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Brian Regan on flying

biztravelnews — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:45:38 +0000

The man has a point…
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Missing luggage

biztravelnews — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:31:40 +0000

Fliers who prefer to take all their luggage as carry-on rather than consign it to the hold will feel vindicated by recent news from the Association of European Airlines. It seems more bags are getting lost than ever–and their ranking of guilty airlines does not make pretty reading for British Airways.

Where men aren’t welcome

biztravelnews — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:25:05 +0000

Riyadh’s new Luthan Hotel & Spa became Saudi Arabia’s first women-only hotel when it opened in March. Owned by a 20-strong group of princesses and businesswomen, it joins the world’s small list of women-only hotels, such as the Artemisia in Berlin. It is only since a change to the law in January that Saudi women have been allowed to stay in mixed-gender hotels without an accompanying male. But it seems few are comfortable doing so, which is why the Luthan will be offering an environment untainted by testosterone.

It remains to be seen what kind of debate this development encourages in Saudi Arabia. But we bet the critics take a different stand from some in America. The opening of a women-only floor at the Marriott in Grand Rapids last year was seen by some as a return to old-style gender stereotyping, portraying women as defenceless and men as predators. If women get their own floor, goes one argument, so should men.

Italy: airline woes

biztravelnews — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:54:00 +0000

The creaking world of Italian aviation is in more turmoil. The board of Alitalia, the state-controlled airline that lost almost €1 billion in the last two years and is on the verge of insolvency, has approved a take-over deal by Air France-KLM. The Economist reports on the rationale behind—and conditions of—the €139m ($217m) proposed deal. Yet the takeover is by no means certain. Air France-KLM insist they will only buy the Italian carrier if unions agree to the deal by the end of March. And that wasn’t looking very likely as maintenance workers scuffled with police outside a meeting between Jean-Cyril Spinetta, Air France-KLM’s chief executive, and union leaders. The deal could also be derailed by the result of April’s election. Silvio Berlusconi, who is fighting to be prime minister, says the offer is “unacceptable”. The takeover would provide more bad news for Milan’s Malapensa airport, which is already pursuing legal action against Alitalia, and which would lose services under the new deal.

Hong Kong: dearer taxis

biztravelnews — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:50:59 +0000

Anyone using a taxi in Hong Kong in the near future should be more patient than usual: the meter is not always right. From February, the flag-fall charge—the minimum cost of a ride—rose by HK$1, to HK$16. No other charges were affected. But because most cab-drivers have yet to get their meters recalibrated, passengers should expect to pay HK$1 more than the sum displayed on the machine. During the transition, taxis are required to show a notice from the Transport Department detailing the changes.

London: unusual auction

biztravelnews — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:38:38 +0000

If you’re in London in mid-March and want something impressive to show the folks back home, a trip to Christie’s auction house on the 12th is heartily recommended. Sartorial one-upmanship can be taken to new heights with some perusing of the British handkerchiefs that will be going under the hammer. The Economist‘s Books and Arts editor, Fiammetta Rocco, has been sticking her nose in…

Paris: gallery guide

biztravelnews — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:57:16 +0000

The queues at the Louvre and its kin mean Parisian galleries are not best suited to snappy visits between business meetings. So, if the yearning for mid-day culture gets too strong, where do you go? Writing in the Guardian newspaper, Tiddy Rowan, author of City Art Guide: Paris, offers her thoughts on the city’s top-ten hidden art gems.

Shanghai: airport growth

biztravelnews — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:14:28 +0000

The experience for travellers at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport should improve on March 26th when a second terminal opens. A new runway will come into operation at the same time, raising the number of runways serving Shanghai’s two airports to four—more than any other city in China. The new terminal will enable Pudong to handle 60m passengers a year. A third terminal, and two more runways, all due by 2015, are expected to increase the airport’s annual capacity to 80m.

London: top-end dining

biztravelnews — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:14:12 +0000

Top-end dining in London is both very good and very costly, but when measured against the world’s great gourmet cities, the British capital comes up short. That’s the message from Michelin’s 2008 guide to restaurants in Great Britain and Ireland, published in January. Gordon Ramsay’s flagship restaurant in Chelsea remains the capital’s only three-starred dining room. Tokyo, in comparison, has eight, and Paris ten. No restaurants joined the five-strong group with two stars–a group that numbers 25 in Tokyo. Diners looking to sample something less familiar could try one of the five venues to have earned a first Michelin star: Wild Honey in Mayfair; Rhodes W1 in the Cumberland Hotel near Marble Arch; Quilon, an Indian restaurant in Victoria; and La Trompette, a French restaurant in Chiswick. Hibiscus, in Mayfair, had two stars in its old incarnation in Shropshire. Having recently relocated to London it has quickly re-earned its first star and looks set for a second next year.

Mumbai: new Four Seasons

biztravelnews — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:13:59 +0000

The Four Seasons hotel chain will open its first Indian outpost on March 16th in mid-town Mumbai. Thirty-three storeys tall, the new hotel has sea views from most rooms, although the entrance from E Moses Road is surprisingly cramped. A deluxe double room with sea view will cost about 26,500 rupees ($666) plus tax, substantially more than at the ITC Grand Central Sheraton and Towers, the only other five-star hotel in the mid-town area. The hotel’s restaurants include Prato (for Mediterranean food) and San-Qi (for contemporary Asian cooking).