First ever Peugeot airport lounge opens in Malaysia

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By Ryan Ghee, Future Travel Experience

7 February 2013 | The world’s first Peugeot Lounge has been launched at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport’s Subang Skypark Terminal in Malaysia. Before the 1998 opening of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, the (then) Subang International Airport served as Kuala Lumpur’s main airport and today primarily serves general aviation and some turboprop domestic flights.

Since 17 January, Peugeot owners departing from the airport can enjoy a luxury lounge experience, simply by presenting their boarding pass and Peugeot Privilege card or car key. The one-of-a-kind lounge, introduced by Nasim Sdn Bhd, Peugeot’s Malaysian distributor, features a private meeting centre and VIP room. Patrons can also enjoy complimentary light refreshments, WiFi services, satellite television and newspapers and magazines, as well as a flight information display.

Dato’ Samson Anand George, Chief Operating Officer, Nasim Sdn Bhd, said: “Passenger traffic at Subang Skypark has been increasing, and we expect it to keep growing this year as more flights are added. The Peugeot Lounge is a place for Peugeot owners to unwind and relax before boarding their flights. “We are committed to giving our customers the best ownership experience and we are proud to launch the world’s first ever Peugeot Lounge for our customers.”

Peugeot owners can bring a guest into the premier area free of charge as long as they too have a boarding pass. Exclusive Peugeot merchandise is also for sale in the lounge, which is located on the first floor of the Subang Skypark Terminal.

Delhi airport lets smartphone users buy products at a virtual shopping wall

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By Louise Driscoll, Terminal U

4 February 2013 | Shopping on the Internet is so old hat – so it seems. Welcome to 2013, where pointing your mobile at virtual products on the wall and ordering them on the spot is the new way to shop.

At New Delhi Airport in India, travellers can view luxury items on a virtual shopping wall by scanning the item’s QR (Quick Response) code with a smartphone. Perfume, jewellery, digital cameras and mobile phones are among the luxury items that can be ordered from the on-screen menu.

Shoppers can’t pay for the products using their phones yet and instead have to pay on delivery. But the retailer behind the virtual store, Homeshop18 says it will introduce mobile payments in future.

Not a novel experiment
The virtual shopping wall, called ‘Scan N Buy’ has just been introduced at the airport, but it’s not a new idea. In South Korea, virtual shopping has been blending into people’s everyday lives, with Tesco’s South Korean brand, ‘Home Plus’ launching virtual supermarkets at train stations and bus stops for time-pressed commuters. The virtual shelves look as they would in a physical supermarket, but instead you’re scanning 2D product images and arranging home delivery through your smartphone.

With the number of smartphone users only set to rise and convenience driving virtual shopping, the technology is showing its place, at least if you can get an internet connection.

But what about virtual shops becoming a fixture at airports? Last year, London Gatwick and Tesco briefly trialled an interactive, virtual grocery store on passengers at the airport.

Squeezing in a week’s shop while waiting for a plane is one way to use the technology; impulse buying expensive gadgets and gizmos is another. Its popularity at Delhi International Airport will be interesting to watch.

FlightCar puts airport parking lot cars up for short-term rent

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By Springwise

1 February 2013 | UK vehicle owners willing to let out their car to others when it’s not in use can already do so through the easyCar Car Club scheme. Now in the US, FlightCar aims to put vehicles left in airport parking lots to use by offering them up for short-term loans.

Where similar car-sharing companies aim to link owners with those requiring one-off loans, FlightCar takes advantage of the fact that most people driving to airports will be leaving the country for a fair amount of time. Owners can post details of the airport they will be departing from, how long their car will be available, details of the vehicle and how much they want to charge for rental. Those flying into the airport at the same time can then avoid more expensive rental companies by borrowing a car that would otherwise have sat in the parking lot for the duration of the owner’s break.

Once a transaction is agreed, the carkeys are handed to a FlightCar representative who cleans the vehicle before transferring them to the renter. FlightCar includes an approval process for both parties through driving licence checks and is insured against damage and theft. Video of how the service works here).

