Business Traveller Middle East articles from September 2004

Business Traveller Middle East archives from September 2004

This issue.
September 1, 2004... We live in contradictory travel times. No generation has been presented with so much choice and convenience, nor confronted with so many pertinent challenges. From internet bookings to in-flight chefs, electronic check-ins to...

Scam truths.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... It's a good thing that readers are made aware of the scams travellers may experience (BTME May/June), but I'm not convinced of Becky Oxley's story. Trains are constantly overcrowded with the masses in China no matter when one travels and...

Sluggish boarding.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Some airlines need to be wary of falling into a 'last call void' and adopting slow boarding procedures. On a recent flight from Dubai, the passengers had all assembled in the departures lounge with half an hour to go, but we weren't called...

Ambitious orders.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Middle East airlines have grabbed their fair share of attention at recent international air shows. Although growing from a standing start, the 24 Airbus planes Etihad Airways ordered underlines the scale of the airline's ambitions and it...

Inspection procedures.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... I believe that the physical inspection of bags by the US' Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers should be in the presence of the bag's owner and TSA officer or authority employee. After searching bags, TSA officers should...

Fare enough.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... I am always surprised when I step off the plane and see the prices charged by 'official airport taxis'. In Dubai the starting fare for municipality cabs is AED 20 ($5.45) and on a recent trip to Beirut I paid $30 when I arrived--but only...

Pooling resources.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... I recently had a stop-over at Mina A'Salam and was impressed with the services at the hotel and the Madinat Jumeirah resort as a whole. If I was to be hyper-critical, I couldn't work out why there was a small pool at Mina A'Salam and a...

Inflight workouts.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... I was interested to read about Asiana's new DVT-preventing exercise programme which has been introduced on its long-haul flights. The crew start exercises as limbs are stiffening up, around 10 hours into the flight. I think more airlines...

Oil price rises impact passengers and airlines.(Airlines)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Airlines are imposing surcharges as the cost of travel keeps rising in line with sky high oil prices. Air France has increased its fuel surcharge by 2 [euro] ($2.46) per flight leg on domestic services, 3 [euro] ($3.69) per leg on...

MenaJet targets regional traveller.(Airlines)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The battle for the region's cost-conscious customer is intensifying with MenaJet taking to the skies. The Beirut-based low-cost airline aims to fly its A320 aircraft to 'high density' regional destinations and capitalise on the growth in...

Second Four Seasons in Cairo.(Hotels)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza has opened, becoming the Toronto-based group's second property in the city. The 30-storey hotel, which is more contemporary than its classical looking relative on the other side of the Nile,...

Madinat means business.(Hotels)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Dubai's biggest resort has opened its doors and regional companies are being targeted as aggressively as overseas holidaymakers. Madinat Jumeirah's proximity to booming Jumeirah is seen as a geographical coup, while its broad business and...

Head west for work or rest.(Hotels)(Jebel Dhanna resort)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... UAE urbanites have long favoured Fujairah for a weekend break or relaxing conference venue--but come this autumn, another option exists on the opposite side of the country. The 109-room five-star Jebel Dhanna resort is opening in Ruwais,...

Awards moved forward.(Industry)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Business Traveller Middle East Award, 2005 will be held at The Jumeirah Beach Hotel on May 2. In a change from previous years, the Awards ceremony will he held in the evening rather than the afternoon and will take place the night before...

More Gulf-Egypt flight options.(Airlines)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Gulf Air and Egypt Air have announced code-share flights between Bahrain, Ahu Dhabi and Oman, and Cairo and Alexandria. Jointly operated services are also earmarked to Sharm-el-Sheikh and Hurgada and long-haul routes such as...

Arrivals system all fingers and thumbs.(Immigration)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Passengers from 27 countries flying into the US will be fingerprinted and photographed from September 30--although they won't need to be clutching their biometric passports just yet. The hi-tech system, originally set to be introduced on...

Trio of new hotels for Starwood.(Hotels)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Starwood Group is opening three more hotels in the region. The 132-room Le Verdun Four Points by Sheraton--which opens in Beirut in September--contains a restaurant, bar lounge, 180-person ballroom, 12th floor swimming pool and fully...

