The worldwide Corona Virus is causing us to re-think our World. Age airlines are getting hit hard but creative ideas and changes in products and operating procedures are making an impact. The post from blogger Sam Chui gives a great overview. Thanks Sam.
Traveling via air and social distancing? The Delta airport lounges offer a smaller environment, fewer people. Here’s how to access Delta’s Skyclub Lounge.
https://onemileatatime.com/delta-skyclub-access/
Part of the fun of flying is getting an Amenity Kits. Here are Delta Air Lines’ current offerings. They look pretty nice.
(Source Delta News Hub)
LE LABO is making its way into new Delta One TUMI amenity kits this month, and to more than 50 Delta Sky Clubs later this year, as part of Delta’s new partnership with the artisanal fragrance brand.
Born in Grasse, France, and raised in New York, LE LABO is a slow perfumery fragrance brand at its core with a devoted following. Its boutiques around the world serve as fragrance labs open to the public, where scents are freshly hand-blended and personalized. Delta will feature basil-scented formulas from LE LABO’s plant-based Body-Hair-Face collection.
“Delta and LE LABO share a passion for connecting people and places through personalized experiences,” said Ekrem Dimbiloglu, Delta’s Director — Onboard Product and Customer Experience. “That passion, along with LE LABO’s dedication to the highest standards of quality, make it a natural choice in our efforts to create delightful moments throughout the travel experience for our customers.”
Delta is also continuing its strong partnership with TUMI — the leading international business, accessory and travel lifestyle brand — that has been providing Delta premium customers with complimentary TUMI travel kits in flight since 2013.
But starting this month, customers may notice something is missing: a plastic wrapper.
Building off the airline’s industry-leading work to reduce single-use plastics, Delta is keeping sustainability top of mind with this product refresh. Through simple enhancements that remove plastic bags from the TUMI kits, the airline will divert 30,951 pounds of plastic from landfills in one year. That’s equivalent to the weight of one Delta CRJ-200 jet — in addition to Delta’s extensive efforts to implement more sustainable options across the travel experience.
Every seat, every customer, getting upgraded amenity kits
In addition to refreshed Delta One kits, the airline will introduce new and improved amenity kits for Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin long-haul customers — giving customers in all cabins something new to look forward to on select international and domestic flights.
Featuring a refreshed look and feel, new items and thoughtful design enhancements — each kit has been carefully curated to help customers arrive at their destination feeling rested and refreshed. Additionally, Delta’s new Main Cabin and Delta Comfort+ kits have been updated to include packaging sourced from customer photos, featuring real snapshots from around the globe curated through #SkyMilesLife.*
“These elevated offerings will complement the industry-leading service that Delta people are known for. Every detail has been thoughtfully designed with customers’ needs in mind,” added Dimbiloglu. “From a rejuvenating lineup of skin care products to help customers decompress, to small touches like a new hand cleansing towelette — these updates are a direct result of listening to our customers to understand what they value most and what would make their in-flight experience even better. No matter where you’re sitting, we’re providing more reasons than ever to look forward to traveling with Delta.”
Here’s a peek at what customers can look forward to in Delta’s refreshed amenity kits:
Delta’s push to elevate the in-flight experience doesn’t stop with amenity kits. Customers can look forward to additional onboard product enhancements coming soon — like refreshed ear buds and headsets — creating a best-in-class onboard experience for every Delta customer.
Delta’s refreshed amenities are part of the airline’s multi-billion dollar investment in the overall customer experience. In the past several years, the airline has made significant enhancements to the Main Cabin experience including free Main Cabin meals on select coast-to-coast routes, free mobile messaging,free in-flight entertainment, upgraded Main Cabin snacks, the addition of sparkling wine, access to Wi-Fi on nearly all flights and refreshed Flight Fuel food-for-purchase options. Recent upgrades to the Delta One in-flight experience include the introduction of seasonally rotating, chef-designed Delta One menus with the option to pre-select first choice of entrée, an Alessi-designed collection of serviceware and more.
*By tagging photos using #SkyMilesLife, user grants Delta Air Lines a royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual license to display, reproduce and create derivative works. Full terms: http://skymileslife.delta.com/
The competition continues. The airline industry is constantly trying to create a better product, stay up with passenger demands, and out do each other. For the flying public that’s a good thing. For the airline it’s a costly endeavor. Who does it best?
