SEPTEMBER 2019 businesstravelerusa.com8
UPFRONT
ANA (All Nippon Airways) is starting service between
Tokyo Narita International Airport and Chennai International
Airport on Oct. 27. The route will be flown with Boeing 787-
aircraft. When the route opens, ANA will be the only airline
offering direct flights from Japan to South India.
ana.co.jpAIR CANADA has announced changes to its loyalty
program, Aeroplan. The airline says it is the beginning
of many improvements ahead of the debut of its new
loyalty program in summer 2020. Changes to flight
rewards include: full refunds within 24 hours of booking,
the option to refund a flight reward up to two hours before
departure, a reduction of the aeroplan.com refund fee
and complimentary changes and refunds for Air Canada
Altitude Super Elite 100K members. aircanada.comJETBLUE is adding new non-stop seasonal service
between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport
and Guadeloupe's Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport.
Roundtrip flights will operate three times per week on
Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays starting Feb. 1,
2020 through the end of April. Flights will then resume inNovember 2020. JetBlue will operate its Guadeloupe service
aboard an Airbus A320. jetblue.comTORONTO PEARSON AIRPORT is now offering Aira
assistive technology for travelers with sight loss. The
service, which is available in Terminals 1 and 3 and in
the parking facilities, helps these travelers navigate the
airport independently. A specially trained agent offers
navigational assistance through a mobile phone app and
optional Aira Horizon video-equipped smart glasses. Aira
is a subscription service but passengers with sight loss
can use it free at Toronto Pearson; all that is required is a
smartphone and the Aira app, which can be downloaded
free from Google Play or the Apple App Store.
torontopearson.comStarting in September, AIR FRANCE business class
customers will be able to savor three new Signature dishes
created by Daniel Rose, an American Michelin-star chef.
Daniel is the chef and partner of Le Coucou in New York
and the chef and owner of Chez La Vieille and La Bourse
et La Vie in Paris. The menus are offered on flights from US
and Canadian destinations to Paris. airfrance.com2018 SETS A RECORD FOR FLIERS
The International Air Transport Association has released figures for 2018 showing that
global air is on the rise with no signs of stopping. A record-setting 4.4 billion passengers
traveled on scheduled flights, an increase of 6.9 percent from 2017. The spike, the
association said, was driven in part by sharp reductions in the cost of air travel, although
improvements in connectivity and efficiency also played a part.
I ATA’s World Air Transport Statistics report found that 81.9 percent of all available
airline seats were filled last year, and that the number of city pairs connected by direct
flights doubled between 1998 and 2017. In another finding the report noted the fuel
efficiency improved by around 12 percent compared to 2010.
The ranking of global airlines by total scheduled passenger miles flown was led by
American Airlines with 330.6 billion passenger miles, followed by Delta Air Lines with
330 billion. Rounding out the top five was United Airlines (329.6 billion), Emirates
(302.3 billion) and Southwest Airlines (214.6 billion).Raffles Singapore has just completed an
extensive three-phased restoration that
began in February 2017, heralding a new
chapter in the rich history of this flagship
Accor hotel property. First opened in
1887, Raffles has long had a reputation
as an oasis for the well-traveled. The
latest restoration offers luxurious all-suite
accommodations across nine distinct
categories, upping the total suite count
from 112 to 115.
The Raffles Arcade has been newly
outfitted with bespoke retail brands and
restaurant collaborations add star-power
with Chef Anne-Sophie Pic, French
Master Chef Alain Ducasse and Chef
Jereme Leung. And no stay at Raffles
would be complete without a sip of the
hotel's most famous cocktail, the original
Singapore Sling, seated at the newly
innovated Long Bar.
rafflessingapore.comReturn of a Legend