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All March stories can be accessed from this web page

Terminal 5 opens
BAA's £4.3 billion Heathrow T5 officially opened for business today, over 15 years after formal planning applications were first submitted

Turboprop beats jet for VLM
Belgian carrier VLM has withdrawn its BAe146 jet aircraft from service, reverting to plying the LCY-Rotterdam route with its familar F50 turboprops

US carriers cut baggage allowance for domestic passengers
From May 5 both United and US Airways will begin charging some economy class domestic passengers when they check in more than one piece of baggage

Gatwick to lift "one-bag" rule
Gatwick airport is finally lifting restrictions limiting passengers to one piece of hand luggage, nearly three months after the limit was removed at other BAA airports

Jet confirms Mumbai-Shanghai-San Francisco schedules
After months of negotiations with the Chinese authorities Jet Airways is gearing up to launch its first transpacific service on May 5

Radisson SAS extends free internet access
Hotel brand Radisson SAS has extended its free internet access offering to non-residents visiting its properties for meetings

Sri Lankan Airlines launches FFP
Sri Lanka’s national carrier has announced the launch of its own frequent flyer programme, Smiles, which will start from April 1

Dot2Dot launches T5 service
Airport transfer firm Dot2Dot has announced a Terminal 5 door-to-door service

Just landed
Businesstraveller.com brings you stories from the lighter side of business travel. This week: Ritz-Carlton, Etihad Airways, Mandarin Oriental, Eos and British Airways

First mobile phone calls allowed on Emirates
The first authorised in-flight mobile phone calls were made today on an Emirates flight from Dubai to Casablanca

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All April stories can be accessed from this web page

Turkish joins Star Alliance
Turkish Airlines has become the 20th member of Star Alliance, in the same year as it celebrates its 75th anniversary

Wonderful, Spectacular and Fabulous
And that's just the room types. Businesstraveller.com takes a look around the brand new W Istanbul, the first European property from the trendy Starwood brand

United's B777 schedules now returning to normal
United's B777-operated flights departing the UK are now operating normally, following safety checks which grounded the 52-strong fleet yesterday

Just landed
Businesstraveller.com compiles stories from the lighter side of business travel. This week: Easyjet, Swissotel, Hesperia Hotels, Garde Robe and Robert de Niro

Austrian celebrates 50th anniversary
Business Traveller looks at the future of Austrian Airlines, 50 years after its first commercial scheduled flight took off from Vienna bound for London

Flight numbers
Businesstraveller.com brings you the news that counts. This week: Sheraton, New York, Singapore, VLM, Finnair, Oman Air, Summit Hotels, Bmi and Easyjet

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All April stories can be accessed from this web page

Qatar to go horizontal in business
Qatar Airways is to fit fully-flat beds into business class cabins, scrap first class lounges on its aircraft, and expand its Premium Terminal in Doha - before knocking it down in 2011

Hyatt announces second Istanbul property and launches community website
Hyatt Hotels and Resorts is the latest group to announce a hotel opening in Istanbul, with a 90-room Park Hyatt property slated for this summer

New tax to push up cost of Dutch flights
Flights from the Netherlands will become more expensive from July 1 when an "environmental" tax comes into effect

Gulf Air to get revamp
Bahrain-based airline Gulf Air is to undergo a major revamp, with aircraft interiors, livery, uniforms and lounges all due to be redesigned

Five Seasons in four months
Four Seasons is to open five new hotels in the next four months, with properties in Mumbai, Istanbul, Mauritius, Bora Bora and Florence

Varig retreats from Europe
Brazilian airline Varig will drop its last two remaining European destinations in the coming months

PAL launches low-cost carrier
Philippine Airlines has launched PAL Express, a low-cost subsidiary using turbo-propeller aircraft

Second Park Inn for Manchester
Rezidor's Park Inn brand has announced a second hotel in Manchester, due to open in 2010

Maxjet relaunches
But fans of the airline shouldn’t get too excited - the defunct airline has been given a new lease of life as a US charter carrier

Aegean UK expansion
On May 15 Stansted will gain its first direct flights to Athens, when Aegean Airlines debuts in the UK with a twice-daily service to the Greek capital

Swissotel opens in Shanghai
Swissotel Hotels and Resorts has opened its third property in China, the Swissotel Grand Shanghai

BA to delay long-haul move to T5
British Airways has confirmed it is delaying the move of its long-haul services to T5 until June

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All April stories can be accessed from this web page

Winners and losers in British Airways New York shake-up
BA passengers will gain a “new” route from Gatwick to New York this autumn, but those based in the north will lose its Manchester service to the Big Apple

Easyhotel opens Luton property
Business Traveller talks exclusively to Stelios at the opening of the new Easyhotel in Luton

New Starwood Hotel brand
Starwood Hotels and Resorts has announced a new hotel brand for the long-stay business traveller - Element hotels

Flight numbers
Businesstraveller.com brings you the news that counts. This week: Delayed baggage, Changi airport, Cornwall tourism, Southampton airport, Swissotel, hotel rooms in Moscow, Ibahn, Open Skies and Lufthansa