Here, the great blog, The Luxury Travel Expert gives us a rundown of current Business Class cabins.
(This post originally published at https://theluxurytravelexpert.com/2019/04/08/best-airlines-business-class/amp/?__twitter_impression=true#top.)
BEST AIRLINES LONGHAUL BUSINESS CLASS
Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.
Each year, I give a round-up of my favorite 10 Business Class products in the world. Flying Business Class is purely aspirational for most, a lifetime experience for some, and a must for a select few. With Business Class, the journey itself becomes a fun experience: you don’t have to wait in line at the airport; you get access to airport lounges; you interact with attentive personnel; you are treated to gourmet food and quality wines; and you can sleep in a comfortable flat-bed for total relaxation. But which airline has the best Business Class cabin product anno 2019? I hereby present you my selection of the top 10 best Business Class cabins of 2019 (reflecting my own personal taste).
There is more information (with trip reports & Youtube clips) below my slideshow. Think I missed one? Leave a comment or take my poll below!
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While British Airways’ Business Class (dubbed Club World) raised the bar worldwide two decades ago with the introduction of the first fully lie-flat seat and an innovative “Ying/Yang” seat plan, the seat concept itself is now dated and outclassed by some of its competitors. So you would not expect British Airways to end up in a top 10 list like this one, but it remains one of my preferred airlines for longhaul travel, because the product is consistent across its wide-body fleet and the seat is extremely private (as long as you don’t end up along the aisle). And as I recently experienced myself, British Airways dramatically increased its onboard experience over the past year, with improved catering (from DO&CO), excellent bedding, and stylish amenity kits, which rivals the best in the skies. In July, the airline will also introduce a new suite concept onboard its A350 planes, with direct-aisle access, a suite door for greater privacy, luxurious flat-bed seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, enviable 18.5-inch inflight entertainment screens, and 40 % more storage space per seat (including a vanity unit and mirror).
The success of Emirates’ Business Class product is very much based on the comfort and space of its Airbus A380 fleet, and that’s why the mega plane is rolled out on all major international routes of the Dubai based carrier. With a staggered 1–2–1 configuration in Business Class, each passenger is assured of direct aisle access and a significant amount of privacy. The window Business Class seats are perfect for solo travelers, while the dual and more intimate seats in the center of the cabin are perfect for partners traveling together. Mammoth amenity kits, a huge inflight entertainment selection, and a roomy and well-appointed bar on the upper deck makes flying Emirates’ A380 quite an event, and in addition, the ground service matches the flying experience (e.g. chauffeur service, a gigantic Dubai lounge). Unfortunately, the Business Class cabins in most of Emirates’ Boeing 777s are laid out in a 2-3-2 configuration (with no direct aisle acces for all passengers), which is significantly inferior to the one offered on the airline’s Airbus A380 fleet.
Business Class seats on selected JAL planes are named JAL Sky Suites, since each seat is located in its own private space. The seats come with retractable privacy partitions (which can be lowered when you are traveling with a companion), ample storage space beneath an ottoman, and a 23-inch (58 cm) LCD monitor (one of the largest in its class). Comfortable bedding is offered as well, consisting of a highly resilient airweave mattress and pillow, which will send you off to dreamland even if you have trouble falling asleep on a plane. In 2017, JAL began outfitting its B787-9s with a new version of the suite, the so called JAL Sky Suite III which are laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration, providing all passengers with direct aisle access. On top of that, JAL offers some of the finest Business Class food in the skies, with both Western and Japanese menus created by chefs that are working in leading restaurants around the world. You can order in-flight meals from an a la carte menu by tapping a liquid-crystal touch-panel controller, in any order, at any time, and as often as you wish.
Taiwan based EVA Air calls its international Business class ‘Royal Laurel Class’, providing passengers with comfortable sleeping space for a sufficient rest that is free from disturbances. The seats in Royal Laurel Class onboard EVA’s B777s and B787s are configured in a reverse herringbone 1-2-1 layout that maximizes space. Privacy is assured through fixed panels that help create your own personal area. At the push of a button, each seat converts into an approximately 82 inches (2 meter) long bed, enabling passengers to lie down, get comfortable and sleep on long-haul flights. Thoughtful touches include a space to hang your jacket, a shoe cabinet, a retractable armrest, and a cocktail table. This excellent Business Class product is complemented by exclusive amenity kits, noise-canceling headphones, Fiji water, mouth-watering cuisine from all over the world (ranging from luscious beef steak to delicious lobster), and the warm, friendly service EVA Air is known for. To top it all, EVA Air is one of the few airlines to offer pajamas in Business Class; loose and comfortable, these garments are perfect for slumbering on long-haul flights.
