Business Traveller Middle East articles from July 2005

Business Traveller Middle East archives from July 2005

The wheels of competition are turning.(This issue)
July 1, 2005... In Jordan and the country world-renowned for its historical treasures is now looking towards sport, among other sectors, to drive its economy forward. The lesson from the leisure-keen GCC countries shows that where there's a will, there's a...

Information channel.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... I wonder how many hotels use the data about their customers that constructively--not that many, I expect. It appears that may be changing though, as some of the major chains are looking at integrating their products and services. It may not be...

Always on call.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... Undoubtedly one of the less enjoyable trade-offs of business travel today is that you're never out of reach. It doesn't really matter if you're in the air or on the ground, there's no getting away from the ubiquity of technology. Some...

Last call.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... I recently flew from Dubai to Geneva at short notice and had to buy indirect, unconfirmed tickets. I had no problem waiting until the rest of the flight had checked in to see if I can get a seat, nor that I had to fly via Milan. I now realise,...

Behind the mask.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... I am writing to clear up a misconception regarding surgical masks. Contrary to popular opinion, standard mask wearers are not designed to protect the wearer from catching a disease. Instead, they are designed to prevent the wearer from...

Grosvenor design.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... Hats off to all those involved with the new Grosvenor House by Le Meridien at Dubai Marina--a modern hotel fit for turn-of-the-century executives. The best features I liked weren't the most grand by any means, namely the wide-open drive and...

Nowhere to shower.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... While waiting for a flight to Sydney at Los Angeles International Airport, I decided to relax and freshen up at the United Airlines first class lounge. But when I arrived, the lady on duty told me there were no showers available. However, she...

Jumeirah steps up global profile.(Jumeirah International to manage 40 hotels)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... THE JUMEIRAH GROUP--formerly Jumeirah International--aims to manage 40 hotels within five years as it raises its profile domestically and internationally. The Jumeirah prefix has been introduced before the names of all the group's existing...

Five courses and major resort shooting up at Dubai Golf City.(Dubai Golf City)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... BOOKING A ROUND OF golf shouldn't be a problem at Dubai Golf City when it opens at Dubailand within the next four years. Five signature golf courses, each likely to be endorsed by a leading golfer, are being mapped out around a central...

Airlines juggle fuel cost hikes.(airfares increase)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... BUSINESS TRAVELLERS continue to look on aghast as air fares keep rising in line with oil prices. An Emirates spokesperson said its fares for single tickets ex-Dubai have been increased by an average of AED 20, and return tickets by an...

Chalk up points and miles with InterContinental and Skywards.(Skywards marketing)(InterContinental Hotels Group's Express)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... EXECUTIVES WITH Priority Club Rewards and Skywards cards in their wallets can now trade in points from the first scheme to the second. Priority Club points can be converted into miles in increments of 10,000, with 2,500 Skywards Miles...

Hungry Hyatt not finished in Dubai.(Hyatt International Corp to open more hotels)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... YOU MIGHT THINK AN international hotel company with three brands in one city would have every base covered, but Hyatt still sees room for expansion in Dubai. Bernd Chorengel, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hyatt International...

Check in by phone.(Air France's phone check-in for Dubai passengers)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... AIR FRANCE HAS introduced phone check-in for Dubai passengers travelling with hand luggage which will be welcomed by executives on short-stay trips to Paris. Passengers should dial (04) 2244425 a maximum five hours and minimum...

Grosvenor House opens its doors.(Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts Ltd's new building)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... MODERN BUSINESS facilities, a conference centre and 11 floors devoted to premium executives are among the features of Grosvenor House West Marina Beach by Le Meridien. The 45-storey hotel contains plasma TVs in all rooms, 13 food and beverage...

Swipe the plastic and go exotic.(MasterCard International Inc's Together Wherever promotion )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... THREE MASTERCARD holders in the UAE will each win AED 73,500 ($20,027) for payments made on their cards before September 30. The lucky trio will be plucked from a draw in the credit card company's Together Wherever promotion and receive the...