According to the company, customers can expect a 20 to 50 percent discount compared to traditional rental routes, while owners receive 65 per cent of the agreed fee. How else could car sharing be made easier?
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New hotel that mirrors plane and airport interior to be launched by Vueling

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By Louise Driscoll, Terminal U

20 December 2012 | These days you can find a themed hotel to suit any interest – from stylist fashion hotels to Vegas’s mega-resorts that pay homage to world cities.

We’ve seen plane-themed hotels before, but now a budget airline plans to take the idea further by opening hotels based around the flight experience.

Spanish airline Vueling is working with hotel chain Hoteles Catalonia (HC) to open its first themed hotel in downtown Barcelona next year.

But instead of showcasing a few plane models in the lobby for novelty value, the hotel will make guests feel that they’ve just boarded a Vueling flight. Artist impressions of the hotel show a reception area that will recreate an airport check-in counter and a bar-restaurant inside a mock aircraft cabin.

The themed experience doesn’t stop there. A breakfast area will be made to look like it’s inside an airport terminal, with overhead information screens.

Vueling’s yellow and grey brand colours will also play a big part in branding the experience, from the seat back covers in the restaurant area to the throws on the guest beds. The airline even plans to name each room after the destinations it serves.

But Vueling will leave its partner, Hoteles Catalonia (HC) to operate and manage the hotel chain, under the “Vueling by HC” brand. The first hotel, ‘Vueling BCN by HC’ is expected to open in March 2013. (BCN stands for Barcelona airport). More hotels openings are planned in destinations that Vueling serves, the hotel chain said.

Airline buy-on-board catering goes local

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By Nikos Loukas, InflightFeed

16 December 2012 | Airlinetrends.com has reported earlier how Canadian low-cost carrier Westjet has differentiated its buy-on-board catering offer by partnering with local, often family-owned, restaurants across Canada for its buy-on-board catering program. Unlike many pre-packaged airline snacks, WestJet’s sandwich options offer fresh, local flavors from the city of departure.

As the number of airlines – including full-service airlines – that offer buy on board (BOB) catering increases, Westjet’s local BOB initiative is part of a trend that sees carriers looking at ways to add special touches to the paid-for menus on offer. This may go down well with the growing number of passengers that are happy to pay for a quality onboard meal or snack, instead of the cut-down complimentary offer served on many full-service carriers on short-haul routes.

Here’s a look at some ‘local BOB’ catering offers from airlines around the world.

AirAsia
AirAsia’s ‘Café’ menu features options such as chicken siew bao from popular local Malaysian brand Mr Siew Bao (RM 4; USD 1.30), as well as bubble tea from Taiwanese specialist tea maker Chatime (RM8). The airline says it hopes the popular bubble tea drink will boost its in-flight sales by two percent over the next 12 months.

Transavia
Passengers traveling with Dutch low-cost airline Transavia can choose from a range of sandwiches (EUR 4.50 to 5.00) from local producer Sanday’s. Not your typical airline sandwich, this product is made by hand on the day of departure and uses organic bread and quality ingredients (video here). In fact, InflightFeed has voted the Sanday sandwich as one of the best paid-for sandwiches in the sky.

Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines, meanwhile, has teamed up with local food producers to provide passengers with tastes from Hawaii. Kona Chips, a family owned business which has been around for 50 years is on the menu, along with the Kauai Kookie company and the Punalu’u Bakeshop, which all add a local element to the in-flight catering offering.
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Emirates introduces First Class shuttle buses at crowded Dubai International Airport

By Raymond Kollau, airlinetrends.com

12 December 2012 | Despite the fact that Dubai International Airport will increase capacity from 60 million to 75 million with the opening of Concourse 3 at the end of 2012, the airport is still witnessing capacity constaints, especially with hub carrier Emirates continuing its stellar growth pace. This means, however, that during peak hours too many aircraft are competing for a limited number of available gates, with the result that in many occasions aircraft have to be parked on remote stands and passengers shuttled between the aircraft and the airport terminal.

