Author: Lee Fletcher

Club Atletico Boca Juniors, an Argentinean football club in Buenos Aires, has announced the opening of a football-themed hotel in Buenos Aires. Boca Juniors is Argentina’s most triumphant football team, successful both at home and internationally, having won 51 official titles at the national and international tournaments. Boca Juniors is the football team where Diego Maradona, Argentina’s most famous football icon, played, and the club has recently opened a luxury hotel in the city centre, in the district of San Telmo, for the cost of GBP9 million. The hotel, which has taken four years to construct, will provide accommodation for…

Heathrow Express, a UK-based express train service from London Heathrow Airport  to London Paddington station, has announced new features for its smart phone applications. The company is offering a new feature for the applications, which allows business travellers to purchase tickets for Heathrow Express trains using their smart phones. Heathrow Express is a part of BAA Ltd, owner and operator of six British airports, including London Heathrow. The company has added new capabilities to its existing Blackberry and Android applications, for buyers to have electronic tickets bought and delivered to their smart phones, as well as receive updates on travel…

International Airlines Group (IAG), the UK-based airline holding company that owns British Airways, has announced a growth in traffic in April 2012. The company has reported that premium traffic increased by 4.8% in April 2012 compared to the same month in 2011. Premium traffic has outgrown the company’s traffic for economic fares, which increased by 2.6% in April 2012, from that in April 2011. Total traffic for the company increased by 2.9% in April 2012, compared to April 2011, while capacity increased by 0.5% for the month compared to that for April 2011. Passenger load factor in April 2012 has…

Ryanair, an Ireland-based low cost airline, has announced the launch of a new route from London Stansted Airport in England, to Paphos International Airport, Cyprus. The new route commenced from May 3, 2012, with fares commencing at GBP102.41 one way. As part of the launch of the new route, Cyprus Tourist Office is offering passengers on the flight a taste of celebrated Cypriot wine. Michelle Lowe, a spokesperson for Ryanair, said, ‘Ryanair is delighted to celebrate the start of its new route to Paphos in Cyprus from London Stansted. This new route will allow London Stansted passengers…

RIU Hotels and Resorts, a Spain-based hotel chain, has reported opening of four new hotels in Mexico and Caribbean destinations. The all-inclusive ClubHotel RIU Ocho Rios is located along the beach of Mammee Bay in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and offers 856 guestrooms. The newly refurbished hotel is offering private check-in, luxurious junior suites, as well as suites with hydro-massage tubs and Jacuzzis, and hotel amenities including complimentary Wi-Fi, concierge service for restaurant bookings; complimentary dining experiences; two swimming pools; and many leisure facilities. The Hotel RIU Palace Bavaro is a new beachside hotel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, which opened…

HostelBookers, a UK-based company offering accommodation on a budget, is aiming to offer inexpensive accommodation in London for the Queen’s Jubilee weekend. The Diamond Jubilee of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II will include two bank holidays on June 4 and 5, 2012, and many people are intending to take a longer holiday during the period. Most hotels in the UK are already overbooked and hotel prices have peaked for the weekend. Hostel accommodation may not readily spring to mind with many would-be visitors, but it can provide a cost effective means of being at the heart of the festivities.…

Social media may be driving corporate travel product suppliers to change their ways of marketing and connecting with their customers, and companies to control their travel expenses. At the recent 2012 Advantage Conference that took place in Malta, a senior travel buyer has highlighted that companies’ travel policies are currently undergoing several transformations, and will change even faster in the next two years, influenced by the Internet, mobile applications and other social media. Carel Aucamp, the global sourcing manager for procurement network organisation, Agrega, said, ‘There will be one billion smart phones in use by 2015, and the apps…

Virgin Holidays, the UK-based holiday company, has reported a rise in holiday bookings following the persistent rain that drenched the UK for much of April. April has officially entered the record books as the wettest in the UK in 100 years, causing British citizens to fear for what the coming summer might bring and book overseas holidays in the hope of guaranteeing better weather. The company has reported a 55 percent increase in April vacation bookings in 2012, compared to the same period in 2011. April 29, 2012 was the wettest day of the month, and that was the day…

British Airways has announced an expanded service to Scotland from London City Airport. The frequency of London City Airport to Glasgow daily flights will be increased from five to six from May 28, 2012. The price for the one-way flight commences at GBP53 per person. The service has been brought forward from its earlier schedule of commencing from September 24, 2012, to now commence from May 28, 2012. The airline had previously announced another new service to the Scottish city of Aberdeen, which commences on September 24, 2012, from London City Airport, and is to be operated by BA Cityflyer,…

Flybe, a UK-based airline company, has announced several new routes from East Midlands Airport in England. Until this announcement the airline has only offered flights to Belfast, in Northern Ireland, from East Midlands Airport. The new services will include the destinations of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands; Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in France; Jersey; and Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland. Andrew Strong, managing director of Flybe UK, said, ‘We are pleased to announce this major expansion at East Midlands Airport as a key part of our winter programme that goes on sale today. We already serve 35 UK airports and are…