Business travel

The rationalisation of air transport through mergers should have consequences for the frequent flyer programmes set up by airlines. A strategic tool in a competitive market. Are passengers sure they will always be winners?

With 8 million passengers a year, Lyon Saint Exupéry is France's third busiest airport. Opened in 1975, the hub has been modernised to become one of the most efficient in the country: a European hub for Air France-KLM, Lyon is also a major base for the low-cost airline Easyjet. Target: 15 million passengers by 2020.

French hotel chains? Accor inevitably springs to mind. With its fifteen or so brands, including Sofitel, Pullman, Ibis and Formule 1, the group is leading the way in the development of French brands on every continent. But others are also in the running, including Le Méridien, Campanile, Kyriad and the latest addition, B&B.

Faced with the ups and downs of the economy, France's airports are happily cultivating a certain dynamism: new infrastructure and network development are on the agenda for the country's main hubs.

While the American chains offer their compatriots a product identical to what they find at home, Sofitel and Le Meridien want to appeal to a more international clientele by playing on French charm.

At a time of recession, Africa's steady growth is not going unnoticed, and is attracting many investors. As a result, almost all international groups are looking for opportunities to set up or strengthen their presence on the continent.

While in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco almost all the international channels have been present for a long time, they have largely ignored Algeria and Libya.

Flashy, quirky and furiously designer, this new 17-room hotel stands in stark contrast to the ordinary pomp and circumstance of the Monegasque hotel industry. The hotel is also renowned for its NIBar, which extends this promise of originality right down to its very name.

First class has often been considered moribund, but it still has a following among airlines. While fewer and fewer airlines are offering first class, it may also be the key to their survival and the symbol of a certain new-found luxury.

Three spas, four hotels, five casinos, 33 restaurants and a choice of entertainment venues, nightclubs and bars: the Société des bains de mer (now Monte-Carlo SBM) is the spearhead of Monegasque tourism.

First class as seen by Air France: "We believe that a product, no matter how exceptional, loses all its value if the service is not up to scratch".