Qatar Airways has announced plans to expand its international network with the addition of seven new routes during 2007 – celebrating 10 years of flying since its relaunch. From Europe and Africa to Asia and, for the first time, North America, Qatar Airways will add seven key cities to its route network over the next 12 months. And the airline confirmed it will take delivery of the first of 20 Boeing 777s next year to operate long haul routes from the carrier’s Doha hub. Nigeria’s commercial centre of Lagos joins Qatar Airways’ network from January 3, followed six days later by Dar Es Salaam, capital of Tanzania.
Qatar Airways will begin flying to the tropical island of Bali from the start of the Summer 2007 season in March, supporting its existing Indonesian operation where the airline already serves the capital, Jakarta. And Vietnam is also on the horizon when Ho Chi Minh City is set to become yet another destination in Qatar Airways’ Asian portfolio next March. For the first time, a Qatar Airways aircraft will land in the United States with daily scheduled flights from Doha to New York, scheduled to begin in Summer 2007. The US route will be operated non-stop with Qatar Airways’ new state-of-the-art Airbus A340-600 aircraft, featuring a unique onboard First Class lounge. The airline was recently the launch customer of the High Gross Weight version of the aircraft, which is currently operating on the Doha – London Heathrow route.
In addition, Qatar Airways will fly to a new point in Northern Europe and, for the first time, in eastern Europe, in the second half of 2007. Details of the two new European destinations are being finalized. Addressing a press conference at World Travel Market in London on Monday, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said 2007 would be a milestone year for the Doha-based airline. “Back in 1994, Qatar Airways launched operations with just a handful of regional routes with a handful of aircraft,” he said. “The airline was relaunched in 1997 and, almost 10 years on, Qatar Airways now flies an international network covering 70 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Indian subcontinent and Far East.
“Our fleet has grown sharply to 51 aircraft and we have simply gone from strength to strength carrying more than six million passengers a year representing annual growth averaging 35%. We are well on target to more than double our fleet size to 110 aircraft by 2015.” The airline plans to acquire 20 Boeing 777s with deliveries beginning at the end of 2007. With options for a further 20 Boeing 777s, these new aircraft – a mix of Extended Range, Long Range and Freighters – will be the backbone of Qatar Airways’ long-haul, wide-body fleet and used on new routes across North America and Australasia.
Qatar Airways’ brand new Premium Terminal – the world’s only stand-alone terminal dedicated to First and Business Class passengers – is set to open at Doha International Airport by the end of this month.
The new US$90 million facility, built in just nine months, will feature a spa, Jacuzzi, fine dining restaurants, together with duty-free and exclusive check-in for premium passengers flying with Qatar Airways. The terminal building will be ready in time for the 15th Asian Games taking place in Doha between December 1 – 15.

Following the launch of Etihad Airways first flight to New York, the national airline of the UAE has now made Guest travel to the US even simpler thanks to the activation of interline e-ticketing with Continental Airlines.Continental is the world's fifth largest airline, serving 292 airports, and the agreement will offer Guests' seamless travel to and beyond New York to key destinations including Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles.
Furthermore, those whose journey combines flights with Continental Airlines and Etihad Airways will also be able to benefit from an electronic ticket covering all their flight segments. The facility, which also allows Continental offices and agents to issue Etihad e-tickets, will then be extended in November for travel agents in the USA and Canada. This alliance signals the next step in Etihad's fast roll out of e-ticketing across its international network as well as its aim of establishing interline e-ticketing in association with other strategic carriers.
'The inauguration of our commercial e-ticketing operation on July 28 enabled Etihad to achieve the 100 percent levels required to meet the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), of which we are extremely proud,' said Geert W. Boven, VP Commercial, Etihad Airways. 'Looking ahead, by the end of November more than 80 percent of Etihad's network will be available for e-ticketing, through both agents and direct sales, with a goal of 95 percent set for the end of the year.'
To ensure the e-ticketing system's operational success, trials were successfully conducted on selected international routes earlier in the year and Etihad personnel were fully instructed on its workings through a newly introduced virtual training technique. Boven continued: 'The aggressive implementation of our e-ticketing system has ensured that Etihad is comfortably on track to meet IATA's deadline for all airlines to use e-ticketing only, as scheduled for the end of 2007, and has also gained praise from system provider Amadeus.'
'More importantly still, the introduction of e-ticketing will bring an even greater range of benefits to our Guests in terms of security and convenience, regardless of how they book their travel with Etihad. From the ability to amend flight details up to 30 minutes before minimum check-in times to travel agents being able to handle last minute bookings, this development reflects Etihad's strong service philosophy and commitment to providing innovative travel solutions for our Guests,' Boven concluded.