In order to offer its First Class and Business Class customers “a seamless, premium travel experience” if their flight arrives or departs away from the terminal, Emirates has recently introduced a fleet of custom-built VIP shuttles. According to Emirates, the rather opulent shuttle buses are “designed to reflect the ambiance and quality of the onboard experience.”

“We are constantly reviewing every touch point along the journey of our premium class passengers, to find ways we can further enhance their travel experience with Emirates,” said Tony Chandler, VP Product Development and Operations Improvement at Emirates. “With the introduction of the luxury transfer shuttles, customers will have no interruption to the ambiance and comfort that they have come to expect on Emirates’ premium cabins.”

41 transfer shuttles are currently in operation – 15 dedicated for First Class and 26 for Business Class passengers – and Emirates says it has invested over AED 73 million (USD 20 mln, EUR 15 mln) in the custom-built busses. The new shuttles add to other Emirates’ services for premium class customers such as a complimentary chauffeur service to and from the airport.

Airports evolve from ‘spaces of flow’ to destinations that connect people and places

By Hildegard Assies, UrbanRetail

5 December 2012 | Between 2010 and 2015 the size of the global airport retailing market is forecast to expand by 44.5 percent from to nearly USD 40 billion. In a time when downtown retail is suffering, facing strong competition from internet and new challenges how to engage consumers, airports’ commercial income is substantially increasing and for example in Europe now accounts for an average 48 percent of total airport revenues.

In 50 years, the airport retailing market has gone through a major development. Since the opening of the first duty free store at Shannon Airport in Ireland (in the 1950s), retailing at airports has become a professionalized market that offers (luxury) brands a unique platform to engage with an international mix of customers. Add to this the growing understanding of airports of passengers needs and it becomes clear that today’s airports are no longer just a space of passenger flows, but are evolving into locations that offer a sense of place for consumers on the move (a.k.a. ‘transumers’).

A local touch in a high-traffic location
In order to create an unique sense of place, airports have realized they had to differentiate the passenger experience. Not only by designing seamless, efficient, processes and fancy terminals, but by creating a distinct ambiance with a unique and flexible portfolio of retail, food & beverage and service concepts.

Uniqueness is achieved by developing innovative concepts, preferable with a local flavour by featuring local brands and experiences, as well as global brands that offer a selection of local products (‘glocalization’).

Airlinetrends.com has reported before on ‘localization’ of airports, with great examples at Tokyo Haneda (Edo Market), Amsterdam Schiphol (Holland Boulevard) and Copenhagen Kastrup (Foodmarket). In the meantime new initiatives have evolved at for example ANA-Aeroportos de Portugal, which recently opened an upscale destination merchandise store named Portfolio at Lisbon Airport as part of its drive to create a strong ‘sense of place’ across its airport network.
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Air France app lets music fans ‘capture’ songs in the sky with their mobile phone

By Vivek Mayasandra, Globalizer.co

3 December 2012 | Since the launch of its ‘Air France Music’ initiative in 2010, the airline has built a reputation for offering passengers and its social media fans and followers exclusive musical content such as exclusive podcasts and ‘on air’ playlists of the music it play on board its aircrafts. In November 2010, the airline also took three bands – The Shoes, Monsieur Monsieur and Alb – on an Airbus A380 flight from Paris to Tokyo, with each act composing and recording a new track while in the air.

According to Air France’s SVP Corporate Communications Adeline Challon-Kemoun, “music plays a central role in brand communication” for the airline, with the app being a way to “evoke the relaxed serenity of air travel” through music.

Following its ‘Side by Side’ Facebook iniative earlier this year, Air France recently launched its latest musical initiative, a global mobile music discovery app.

Music in the Sky
Air France ‘Music in the Sky’ is an app for iPhone and iPad that allows users to ‘capture’ new tracks by pointing their devices upwards to the sky. The app uses an augmented reality element so that songs show up on the screen as little dots with music notes inside them. Users can then capture a song and add it to their playlist.

