Business travel

While preparing for the unveiling of a lifestyle brand, probably in the autumn, Hilton Worldwide has just revealed its eleventh brand, Curio. Curio is part of a very current trend among hotel groups to welcome establishments with character into their fold alongside their standardised brands. Marriott with its Autograph Collection and recently Rezidor with its Quorvus Collection have adopted this 'soft brand' strategy to attract independent hoteliers. To win them over, Hilton is leveraging its commercial strength and the 40 million members of its HHonors loyalty programme.

Work is scheduled for this summer on the Lyria network, which will lengthen journey times for business travellers to Bellegarde and Geneva. 

The Starwood group inaugurated the Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons hotel on 19 June. A small event for the Slovenian market, where the big names remain - very - discreet.

The renewal of business cabins began this week on British Airways' medium-haul fleet. Over the next twelve months, 95 aircraft will undergo this extensive makeover, inspired by the interiors of the A380 and Boeing 787.

El Al is adopting DreamStream technology on board its flights to and from Europe, enabling business travellers to access streaming entertainment programmes directly from their own mobile devices.

Business travellers in Los Angeles now have access to a brand new business lounge designed to improve efficiency and passenger relaxation.

Qatar Airways is expanding its network in Asia with the launch of a new daily flight to Tokyo Haneda, the airline's third Japanese airport after Osaka and Tokyo Narita.

Mandarin Oriental is adding to its list of Asian destinations with the opening of a hotel in Taipei. 

We've already seen sea and rail cruises. Now Four Seasons is inventing air cruises with a private jet in the luxury brand's colours. 

The Hilton Group will be making its debut in Myanmar this October with the opening of two hotels: the Hilton Nay Pyi Taw and the Hilton Ngapali Beach Resort. And this is just the beginning.

Qatar Airways is launching a new baggage identification system: the "My Q-Tag" system enables business travellers to print out their own baggage tag before leaving for the airport, making the passenger journey more seamless.

Late morning on Thursday 12 June, Bordeaux-Mérignac airport became the sixth French destination to be served by Turkish Airlines. Four flights a week will be operated between Gironde and Istanbul.

Aigle Azur is preparing to inaugurate a new check-in area at Orly airport in Paris, with a view to simplifying and speeding up the passenger experience.

We already knew that luxury hotels have a taste for star chefs, willingly entrusting the supervision of their kitchens to Alain Ducasse, Joël Robuchon and others. Nobu Hotel is a two-in-one affair, combining the aura of celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa, a pioneer of Asian fusion cuisine, with the seductive power of exclusive boutique hotels. The cast is rounded off by the Rockwell Group on the design side and Robert de Niro on the glamour side, an old friend of the Japanese chef and shareholder in Nobu Hospitality.

Brussels Midi station is home to a new Air&Rail terminal inaugurated by Air France-KLM. 

EasyJet has published a study into the habits of European air travellers, and their preferred seat location according to their profile. The results show that window seats are more attractive to European passengers.

Business travellers are increasingly using their mobile devices to book their hotel rooms during business trips. HRS Corporate doubled the number of bookings made via smartphones and tablets in 2013 to 12% of transactions.

The AFTM (Association Française des Travel Managers) and the GBTA (Global Business Travel Association) are joining forces to make their voices heard in the debate that has been raging for several months between taxis and chauffeur-driven vehicles (VTCs). The two associations are determined to raise awareness of the issues facing business travellers and their travel managers, in particular MP Thomas Thévenoud, who is in charge of the "Taxis - VTC" consultation mission.

The legendary Parisian swimming pool has been restored to its former glamour, transformed into a 124-room MGallery hotel. The renovation highlights both its Art Deco past and its avant-garde, arty feel.

EasyJet carried some 12 million business travellers over the last 12 months: a record performance for the airline, which validates the positioning adopted by the airline over the last four years in the corporate segment.