Etihad Airways, celebrated the official launch of its daily, non-stop, round-trip service between Abu Dhabi and New York. The launch was heralded by the arrival of an Etihad A340-500 aircraft at JFK airport's Terminal Four at 9:20pm Thursday. As the carrier's second North American destination, after Toronto, the launch of the route to the USA's key gateway city symbolizes Etihad's long- awaited entrance into the American market. James Hogan, CEO of Etihad Airways, commented, "This new route is a significant milestone for Etihad Airways and we are extremely proud to be introducing our innovative approach to in-flight luxury to the American market after only three years in operation. "The landing of our first flight in New York marks our long-awaited entrance into the American market," said James Hogan, the newly appointed CEO of Etihad Airways. "We are extremely proud to be introducing our innovative approach to in-flight luxury to the American market after only three years in operation.
"Guests flying between Abu Dhabi and New York will experience the very best Etihad in-flight product. This includes our award winning business-bed in Pearl Zone and revolutionary Diamond Zone seat, which rotates in a 180 degree circle, enabling Guests to meet and dine with one another." "New York," Hogan continued, "is an exciting city which parallels the cosmopolitan nature of both Abu Dhabi and the Etihad family perfectly. Given Etihad's strong customer-focused philosophy and the USA's high standards when it comes to defining service, Etihad is once again demonstrating just how ambitious the airline is. We are therefore confident that this partnership will be well received and very much look forward to helping our new Guests 'change the way they see the world' as they travel." "The launch of Etihad Airways in the United States further strengthens the relationship between the two countries," stated Michele J. Sison, U.S. Ambassador to the UAE. "Etihad's presence in the U.S. offers enhanced economic and cross-cultural opportunities beneficial to both the United States and the United Arab Emirates."
Guests on the New York route will enjoy the very best Etihad in-flight service in the new purpose-built Airbus 340-500 aircraft, with last month's delivery of its fourth aircraft in the series, meaning that 80 per cent of the fleet is brand new. Configured with two aisles, the aircraft can carry 240 guests in three distinct zones: 12 in Diamond Zone, 28 in Pearl Zone and 200 guests in Coral Zone. The Airbus 340-500 is one of Etihad's first aircrafts to offer the luxurious and revolutionary Diamond Zone seat which transfers into a completely flat bed and can be rotated 180 degrees when in an upright position. The unique product enhancement enables guests to hold meetings, share group meals and converse with one another.
Pearl Zone Guests can experience Etihad's business bed, which recently won the 2006 World Travel Award for being the world's leading flat-bed seat. Etihad's exceptional levels of hospitality and comfort extend to its entertainment system. Etihad's new fleet of aircrafts are fitted with the Thales TopSeries i4000 system, which offers more than two weeks of continuous entertainment covering a wealth of languages and cultures, placing the airline amongst the world's best in-flight entertainment providers.
"Whether it's our top of the line entertainment system or sophisticated dining experience, we want each Guest to feel truly valued and to enjoy a memorable and relaxing flight," said Geert Boven, Vice President Commercial at Etihad Airways. "Being a Guest onboard an Etihad flight is about far more than simply getting from one point to another -- our vision is to not only change your experience of flying with us, but to change your experience of flying. From the moment Guests book a ticket with Etihad to the time they reach their chosen destination, we strive to ensure this experience exceeds expectations at every level."
To celebrate the inaugural U.S. flight, Etihad has included additional benefits within its industry ground breaking loyalty initiative, Etihad Guest program launched worldwide at the end of August. Diamond Zone Guests will now earn more than 150 per cent more bonus miles on the New York route while Pearl Zones Guests will receive a 100 per cent bonus and Coral Zone Guests can accrue 50 per cent more miles.  Additional promotions tied to the New York launch include free flights for children under the age of 12 when flying with an adult in Coral Zone Pearl Zones Guests, meanwhile, are also entitled to a 50 per cent discount off a second round-trip Pearl Zone ticket.