‘Music in the Sky’ also features different tracks in each country, so frequent travellers can discover more music through the Air France Music mobile platform. Additionally, users can test their music knowledge on the app to win “other unreleased tracks, concert tickets or even air tickets” by finding hidden games in the sky during certain times of the year. Video of the ‘Music in the Air’ app here.
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Emirates provides 1,000 pursers with HP tablets as part of ‘knowledge-driven’ in-flight service drive

By Raymond Kollau, airlinetrends.com

1 December 2012 | Already launched back in 2004, Emirates ‘Knowledge-driven Inflight Service’ (KIS) allows the airline’s cabin crew to see which previous trips a passenger has taken with the carrier before and based on this, know their food, wine and seating preferences, or any issues a customer had during their travels. Pursers use KIS to brief the cabin crew before every flight and check passenger’s special needs, as well as see who is enrolled in Emirates’ frequent flyer programme Skywards in order to enable the crew to provide a more personalized service. Cabin crew can also use the KIS system to perform in-flight upgrades to Business or First Class, as well as post customer feedback that’s emailed to headquarters upon landing.

Until now, Emirates’ KIS tool was tied to a Lenovo Thinkpad laptop that pursers tote around (video here). However, the laptops proved to be too bulky to use on a full flight. Says Anita Grillo, purser for Emirates, “The laptops had to be unpacked and plugged in because they had a short battery life. We had to ask passengers to come back to the galley to verify information, and passengers would have to wait until we clicked through pages that were sometimes slow to load.”

HP ElitePad 900
In order to solve the issues with the rather outdated device, as well as further enhance its knowledge-driven inflight service, Emirates just announced it has become the first global customer of the HP’s new ElitePad 900 tablet which runs on Microsoft’s new Windows 8 operating system. According to Kevin Griffiths, SVP of cabin crew at Emirates, the airline tried numerous other devices but was attracted to the ElitePad by its looks, lack of weight and bulk and support for legacy (Windows-based) applications.

Emirates IT staff redesigned the KIS application to run on Windows 8 and deployed it on the ElitePad tablets. “We quickly rebuilt the application to include images and gestures,” Griffiths told Techradar. “The whole project from the development starting has been about six months. We have already trained 100 people and they will go online in December. In January after the launch of the ElitePad we’ll be rolling out over about four months and all of our pursers will have a device each then.”

The ElitePad is 3G enabled and Emirates has airtime agreements in place in most of its 120 destinations, so the tablet is synchronised with the back end applications and loads the final status just before departure, as well as will on landing.
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Japan Airlines partners with Kentucky Fried Chicken to serve ‘Air KFC’ meal up in the air

By Raymond Kollau, airlinetrends.com

29 November 2012 | Japan Airlines (JAL) has developed a reputation when it comes to collaborating with well-known consumer brands in order to add an extra touch to the onboard experience, a practice dubbed ‘Branded Brands’ by trendwatching.com.

Branded amenities
For example, JAL has recently launched partnerships with Shisheido to develop special in-flight menus to celebrate the 5th anniversary of its domestic First Class during December 2012, while a collaboration with Jean-Paul Hévin will see JAL serving macarons from the French master chocolatier in First Class and Business Class until January 2013. Meanwhile, passengers In Premium Economy are served icecream from artisan brand Dean & DeLuca.

In First Class, JAL offers passengers Bose noise-cancelling headphones, as well as pillows and an extra matrass pad that have been custom-made for the airline by Tempur. JAL’s upcoming ‘Sky Suite’ B777-300 aircraft will feature pillows and matrass pads made by Japanese specialty brand Airweave in First and Business, while the airline’s new 777s and B787 Dreamliners feature so-called ‘washlet’ toilets from Japanese sanitary brand TOTO.

For more on how airlines can improve the passenger experience by teaming up with well-known brands, see our article for the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX).

