Business travel

Expertmarket has published a study on the cost of business travel around the world. This city-by-city ranking, based in particular on BCD Travel data, is dominated by Caracas. The Venezuelan capital is ahead of Geneva and Stockholm, with Paris in 8th place. 

The heads of Thalys, SNCF and SNCB signed the company's new status in Brussels on Monday. Thalys has become a "fully-fledged rail company", with a new autonomy that should contribute to its efficiency and responsiveness, and thus to the quality of business travel across the entire network. Agnès Ogier, who has been at the helm of Thalys since last December, looks back on this new phase for the company. 

Hong Kong airport is finally going to build a third runway to maintain its status as a hub. There will be a nasty surprise for passengers, who will have to pay an airport tax that will rise by 150% from 2016...

Last year, air traffic in Doha jumped 13% to 26.36 million passengers, 15.7 million of whom passed through the new Hamad International terminal. The new hub officially opened in May 2014, offering an initial capacity of 30 million passengers. However, it is in fact a race against time, as the airport is likely to reach this figure by the end of the year. Hence the announcement by Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker, at his annual press conference in Berlin, that the terminal expansion will come on stream in May.

BCD Travel has published its traditional annual top 10 business travel destinations, which show that Paris remains the most popular destination for Benelux business travellers. London, Brussels and Frankfurt occupy the top three places for French business travellers.  

Réunion airport could become a hub for the Indian Ocean as Air Austral places orders for new leased aircraft. 

Aigle Azur is stepping up the pace on the digital front, with the launch of its brand new mobile site, and the integration of a pre-seating option enabling business travellers to choose their seat before their flight. The next step is the arrival of a mobile application, planned for 2015. 

Even before the Ritz and Crillon, its oldest palaces, reopen in sublime style, a host of new hotels are preparing to conquer Paris.

The arrival of a new CEO, Stephan Pichler, at the head of Airberlin is an opportunity to present yet another restructuring plan, as the carrier has been struggling with financial difficulties for several years. 

The Air France-KLM group has unveiled its flight schedule for this summer, in which the long-haul network will receive increased attention. 

American Airlines and Vueling have signed a partnership agreement to increase long-haul traffic at Barcelona El Prat.

MagicEvent's mobile application now includes a number of practical new services designed to improve the day-to-day lives of business travellers on the move or teams at trade shows. In addition to business accommodation, MagicEvent Services now offers catering, transport and concierge services, which will soon be extended beyond Paris. 

On Thursday, Air France presented its latest advances in digitalising the passenger journey within the airport. Interactive kiosks, self-boarding, automatic baggage drop-off: the trend is towards passenger autonomy and a smoother journey.

Nice airport has just inaugurated an attractive new service for business travellers: high-speed WiFi connection is now available, free of charge. 

Business travel agency Hogg Robinson Group (HRG) is continuing to expand in the French market, and has just announced the creation of a new entity: Fraedom. As the Destination 2015 strategic plan draws to a close, Rémi Bouysset, HRG's Managing Director for France, provides an update on the TMC's priorities, the next stages in its development, and its medium-term objectives. 

InterContinental Hotels Group has unveiled a new version of Translator App, its instant translation application, dedicated to the new Apple Watch. 

The Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg hotel reopened its doors on 5 March, symbolising the repositioning of the Accor group's upmarket brands.

The IHG group is preparing to strengthen the French catalogue of Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands, with the opening of three new addresses between now and 2018, including two in the Paris region.

Since mid-February, the Melia Paris La Défense has been welcoming its business customers to a luminous, knife-edge tower designed by the Vasconi architectural firm. This opening marks a new stage in the life of the Paris business district. It has been over ten years since the opening of a hotel in the district.

HRS has published a study comparing the attitudes of female business travellers and their male counterparts to business travel. It shows that men are more likely than women to refuse a business trip...