Business Class on Virgin Australia’s Boeing 777-300ER aircraft features 37 private suites (that convert into the length of a queen size bed) in a reverse herringbone 1-2-1 cabin layout. The aisle seats face outwards towards the windows and the center two seats face inwards towards each other on a roughly 30 degree angle. Customised triple-layer seat cushion supported by a hammock sub-frame and a turndown service with memory foam mattress toppers and high-grade cotton pillows and donnas make for a good night’s sleep on the airline’s longhaul routes from Australia to Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi. Virgin Australia is also the first airline to have a lounge onboard a single deck aircraft, which offers a selection of nibbles and bites, beer, wine and spirits as well as a hot beverage selection with petit fours. The carrier also offers its passengers continental breakfast at the bar prior to the full breakfast service, or the opportunity to enjoy a full breakfast at the bar rather than in the suite. A new signature service element includes cocktails and movie snack service each hour throughout the flight.
In 2017, Delta Air Lines redefined transatlantic and transpacific Business Class travel with the introduction of a Business Class cabin that features a sliding door at each suite. The suites offer passenger a private space accessed by a sliding door with thoughtfully designed personal stowage areas, an advanced in-flight entertainment system, and premium trim and finishes to create a comfortable, residential feel. Service in Delta One (which is how Delta calls its international Business Class cabin) includes chef-curated meals, wine pairings by Delta’s Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson, terrific Westin in-flight bedding, TUMI amenity kits featuring Kiehl premium skincare, and in-flight loungewear on select flights. The Delta One suite is currently only available on Delta’s A350s and some retrofitted B777s, which flies on selected routes such as Los Angeles to Sydney or Tokyo. Delta will refurbish all eight of its 777-200ER and all ten of its 777-200LR aircraft and expects to have taken delivery of 13 A350s by the end of 2019. The bad news is that when you don’t get to fly the A350 or B777, the experience will be less than stellar.
Hong Kong based Cathay Pacific offers a consistent and solid Business Class product, featuring a flat-bed that is just over 82 inches or 2 meters long. A bed extension increases its width by 6.5 inches or 16.5 cm to provide additional hip support, while the side storage compartment offers extra knee space for sleeping on your side. For sleeping, you may choose to leave your armrest up for more privacy, or down for more space. In fact, Cathay’s Business Class seat is identical to the one installed on American Airlines, Finnair, and Air France, but Cathay deserves to take the top spot for their difference in customer service, impressive lounges, cabin crew training, and award-winning cuisine, whilst ensuring their price point still remains competitive. The carrier’s newest Business Class seat is found on its A350 planes, although it is basically a refreshed design of Cathay’s ‘old’ Business Class product onboard its B777 and A330 planes. Keep in mind that Cathay’s top-notch Business Class product is not available on some B777 planes with a regional configuration, so plan your travels accordingly.
Business Class with the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates is not business as usual. The Business Studios on Etihad’s A380s and 787 Dreamliners can be customised to suit every stage of the journey and are the embodiment of style, simplicity and functionality. The cabin has a unique dovetail design with forward and rear facing seats that creates a sense of space and freedom, with direct aisle access and convenient storage spaces. Upholstered by Poltrona Frau, the 22-inch (56 cm) wide seat converts into a comfortable fully flat bed of up to 6 feet and 8 inches (203 cm). The Business Studio offers a space for everything, including a concealed storage, a meal table and a separate large side table that can be used for laptops and other personal belongings when you are dining. Located between First and Business Class, there’s also a lounge on the A380 that seats up to six guests and is fitted with seatbelts, power supply and connectivity ports. Unfortunately, Etihad Airways’ A330, A320 and B777 planes feature a less glamorous Business Class product and the carrier is facing financial challenges.