Etihad Airways.(Airline Briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Etihad Airways has signed an MOU to buy 24 Airbus aircraft (12 A330-200s, four A340-200s, four A340-500s and four double-decker A380s) with deliveries starting from 2006. Its new four-flights-a-week service to Bahrain from Abu Dhabi goes daily...

Qatar Airways.(Airline Briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Qatar Airways will fly three times a week between Doha and Melbourne "by the end of 2004". The airline is also buying a Bombardier Challenger 300 super mid-size business jet with delivery slated for March next year.

Royal Jet.(Airline Briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Royal Jet is buying two Bombardier Challenge 300 aircraft, and placed options for two more, with deliveries due from April next year.

Emirates.(Airline Briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Emirates has placed orders for four B777-300ER aircraft which will be delivered 2006, with options for a further nine.

SriLankan Airlines'.(Airline Briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... SriLankan Airlines' 'sky taxi' service now operates to eight outlying destinations across the country. Corporates can charter the eight-seater aircraft for US$1,000 an hour.

Kingfisher Airlines.(Airline Briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... If you need to dash around India on business next year then consider new low cost airline Kingfisher Airlines, which plans to operate flights to 14 cities on A320 aircraft from January.

Meet you at the rain forest.(Hotels)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Major hotel chains are looking at ways of making meetings more flexible and less dreary this autumn. The JW Marriott Dubai's coffee breaks evolve around a colour theme--red, blue, green or black and white--with audio-visual displays,...

Ticket tax when departing Dubai.(Airports)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Department of Civil Aviation Dubai is levying a service charge of AED 30 ($8.17) on all passengers departing Dubai International Airport from September 1. The tax is to be collected on all ticketing transactions. A Department of Civil...

Etihad steps up the pace.(Airlines)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... UAE national airline Etihad Airways is taking the commercial fight to regional carriers by announcing a wealth of new routes and orders. It signed an MoU at the Farnborough Airshow to buy 24 Airbus aircraft (12 A330-200s, four A340-200s,...

Skywards members with 38,000 miles to spare can exchange them for a complimentary stay at Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Istanbut and Sharm el Sheikh until September 30.(Hotel Briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Skywards members with 38,000 miles to spare can exchange them for a complimentary stay at Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Istanbut and Sharm el Sheikh until September 30. The Sharm property offers two nights for 38,000 miles with...

The development of Atlantis on The Palm Jumeirah.(Hotel Briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The development of Atlantis on The Palm Jumeirah has been revised to 120 acres and will include a second 800-room hotel tower, swelling total rooms to 2,000.

Burj Al Arab is taking delivery of two new Rolls Royce Phantoms--the second is due at the end of 2004.(Hotel Briefs)(Burj Al Arab)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Burj Al Arab is taking delivery of two new Rolls Royce Phantoms--the second is due at the end of 2004, increasing the limousine fleet to 12.

Coral International has launched a Privilege Card.(Hotel Briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Coral International has launched a Privilege Card which offers a range of benefits including free stays, dinners, discounts and perks from select suppliers (costs AED 450 a year).

W Hotels will make its European debut.(Hotel Briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... W Hotels will make its European debut with the opening of a 475-room waterfront hotel in Barcelona in 2008.

The Starwood Group has discounts aplenty in its 'World Travel' promotion running in the Middle East and Africa (until September 17).(Hotel Briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Starwood Group has discounts aplenty in its 'World Travel' promotion running in the Middle East and Africa (until September 17), Asia-Pacific (September 30), Europe (September 5), North America (September 12) and Latin America (September...

High-speed wireless internet access is now available in all the Sheraton Bahrain's renovated rooms and public areas.(Hotel Briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... High-speed wireless internet access is now available in all the Sheraton Bahrain's renovated rooms and public areas. A one-day internet access card, available from reception, costs BD 9 ($23.86).

