Business Travel Tips

Air France has launched Airbus A380 flights between Paris and Tokyo, its 3rd route served by A380.

Initially, the Air France A380 will serve Tokyo thrice a week — Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays — but will increase this frequency to daily from October 4, 2010.
Schedule
Paris-Tokyo (D - A) 1:30 PM - 08:10 AM following day

Tokyo-Paris flights depart on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The service will become daily from October 5, 2010.
Schedule
Tokyo-Paris (D - A) 11:50 AM - 5:15 PM

Lufthansa has launched a Frankfurt - Beijing route served by A380. The service will operate once a week.
Schedule
Frankfurt - Beijing (D - A) 5:20 PM - 08:30 AM on Thursday
Beijing - Frankfurt (D - A) 10:30 PM - 02:30 PM the same day.

Hyatt has launched its new co-branded credit card Visa from Chase.

The card offers two free nights as a signup bonus.
You receive two nights at any Hyatt anywhere in the world, anytime, just for using your Hyatt card the very first time.

On the website it reads:

- 3 Hyatt Gold Passport points for every $1 spent with your Hyatt Card at all Hyatt properties;
- 1 Hyatt Gold Passport point for every $1 spent on purchases elsewhere;
- There are no limits to the points you can earn;
- Award nights with no resort, Internet, or redemption fees;
- No foreign transaction fees for international purchases.

Find out details at http://mychasecreditcards.com/hyatt .

Aircell, a leading provider of inflight internet, announced it has installed Gogo Inflight Internet on its 1,000th aircraft.

The aircraft, a Delta Air Lines DC-9, will fly today from Detroit. Its passengers will be greeted by Gogo brand ambassadors, and treated to complimentary Gogo Internet access on board.

Aircell says in a press release that “Gogo Inflight Internet is now available on more than 3,800 flights daily, up from just 2,100 at this time last year.  Roughly one-third of all mainline domestic aircraft now offer Gogo’s Inflight Internet service”.

Gogo service provides passengers with full Internet access — browsing the Web; accessing online music and games; sending and receiving e-mail; and connecting to virtual private networks while flying — on any Wi-Fi-equipped laptop or personal electronic device.
(source)

According to the PricewaterhouseCoopers’ U.S. lodging forecast the lodging industry will continue to experience a modest recovery during the last quarter of 2010.
PricewaterhouseCoopers’ forecast is based on an updated macroeconomic forecast from Macroeconomic Advisers, LLC that reflects a deceleration in the growth of the US economy during the remainder of 2010, but an outlook for a return to an above-trend growth in 2011.

The forecast confirms the return of the business segment with business travel that has reduced the gap to just 3.7 percent below 2007 levels — in the first half of 2009 it had fallen 10.6 percent below 2007 performance.

PricewaterhouseCoopers anticipates that the US occupancy rate will increase 2.6 percentage points for 2010, reaching 57.2 percent, thanks to a growing demand and decelerating supply growth. The pricing outlook for the remainder of 2010, and 2011, has improved substantially, resulting in an earlier-than-expected recovery in average daily rate (ADR) during the second half of 2010. This synergistic effect is expected to result in a 4.1 percent increase in revenue per available room (RevPAR) in 2010.

Delta SkyMiles members can earn double miles when they book a Delta, Air France, KLM or Alitalia itinerary that includes a connecting flight on Alaska Airlines.

The ticket must contains both a Delta marketed and operated flight segment (or an Air France, KLM or Alitalia marketed and operated flight segment) and an Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air marketed and operated flight segment.

To participate in this offer, eligible members must register online at delta.com/alaskaoffer and purchase their ticket by November 15, 2010.
Travel Period: between September 15 and November 15, 2010 (travel must be completed by November 15, 2010).