CORPORATE TRAVEL
BOA R DING PA S S
All the latest news for the busy EA organising corporate travel
Airlines
consider
weighing
passengers
Brand new business
class bedrooms
British Airways’ new business class
looks more like a dormitory than an
aisle of seats. The airline’s A350 aircraft
will feature a business class seat with
flat-beds, a vanity unit and mirror,
18.5 inch screens and, if that wasn’t
enough, the seats come with their very
own door for extra privacy.
The UK’s second largest airline is
rolling out it’s latest development in
business travel luxury, with the ‘Club
Suite’ being part of a GBP 6.5 billion
($12 billion) investment in it’s fleet.
The new A350 aircraft is also boasting
improvements to passenger well-being
with reduced noise levels, high ceilings,
higher levels of humidity and refreshed
air, as well as much-needed high speed
WiFi and device charging capabilities.
Alex Cruz, Chairman and CEO of
British Airways, said, “The arrival
of our first A350 featuring our new
Club Suite is one of the most exciting
developments in our GBP 6.5 billion
investment programme. Each new
suite has direct aisle access and comes
with a personal door—design features
which were incorporated as a direct
result of the feedback we’ve had from
our customers.” S
UK opens e-gates to Australians
and New Zealanders
The UK is now allowing a range of
new passport holders to use its e-gate
automated system.
As of June 2019 passengers holding
passports from Australia, New Zealand,
Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the USA
and Canada will all be able to simply
swipe their e-passports and bypass
frustratingly long immigration queues.
In total, approximately six million
42 Chief of Staff | Issue 2 2019
visitors are expected to pass through
the e-gates after June. The UK will also
abolish its landing card system as a part
of these changes.
“The expanded access to e-passport
gates and the withdrawal of landing
cards is part of our work to transform
the UK’s border, providing a quicker
experience” says UK Immigration
Minister, Caroline Nokes. S
Discreet ‘pressure pads’ may
be installed at check-in desks to
weigh passengers so airlines can
reduce their fuel consumption.
Several long-haul airlines are
in talks with British-based firm
Fuel Matrix about installing the
system to replace their current
weight estimation method.
Currently, airlines use
passengers’ gender to judge
the approximate weight of the
payload, but it’s an imperfect
system. The weighted pads are
designed to give a more accurate
reading of how much a flight will
weigh, and therefore, how much
fuel is needed.
It’s a system designed to both
cut down on the airline’s fuel
costs and also reduce a plane’s
emissions. Nick Brasier, CEO of
Fuel Matrix told The Independent
this method could save a
significant amount of money, (up
to $1.37 billion) while keeping
passengers’ dignity intact.
“We’re not suggesting people
should stand on the scales, but
airports could fit ‘pressure pads’
in the bag-drop area in front of
each screen… then the weight
can be recorded and passed
confidentially to the airline,”
explained Brasier. S