Business travel

Iberia will soon be adding five new destinations to its catalogue, including a new long-haul flight to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

Four months after its arrival in Panama City, Air France is stepping up a gear with the announcement of two new weekly flights between Paris-CDG and Tocumen airports.

HOP! celebrates its first year of operation on 31 March, and can already boast a positive balance sheet thanks to the 7,700,000 passengers carried over the last twelve months.

The American group Hyatt is preparing to open around twenty Hyatt Place hotels, its trendy mid-range brand, and Hyatt House hotels, positioned for longer stays, on the Chinese market.

Finnair, British Airways and Japan Airlines, all three members of the oneworld alliance, launched a joint venture between Europe and Japan in April. This project, initiated in 2012 by British Airways and Japan Airlines, was approved last October by the Japanese regulatory authorities, allowing Finnair to be included in the joint venture. "The arrival of Finnair in this project with British Airways and Japan Airlines will open up a whole new world of possibilities for customers travelling between Japan and Europe," said Keith Williams, Executive Chairman of British Airways.

Mövenpick is preparing to unveil several establishments this year. Casablance, Marrakech, Istanbul and Ulan Bator are all on the Swiss group's roadmap. 

This summer, the prestigious Raffles brand will be making its debut in Istanbul, in the heart of the Besiktas district on the European bank. The hotel is part of the Zorly Center, which aims to be a new fashion and arty hub in the heart of Turkey's bustling metropolis.

Chef Régis Marcon will be signing up to Air France's gastronomic offer in Business class on its long-haul network from 1 April.

Madrid-Barajas airport is changing its name: the Madrid hub, home to Iberia, was renamed Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas on 25 March, in tribute to the former president of the Spanish government - and a leading figure in the post-Franco transition - who died two days earlier.

The new Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills hotel will open in early June in the Japanese capital. It will be the first representative of the boutique hotel brand developed by the Hyatt group.

Melia is continuing its expansion by signing its first contract on the American market: the Innside Manhattan hotel is due to open in New York in 2016, marking a new turning point in the history of the former German brand, which became part of the Spanish hotel operator in 2000.

Eleven hotels in Turkey, including seven in Istanbul alone: Marriott is continuing to invest in this dynamic market, with the inauguration of a five-star establishment, the new Istanbul Marriott Hotel Sisli.

Passengers at Frankfurt airport are the most frequent users of online check-in and mobile boarding passes, according to figures published on 13 March by aviation telecommunications specialist SITA.

A study published by HRS analyses the differences in breakfast prices charged to business travellers in different countries. Singapore is the most expensive destination. French hotels rank twelfth.

TGV Lyria carried more than 5.9 million passengers in 2013, enabling the Franco-Swiss company to record improved results.

Iberia is teaming up with Samsung to get a head start on NFC. The Spanish airline intends to become the first in Europe to adopt contactless technology, which should make the experience of business travellers with suitable smartphones much smoother.

Airports Council International (ACI) has named Moscow Sheremetyevo airport the best hub in Europe in 2013. The Moscow airport came ahead of Zurich and Porto.

Lufthansa is setting a new course with the unveiling at ITB Berlin of an all-new Premium Economy, the first class introduced by the airline 35 years ago. Lufthansa's aim is to join the club of "five-star airlines", while meeting the expectations of customers looking for a combination of comfort and economy.

Eurostar posted good results for 2013, with record traffic of 10 million passengers, driven in particular by an increase in business customers (+6.2 %).

Twenty months of work and more than 32 million euros (40 million Swiss francs) were needed to completely renovate the Crowne Plaza Geneva, which was completed in February.