BAA airports market investigation
Competition Commission sees potential for competition at all BAA airports in England and Scotland and calls for further evidence

Dublin's Westbury gets major makeover
Dublin's Westbury hotel is coming to the end of the first phase of a major refit, which has seen the lobby floor and all the guest rooms extensively refurbished

Hilton announces Beijing airport hotel
Hilton is to open a property attached to Beijing Capital airport's new Terminal 3 this summer

Delta adds international online check-in
Delta has announced the roll-out of its online check-in facility for international departures

Green news
Ramada Jarvis achieves green status; Finnair launches emissions calculator; Kimpton Hotels offers green meeting incentives; JAL launches "Eco Jet"; Novotel sets out green plans

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All May stories can be accessed from this web page

Exclusive: Air France announces premium economy class
Air France is to launch a premium-economy style seat across its long-haul fleet, with the first plane due to see the new product in around 15 months' time

American joins $25 second bag club
American Airlines announced this week that it will follow its major US rivals United, Delta and Northwest in charging passengers for every second piece of checked baggage

Lufthansa extends all-biz class flights to the Gulf and India
German airline Lufthansa is to launch its all-business class product to Dubai and Pune (India) over the coming months

NXEC to showcase Anglo-Scottish trains with free tickets
Train firm National Express East Coast (NXEC) wants to woo Anglo-Scottish travellers from the “high road”

Rezidor openings to benefit EM travellers
Rezidor Hotel Group, owner of the Regent, Radisson SAS and Park Inn brands, is set to continue its emerging markets expansion with a slew of openings and signings in Russia, the CIS and Africa

Why Eos failed
All-business-class airline Eos ceased its daily London Stansted to New York JFK service this week after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

Korean Air update: Munich and Sao Paulo this summer
From June 1, Korean Air will add new gateways in Europe and Brazil

Lufthansa launches mobile website
Lufthansa passengers can now book flights and check in online via a mobile version of the carrier’s website

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All May stories can be accessed from this web page

BA OpenSkies from June 19?
BA’s subsidiary OpenSkies is set to launch in mid-June and will do so from Paris Orly with a codeshare agreement operating with all-business class carrier L’Avion

Easyhotel to open in Dubai; where next for the Palm?
The first Easyhotel in the Middle East will open in Dubai in 2009, under development by Nakheel, the real-estate developer responsible for reclamation projects including the Palm Jumeirah and the World

United to serve Dubai and Moscow
United Airlines has announced plans to fly non-stop from Washington to Dubai and Moscow from this October

GHA adds airline partners
Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) has added four airline partners to its loyalty scheme – Emirates, Etihad, Jet and Singapore Airlines

Swissotel adds Izmir property
Swissotel has opened the doors of its latest Turkish property, the Swissotel Grand Efes, Izmir

Doubletree to debut in Scotland
The Doubletree by Hilton brand is set to continue its UK expansion, with the announcement of its first Scottish hotel in Dunblane

Sofitel opens in Luxembourg
Sofitel has opened its second hotel in the city of Luxembourg, The Sofitel Luxembourg Le Grand Ducal

Guest Hotels to expand and launch “Concierge Club”
The founders of Guest Invest, the first UK company to allow investors to buy their own hotel rooms in central London, are opening three new Guest Hotels properties

Barclaycard and IHG launch new credit card
Intercontinental Hotel Group has joined forces with Barclaycard to launch the Priority Club Rewards Visa, enabling Priority Club members to earn points on purchases and double points on hotel stays

Collins launches digital phrasebooks
Collins has launched a series of digital phrasebooks that travellers can download onto their iPod or mobile phones

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All May stories can be accessed from this web page

Mercure adds Gatwick hotel
Accor’s Mercure brand will add a Gatwick property to its portofolio, when it takes over the franchise of the Renaissance London Gatwick Hotel later this month

Tarom “on track” to join Skyteam
Romanian airline Tarom has signed a Skyteam Associate Adherence Agreement, paving the way for the carrier to join the alliance as an Associate member

Hotels and routes roundup
This week: BA Cityflyer, Finnair, Zoom, Clickair, Easyjet, Holiday Inn Express, Raffles, Incontinental, Radisson SAS and Westin

Just landed
Businesstraveller.com compiles stories from the lighter side of business travel. This week: De Vere Venues, Langham Hotels, Ebbsfleet Station and Park Plaza

Qantas' A380 set for October debut
Australian airline Qantas has decided to operate its first Airbus A380 across the Pacific to LA

Changi opens entertainment zone
Singapore’s Changi Airport has launched a new multi-media entertainment zone for the tech-savvy traveller – dubbed the Entertainment Deck

plus many more...

