly hard in July.