Business travel

Trenitalia has announced that it will be increasing the number of its high-speed services between Paris and Marseille to four daily return trips from next June.

To coincide with the launch of its new non-stop service between Paris-CDG and Bangkok, New Caledonian carrier Aircalin has signed an order with Airbus for two A350-900s, for delivery between 2026 and 2028. This is a sign of confidence for the airline, which has been shaken by events in the French overseas territories.

From 19 December, Clermont-Ferrand will be the first city in France to offer a new lifestyle concept, the Grand Mess hotel, combining festive venues, cosy rooms and seminar rooms.

Air Canada will be offering free Wi-Fi access on its long-haul network in 2026. Travellers will still have to join the airline's frequent flyer programme.

Luxury hotels, starting with the future Orient Express La Minerva in Rome, lifestyle hotels with new Mama Shelters, business hotels around the world: Accor has unveiled the new hotels it expects to open in 2025.

Accor, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, Radisson and others: all these groups are betting on luxury and have numerous openings planned for 2025.

JetBlue has added two new European airports from Boston: Madrid and Edinburgh will be connected to Logan at the end of May.

The Air France-KLM group's entry into the capital of SAS Scandinavian Airlines is beginning to produce its first effects. The Scandinavian airline is announcing a series of new destinations from its Copenhagen hub.

News from the Ascott group includes the completion of the renovation of several Citadines in Paris, London and Berlin and the growth of its new brands lyf and Unlimited Collection.

New Michelin-starred menus are being introduced in Air France's La Première cabin this December. At the helm: chefs Emmanuel Renaut and Claire Heitzler.

The IATA Association complains that disruptions in the supply chains of aircraft manufacturers and subsidiaries are posing an increasing ecological and economic challenge to airlines.

And that's three! Delta is rounding off 2024 with a new lounge for business travellers departing from or transiting through the Boston Logan hub.

Finnair has definitively turned the page on the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on its traffic. America and Japan are now priorities, as demonstrated by its planning for 2025.

With the Waldorf Astoria Rabat spearheaded by the country's tallest tower, and a new hotel in a skyscraper in Brazzaville, Hilton is strengthening its presence in Africa.

By 2028, Mama Shelter will have integrated its lifestyle hotel into a business complex in Val d'Europe.

One of the biggest projects on the German rail network, the Riedbahn between Mannheim and Frankfurt, was completed on 15 December. The result is a substantial improvement in punctuality on TGV and ICE journeys between Paris and Frankfurt.

Long Brussels' flagship hotel, the Astoria has been restored to its former glory by the Corinthia group and has just reopened its doors.

The organisation Transport & Environnement has analysed 27 European rail companies according to a wide range of criteria, including price and punctuality. While Trenitalia topped the list and SNCF came in 5th, Eurostar came bottom.

The Radisson Group has announced a number of new developments, including the conversion of a historic building into the Radisson Collection in Madrid and the effective takeover of a key MICE establishment in Tunis.

The Hotel Lutetia in Paris and the Conservatorium in Amsterdam: Mandarin Oriental has announced two major additions to its portfolio.