Jet lag in the bag.(Health)(Six Senses Spa at Madinat Jumeirah )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Six Senses Spa at the newly opened Madinat Jumeirah offers a jet lag recovery remedy among its extensive list of treatments. Designed to stimulate circulation, reduce swelling and ease muscle tension, the 80-minute treatment combines...

Business with pleasure.(interview with Chris Moloney, Chief Operating Officer of the InterContinental Hotels Group)(Interview)
September 1, 2004... The InterContinental Hotels Group is the largest hotel operator in the Middle East. Here, Chris Moloney, the Group's Chief Operating Officer, tells us more about their award-winning hotel brands: How have the expectations and demands of...

New hotel developments and openings.(InterContinental Hotels Group has another eight hotels underway )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Already offering over 60 InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn hotels and resorts in the Middle East and North Africa region, the InterContinental Hotels Group has another eight hotels underway as well as a whole new brand which will...

Express way to save on travel expenses.(InterContinental Hotels Group has launched Express by Holiday Inn budget hotels in the Middle East)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Business travellers who need to keep a sharp eye on expenses will welcome the news that a top quality, value-for-money hotel brand is now on the agenda in the Middle East. Already the region's largest hotel operator, the InterContinental Hotels...

The world's largest hotel loyalty programme.(Priority Club[R] Rewards )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Having enrolled more than 21 million members, Priority Club[R] Rewards is the world's largest hotel loyalty programme. It now has more members than the whole population of Australia. And it's easy to see why the programme is so popular. Members...

Awards.(InterContinental Hotels & Resorts)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Walking away with the prestigious title of 'Best Hotel Chain' from this year's Business Traveller Middle East Awards has cemented InterContinental Hotels & Resorts standing as the favoured choice for business travellers in the region....

Royal Jordanian economy class.(Amman-Dubai Via Abu Dhabi)
September 1, 2004... First impressions: Walk up the escalator to the one stop shop duty free after taking an eternity to pass through immigration. Amman's departures hasn't changed that much in the last three-and-a-half years--it's still darkly lit with small,...

Austrian Airlines business class.(Vienna-Dubai)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... First Impressions: Quick check-in at the spacious 50 counters-long Austrian Airlines terminal. Walk left to the duty-free area which is modern and nondescript--everything Vienna isn't. Little in the way of Austrian produce beyond the cliched...

Emirates business class.(Dubai-Christchurch)
September 1, 2004... First Impressions: Check-in through the dedicated Emirates business and first class reception was a breeze--the ratio of staff to customers was almost 1:1. Departure time (10.10am) was also suitably civilised for a long haul flight--I see no...

Movenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea.(Jordan)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... What's it like? Five star village-style resort with attractively landscaped grounds complemented by excellent facilities. Don't be surprised to see guests wearing their bathrobes around the grounds or the luxurious marbled lobby--it's that...

The first resort: you'll see as many suits as shorts in the lobbies of Dubai's beach hotels as the Jumeirah district booms.(Dubai)
September 1, 2004... If your idea of relaxation on a business trip involves unwinding on the beach or taking a dip in the Arabian Gulf, yon are not alone--the distinction between a beach and business hotel is increasingly blurred in Dubai and it is not uncommon for...

Nature and nurture: Jordan's varied terrain poses many economic problems and opportunities.(Jordan)
September 1, 2004... Whether you're battling through lane-challenged Amman, trudging up to Mount Nebo or hurtling down to the lowest point on earth for an obligatory float on the Dead Sea you're soon hit by the diversity of the Jordanian landscape. The...

Blind optimism: start the bids for these fantastic airline offers and hotel stays donated by the industry and help provide visually impaired children with renewed focus for their lives.(Auction)
September 1, 2004... For the second successive year, Business Traveller Middle East is supporting Vision 20:20 The Right To Sight through our auction, in which readers bid for rooms and seats which have been kindly donated by hotels and airlines. All revenues go...

KLCool: Kuala Lumpur's skyscrapers show it has made the great leap forward physically but now there's been a mental gear change too.(Kuala Lumpur)
September 1, 2004... Hijjas Kasturi, acknowledged father of Malaysian architecture, is not happy about what he sees from his 23rd floor office window. "There's no sense of unity, no sense of discipline. Everything's jumbled up." Kasturi sets high standards for...