Lufthansa bolsters its online network.(Deutsche Lufthansa AG offers internet in board)(Qatar Airways installs satellite television )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... HALF OF LUFTHANSA'S long-haul fleet (A330, A340 and B747 aircraft) now have live wireless Internet on board in all classes. Thierry Antinori, the airline' Executive Vice President for Sales and Marketing, said between 12 to 15 passengers...

Flights cost the earth.(air travellers donate to pay back the environmental cost of their travel)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... CLIMATE CARE AND Future Forests are stepping up their carbon-curbing message to consumers by posting air travel mileage calculators on their websites. The idea is that ethically minded passengers will make a donation and pay back the...

Emirates has added another Dubai-Seychelles service, swelling its schedule to five a week, and raised its Dubai-Birmingham service to double daily (new flight departs Dubai 1345, complementing the 0750 flight).(AIRLINE BRIEFS)(Emirates Airline)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Emirates has added another Dubai-Seychelles service, swelling its schedule to five a week, and raised its Dubai-Birmingham service to double daily (new flight departs Dubai 1345, complementing the 0750 flight). Emirates' direct Dubai-Sydney...

Skywards celebrates its fifth birthday by offering five members who fly five sectors before December 31.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Skywards celebrates its fifth birthday by offering five members who fly five sectors before December 31 the chance to win five times the number of miles they have flown.

Lufthansa will fly five times a week.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)(Deutsche Lufthansa AG's flights between Frankfurt and Algiers)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Lufthansa will fly five times a week between Frankfurt and Algiers from July 15.

Air Arabia has started two flights a week from Sharjah to Sharm El Sheikh and Luxor.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Air Arabia has started two flights a week from Sharjah to Sharm El Sheikh and Luxor, with fares starting from AED 250 and AED 300 respectively.

Qatar Airways has launched twice-weekly services between Doha and Mashad, Iran's second largest city.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)
July 1, 2005... Qatar Airways has launched twice-weekly services between Doha and Mashad, Iran's second largest city. It is buying 60 A350s, a mix of A350-800s and larger A350-900s, with deliveries starting from the third quarter ot 2010. The airline starts...

Air Europa, Copa Airlines, Kenya Airways and Tarom become Associate Airlines of SkyTeam this summer.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Air Europa, Copa Airlines, Kenya Airways and Tarom become Associate Airlines of SkyTeam this summer, enabling the airlines' passengers to chalk up frequent flyer miles within the alliance and gain access to SkyTeam lounges.

Low-cost carrier Air Cairo is buying six A318s for use on domestic routes and some regional and European services.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Low-cost carrier Air Cairo is buying six A318s for use on domestic routes and some regional and European services. Deliveries are slated from July 2006.

Gulf Air now operates two flights a week.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Gulf Air now operates two flights a week between Abu Dhabi and Salalah (until September 14) and daily flights to Mashad (until September 13).

Gulf Air and Middle East Airlines' code share agreement now sees flights.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Gulf Air and Middle East Airlines' code share agreement now sees flights between Abu Dhabi and Beirut operated by Middle East Airlines.

British Airways is encouraging corporates to sign up to its Executive Club Household Account this summer.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... British Airways is encouraging corporates to sign up to its Executive Club Household Account this summer. A family of four completing a return journey from Abu Dhabi or Dubai to London on eligible World Traveller fares will earn 27,224 BA...

Check in with more than 20 kilos on Air France and you will need to have a baggage allowance voucher to hand.(AIRLINE BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Check in with more than 20 kilos on Air France and you will need to have a baggage allowance voucher to hand (AED 350 for journeys to metropolitan France, AED 455 for Europe and Middle East and AED 630 to all other destinations).

Work and rest at city resort.(Al Murooj Rotana Hotels and Suites opening in Dubai)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... THE HOTEL SECTION OF AL MUROOJ Rotana Hotel & Suites off Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road is due to open mid-August (soft opening) and be fully operational a month later. Behind the see-through Dusit Dubai and opposite tallest tower-contender...

