Welcome to the July 2008 Edition of our Business Travel Newsletter, keeping you informed on the latest developments from within the industry as well as telling you about the latest innovations and services on offer from your favourite business travel partner, Barrhead Travel, businesstravelsolutions.com.

If you are not currently subscribed to the newsletter, but would like to be added to our ever growing distribution list, or if you have any comments or suggestions you would like to make with regards to any aspect of this newsletter, please Email our Business Development Manager, Ronnie Taylor – ronnie.taylor@barrheadtravel.com

Corporate Manslaughter/Homicide Act

The Corporate Manslaughter Act came into force on April 6. It makes companies responsible for the death of an employee it they do not fulfil their appropriate duty of care which means keeping them safe and protected and making sure they are traceable at all times. The penalty for non-compliance is heavy fines and prosecution.

This could be an ideal time to review your travel policy, or put one in place if you haven’t yet done so.

For free help and guidance on Travel Policy and duty of care compliance, please contact our Business Development Manager Ronnie Taylor and arrange a free of charge no obligation review Tel 0141 242 1290 or email : ronnie.taylor@barrheadtravel.com

IMPORTANT INDIAN VISA PROCESSING UPDATE

The Indian High Commission has introduced various changes to their process in recent weeks, as they now outsource the administration of applications to a company called VFS. The latest of these changes is detailed below:

Online Visa Form

All applicants are asked to now complete their visa form online. The link to this online form, along with instructions to ensure that this is completed successfully for an agency lodging (and not as a public submission or to be contacted directly) can be found on our website within the Indian visa information pages, or the Forms tab at the top of the page.

Please visit http://www.uk.cibt.com/INDIA-INSTRUCTION.htm for the correct web page. You will notice on the left hand side that CIBT has provided specific instructions for completing the form.

The first page in particular is very important as this provides instructions for CIBT to submit and collect your application. Please follow these instructions strictly to avoid any complications. At the top of each page on the Visa Form there is a link to further guidelines if needed. Once completed please print and sign the Visa Form.

All applications received within the working day with the correctly completed Online Visa Form will be submitted on the next available lodging day for India - currently Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The current processing time for standard applications is 3-5 working days; though please allow as much time as possible as delays may be experienced while these new processes are established.

Applicants may be referred without notice. Please also remember that once an application is submitted to the Indian High Commission via its outsourcing agency VFS, it cannot be withdrawnfor any reason.

Any applications sent not supplying an Online Visa Form and requiring CIBT to complete a form fill on their behalf must send their applications to be received no later than 12pm the working day before requested submission. CIBT is able to provide a Form Fill service on the applicant's behalf, at a charge of £10 + vat.

This deadline must be adhered to in order to allow sufficient time for this service. This fee will apply for any Online Forms completed by CIBT on the applicant's behalf received from Thursday 19th June onwards.

Confirmed: Thai drops all US non-stop flights

Thai Airways has now confirmed that it will cease its New York-JFK service at the end of this month and it will also downgrade its LA flights from daily non-stop to a five times a week Boeing 777 service with an enroute stop in Seoul.

Quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Thai Airways’ president Apinan Sumanaseni says that “…the spiralling cost of jet fuel will force the airline to sell its fleet of four Airbus A340-500s [the planes which operate the above routes non-stop] which it bought three years ago for US$130m each. Without the cutbacks, the New York and Los Angeles routes would lose the company four billion Baht (GBP61 million).”

Thai’s non-stop US flights started as recently as December 2005. With distances of 8,270 miles for Bangkok-LA and 8,677 miles for Bangkok-JFK these are amongst the world’s longest sectors. At the time they were launched these services were praised for their time-saving convenience.

Although these flights are attracting plenty of passengers (it’s believed the planes are running 80 per cent full) the earnings are poor because Thai has configured its Airbuses with fewer premium seats than has SIA.

These ultra long non-stop flights are becoming a victim of high oil prices because they guzzle the gas. In comparison to a stopping flight a non-stop flight must lift all the extra fuel (required for the later flight stages) in the early flight stages. So a plane is effectively burning fuel to carry fuel.