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All May stories can be accessed from this web page

Etihad opens new Abu Dhabi lounge
Etihad Airways has opened a new business class lounge at Abu Dhabi’s T1, as part of an overhaul of premium services at the airport

Holiday Inn Express set for Bangkok
InterContinental Hotels Group has announced its first Holiday Inn Express property in Thailand

Ryanair extends boarding charges
Low-cost carrier Ryanair is to start charging online check-in passengers for its priority-boarding service

Palm Jumeirah set for Atlantis opening
Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah will welcome its first hotel resort this September, when the 1,500-room Atlantis resort and conference centre opens its doors

LEA begins "Air Taxi" service
London Executive Aviation today announced the delivery of four Mustang VLJ's which it says will cut the price of private jet chartering by up to 30 per cent

Is the coffee shop the new office?
Over a quarter of us are now working regularly from coffee shops, according to recent research

More stories:
Westin announces Australian expansion
Changi opens entertainment zone
El Al launches UK online check-in
Qantas' A380 set for October debut
Carlson launches "points to go" promotion

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All May stories can be accessed from this web page

Credit where it's due
Business Traveller has compiled comprehensive details of credit cards offering loyalty points with your favourite airline or hotel group

AA to extend baggage charges
American Airlines is to introduce a US$15 fee for domestic passengers checking one piece of luggage into the hold

BA OpenSkies tickets now on sale
British Airways’ subsidiary OpenSkies has begun selling tickets on its Paris – New York route, ahead of its June 19 launch

Swiss unveils new business class
Swiss is to begin installing a fully-flat business class product on its long-haul fleet from 2009

Hyatt set for two new Seattle hotels
Seattle will welcome two new Hyatt brands over the next year or so, with the Hyatt at Olive 8 and Hyatt Place Seattle joining the existing Grand Hyatt Seattle

Air Mauritius extends business class
Air Mauritius has extended it lie-flat business class product to all flights to and from the UK

Other stories:
South Bank gains eco-friendly meetings venue
Hotels and routes roundup
BA to revamp premium JFK facilities
Holiday Inn to return to Chennai
Starwood introduces Westin to Dubai

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All June stories can be accessed from this web page

Oil prices fuel industry crisis
If oil remains at $130 a barrel then the world’s main airlines will collectively lose £3 billion this year. That was the message from IATA’s director general this week

MAS unveils new lounge concept as profits continue
Business Traveller catches a glimpse of what premium customers can expect at Malaysian Airlines’ forthcoming T4 lounge

Northwest and KLM launch Heathrow- Seattle flights
Joint venture partners Northwest and KLM commenced direct flights between London and Seattle this week, a route made possible by the Open Skies agreement

Oneworld to offer online RTW ticketing
Oneworld customers will soon be able to book their round-the-world Explorer tickets online

Heathrow Express launches e-ticketing
Passengers on the Heathrow Express can now have their tickets sent directly to a mobile phone or PDA

Hilton opens Madrid airport property
Hilton Hotels Corporation has opened its first hotel in Madrid, located close to the city’s airport

Other stories:

Delta to drop its Gatwick-New York service
ANZ extends carbon offsetting programme
Jet introduces international online check-in
Bmi launches paperless boarding
Silverjet goes bust

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All June stories can be accessed from this web page

More space for passengers at LCY
Departing passengers using London’s City Airport (LCY) now have more room to breathe following a significant expansion in facilities

JAL unveils new premium seating
Japan Airlines is to introduce redesigned business and first class products on its new 777-300ER aircraft, with the Tokyo-New York route the first to see the new seating

Virgin to go double daily to Hong Kong
Virgin Atlantic is to add a second daily flight on its popular London to Hong Kong route from this October

Thai drops all US non-stop flights
Thai Airways has now confirmed that it will cease its JFK service at the end of this month. It will also downgrade its LA flights to a five times a week Boeing 777 service with an enroute stop in Seoul

Emirates to inaugurate A380 service on August 1
Emirates is to showcase its first A380 by operating special flights to New York in early August.

Other stories:
Travelodge unveils new website
Staybridge Suites to debut in Kuwait
Gatwick turns 50
Northwest offers chauffeur service from LHR
T5 running smoothly

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I'm a little behind in posting these, but here I go....

All June stories can be accessed from this web page

Park Plaza expansion plans
Park Plaza Hotels has announced plans to more than double its room portfolio by 2012, with new signings in eastern Europe and the UK

US carriers extend charges
More US airlines are going down the low-cost route of charging for checked baggage and onboard beverages, as soaring fuel prices continue to take a grip

Not to be sniffed at
Travelodge has launched its latest gimmick to woo new customers – sheets scented with “happy and comforting” smells such as freshly-cut grass and chocolate

Just landed
Businesstraveller.com compiles stories from the lighter side of business travel. This week: Hilton, Korean Air, ANA Crowne Plaza, Virgin and Holiday Inn

Le Meridien Nice gets revamp
Le Meridien Nice has completed a €8.5m refurbishment of its lobby, bar, restaurant and guest rooms

Other stories:
United joins the iPod generation
Etihad to launch Minsk service
York station gets free wifi
Swissotel announces Aeroflot partnership
Air New Zealand removes IFE restrictions

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I'm that far behind posting these, that I'm not going to have the time to post the summarised stories. I'll start again with the summaries from October.

All July stories can be accessed from this web page

All August stories can be accessed from this web page

All September stories can be accessed from this web page