Business Traveller Middle East articles from September 2003

Business Traveller Middle East archives from September 2003

This issue.
September 1, 2003... For years Middle East-based travellers have moaned about the high cost of regional flights. They wondered why it had to cost an arm and a leg to take a two-hour flight when in Europe you could get from London to Pisa and back again for less...

Cover up.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... Everywhere I travel these days, I see more of these secure bag operations cropping up, where people charge a fee to wrap your luggage in cling-film. It appears to be a mushrooming side industry, something which is growing unchecked in...

Bring out the Branson.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... Sir Richard Branson must be British Airways' worst nightmare. I recently saw a report of the bearded tycoon dressed as the rap star Eminem as he proceeded to chainsaw a mock-up of a BA flat bed in half. Then, just when BA tried to win some...

Digital delight.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... I would just like to say how much I enjoyed Qatar Airways' daily digital newspaper service. It's great to catch up with the British news on the same day rather than 24 hours later, which is usually the norm across the Middle East. S...

Backward Bahrain.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... Flying through Bahrain and Dubai recently, the differences between the two airports were stark. Bahrain's duty-free is very basic, cramped and the food and beverage options very limited--all in marked contrast to Dubai. I couldn't see much in...

What's with the water?(Letters)
September 1, 2003... My most recent business trips have involved flying, respectively, in business classes of British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa. All flights were to different destinations in Europe and all were long-haul, overnight flights. It is easy...

No-frills and no thrills.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... I was astounded at the poor selection of snacks when I flew easyJet for the first time last month (to Alicante). I understand that a no-thrills airline must keep the costs down by maintaining a basic service, but I would have thought a good way...

Travellers urged to follow airlines' caution in Iraq.(Iraq)
September 1, 2003... Business executives aiming to pick up development contracts in Iraq are being warned to take stringent safety precautions before travelling. Companies have been falling over themselves for a slice of the 327 million [euro]-worth ($363...

Time off guide for IMF.(IMF/World Bank Conference in Dubai )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Around 20,000 delegates are expected in Dubai between September 18-24 for the 58th meeting of the Board of Governors of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund. First-time visitors looking for meeting-friendly locations, or...

Airlines speed up short haul.(Airlines; Emirates Airlines offering electronic check-in machines)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Emirates are offering busy travellers a chance to bypass check-in queues by opting for electronic check-in machines. Passengers travelling with hand luggage only can opt for the machines at airports around the region now Skywards...

Oneworld checks out of London Paddington.(Airlines)
September 1, 2003... Oneworld passengers hoping to beat the queues at London Heathrow by using the remote service at the city's Paddington rail station should think again. All the Oneworld airlines including British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, Finnair and...

BA launches e-tickets.(Airlines; British Airways PLC)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... British Airways has become the first airline in the region to launch 'ticketless' travel in Bahrain, Qatar and Dammam. More Middle East destinations are expected later this year. Passengers can make their e-bookings and the receipt contains a...

Low cost start-ups drive down prices.
September 1, 2003... Low-cost air fares are set to come to the Middle East with the arrival of three new airlines all based in Sharjah. Leisure and business passengers, fed up with paying prices far higher than their counterparts for short flights, are being...

Region bolsters Russian links.(Airlines; Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways launch direct services to Middle East and Russia )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Flying between the Middle East and Russia on business is now significally easier following the launch of new direct services by Emirates and Qatar Airways. The Doha-based carrier flys three services a week (Wednesdays, Fridays and...

Emirates.(Airline briefs; Emirates Airlines new daily service from Dubai to London )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... * Emirates recently launched a third daily service from Dubai to London Gatwick--the three-class A330-200 leaves Dubai 2.30pm and lands 7.10pm while return flights leave 9.15pm and land 7.15am in Dubai. Emirates has also introduced services to...

Royal Jet.(Airline briefs)
September 1, 2003... * Royal Jet is operating services on behalf of Gulf Air between Abu Dhabi and Geneva--flights depart the UAE on Thursdays and return Fridays. The charter airline recently took delivery of its first Gulf Stream. Introductory rates starts from...

Qatar Airways.(Airline briefs)
September 1, 2003... * Qatar Airways is spending QR140 million ($38.13 million) on expanding the arrivals and departures terminal at Doha International Airport this year, which will increase passenger capacity from 4.2 million to 7.5 million. The newly renovated...