‘JAL AIR Series’
In recent years, JAL has also partnered with several Japanese fast food chains in order to recreate their signature dishes as in-flight meal and offer passengers a taste of Japan at 30,000 feet. Following earlier collaborations with local food chains such as Mosburger (AIR Mosburger), Yoshinoya (AIR Yoshinoya) and Edosei (AIR Nikuman), JAL has just announced its latest partnership with fastfood chain Kentucky Fried Chicken, the 7th collaboration in the ‘JAL AIR Series’.
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Finnair bets on China with route to Chongqing, a.k.a. ‘Chicago on the Yangtze’

By Vivek Mayasandra, Globalizer.co

26 November 2012 | In the highly competitive aviation industry, airlines have to think differently to evolve and grow. The challenge has been especially strong for European carriers, whose base in the economically troubled Eurozone, coupled with strong competition from low-cost carriers and Gulf-based airlines, has required them to look to new markets for opportunities. As the global economic center of gravity is shifting from Europe and the USA towards Asia, with subsequent increases in income, many European carriers are looking East for growth.

Finnair’s Asia strategy
Along with megacarriers Air France-KLM and Lufthansa, Finnair is one of the most prominent players in the Europe to Asia market. The airline has built a niche strategy around “Asia’s growing market, the best flight connections and cost-competitiveness” and has invested significantly into expansion in the region and into developing its Helsinki base into a prime transit hub.

According to the Center for Aviation (CAPA), Finnair has a near 7 percent capacity share of one-way seats between South Korea and Western Europe, a 10 percent share of Japan to Western Europe (ahead of British Airways), and an approximate 6 percent share of the China to Western Europe.

Via Helsinki
By virtue of geography, Helsinki’s location makes it the closest European Union gateway for flights between Europe and Asia. Finnair has leveraged this fact by promoting its Helsinki hub as a transit hub for travellers between its 40 European and 11 Asian gateways. According to CAPA, Finnair in the second quarter of 2012 deployed about 51 percent of its capacity (in ASKs) on routes to Asia, and this segment represented 43 percent of passenger revenues.

According to the airline, some 40 million passengers travel between Europe and Asia annually, and about half of these passengers fly non-stop from a major hub like London Heathrow, Frankfurt and Paris Charles de Gaulle with the other half connecting via an intermediate airport in Europe or the Middle East. Finnair strives to be among the three largest operators in traffic between Europe and Asia involving transfers during the trip.
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Air New Zealand offers frequent flyers a space to work in downtown Auckland

By Raymond Kollau, airlinetrends.com

23 November 2012 | Finding a place to work comfortably if their flight leaves late in the evening is an uncomfortable situation for many passengers, especially when there is no late checkout available at the hotel.

Koru Central
Australian Business Traveller reports that Air New Zealand (ANZ) offers its top-tier frequent flyers of its Airpoints loyalty program and members of its Koru Club lounge program complimentary access to Generator, a co-working space and business club located in the Britomart area in downtown Auckland. ANZ says it offers the service, which it has dubbed ‘Koru Central’, to provide passengers with “an office-away-from-office” and “a place to touch down” in the central business district of Auckland on the days they fly in and out of Auckland.

Inside the loft-style Generator ‘being space’, passengers will find shared work environments, sofas and armchairs, plus a cafe/bar/lounge area and shower facilities. Meeting rooms are also available. Passengers also get 2GB per month of Internet on their Koru Central account, with extra data at NZ$5 per GB. Business services like a PA, dictation services, and document production are available at Generator member rates and ANZ’s frequent flyers also earn Airpoints Dollars if they pay for eligible purchases using the OneSmart feature of their Airpoints card.
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Philippine Air lets customers without a credit card book online and pay at a nearby 7 Eleven store

By Raymond Kollau, airlinetrends.com

19 November 2012 | We have reported earlier how airlines in emerging economies have been introducing innovative services aimed at the rapidly growing middle class in the BRIC and Next-11 countries. Many of these consumers, often novice fliers, do not own credit cards or even have a bank account.

