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PASSENGERS READY FOR RETURN TO GOLDEN AGE OF FLYING

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Business flyers pine for the return of the onboard bar and the opulence and elegance of the golden age of flying.

A survey of 1,000 business travellers by the Business Travel Show, which takes place on 7-8 February 2012, revealed they are torn between a desire to let go and have fun on and a nagging sense of duty to work hard, sleep well and arrive ready for business.

In addition to 31 per cent picturing themselves at the bar with a glass of Champagne, 13 per cent said they’d like the new super jumbos to have onboard cinemas, eight per cent fancy a flutter on a flying casino, seven per cent would get their locks lavished at the hairdresser and five per cent cheekily gave the thumbs up to a double bed!

The more sensible, however, prioritised a desire for more leg room (69 per cent), Sky-Fi (54 per cent) and showers (28 per cent).

Airline expert and journalist Dave Richardson commented: “It’s understandable to see high demand for wi-fi and more leg room, but also interesting to see strong demand for a bar or showers on a jumbo jet. Airlines promised a lot when the ‘super-jumbo’ Airbus A380 was on the drawing board, but so far most of them have failed to deliver. Emirates is the exception, as the bar at the rear of business class on its A380s is very popular. Qantas, on the other hand, hasn’t done anything creative with the extra space. Virgin was talking about showers and a gym when it takes delivery of the A380s, but all airlines are under financial pressure and these days it would be a bold decision to go for extra facilities rather than extra seats.

“It’s sometimes said there’s nostalgia for the ‘golden age of flying’ as epitomised by the TV series Pan Am. But on-board facilities in the Sixties and Seventies were not a patch on today’s long-haul business class and in real terms flying used to be much more expensive. What’s more, you often had to fly in a haze of cigarette smoke even if you sat in a no-smoking area. What I miss most, though, is that even in long-haul business class, passengers ‘dress down’ nowadays. Of course you want to be comfortable, but it would be nice if airlines required a moderate dress code in long-haul business class.”

Greg Dawson , Director of Corporate Communications for Virgin Atlantic commented: “It’s no surprise to hear that business travellers are requesting an onboard bar. We launched our bar in Upper Class over 15 years ago and it is something passengers have come to expect when they fly with us. It brings a touch of glamour to the cabin that in addition to our fully flat beds, Clubhouses and limo service makes Virgin Atlantic a popular choice for business travellers.”

David Chapple, event director of the Business Travel Show, added: “Showers, cinemas and bars on planes sound brilliant, but these are facilities more suited to the leisure passenger when it’s quite nice to have one too many Bloody Marys on board. But when it comes to business travellers, their priority is always going to be practicality over luxury. They want facilities that will help them do more work more easily on board and arrive fresh for business, hence the call for WiFi and more leg room.”

The results:

What you most like to see on the new jumbo, jumbo jets (respondents were allowed multiple answers)?

More leg room    69%
Wi-Fi     54%
Bar      31%
Showers     28%
Cinema     13%
Creche     12%
Casino     8%
Hairdresser     7%
Double beds    5%

About the Business Travel Show:

The Business Travel Show runs from 7-8 February at Earls Court in London. With in excess of 200 exhibitors and 6,000 buyers responsible for a travel purse of more than £10.3billion, the Business Travel Show is the flagship event in the European industry calendar. It's the only chance each year for corporate buyers to find the information, innovation, introductions and inspiration they need to make more confident and informed buying decisions; to increase efficiency, reduce costs, enhance performance and boost their business network. London is the sister show to business travel events in Dusseldorf and Dubai and runs alongside complementary event Travel Technology Europe.

For more information:

Please visit www.businesstravelshow.com or contact Charlotte Le Rougetel or Ravi Vijh at Bastion on +44 (0) 20 7269 7900 and bts@bastion.co.uk
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