Singapore Airlines has always been synonymous with lavishing luxury in the skies. And they do not fail to impress. With their width of 30 inches or 75 cm, the carrier’s Business Class seats on its A350 and B777 aircraft are the widest in the world (too wide for comfort, according to some). The unrivalled space between each seat is a hallmark of the four-abreast (1-2-1) configuration that offers all passengers direct access to the aisle. Designed by JPA and introduced in 2017 on their A380 aircraft, the carrier’s new Business Class seat – albeit more narrow – is even better than the previous incarnation of the seat. A large back shell on every seat creates a cocoon-like feel for more privacy while the centre divider can be fully lowered to form double beds, making the two centre seats an ideal choice for customers such as families travelling together. Singapore Airlines also offers a fine restaurant-style setting and culinary service at 30,000 feet. Each menu, specially created by a panel of celebrated chefs from around the globe, is sure to appeal to the discerning epicure within you.
In 2017, Qatar Airways – which is still facing challenges following a severe diplomatic crisis in the Middle East – took its Business Class product to a new, unprecedented level of luxury and style, raising the bar for all of its competitors. The so-called ‘Qsuite’ features not only Business Class suites with sliding doors for total privacy but also double beds, allowing passengers in adjoining seats to create their own private room. Adjustable panels and movable TV monitors on the center four seats also allow colleagues, friends or families traveling together to transform their space into a four person suite, allowing them to work, dine and socialize together. Each seat is crafted with thoughtful and luxurious details such as hand-stitched Italian leather and satin rose gold finishing. To further complement the customisable on-board seating experience that passengers will now enjoy, Qatar Airways is also launching a new food and beverage concept, introducing a menu that offers a host of new dining choices. The Qsuite, which makes Business Class look First Class. is only available on selected routes and aircraft (A350-1000s and some retrofitted B777s and A350-900s).
Thanks for stopping by, see you again soon.
Thanks, John
(this comes from Samchui.com)
Virgin Atlantic moving ahead of competition in comfort.
A350-1000 See Virgin Atlantic’s Version on This New Aircraft
Flying has become very tedious and uncomfortable on most trips these days.
For ultimate comfort along the way check this out.
Enjoy your air travels.
Thanks for stopping by, John
You’re on a trip for that special occasion or you’re traveling on business. You return to your room and you find out your laptop or iPad have been stolen out of the room. You have your entire itinerary on it, all your contact addresses and phone numbers, your kids birthdays and the only copy of the presentation you have only one chance to present to investors tomorrow morning! What happens now? Could this have been prevented?
Follow this security advice from a former CIA operative who travels the world. It’s always better to be prepared before you leave and during your travels. One of the most personal attacks could be in your hotel room. Hotels work hard to keep their guests safe, however, sometimes no matter what they do, it’s not enough.
Here are the reasons not to totally trust the key cards and 5 ways to prevent an event.
Never Trust a Key Card
With summer right around the corner…
Many folks are planning vacations and making reservations at hotels around the country.
The problem is, you are more vulnerable to criminals when staying in a hotel because criminals love to target travelers.
And, millions of hotel rooms around the world are at risk of having their locks hacked, granting criminals entry or the ability to ransom access.
In short, hotel rooms fitted with electronic locks made by Assa Abloy, the world’s largest lock manufacturer, can easily be hacked.
]Many major hotel chains including Sheraton, Radisson and Hyatt use these locks To get into these hotel rooms, it’s far too easy…
Here’s how it works:
1. The hacker finds a key card for a hotel they want to target.
2. They use a cheap piece of hardware combined with custom-built software to read the card and search for the master key code.
3. Then they simply copy the master key information onto a new or existing card.
Of course, there are a few more details to this method. But, as you can see, it’s a very easy way for a criminal to get into your hotel room in under 60 seconds.
Now, a thief who is just looking to break in and burglarize a hotel room would probably use brute force to kick down the door.
But, I could see this type of hack being used by government agencies or competing businesses to gather information.
In the intelligence business, you don’t want someone to know you were in their hotel room, which is the advantage of this technique.
So, whether you travel for work or pleasure — or even use a key card to access your office — here are some tips to protect yourself from this type of hack.
• Get a doorstopper alarm. For as little as $6 on Amazon, you can buy a doorstopper alarm.
This device is easy to travel with or take to work. It’s a basic doorstop, but when you press on the top it emits a loud alarm.