In the fast lane.(Fast Rent a Car enters Qutar market)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... FAST RENT A CAR IS INVESTING AED 5 million in Qatar as it steps up a gear throughout the GCC. The UAE transport provider, which has a fleet of more than (6,000 vehicles, is keen to make the switch from local to international brand and cited the...

Seal the deal over fish meal.(executive lunch at Dubai InterContinental Hotel)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... A FOUR-COURSE EXECUTIVE LUNCH costing AED 110 per person is available at The InterContinental Dubai's Fish Market during July. Start with Tom Yum Kung or glass noodle soup with shrimps or seafood salad with crispy noodles or crispy fried...

Versace's bold designs on Dubai Creek.(Palazzo Versace to open)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... THE SECOND PALAZZO VERSACE hotel globally will open on the banks of Dubai Creek in 2008. The 215-suite property will include every facet of the luxury design brand, right down to the flooring and chairs, and be part of a 130,000 square...

Qatar Airways business class.(FLIGHT CHECK: DOHA-LONDON HEATHROW)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... FIRST IMPRESSIONS I arrived at 1030 for my 1225 flight from Doha to London Heathrow (a seven-and-a-half hour journey). After passing through security, I headed for the business lounge on the first floor. The tempting cold buffet of salads,...

1847, Emirates Towers shopping boulevard.(HEALTH CHECK: DUBAI)(grooming lounge for men )
July 1, 2005... WHAT'S IT LIKE? The UAE'S first male salon--sorry, 'grooming lounge'--to target self-conscious executives started in the Emirates Towers, and a second 1847 is opening at the Grosvenor House Le Meridien, in the heart of Dubai Marina, at the end...

Four Seasons hotel.(HOTEL CHECK: DOHA)
July 1, 2005... WHAT'S IT LIKE? Opened in April, the Four Seasons is the newest hotel in Doha and is a touch less ostentatious than the Ritz-Carlton. Instead of all things gold and gaudy the decor is toned down to a more personal, elegant finish--more mansion...

Caught at a crossroads: despite unrelenting political pressures, Syria is attracting attention from major international investors.(Damascus)
July 1, 2005... Abdul-Razak decides to explain to me the intricacies of Ba'ath party ideology, though he insists he's not a card-carrying member. We're in a car trundling north from Damascus to see a deservedly famous crusader castle, Krak des Chevaliers....

Sporting chance: as London celebrates the right to host the 2012 Olympics, Jordan is preparing to jump out of the starting blocks.(Jordan)
July 1, 2005... Think Jordan and you think rose-red Petra, possibly the Roman ruins of Jerash or bustling Amman. Few associate the country with sporting prowess--at least, until now. But if the Jordanian authorities have their way, spotting the biggest names...

Lowest common denominator: to join the glut of start-up Indian airlines you need a trendy name, some glamorous stewardesses and a few billion dollars always comes in handy.(Indian airlines)
July 1, 2005... No one's interested in millions anymore in India. If you're going to get anyone's attention in the republic, at least where aviation is concerned, you need to talk billions. It all starts with the population. India, a country of a billion...

Rates of return: Sri Lanka needs more corporate and leisure visitors to boost its tsunami-damaged economy but the regeneration signs are looking positive.(Sri Lanka)
July 1, 2005... Weaving between the notorious Colombo traffic in a three-wheel trishaw taxi, it is hard to comprehend just how devastating the effects of last December's tsunami have been for Sri Lanka. The capital was not struck by the killer wave, which tore...

Out of the boardroom: take your staff to a far-flung venue to get their creativity flowing. Margie T Logarta tracks down the world's most distinctive meeting places.(Corporate retreats)
July 1, 2005... DUBAI Debate in the dunes Imagine watching falcons soar and swoop at sunrise, riding a doughty camel at dusk or spotting the once-endangered Arabian oryx drink delicately from a watering hole. It's all possible at the multi-awarded Al...

Fastest on the floor: waiting for the lift to arrive at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square used to mean long delays. Then a new technology changed everything.(Hotels)
July 1, 2005... Of the 1,001 frustrations that a business traveller must endure every day, near the top of the list is waiting for the hotel lift--for the eighth time in one day. Go for a jetlagged walk at 2am and there's no problem--you'll find it responds...

