The business of travelling for work
Virgin code-share
VIRGIN RUSSIA could be on the cards next with the latest tie-in with Transaero, the Russian carrier. The two airlines will code-share on each other’s services to Moscow. Transaero will code-share on Virgin’s flight to Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles and on Gatwick to Orlando.
Earlier this year, Virgin announced that it wanted to begin services to Moscow and that it would be bidding for the 12 former bmi slots that British Airways will be giving up at Heathrow.
A decision is expected in December.
Hertz nabs Thrifty
Hertz has finally got its hands on Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group with an all-cash transaction of $2.6 billion in equity value. The deal took two years to complete and now sees the US car rental market under the control of three companies: Hertz, Avis and Enterprise.
Hertz will keep the Dollar and Thrifty brands and plans to expand the Thrifty brand into Europe. The Advantage brand will be divested as it is seen as too low priced to be on the same rate card for Hertz corporate customers.
Hyho website
HYHO HOTELS has launched a new corporate website for hotel bookings with access to 130,000 to hotels worldwide. The new site will be ideal for small and medium enterprises as it offers a flexible payment policy.
Payments will only have to be made on credit card when the individual hotel cancellation policy comes into effect. There are no credit card fees. Companies can be provided with monthly reports and statistics on spend and savings made.
Invoices are generated for every booking, Hyhocorporate.com.
Best address in town
ONE OF the best addresses in London is Grosvenor House, Park Lane, and you can have it as yours when you stay in the Jumeirah Grosvenor House Apartments.
The new development at the landmark hotel means studios from £450 a night up to £11,000 a night for four-bedroom suites on 4,800sq ft!
Guaranteeing privacy, discretion, security and all the services of a five-star hotel, the Grosvenor House apartments in the Lutyens-designed building are luxurious and provide business facilities, 24-hour dining and concierge services.
BA chief joins in passenger tax fight
THE CAMPAIGN to cap air passenger duty (APD) in the UK has been extended beyond the UK border with a letter from Keith Williams, chief executive of British Airways, to overseas members of BA’s Executive Club.
In the letter he urges members to visit the website Afairtaxonflying.orgwhich will generate a letter to chancellor George Osborne, the minister in charge of APD, calling for action on the tax. The duty has continually increased in the past six years; for example the tax on a long-haul economy ticket has increased from £20 to £80 and is double that for business- and first-class fares.
Air passenger duty is not applied to tickets for travel though the UK if the passenger is travelling on a through ticket, ie there is one ticket for the journey and it begins in Ireland or elsewhere.