SIA (which flies non-stop from nearby Singapore to LA and New York) hopes to get round this problem by turning its A340-500s into 100-seater all-business class flights to earn more revenue. But that’s not a feasible option for Thai (which operates its A340-500s in a three class 215-seat configuration) because Bangkok isn’t a strong business destination.

At current prices, Thai is probably paying around GBP100, 000 every time it refuels a Bangkok to New York flight with 56,000 galls of kerosene. Based on full one-way fares, the maximum revenue Thai can expect to earn is GBP222, 800.

But allowing for an 80 per cent load factor, discounts and so on, the actual figure may be less than GBP170, 000.  In other words, fuel forms a disproportionate amount of the flight’s operating costs and explains why Thai’s non-stop routes are losing money now that oil has risen so much in price.

Thai says its last flight out of New York to Bangkok will operate on June 30.  The airline has not yet finalised the final date of its Los Angeles non-stop service.

More space for passengers and planes at LCY

Departing passengers using London’s City Airport (LCY) now have more room to breathe following a significant expansion in facilities.

Unlike many other airports LCY doesn’t have individual airline lounges so departing passengers share a common area once they have cleared the security checks. This zone had become increasingly crowded as the airport has grown.

“We’ve opened up some much-needed accommodation [for departing passengers] by taking over what was previously the business centre and some back office areas,” Richard Gooding OBE, the airport’s chief executive told Business Traveller, “after all, it’s the passengers who pay our wages. It means we can no longer be accused of offering passengers limited space [in the departures’ area].”

The extended lounge which comprises different seating areas was fully opened on Monday (June 9). Besides an extra 250 seats there are more retail outlets, bars and eateries.  There are also moves afoot to offer free wifi throughout the terminal and airport area.

Taking the biscuit

Research by Holiday Inn has revealed that 80 per cent of delegates believe that biscuits improve the quality and outcome of a meeting. Indeed biscuits came second in the list of the most important boardroom-criteria, behind only tables and chairs, and ahead of lighting, technology and artwork.

A jammy situation

Over 70 per cent of UK businesses believe that traffic congestion is impacting the effectiveness of their staff travelling for work, according to recent research by car rental firm Europcar. Of the 300 businesses surveyed, 80 per cent also claim that congestions is getting worse, with over a quarter (29 per cent) of respondents estimating that 30 per cent of every journey was spent sitting in traffic.

“While significant investment has been made in our road network it simply isn’t enough and the jury’s still out on the Government’s plans for road pricing and High Occupancy Lanes on motorways.

Bmi to increase Saudi flights

Bmi says it will step up its flights to Saudi Arabia, following an agreement between the UK and Saudi governments. The carrier currently serves Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh four-times weekly, all from London Heathrow, but under the new agreement it will be able to increase the number of weekly flights to 35. This could equate to as much as twice-daily to two of the routes, and daily to the remaining one.
Commenting on the agreement CEO Nigel Turner said: “We have committed significant investment in developing our sales and marketing and operational presence in Saudi Arabia and the ability to increase our services presents us with an ideal opportunity.

“Our route network to the region was further enhanced last October when we commenced services from Heathrow to a wide range of destinations throughout the Middle East and beyond. Bmi now has a major presence in this part of the world with considerable experience and knowledge of serving these markets. We expect to be able to make an announcement shortly about improvements we will now be able to make to our schedules to Saudi Arabia from Heathrow.”

In The Green Corner

Our Green Initiatives are well under way now in partnership with Carbon Me we have now planted over 10,000 Trees.

A spokesperson from Carbon Me adds “We Plant ecologically appropriate tree species often known as multi-purpose, fast-growing (MPFG) trees. We generally use under varying conditions, about twelve different species that best accomplish the required benefits to the local areas”.

Of these, under most conditions, Leucaena leucocephala has proven the most effective and practical of the MPFG species, although we try to quickly add as many other species as we can. This Leucaena Tree is very fast growing - in the tropics it can grow to a height of 25 feet or more in a single year this is up to 3 times faster than if they were planted in non-tropical locations. It performs well under a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. It produces at least 23 things people in villages need on a regular basis, such asmedication, organic fertilizer, and animal forage. More important yet, it coppices (grows back after cutting) readily.

