Business travel

European airlines are continuing to reduce or stop flights to China. The latest examples are LOT, Lufthansa and SAS Scandinavian Airlines.

Park Hyatt has just opened a luxury hotel in London, close to the American Embassy in the Nine Elms district. In addition to its 203 rooms and elegant surroundings, the hotel boasts one of the largest ballrooms in the British capital.

From city hotels in Madrid, Seville and Valencia to leisure and MICE resorts from Ibiza to Punta Cana, the Palladium group has more than one argument for attracting travellers and business groups.

Financially battered by Covid and then by the war in Ukraine, Finnair has made drastic cuts to its service. The carrier recognises that it probably went too far and is now backtracking," explains Javier Roig, Finnair's Marketing Director for Europe, who was recently promoted to CEO for North America.

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) have announced that 90% trains on the western route (Vienna-Salzburg-Germany and Vienna-Innsbruck) will be running from 10 October. However, there will be a number of restrictions.

The new Proxima rail company has just placed an order for 12 TGVs that will link Paris to Bordeaux, Rennes, Nantes, Angers and Le Mans by the end of the decade.

To make up for France's deficit, the Barnier government wants to raise taxes on air transport. An easy 'pie in the sky', systematically used by all governments, whatever their political hue.

Ryanair's departure from Bordeaux was not left without a replacement for long. Transavia will base an aircraft there in December, and launch 6 destinations. And Volotea is strengthening its presence at the airport.

With the official takeover of The Standard and Bunkhouse hotels and numerous openings planned in the Americas for its other lifestyle brands, Hyatt is continuing to expand in this buoyant segment.

By controlling 25% of the capital of the airline Virgin Australia, Qatar Airways is demonstrating its ambition to influence the country's aviation sector.

B&B Hotels is expanding its network in France with the acquisition of a batch of 22 establishments that will extend its offering in nine regions.

The retail offer at Nice airport will evolve in 2025 and 2026 with a new range of shops and services, with a particular focus on new luxury boutiques and local brands. The aim is to enhance the prestige of the Côte d'Azur region.

Just over 50 years after the opening of its first hotel, Mercure has surpassed the 1,000-hotel mark worldwide, demonstrating the continuing strong momentum of Accor's mid-range brand.

Two years after inaugurating its first flight at Beauvais airport north of Paris, Easyjet is withdrawing completely from the hub due to a lack of profitability...

Supertripper today unveils its brand new direct connection with Air France KLM, marking another milestone in the advent of NDC technology in the world of business travel.

A strike will completely paralyse traffic at Brussels airport on 1 October. Some 50,000 passengers will be affected, with virtually no flights departing from the Belgian capital.

Numerous new hotels in Germany as part of its agreement with Novum Hospitality, projects in Poland and Hungary: IHG is accelerating its development in Northern Europe.

While the Vignette Collection, part of the IHG group, is set to rise high in the Dubai skyline, Hilton has just opened two new hotels in the emirate.

Next year, Italy's Trenitalia will be running its Frecciarossa trains from Paris to Marseilles, initially with two return trips a day.

Air France has teamed up with Starlink to introduce free, very high-speed Wi-Fi on all its aircraft. The airline is promising a major upgrade, if not a revolution, in connectivity.