This week's ABTN news in brief
Executives at risk says ACTE
Companies may be risking their operations by allowing too many executives to travel on the same plane, said the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE).
According to the survey of 101 firms, 16% of businesses located in Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the US do not have a policy restricting the number of executives that can travel together.
Of the 84% that do have one, 61% apply it only to the "executive" level, while 28% include all employees.
ACTE conducted the survey following the landing of an aircraft in New York's Hudson River, on which 24 executives of one financial firm were flying.
www.acte.org
Record numbers for Great Hotels
The Great Hotels Organisation (GHO) reported a record 372 membership applications in 2008.
GHO increased its portfolio of Great Hotels of the World and Special Hotels of the world by 17 and 16 respectively, with new member hotels entering into sales and marketing alliances.
New members include the Seoul Plaza, Hotel Splendid in Montenegro, M'AR De AR Aqueduto and Troia Design Hotel in Portugal, the Coyaba Resort in Montego Bay and Valamar Lacroma Resort in Dubrovnik.
In total only 33 of the 372 applications were successful which GHO said demonstrates its "emphasis on quality control and specific entry requirements."
www.ghorg.com
Air Berlin cuts fuel surcharge
Air Berlin is to reduce its fuel surcharge, effective from January 27.
Domestic German and European flights will pay £16, down from £20. Passengers on medium haul tourist routes will now pay £20. Long haul routes will incur a £64 surcharge, down from £76.
The surcharge on flights to Egypt, Madeira, the Azores and the Canary Islands will be reduced to £28 from £36.
Germany's second largest airline, after Lufthansa, is the latest airline to cut its surcharge in line with the lower price of oil.
www.airberlin.com
SWISS unveils fleet renewal program
SWISS has unveiled a programme of fleet renewal, with a new first class product as the centrepiece.
The new SWISS First Seat will offer passengers a 203cm long lie-flat bed, 23" IFE screen, work surfaces, luggage space and USB, iPod and electrical power connections.
The new product will appear from March on all new long haul A330-300s, with the first of these flying a "north Atlantic" route.
Also offering a lie-flat business class seat and revamped economy class, the new aircraft will replace all SWISS A330-200s by 2011.
www.swiss.com
Thistle sets sights on Asian market
Thistle Hotels has announced plans to invest £11m into three Malaysian and Chinese properties.
The 250-room Port Dickenson and 381-room Johor Bahru properties, Malaysia, are expected to open this year following renovations.
A new build Shanghai property will offer 300 rooms, due open spring 2010.
The investment is part of Thistle's two year expansion into the home of its corporate headquarters in Hong Leong, Malaysia.
Heiko Figge, Thistle' coo, said the Asian expansion complements the £100m investment currently underway across all 33 UK hotels.
www.thistle.com