Hotel check: Mercure Eastgate Hotel Oxford

BACKGROUND The hotel is one of 24 properties acquired from Macdonald Hotels by Moorfield Real Estate Fund in January last year. In April 2007, a long-term management contract was signed by Accor resulting in the rebranding of the property as a Mercure, the company’s non-standardised mid-market chain. The Eastgate Hotel has a four-star status but, due to the number of single rooms, can only technically be labelled as a three-star hotel. The hotel is one of 29 Mercure properties in the UK, with the Mercure Point Hotel Edinburgh and the Mercure London Gatwick Airport having opened this spring.

WHAT’S IT LIKE? This “townhouse” property has a warm homely feel to it as you walk in, with low ceilings, a sit-down check-in area in the lobby and a personal welcome from the staff, who will take your bags to your room. The public areas recently underwent a complete refurbishment by interior design company Black sheep, which also saw the addition of a 80-seat brasserie, a big change from the student hangout that existed previously. The ground floor lounge/bar between the entrance area and the restaurant has been fitted with classic armchairs, timber floors and an unusual style of wallpaper sporting a life-size black-and-white print of book spines, creating a fitting “academic” flavour to the place.

WHERE IS IT? On a small, peaceful road just off the main High Street and opposite the Oxford University Examination Schools, it is within walking distance of the shops and colleges and a short cab ride from the station.

HOW MANY ROOMS? 63 en suite rooms (three of which are smoking) in two categories, Classic and Superior. There are 11 Classic single rooms, 20 Classic double rooms, ten Classic twin rooms, 16 Superior double rooms and six Superior twin rooms.

ROOM FACILITIES The moderately sized rooms, off narrow corridors, all have air-conditioning, a limited minibar stocked with essentials like beer, water and Coke, pay-per-view TV (the older sets are due to be replaced with flat screen ones in the next couple of months), a telephone, a small work desk, an iron and ironing board, a trouser press and a couple of armchairs. The simple white bathrooms come with a combined bath/shower, own-brand toiletries (shower gel and shampoo), heated towel rail and a hairdryer. My west-facing Superior double room, decorated in soft creams with dark wood furniture, overlooked the lawns in front of the Examination Schools and was filled with sunlight in the evening. It also had windows which could be opened to let in fresh air. Wired internet access is available throughout bedrooms and the boardroom, while wifi is available in the public areas at a cost of £5 per hour or £10 for 24 hours.

RESTAURANTS AND BARS The newly renovated bar and restaurant, The High Table Brasserie and Bar, is popular with local residents as well as guests, thanks to its good-value menu and wine list and High Street location. The interior is fitted with white glass-topped tables, wooden floors, white chairs and dark padded banquette seating, giving it a contemporary yet cosy atmosphere. The restaurant, which was just awarded its first AA Rosette at the beginning of June, serves several daily specials as well as a seasonal menu created by head chef Christopher Bentham, offering modern English cuisine with a French slant. A breakfast buffet is served here from 7am while coffee, pastries and lunch are served from 12pm-7pm. Last orders for dinner are taken at 10.45pm. The High Table also features Mercure’s own specially selected wine list – Les Grands Vins – offering high-quality wines with a minimum mark-up price. For private fine-dining, there is a glass-walled room in the corner with a capacity for parties of up to eight people, but for those who just want a drink and some snacks, there is the bar next door.

BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES There is currently one boardroom – the Ruskin Suite ­–with a capacity for 16 people but there are plans to convert this room back into its original use as a bedroom suite within six months. The venue has plenty of natural daylight, wifi internet access, and traditional furniture such as brown leather armchairs and a long dark wood table.

LEISURE FACILITIES- None.

VERDICT A comfortable mid-range option which manages to imbibe the atmosphere of Oxford as a historical, academic city. The staff are professional and friendly, and the new restaurant is a convenient dining venue for the business traveller to entertain clients or grab a bite to eat without leaving the premises.
PRICES Room rates start from £139 including breakfast and tax.