Business travel

Hyatt will be taking advantage of the development opportunities offered by Zurich airport as part of The Circle project: the hotel group will be opening two new hotels within the new complex, which will concentrate different types of infrastructure tailored to business customers.

The Heathrow Express, used by business travellers to reach London city centre from Heathrow airport, is going to have a new look. Rolling stock, staff uniforms and tickets will all feature a new visual identity ahead of the next Olympic Games.

Eurostar's 2011 results were marked by a slight increase in passenger numbers (+2%), thanks in particular to non-European travellers. Conversely, the proportion of business travellers fell compared with 2010.

On 8 March, the Air France-KLM group presented its results for 2011: "a difficult year" according to the carrier, which posted a net loss of 809 million euros. The group's management links these results to the economic context, but also to the Arab Spring and the rise in fuel prices.

The average price of a night in a hotel is rising in most of Europe's major cities, particularly in Rome, Amsterdam and Vienna. The trend highlighted by the trivago Hotel Price Index (tHPI) affects Parisian hotels less directly.

The Clarion Hotel & Congress Trondheim is about to open its doors, adding to the Norwegian offer in terms of infrastructures dedicated to meetings and seminars (MICE).

The Hilton group is launching a new DoubleTree property in London, in a strategic location for business travellers in the British capital: Victoria Station.

Geneva airport this week unveiled its latest mobile service for travellers: the GVApp application.

On Wednesday, the Air France-KLM group announced higher results for February 2012, with both traffic and load factors up on the same period in 2011, despite the strikes which dominated the group's news.

The Lyon area has recently welcomed a new Holiday Inn equipped for business meetings, just a quarter of an hour from Place Bellecourt.

British Airways announced this week that the frequency of services between London and Hong Kong would soon be increased: three new flights a week will now be operated by the British airline.

As might have been expected after the main French airports, led by Nice and ADP, reported unprecedented performances, the Union des Aéroports Françaises (UAF) (French Airports Union) has summed up a record year for French hubs.

The industrial action initiated by Iberia pilots will continue and even intensify over the coming weeks: in total, more than three weeks of strikes are planned on the Spanish airline's network.

Istanbul's hotel offer is expanding with the opening of the first Le Méridien hotel. The establishment, designed by architect Emre Arolat, has opened its doors in the Etiler district.

Good news for business travellers making regular trips to the UK: it will soon be possible to make calls across the Channel, thanks to an agreement signed between Eurostar and the various operators involved.

American Airlines is to introduce a new intermediate class on its aircraft, called "Main Cabin Extra". This will bring two benefits to business travellers: increased comfort thanks to extra legroom, and priority boarding.

Peach, the new low-cost airline, took to the skies on 1 January.^er March on the Asian market, where two other low-cost airlines are expected soon.