On the waterfront: despite a recent drop in visitor numbers to Europe's most famous tax haven, the glamorous Monaco image is still firmly intact.(Monaco)
September 1, 2004... I am lying on the sun deck of a 40-foot yacht in Monaco's glittering harbour. From the corner of my eye, I can see my onboard chef preparing a lunch of lobster, caviare and oysters. To my right, bronzed, well-dressed engineers are setting up...

Where the concorde crowd went ... when supersonic flying came to an end last year, the world's jetsetters had to rethink their travel plans.(Concorde)
September 1, 2004... Concorde's final days were as protracted as her launch was delayed. Flights during the final six months were fully booked, with only full-fare tickets available in the last month. The UK national press was swamped with letters from indignant...

Land with your feet running: flying into any of the world's major hubs is a hassle--particularly when your journey involves airport-to-airport transfers. Walter Glaser provides some handy connection tips for the distance-challenged.(Airports)
September 1, 2004... New York has three airports, London six and many other large cities also have two or more. Sadly travel agents or those responsible for making the booking arrangements, don't always remember to tell you that you will be flying into one, and...

Win a night in a Royal Club room at Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort Fujairah.(Competition)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Nestled between the blue Indian mountains, Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort in Fujairah--a mere 90-minute drive from Dubai--is perfect for that all-important conference or relaxing weekend retreat. With its own unspoilt golden beach, luxury...

4 Hours in Christchurch: Brandy Scott is surprised to find Spanish shop fronts, gothic cathedrals and modern glass galleries all competing for attention within one tiny city centre.
September 1, 2004... Christchurch could have been made for the four-hour tour. With the heart of the city bordered by four avenues, most of its major attractions can be conveniently seen on foot. It is also impossible to get lost--the streets all run east-west or...

Ask Alex: with security checks on the increase, airports can further inspect your bags at will--but don't expect airlines to pick up the cost of any damages.
September 1, 2004... Last May I... ... flew United between New York JFK and London. I checked in two bags. On arrival I found one bag with the locks broken. The suitcase was taped and a note from the Transport Security Inspection was in the case stating that...

Wi-fi in the sky: surfing the net flights is set to become more prevalent.(IT focus)
September 1, 2004... May 17 may have been a fairly unremarkable date for most of us, hut it could be seen as a pivotal day in the history of business travel. When Lufthansa flight LH 452 took off from Munich to Los Angeles, it became the first commercial flight...

Business is brewing: executives with a deal to seal no longer head for the bar. These days, they do business over afternoon tea.(Tea)
September 1, 2004... It's a typical afternoon at Sketch, one of London's most exclusive restaurants. Executives are gathered in the Parlour, Sketch's airy drawing room, sipping aromatic jasmine white tea and Ciu Yu blue green tea, selected by French master chef...

What a carry on ... finding the right piece of carry-on luggage to keep both you and the airline you are travelling with happy is no mean feat.(Luggage)(Buyers Guide)
September 1, 2004... Hands up who's felt like garrotting the check-in staff when they won't let you carry on your carry-on luggage? It always seems so arbitrary, as though the ice-queen at the desk is basing her decision on some unspoken loathing of my tie, or...

Golfing around ... Paris: the Paris Ile de France region is blessed with an array of golf ranges located in beautiful, historic grounds--all within an hour of the capital.(Golfing around Paris)(Directory)
September 1, 2004... CELY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB Where is it? 45km south of Paris, 14km from Fontainebleu. What's it like? The approach is through an underground car park, with direct access to an atrium-style glass clubhouse. The centrepiece is a chateau...

Courted and escorted: hop in your speedboat to Hotel Le Beauvallon and experience personalised service taken to a higher level.(Great escape French Riviera)(Hotel Review)
September 1, 2004... To mingle with the international jet set on the French Riviera and to fit in at the very highest social levels in and around St Tropez you need a few basic accessories--Gucci shoes, a wardrobe of silk Pret-a-Porter shirts, a solid gold Rolex...