Simply put it behind the door while you are in the room. If someone tries to enter, it will hopefully scare them away and give you a chance to grab a weapon to defend yourself.
• Make some noise. Most burglars don’t want anyone to be inside when they break in.
When you leave these places unattended, you should turn on a TV or radio so it sounds like someone is there.
Make sure to turn up the volume so it can be heard from the door where the key card slot is.
Most criminals will listen for noise at the door to determine if someone is inside. This is a good way to make them think twice.
• Tape the lock. Depending on the lock, when you slide the key card into the lock you can often see the card touch the bottom of the lock.
In cases like this, place a piece of tape inside the bottom part of the lock.
Now, this won’t necessarily prevent someone from unlocking the door, but it will at least let you know someone has entered your room or office.
• Don’t leave electronics behind. Cellphones, tablets, cameras and computers are hot-ticket items for criminals to get their hands on.
They contain a wealth of information about the owner. Never leave these items in your hotel room.
If you don’t want to take your computer everywhere, I suggest leaving it at home or bringing a bag to carry it comfortably.
In the intelligence world, it’s not uncommon for phones and computers to be targeted because the information can be copied and the devices left the way they were so the owner has no idea they’ve been compromised.
• Ask for a new key card. If you lose one of your key cards, go to the front desk and ask them for new key cards.
Make sure they don’t just duplicate the original key card but that they reprogram the lock in case the original card was stolen.
In other words, insist on a completely new key so if someone is trying to hack into your room, they will have to deal with a reprogrammed card.
Traveling should be a relaxing experience. But, you still need to be aware of what’s going on around you at all times.
Hacking a key card is an easy thing for criminals to do — it’s also easy to prevent yourself from becoming a victim if you follow these steps.
Stay safe,
Jason Hanson, Spy Escape and Evasion
(This article originally published at https://spyescapeandevasion.com/)
Thanks for stopping by for travel related articles.
Stop by again sometime, Thanks, John
Just like Life, hotels have to keep evolving to keep up with customers newest preferences. And just like People and Life, again, they must differentiate themselves from the herd if they expect to survive. Here’s a good article about branding. In many ways it could apple to us as individuals .
(this article was originally published at https://www.boutiquehotelnews.com/home/features/2018/5/11/what-guests-want-hotel-brand-and-experience-can-be-so-much-more/)
By Michelle Du-Prat
Uploaded 3 days ago
Michelle Du-Prat of Household looks at what boutique hotel brands can learn from the retail space.
A bumper 2017 for hoteliers is being followed by creeping industry uncertainty and rising competition in 2018. This is, at least, the view held in PwC’s recent report, ‘As good as it gets?’ Underpinning its assessment is the thought that there are too many undistinguished hotel brands, limited in the scope of value they can add to their guests and therefore the custom they will see in return. But an over-saturated market need not be met by uncertainty and worry.
There are clear parallels with the retail world, in which brands increasingly commoditised their propositions and focussed too heavily on providing volume of transactions over quality experiences. But retailers are re-engaging customers by meeting rapidly changing behaviours and providing value beyond transaction alone. These brands have shifted from a sales-focussed retail model to explore a higher emotional connectivity, and what we are calling ‘retail culture’ – the moments, places, journeys and interactions where people and brands come together for mutually valuable and worthwhile experiences.
Breaking away from traditional models and learning from retail innovations that focus on people needs with responsive experiences will allow hoteliers to maximise their existing revenue streams, but also to identify new products and services for guests – standing them in good stead to weather inclement market conditions now and stand out in the long term.
Key to achieving this is thinking more laterally and imaginatively about the hospitality experience – beyond interior design materials and aesthetics, and help hoteliers reimagine their assets by looking through eyes of their guests.
The answer lies in understanding the fundamental shifts in behaviour and priorities for customers and guests – that are driving them to think of hospitality as much more than a bed for the night and in turn expect radically different experiences from brands in exchange for choosing them.
Our insight into these shifts can be applied to hotel brands by asking these five key questions of a brand.
1. How deeply does a brand resonate with my personal sense of myself, and deliver on what I care about?
2. How can a brand help me succeed in some aspect of my life? Give me extra?
3. Can I trust this brand – not just rationally to deliver a product or service, but more deeply in terms of its motivations and values?