Oman Air.(Airline briefs; promotional offer with InterContinental Hotels )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... * Oman Air has teamed up with the InterContinental Hotels offering all-inclusive economy air fares and two-night stays until November 30. Tickets cost between Dhs 615 and Dhs 910 between Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Muscat--and the price includes two...

Bed down on the sea bed.(Hotels; Hydropolis Hotel world's first underwater hotel in Dubai)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Only in Dubai could the decision to build the world's first underwater hotel be seen as a predictable step. After all, a city which thinks nothing of constructing giant palm islands off the coast of fish restaurants on the edge of jetties or...

Oman relaxes visa rules.(Visas)
September 1, 2003... Business travellers to Oman can now, gain a one-year multiple entry visit visa and stay up to three weeks per visit. The new visa combines the now-obsolete tourist, business and short visit visa. Each multiple entry visa costs OMR10...

Airline text service launched in Egypt.(Airlines; by Egypt Air )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Egypt Air has launched an SMS information system with Egyptian mobile phone company MobiNil. Customers can now check the airline's schedules and status of specific flights through a simple text messaging system. Type EASS, followed by...

Smart move.(Barcelona's Hotel Claris offers patrons use of car)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Forget hailing a cab on Barcelona's hectic streets when you stay at the Hotel Claris because they'll give you your own little run-around. The hotel is offering guests the use of one of its fleet of diminutive Smart Cars, at no extra...

The new Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai has an introductory rate of Dh415 ($115.27 before tax and service charges (both 10%) for a deluxe city or sea-view room including breakfast until the end of September.(Hotel updates)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... * The new Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai has an introductory rate of Dh415 ($115.27) before tax and service charges (both 10%) for a deluxe city or sea-view room including breakfast until the end of September. The 200-metre high five-star hotel has a...

Complementary Hertz airport transfers in new Audi A8s.(Hotel updates)
September 1, 2003... * Complimentary Hertz airport transfers in new Audi A8s are now available for guests staying at the Kempinski Julai'a Hotel & Resort in Kuwait. www.kempinski.com

Sheraton Kuwait has opened the upmarket St Regis Tower, which is linked to the existing Hotel and Towers property.(Hotel updates)
September 1, 2003... * Sheraton Kuwait has opened the upmarket St Regis Tower, which is linked to the existing Hotel and Towers property. In common with St Regis-branded properties worldwide, it has plenty of historical touches although its 60 square-metre...

Accor has opened two properties in Dubai, the Ibis World Trade Centre--'the first business economy hotel in the Middle East'--and Novotel World Trade Centre.(Hotel updates)
September 1, 2003... * Accor has opened two properties in Dubai, the Ibis World Trade Centre--'the first business economy hotel in the Middle East'--and Novotel World Trade Centre. The Ibis (pictured below) has a pre-IMF room rate of Dh150 ($41.66) before September...

Emirates Towers, Dubai.(Hotel check)
September 1, 2003... First impressions: You can't miss it. Two huge angular towers that can be seen from anywhere in Dubai. In the early morning mist the buildings often look like they are floating on clouds, an amazing image if you see them from Jumeirah....

The SAS/Air Canada London lounge.(Lounge Check: London Heathrow Terminal 3)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... First impressions: Peering beyond the reception desk, manned by both SAS and Air Canada staff, the lounge was inviting, airy, modern and less claustrophobic than the rest of Terminal 3. Reading material: Behind reception is a wooden bay of...

Gulf Air business class.(Flight Check: Cairo-Bahrain-Dubai)
September 1, 2003... First impressions: Cairo's Terminal 2 is very compact and it didn't take long to check-in, speed through passport control and catch the short escalator upstairs to the rather spartan duty free area. I ordered what could only he optimistically...

St Regis Grand, Rome.(Hotel check)
September 1, 2003... First impressions: Is this a hotel or museum? There are huge pillars at the entrance, enormous chandeliers in the lobby, intricate frescoes on the ceilings and paintings on the walls bigger than some studio flats. Location: Near the Via...

