June 19, 2013 - 08:00 AM ET
BCD M&I named former CWT Meetings & Events executive Fernando Lonergan senior director of the Asia/Pacific region, according to the meetings management company, a sister company of BCD Travel. Based in Sydney and reporting to BCD M&I Asia/Pacific managing director Lisa Hopkins, Lonergan "will be responsible for the expansion and growth of the Australian market" and serve as "the key business development lead for multinational solutions within the Asia/Pacific region," according to the company. Lonergan for the past six years served as CWT Meetings & Events' Australia/New Zealand program director, according to BCD.
June 13, 2013 - 05:10 PM ET
EasyJet agreed to "more than double its passenger numbers" at London Stansted Airport, according to the airport's new owner, Manchester Airports Group. MAG in a statement indicated easyJet signed a "long-term growth framework deal" that would see the airline during the next five years add destinations and increase its annual passenger count at Stansted to 6 million. It added that "easyJet's continued focus and growing share of the corporate market means the agreement can also facilitate an increase in the number of business travelers using Stansted."
June 10, 2013 - 03:10 PM ET
Russia officially joined the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Card program, which is meant to provide "pre-cleared, facilitated, short-term entry to participating member economies." ABTC cardholders from
APEC-participating countries now can enter Russia without a visa, according to a statement from APEC. Full program participants include Australia, Brunei, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The United States and Canada are "transitional" members. U.S. Customs and Border Protection currently "is working through the formal rulemaking process and internal programming" that would enable the United States to fully participate by establishing a mechanism for issuing cards to U.S. citizens, according to a spokesperson. ABTC holders entering the U.S. "are still required to be in possession of the appropriate visa and/or [approval through the
Electronic System for Travel Authorization system], but ABTC holders are able to use the crew or diplomatic lanes at U.S. airports," the CBP spokesperson added.
June 03, 2013 - 12:00 PM ET
Delta Air Lines beginning July 1 will charge economy passengers $100 to check a second bag on flights between the Americas and Japan with the exception of Hawaiian flights, for which Delta will levy a $40 second-checked fee. The airline on those routes currently allows passengers to check two bags for no additional charge. Delta also raised to $100 from $75 the second-bag fee for economy passengers flying between the Americas and China, Guam, Hong Kong, Palau, Saipan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand, but removed the second bag fee on routes between the Americas and Australia and New Zealand. The policy changes effect tickets purchased on or after June 1. Delta indicated that flights to and from Brazil are exempted from the new bag fees.
May 30, 2013 - 09:35 AM ET
Officials from the United States and Saudi Arabia signed an Open Skies air transport deal. Once fully in effect, the agreement will "permit unrestricted air service by the airlines of both countries between and beyond the other's territory, eliminating restrictions on how often the carriers fly, the kind of aircraft they use and the prices they charge," according to the U.S. State Department. The United States has signed liberalized air transport deals with more than 100 other countries, but notably
not with China.