4. If a brand is using technology, does that help me or does it just get in the way?
5. When time is so precious, does a brand help me either compress more into the time I have, help me to appreciate and savour my days or hours, give me complete flexibility
Armed with this understanding, brands can then view a hotel’s space as more than the sum of its features and rooms. Rather, the entire operation – from the building, its environment and its key services and the people within – can be thought of as flexible assets to be drawn on in order to meet the needs and lifestyle choices of the desired clientele.
These two realisations offer a world of possibility to brands. This thinking is redefining what retail looks like and can be drawn on to set the leading hospitality experiences apart in the same way.
So where should a hotelier start?
Know that your guest is your brand
Hoteliers have long been experts at serving the customer but have not been as consistent in defining themselves by the values of those they wish to attract.
A broad brand may seem intuitive as a means of mass appeal, but at a time when customers expect to see their values reflected back to them, it’s up to brands to define themselves more sharply. Otherwise, guests will look elsewhere to find the place that seems to know them well because they think like them, act like them, look like them.
Eaton Workshop found a market of activists and change-makers and sought to curate experiences just for them. Playing on the uniquely politically-charged world surrounding its location in Washington DC, it serves as a location for cultural events and encourages activists, artists and entrepreneurs to meet and work together in its communal spaces.
The Graduate Hotels capitalise on a mindset of local knowledge and deep-rooted tradition which is felt in the major college towns of the US. By defining themselves against these places – all the way down to choosing library furniture, and ensuring the local knowledge of their hosts – Graduate hotels align themselves with collegiate values, a touch of nostalgia and the care of an exclusive alumni clubhouse.
Don’t offer a little to everybody, find your audience and go all in to meet their passions.
Design a timeless journey
It’s then important to translate rich customer personalities into environments, communication and services which all serve to foster a deeper relationship with the people who interact with them. Successfully pulling this off means starting a conversation with your guests before they arrive, which gains more significance through their stay and continues long after they’ve left your premises.
You’re out to design an experience, not just a place to visit.
Guests’ lives and lifestyle preferences are shifting by both choice and imposition due to the modern realities of our lives. The world of hospitality is in the best place to understand and act on major lifestyles shifts, like increasingly flexible schedules and 24/7 multitasking which are now the norm. Our time is so precious and demands so high, we see live-and-work spaces and always-on services offering many ways to re-engineer our days and nights around the things we want or need to do.
A fantastic example of hotel crafting an organic brand journey that flexes time to fit their guests’ lifestyles is the Ace Hotel – which transitions the same space seamlessly from daytime co-working to evening drinks, gently easing guests from a work mindset into leisure.
Hotels can also make use of platforms like As You Stay, which are providing flexible offers in recognition that working norms, and therefore rest or leisure requirements, don’t exist only around the 9-5 day. Instead, a fully flexible booking model allows less wastage of guest time and budget.
Make your space a new ‘local’
Hotel Irvine also has a 24/7 model to fit its guests’ round-the-clock lives, but it’s broader view of clientele is most interesting about this hotelier.
Irvine hosts farmer’s markets with a changing calendar of local vendors to continually draw in locals, not just travellers or those looking for a one-off novelty. A rich and evolving experience is hugely beneficial to ensure the same physical space can draw revenue from residents as well as visitors – guarding against seasonal variation and a reliance on keys alone.
Delving more deeply into the local community are brands such as The Good Hotel, which offers long-term unemployed locals a chance for a better future. Not only that, but the brand encourages employees to share their stories with guests, building intimacy and understanding between guests, the individuals, and the brand behind it all.
The immediate challenge for many hoteliers will be in how to build such a community. To our earlier point about defining a brand against its audience, this is in crafting a space defined by shared need, passions and values.
Premium gym brand Equinox is instilling this sense by bringing its premium wellness services into the hospitality space, to bring local and travelling fitness fanatics together in a like-minded lifestyle company. With a sharp sense of your brand’s reason for being, a clearer sense of your community values will follow.
After all, don’t we want to feel that our hotel of choice is aligned to our values – that it’s the place for us, wherever we might be and whatever we might need?
It may sound lofty, but realising this ideal through thoughtful branding, smart design and an evolving relationship with your customers is absolutely linked to the performance of hospitality brands and the industry in the near future.