Flight EY 503 will depart Abu Dhabi International Airport daily at 2:15pm, arriving in New York at 9:25pm. The return flight, EY 504, departs at 11:10pm arriving the next day in Abu Dhabi at 8:25pm. Throughout the last 12 months Etihad has considerably expanded the number of destinations to which it flies, fully supporting Etihad's proud position as the "world's leading new airline." This breakthrough growth enabled the airline to achieve its goal of launching 35 guest destinations in just 35 months. New York will join other recently launched Guest routes including Brussels, Casablanca, Dhaka, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Manchester, Manila, Muscat, Paris and Toronto. Several other new routes including Tehran and Shanghai are scheduled to be launched over the coming months. Etihad's route to New York also provides a wealth of new opportunities for Etihad's cargo and holidays divisions, Crystal Cargo and Etihad Holidays. The A340-500 has a cargo capacity of 15 tons at full passenger load on its Abu Dhabi - New York route, complete with adjustable heat and air conditioned aircraft holds. Etihad Holidays will offer guests a multitude of accommodations from which to choose in New York, including such centrally located hotels as the Waldorf Astoria and the Hilton on Times Square.

Hong Kong's first budget airline, Oasis, which touts itself as the world's first long-haul, low-cost carrier never took-off. Originally scheduled to depart for London-Gatwick at 1 p.m. (6 a.m. British time), Oasis Hong Kong Airlines cancelled five-and-a-half hours later after the Russia's aviation authorities refused entry.
One of Oasis' two leased Boeing 747 jumbos was supposed to leave in the morning on its inaugural flight. The 300-seat plane was fully booked with tickets in economy class selling for $200 (£112) including tax. "Our vision is to give Hong Kong high-quality, low-fare and direct flight services," Oasis chairman Raymond Lee told Agence France Press.
The airline is going head-to-head with rivals Cathay Pacific, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic on the same route, all of which charge at least double the price for tickets on the same route. Unlike many budget carriers elsewhere, Oasis offers business class (with tickets selling for $6,000) and two complimentary hot meals with tea, coffee and water. Other services are charged.
Oasis will fly four times a week to and from London, with a daily service kicking off on November 25. The airline plans to increase its routes and include Oakland, San Francisco. This service will begin from the first quarter 2007. Oasis Airlines was set up last year by Stephen Miller, who founded Dragonair, which has since been bought by Cathay Pacific. Miller received financial backing from Hong Kong investors including the Reverend Raymond and Priscylla Lee, who moved from the ministry into property development.