In Brazil, TAM sells tickets via low-end retail chain Casas Bahia and at high-traffic locations such as subway stations and bus stations. The airline also provides ‘how to fly’ advice to first-time fliers at its sales kiosks. TAM, Gol and Azul also allow customers to pay for their ticket in multiple installments.

In East Africa, airlines such as Kenya Airways and Uganda Airlines have teamed up with mobile payment services M-PESA and Airtel Money to allow people without a bank account to purchase air tickets via sms. Qatar Airways, meanwhile, offers passengers in twelve countries across Africa the option to book their ticket online and pay for it using cash within 48 hours at a Qatar Airways reservation or airport office.

Philippine Airlines ‘Reserve and Hold’
In the Philippines, passengers who book a ticket online for a domestic flight with Philippine Airlines (PAL), and its low-cost subsidiary AirPhil Express, can now pay for their ticket using cash at over 750 7-Eleven retail outlets nationwide which are open 24/7.

The new scheme is designed for the large number of consumers in the Philippines who do not own a credit card and PAL says it wants to offer them the convenience to do their bookings online at home, office, internet cafe or via their mobile phone and then go the nearest 7-Eleven outlet in their neighborhood to make the payment.
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Personal shoppers at Frankfurt Airport assist Chinese passengers with their shopping therapy

By Raymond Kollau, airlinetrends.com

15 November 2012 | With Chinese outbound tourism growing more than 20 percent annually and overseas spending by Chinese tourists in 2011 totalling USD55 billion, airlines, airports and tourism destinations around the world are rolling out the red carpet to make Chinese travellers feel more at home, a trend dubbed ‘RED CARPET’ by trendwatching.com.

Personal shoppers
Following earlier initiatives by European airports such as Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Helsinki Vantaa tailored at Chinese passengers, Frankfurt Airport has recently launched a free personal shopping service for travellers from China.

The personal shopper staff speak fluent Mandarin and are familiar with the culture and preferences of Chinese passengers. The assistants, who wear bright orange jackets, provide Chinese travellers with information about orientation and facilities at Frankfurt Airport, assist them in making purchasing decisions (such as translating inquiries about products)  and help in obtaining refunds on value-added tax (VAT). On request, the airport’s personal shoppers also escort Chinese passengers through the security check and onward to their departure gate. Video of the service (in German) here.

Frankfurt Airport initially trialed the shopping service with one personal shopper in June, and is now making it a permanent feature at the airport, with eight staff. Read full article »

Qantas turns catering trolleys into onboard iPad ‘sync & charge’ carts

12 November 2012 | Hot on the heels of the announcement that Qantas has started the rollout of its new Q-Streaming wireless inflight entertainment service comes an interesting look behind the scenes. Qantas’ Q-Streaming service will see every seat on Qantas’ B767 aircrafts get an iPad that provides passengers with access to more than 200 hours of content, streamed from an onboard server. Passengers who own an iPad, laptop or smartphone will also be able to view the same content through a separate application, but it is unclear when this feature will be introduced.

Qantas has also indicated that it is looking at ways to evolve the Panasonic-based technology platform further. According to the airline’s Domestic CEO Lyell Strambi, “This could include the addition of internet access, live television and the ability to order food, drinks and duty- free goods via the iPad.” More on the Qantas’ Q-Stream system in this report by Australian Business Traveller.

iPad galley carts
In order to keep all 256 iPads onboard the B767 fully charged for return flights, multiple flights during the day, as well as to simplifly logistics, Qantas has partnered with Australian IT equipment designer and manufacturer PC Locs that will see the company deliver a fleet of customised galley carts to support the airline’s new IFE service.

PC Locs will supply Qantas with iPad charging carts, which essentially are normal galley trolleys that have been re-kitted to store, transport, sync and charge up the devices onboard. The iPad carts will be deployed on the airline’s Boeing 767 fleet, which operates on routes across Australia and between Australia and Honolulu, Hawaii.
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