Ask Alex.
September 1, 2003... Dear Alex I am coming in to London Heathrow from Paris on the Friday evening flight then continuing on Saturday morning to Abu Dhabi at 09.05am. Both flights are with British Airways and I shall be using Terminal 4. I am arriving in...

Make the grade: its not enough to wear a smart suit and a broad smile--you need plenty of bold and cunning strategies to enter that exclusive kingdom beyond the curtain.(Upgrades)
September 1, 2003... In these troubled airline days, the seat upgrade has become something of a mythical creature. As routes are cut, flights deliberately overbooked to boost flight revenue and loyalty programmes scrutinised as airlines' business plans wobble,...

Read between the signs: research your destination's cultural etiquette before travelling as your actions will definitely speak louder than your words.(Cultural etiquette)
September 1, 2003... Busy business travellers like to think they're pretty smart--from the good-deal flights they found online to the upgraded hotel suite secured via their loyalty scheme. But, breezing into a high-level meeting fresh from the airport and brimming...

Go the extra Nile: having a flexible timeable is vital in Cairo with its traffic jams and laidback attitudes.(Cairo)
September 1, 2003... It's taken three taxi drivers, two security guards and a well-intentioned female passer-by--who's hopped inside for the ride--to locate Terminal 2 at Cairo International Airport. During this circuitous adventure, the scorching summer sun has...

Don't leave home without them: light electronic devices are having a heavy impact on business travellers' lives when they are on the road.(Travel gadgets)
September 1, 2003... Light electronic devices are becoming the sine qua non of modern business travel, as integral to the mobile executives travelling armoury as a plane ticket or hotel reservation. By combining style and functionality, they make life on the...

Flying high: Ghassan Aridi thinks regional air fares should come down to European levels.(Frequent traveller)
September 1, 2003... Lebanese Ghassan Aridi wakes up each morning and wonders which hat to wear. He's managing director of tour operator Alpha Tours, whose offices overlook the runways of Dubai International Airport. But he is also president of the Lebanese...

Competition: win a memorable week touring history-soaked Jordan and staying in three Marriott properties.
September 1, 2003... From the ancient Roman runs of Jerash in the north to the amazingly well-preserved city of Petra in the south, Jordan is brimming with history and culture. The ancient city of Amman, once part of the Decapolis league, is often referred to...

Vanishing act: in an age of hawk-eye security and techno wizardry, lost luggage should be banished from the travelling lexicon. Business Traveller Middle East adopts some wishful thinking.(Lost Luggage)
September 1, 2003... Track-and-trace systems are now commonplace in the cargo industry, helping to identify shipments at all stages of their journey at the touch, of a button. Yet when passengers board a flight in the 21st century, there is still this sense of...

Beirut International Airport: Lebanon finally has an airport of international repute but amid the concrete changes lie age-old problems relating to technology and service.(Airport update)
September 1, 2003... Beirut's new $500 million-plus airport is a big improvement but it still lacks many of the services you would expect at a major international gateway. At least it's close to the city centre so you can be in and out on business in next to no...

Making business away from home a pleasure.(Advertisement feature)
September 1, 2003... There are many reasons why business travellers turn to the InterContinental Hotels Group in the Middle East, not least the choice of three world famous brands as well as the rag ion's largest network of hotel properties. The combination of...

Four hours in Amman: beneath the Gulf state's modern facade lies a wealth of cultural attractions that provide a tangible insight into Islamic history.(Four hour guide)
September 1, 2003... * Al-Aydi Take a taxi the short distance to the InterContinental Hotel and down the narrow streets to the right and you will find a collection of handicraft shops selling delightful souvenirs. One of the best is Al-Aydi (the hands), which...

Antiquities and uncertainties: Rome's abundant historical sights have stood the test of time but its economy remains precarious as business battle bureaucracy and low growth rates.(Rome; and Starwood Hotels' Marco Ferrari on city's problems and pleasures)(Interview)
September 1, 2003... No-one thought it was going to be easy, but the improbable events that have already rocked Italy's presidency of the European Union have surpassed the expectations of even the most cynical outside observers. But in the bars and cafes of...

Choice Indian tees: Minty Clinch finds history and greenery in abundance as he swings by northern India's finest courses.(Golf)
September 1, 2003... The general and his lady arrived at the Delhi Golf Club in a bit of a flap. Traffic, don't you know, he called, as his wife rushed to the locker room to change out of her sari. A peacock stalked disdainfully across the immaculate grass, tail...