Seoul food: Italian, Indian, American, fusion--it's all available in the South Korean capital. Margie T Logarta follows her appetite.(Seoul restaurants)
July 1, 2005... When it comes to the cuisine capitals of Asia, Seoul isn't often mentioned in the same breath as Bangkok, Singapore, Penang, Kuala Lumpur or even nextdoor neighbour Tokyo. That could be everyone's loss. Those in the know, such as my good...

Northern exposure: Turin is set to have a seriously raised profile when it hosts the 2006 Winter Olympics but, as Louise Roddon reports, there's no need to wait until then to sample the city.(Turin)
July 1, 2005... GETTING THERE DUBAI-TURIN Emirates operates four flights a week from Dubai to Milan but no onwward service to Turin, so you will need to catch a connecting bus. Its business class return fare from Dubai costs AED 9,870 (plus AED 480...

4 hours in Tokyo: Lauren Custance gets to grips with Tokyo's complicated metro system to explore the conflicting faces of this vast and powerful city, parts of which served to inspire Ridley Scott's Blade Runner.
July 1, 2005... 1 Shibuya station The best way to get around Tokyo is to use the metro, but it can be complicated. The main obstacle is that there are two subway systems and separate green JR overground lines and tickets, and one-day passes on these...

Ask Alex: Alex McWhirter answers your travel queries amcwhirter@businesstraveller.com.
July 1, 2005... Dear Alex, I book most of my tickets online. A few months ago I was on assignment in the Middle East and needed to travel to Sri Lanka. Gulf Air offered the best connections between Amman and Colombo and a good price of $500. So I...

Golfing around Florence: Minty Clinch tees off in the beautiful Tuscan region's most unmissable golf courses, which will challenge both your fitness and ingenuity.(Golfing around Florence)
July 1, 2005... LE PAVONIERE GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB Where is it? 15km west of Florence. What's it like? Don't expect to come on Le Pavoniere by chance--or indeed at all unless you get very specific directions through Prato's sprawling commercial...

Win a luxury weekend for two ... at the newly opened Grosvenor House West Marina Beach, Dubai, by Le Meridien.(Competition)
July 1, 2005... Grosvenor House West Marina Beach, Dubai, by Le Meridien, which opened in mid-June, is tipped to be the city's first 'lifestyle address', and is expected to be as synonymous with style as Rue Faubourg in Paris, Park Lane in London and Fifth...

Expense and sensibility: firms may be sending employees abroad again, but the strict controls over expense claims brought in after September 11 remain.(Expenses)
July 1, 2005... In every job there are tasks we grow to hate, particularly the repetitious type, and top of the list for many business travellers is filing their expenses. Travel and entertainment out of the office is part and parcel of working life, but...

Under $450.(Deals)
July 1, 2005... Ajman Kempinski Hotel & Resort offers the special rate of AED 552.50 ($150.54) per person per night for a sea-view double room including breakfast, spa treatments and brunch for two persons throughout July. Call 9716 745 1555. Al Diar Siji...

Under $900.(Deals)(Brief Article)(Directory)
July 1, 2005... Check out the summer suite offers at Crowne Plaza Dubai until August 31. Both its Crowne and Diplomatic Suites cost AED 2,185 ($595) a night. If you really want to push the boat out, book a night in the Presidential Suite (AED 7,010). Call 9714...

Under $1,350.(Deals)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Emirates has posted 'Europe with Middle East Stopovers' and 'Middle East Circle Trip Fares' special offers. Economy class passengers travelling from Dubai to the cooler climes of 13 European destinations can stopover in any of the airline's...

Regal retreats: Kevin Pilley falls for the charms of Solar da Rede, just one of many enchanting Portuguese pousadas.(Great escape: Portugal)
July 1, 2005... In a world of increasing five-star homogeneity, the palaces, country houses, stately homes and monasteries in Portugal which have been converted into charming pousadas (hotels in Portugal owned and administered by the Government) are the last...