The London hotel boom continued throughout September; business visitors returned in force to major commercial centres such as Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool after the summer holidays; and the bands played on in Edinburgh after the Festival, according to the preliminary figures released by PKF hotel consultancy services. London performance figures continued to break records with average daily rooms yield up more than a fifth (20.9%) on 2005 values to £108.94. This was fuelled by a 9.2% increase in room rate from £114.10 in 2005 to £124.64 and a 10.7% increase in occupancy to 87.4% this September. This good performance for the ninth month running means that London hotels’ rooms yield is now 16.5% higher than it was a year ago.
Regional performance across the 600 plus hotels in the survey revealed consistently steady growth in September with the average room rate up 3.4% to £73.22, occupancy up 1.9% to 80.8%, and daily rooms yield up 5.4% to £59.19 but, as usual, performance varied considerably across the country. With the summer holiday season largely over, visitors returned to the major business-hub cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool which recorded rooms yield increases of 12.3%, 13.0% and 5.2% respectively. As the Festival Fringe extended into the first weekend of September, Edinburgh hotels were still 89% full and a 7.2% increase in 2005 room rates to £92.50 helped to boost rooms yield by 9.8% to £82.35.
In contrast, Cardiff room rates fell by 6.6% on 2005 to £65.48 so, although there was only a marginal drop in occupancy, rooms yield fell by 7.3% to £50.53. After a traditionally poor August, Birmingham hotels rallied slightly with the return of the business visitor but rooms yield was still more than 2% down on 2005 values.  Robert Barnard, partner for hotel consultancy services at PKF, said: “The continuing dramatic growth in the London hotel market is very heartening - although we should remember that London was still recovering from the impact of the bombings last September - and it’s clear that regional hotels are continuing to build on their solid performance to date this year.
“Providing that the economy stays reasonably buoyant to the end of the year - and barring any further terrorist scares or attacks – we can be reasonably confident that 2006 overall will go down as one of the best years ever for the hotel sector as a whole and London hotels in particular.”

Home field advantage... Nothing beats a Super Bowl, Olympic Game or in the case of the Caribbean - a World Cup Cricket Tournament - to hit a home run for economic development. St. Lucia is banking on its future with an ambitious tourism development program underway in both the public and private sectors to strengthen St. Lucia's appeal to sophisticated global travelers, while protecting its unique tropical environment. Many of these construction projects are being spurred by St. Lucia's role as a host site in the Cricket World Cup 2007, the return of Air Jamaica's services and the booming residential resort market.
Large-scale developments, such as the 554-acre Westin Le Paradis Golf & Beach Resort, are making a positive impact on the island's economy. A master-planned resort, Le Paradis will encompass 300 Westin four-star condo-hotel units, 76 single-family villas, a Greg Norman signature golf course, a 100-slip private marina for yachts up to 150 ft, five star boutique hotel, a world-class spa, upscale boutique shopping and extensive conference facilities. Construction began in September with completion scheduled for early 2008.  The project will offer significant employment opportunities for St. Lucians.
The St. Lucian government, for its part, has implemented a broad range of initiatives, including significant investment in the island's road network over the last five years, as well as new water supply and other resource management projects. The government is also improving its cruise passenger facilities at the Castries Seaport and supporting new shopping and entertainment options in Port Castries. An August report from the Division of Economic Affairs noted that total central government expenditure on construction activities increased 55.2 percent to $48.3 million in the first quarter of 2006 compared to the same period in 2005. In addition, wages rose almost 5 percent in the first quarter.
"This scenario is anticipated to impact positively on the St. Lucian economy as continued increases in tourist arrivals from the US is anticipated," said the report. "Brisk activity within the construction sector by the private sector and the central government is expected to contribute positively to economic growth."  "St. Lucia is committed to building its tourism sector and enhancing the island's economy while protecting its splendid natural assets," says Kierron Dolby, Managing Director of DCG Properties, which is building Westin's Le Paradis Resort & Residences.
Nestled between Martinique and St. Vincent in the southern portion of the Caribbean chain, Saint Lucia is known for the spectacular twin Piton mountains, tropical rain forest, volcanic sand beaches and jagged cliffs. Arguably the most beautiful island in the Caribbean, St. Lucia was recommended by Oprah as one of the top five places to see in a lifetime. Le Paradis' limited number of residences include one, two and three-bedroom turnkey condominiums and three and four bedroom villas with unobstructed ocean views.
Additionally there will be home sites around the Greg Norman course that sit 330 feet above sea level with views of fairways and the ocean. Residential offerings start from below $500,000 to $2.7 million, with incentives including Le Paradis' golf initiation membership waived, golf dues waived for three years and a Troon Advantage VIP card. Phase One of the project is slated to open in early 2008.