The tools and knowledge to achieve this are at our fingertips – if we can combine them to meet our guests’ shifting lifestyles, 2018 might signal hospitality’s next evolution, and we’ll prove that ‘as good as it gets’ is really just the beginning.
Thanks for stopping by, hope you enjoyed this post.
Thanks, John
Our friends north of us in Canada have absolutely beautiful scenery and want to welcome to their national parks for FREE in 2017! Thank you Canada.
Sunset Magazine explains:
How would you celebrate your 150th birthday? If you’re Canada, you invite the entire world to your party by swinging open the doors to your national parks. For 2017, the country’s making its annual Discovery Pass (normally $68) free, giving visitors admission to all of the country’s 40-plus parks for the calendar year, including 12 Western sites. Visit Vancouver Island’s Pacific Rim for sandy beaches, year-round surfing, and a hiking trail originally forged by shipwrecked sailors; or hit north coast Gwaii Haanas for remote campsites, bald eagles, and ocean sightings of whales and dolphins.
Here’s a great article from http://www.aluxurytravelblog.com/2017/05/31/top-10-international-premium-cabin-travel-trends-in-2017/.
Top 10 international premium cabin travel trends in 2017By Lars Condor on May 31, 2017 in Air Travel, Speciality Travel
A recent International Traveler Survey completed by 1,320 U.S.-based international premium cabin travelers revealed key premium cabin travel trends and how political, economic and regulatory events impact premium class travelers today. Here are 10 key insights from the survey:
Most business class travelers take multiple international trips per year
Of the respondents, most take multiple international trips per year and commonly book paid business class (45% i.e. no use of miles) or paid economy class and request an upgrade (49%). Of the survey responses, 18% said they take 1 international trip per year, 55% take 2-4 international trips per year, and 27% take 5 or more international flights each year.
Europe is the most common international destination
Nearly 60% of U.S. travelers surveyed said they traveled most frequently to Europe. The second most popular continental destination was Asia (16%), followed by South America (11%), North America (10%), Africa (2%) and Australia (1.5%).
Many travelers rely on upgrades
Although many respondents book paid business class flights (45%), more international travelers book paid economy and request an upgrade (49%). A small number of respondents (5%) indicated they would cancel their trip rather than overpay or fly coach.
Expected travel plans remain steady
Most respondents (55%) are traveling as expected in 2017 and 70% report their travel plans have not changed since the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Business class fares are increasing
Most international travelers report seeing the same or higher business fares compared with last year. International travelers surveyed said that business fares are about the same as last year (45%), somewhat higher than last year (23.66%), or more expensive than last year (24%). Compared to flights originating in other countries, respondents said that flights that originate from the U.S. are the same (29%) or more expensive (57%) than ones that originate abroad in Asia or Europe.
Terrorism is not a concern
Despite increased reports of terrorism in developed nations, 80% of respondents say that terrorism concerns have not changed their travel plans this year.
A strong U.S. dollar helps most travelers abroad
62% of American business class travelers say that a strong U.S. dollar benefits them when traveling internationally, while 27% say it has no impact on them when they travel abroad.
Travelers are divided about airline regulations
U.S.-based business class travelers are largely split on whether U.S. airline regulations should be relaxed or tightened. Travelers were nearly split on whether they thought U.S. airlines are burdened by excessive regulations (47% said yes; 53% said no), as well as deciding whether current regulations should be relaxed (43% said yes; 57% said no). Respondents were also split on how they thought the Trump administrations plans to reduce airline regulations would impact travelers, with 41% of respondents saying fewer airline regulations would benefit travelers, 27% saying it would have no impact on travelers, and 32% saying it would hurt travelers. 80% also reported that they do not think excessive government regulations contributed to the United Airlines debacle where a passenger was dragged out of his seat and off a plane.
Onboard altercations do not stop travelers from flying certain airlines
Despite recent the rise in videos altercations between airline staff and passengers going viral, business class passengers say these altercations largely do not impact their decision to fly a particular airline. Nearly 75% of respondents said that the viral video of an American Airlines flight attendants altercation with a passenger will not keep them from flying the airline.
Premium class flyers feel less subject to mistreatment
The majority of premium class flyers (71%) say theyre less likely to be exposed to on-board abuse by flying business class. In comparison, 28% of respondents feel that ones booking class has no impact on the service or mistreatment flyers may be exposed to.
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