Executive Travel
Hanoi special: The De Syloia Hotel Hanoi is offering special rates this month, starting from US$50 for a superior room. Designed to meet the needs of both the business and leisure traveller, the hotel has 27 superior rooms, four executive suites, one deluxe suite and one De Syloia suite. A cosy boutique hotel located in the thriving centre of Hanoi, the De Syloia offers convenient access to business centres, foreign embassies and many tourist destinations. All rooms offer international standard amenities with facilities including IDD telephone system, remote air conditioning, satellite television, in-room safety deposit box, writing desk, hairdryer, bathroom amenities and a minibar. The executive and deluxe suites, and De Syloia suite, feature a spacious living room and bedroom. The deluxe room and the De Syloia suite each contain a jacuzzi. For more information or to book a room, visit www.asiatraveltips.com/DeSyloiaHotel
Ticket to ride: Passengers travelling on All Nippon Airways (ANA) will be offered a free taxi ride to the airport from next month. The carrier will give taxi coupons ranging in value from 5,000 yen (about HK$330) to 10,000 yen for arrivals at Japan's three leading airports. Until the end of December, ANA will give 10,000-yen taxi coupons to 50,000 of its passengers flying via Haneda airport on domestic routes. About one in 30 such passengers will be selected by lottery to receive the coupon. In addition, until March next year, ANA will provide coupons ranging in value from 5,000 to 10,000 yen to all its round-trip passengers flying business and first class into Narita or Kansai international airports from other Asian countries. All passengers flying in business and first class on its European and United States routes will be driven by taxi to their desired destinations, free of charge.
Beeline to Bangkok: Changing customer demand means that Japan Airlines (JAL) is planning to concentrate on its flights to Thailand, while cutting back on those to China, Europe and the US. From next month, JAL will increase Tokyo-Bangkok flights from 14 to 17 per week. Between November and March, that figure is set to rise to 21 per week, or three flights per day. JAL, which offers only two classes on the Tokyo-Bangkok route, will be introducing a first-class service on the flights. The airline will use larger planes between November and March on its Osaka Kansai-Bangkok route to meet increasing demand for seats. Cutbacks include the loss of two flights per week to Las Vegas and one per week to Paris, Zurich, Beijing and Qingdao, China. One extra flight per week is to be introduced to Milan.
Wind in your hair: Europcar and Hertz are introducing luxury vehicles and sports models to their fleets. The Hertz Prestige Collection includes the Mercedes CLK Convertible, Mercedes E and S Class, BMW 5 and 7 Series, the Jaguar S Type and the Volvo S80 and V70. The European launch follows a successful debut last year in North America, where the fleet is available at 31 locations. In Europe, the Prestige models are initially available at London Heathrow and Gatwick airports, London Marble Arch, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Nice airports and Frankfurt, Munich and Dusseldorf airports. Other locations will be added next year. Prices start at GBP165 (about HK$1,990) per day for a Mercedes E Class, including 400km mileage as well as collision damage waiver, theft protection, service charge and taxes.