The business of travelling for work
British Airways goes for gold in Olympic travel
Experience the talent of some “Great Britons” when you travel to Europe this year on one of nine specially-painted British Airways A319 aircraft dedicated to showcasing the best of Britain for the Olympics.
Heston Blumenthal, Tracey Emin and Richard E Grant all participated in mentoring talented artists to produce a very British experience for travellers. Artist Pascal Anson’s design is based on a dove and the nine aircraft have been painted in the image of a golden bird. Entertainment on board is enhanced with a short film, Boy, written by Prasanna Puwanarajah, while cuisine has been inspired by the last British Olympics in 1948 and produced by Michelin chef Simon Hulstone.
Travellers can enjoy mackerel pate with cucumber relish, braised beef cheek with horseradish mash and lemon curd, followed by vanilla cheese cake. Book BA flights from Dublin, Cork or Shannon for best prices.
Cut-price business class
Make your business appointments in the US from July to the end of October and you can be travelling business class for not much more than summer season fares. Dublin and Shannon to New York and Boston with Aer Lingus will cost from €699 each way, and Dublin to Chicago from €799 each way. Included is priority check-in and reserved lie-flat sleeper seats. You must book 90 days in advance. Existing bookings can be upgraded on the website.
Hotel groups target growth in Africa
One of the key growth areas for major hotel chains is Africa with capacity expected to increase by 30 per cent or more over the next five years. W Hospitality Group, located in Lagos, Nigeria, reports that there are 208 hotels with 38,000 rooms in planning or construction. Leading the development is Nigeria with 43 hotels, followed by Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. EasyHotel will open its first hotel in Africa later this year, followed by up to 50 properties by 2016 in a joint venture with Lonrho.