Caribbean Airlines has launched, signaling a new era in Caribbean aviation. Caribbean Airlines will offer the Caribbean a world-class, financially strong carrier dedicated to bringing quality and efficiency to its customers as they travel to, from or within the Caribbean region.
Caribbean Airlines will replace BWIA West Indies Airways, which has served the Caribbean honourably for 66 years. The process of change will bring no inconvenience to travellers. There will be a seamless transition from one company to the other when the first Caribbean Airlines flight takes off on January 01, 2007. Tickets purchased for travel on BWIA will be honoured on Caribbean Airlines; frequent flyer miles and membership in Club BWEE will be automatically transferred, guaranteeing continuity and confidence for all customers.
“Caribbean Airlines style of service will be professional but not distant, personable not pushy, genuine not contrived, very natural and easy” stated Peter Davies, Chief Executive Officer of BWIA. “The livery and logo of Caribbean Airlines centres around the hummingbird,” added Mr Davies. “The hummingbird is found only in the New World and early references to Trinidad are as the land of the Hummingbird. This makes this symbol highly appropriate as an emblem for Caribbean Airlines.”  “Its character will capture the diverse aspects of the region, its food, music, décor, language and personality. Essentially, the warmth of the islands. Today is the start of a very exciting phase in aviation in the Caribbean.”

Marc Holland, founder of Sexy, Inc., said," Over 500 properties were evaluated and winners were chosen according to style, architecture, ambiance, service, mood, and emotion." Holland added, "Defining 'sexy' was the fun part of the job. Sexy has nothing to do with price, size, or reputation, but rather how all those elements come together to create a sensual experience that evokes a feeling of true transcendence for the guest."
"Sexy can't be faked," says Holland, "A hotel or resort is either sexy orit's not. There are no in-betweens. Sexy could be a desert mega-resort, asleek New York City business hotel, a Malaysian seaside resort, or a safari camp."  Highlighted properties include Rattray's in South Africa, Bleibtreu in Berlin, The Montage Resort & Spa in Laguna Beach, California, Navutu StarsResort in Fiji, Costa Rica Marriott in Costa Rica and many more.
Jeff Johnson, V.P. of Marketing for the Montage Resort & Spa, says, "We are very pleased to have been chosen as one of the World's Sexiest Hotels. We are a romantic and elegant getaway and want to evoke a relaxed experience for all the senses." Julia Poppe, Director of Marketing, Bleibtreu Hotel, said, "We are very proud to again be affiliated with the exclusive worldwide circle of 'Sexiest Hotels.' The love for the smallest detail and our drive to constantly improve and tend our sincere service is part of our trait which is appreciated by our guests. Since the opening of the Bleibtreu, whichliterally translates 'Remain Faithful,' many of our guests have been loyal." World's 100 Sexiest Hotels is a luxury travel-ranking co-venture between Sexy, Inc., Sky Radio & Video and SkyAuction.com, a leading online travel auction company.
Holland says, "The winners that we've spoken to are all thrilled with being selected for the list. They are used to winning awards, but the 'Sexiest' award is something they are unusually proud of."

With the launch last month of www.lphchat.com, Langham Place Hotel invites customers to build an online presence, posting thoughts on any topics close to their heart.
Travel, technology, great food, fabulous wine, amazing art; they’re keen to hear what you think- and now! Just “Blog it@LPH!”
“Everyone has an opinion these days and blogging is a great way to share personal thoughts, ideas and experiences with the wider community. Langham Place is about people and technology; about stimulating the senses and your imagination. We want to get everyone talking about all sorts of things, so if we attract bloggers seeking new opportunities for notoriety through LPH web log exposure – well great!” commented Jeffrey Van Vorsselen, General Manager of Langham Place Hotel.