Eastern promise: foreigners might feel wary of the ancient traditions in the Tokyo business community but now is the time to strike out and find thaT gap in the market.(Tokyo)
September 1, 2003... Whether it's your first visit to Tokyo, or your 101st, there's always the sensation of having fallen into a vacuum. It's a mesmerising metropolis that science fiction writers and movie directors have cited as an inspiration and a quick look at...

Eliminating blindness campaign: silent auction.(Silent Auction)
September 1, 2003... Blindness affects an estimated 45 million people and 1.5 million children globally and more than 90% of those with little or no sight live in the poorest parts of the world. This number is likely to rise to more than 75 million by the year...

Driven to attraction: Deborah Miller works the circuit in fashionable Monaco and then indulges herself at the city's top spa resort.(Great escape)
September 1, 2003... Sweeping into Monaco by helicopter on the 14-mile, seven-minute trip from Nice Airport, we glided and swooped above a glinting Mediterranean, with the city's yachts and penthouses looming before us at glorious angles that begged for a better...

Eyes on the oval ball.(Australia hosts Rugby World Cup 2003)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Rugby fans in the Middle East will be busy checking time differences for The Rugby World Cup 2003, which starts in Australia on October 10. Four pools of five teams will battle it out for glory over 44 days with Australia, France, New...

Festival of light.(India; celebration of Diwali, also called Deepavali)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Diwali, or Deepavali, is one of the most important festivals of the Hindu year. Beautiful rows of twinkling candles and lamps of all sorts are lit all over India in October to celebrate the return of the hero of the Ramayana, Rama, from 14...

Book into Frankfurt.(Germany; Frankfurt Book Fair )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Almost 7,000 exhibitors are expected to gather in Frankfurt's Messe for the Frankfurt Book Fair between October 8-13. Around 360,000 books and electronic products from 100 countries will be displayed in a giant exhibition area for 300,000...

Jeddah: catch up with all the latest gadgets.(World in brief)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... * JEDDAH: Catch up with all the latest gadgets at the annual computer and communications show between September 14-19.

Bahrain: the annual Jewellery Arabia Show.(World in brief)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... * BAHRAIN: The annual Jewellery Arabia Show now attracts more than 500 exhibitors to Bahrain's International Exhibition Centre (October 15-19).

Paris: the Festival Classique au Vert in Parc Floral takes place undr a canvas every weekend in September.(World in brief)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... * PARIS: The Festival Classique au Vert in Parc Floral takes place under a canvas every weekend in September. The Paris Fashion Week is being held October 7-15.

Pompadour: the international Anglo-Arab horse days.(World in brief)
September 1, 2003... * POMPADOUR: The international Anglo-Arab horse days are being held between September 24-28.

Toronto: expect REM fans to be out in force .(World in brief)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... * TORONTO: Expect REM fans to be out in force for the band's solitary Canadian gig on September 30.

London: Mozart's Don Giovanni kicks off the Covent Garden.(World in brief)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... * LONDON: Mozart's Don Giovanni kicks off the Covent Garden 2003/2004 opera season on October 1.

Milan: after the New York and London Fashion Weeks, the spotlight turns to Milan.(World in brief)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... * MILAN: After the New York and London Fashion Weeks, the spotlight turns to Milan between September 23-October 3, as the hot new styles for Spring/Summer 2004 are sent down the catwalk.

Munich: the annual Oktoberfest (September 20-October 3).(World in brief)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... * MUNICH: The annual Oktoberfest (September 20-October 3) attracts a large cosmopolitan crowd.

Vancouver: an International Film Festival takes place in cinemas around the city .(World in brief)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... * VANCOUVER: An International Film Festival takes place in cinemas around the city between September 25-October 10.

Melbourne: the Melbourne Festival (October 9-26).(World in brief)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... * MELBOURNE: The Melbourne Festival (October 9-26) is Australia's premier celebration of the arts.

New Orleans: expect a Bohemian crowd at the city's film festival.(World in brief)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... * NEW ORLEANS: Expect a Bohemian crowd at the city's film festival between October 9-16.