Qatar comfort
Qatar Airways is the first airline to purchase the new Airbus A350-1000 – the first of 42 on order by the airline. The aircraft is seven metres longer than the A350-900 with 46 business-class seats and 281 extra-wide (45cm) seats in economy class. "The Qatar Airways A350-1000 will keep Qatar ahead of the curve and allows us to continue to offer our passengers the outstanding levels of comfort and style that they expect from Qatar Airways." The first route will be Doha to London. Qatar operates from Dublin to Doha four times a week.
Business meets pleasure
Business travellers often complain about how tough it is to be on the road, but it seems the reality is not so bad. The National Car Rental State of Business Travel Survey has found that while 80 per cent of US business travellers use trips as an opportunity to play tourist, they are reluctant to tell others about non-work activities, with 38 per cent of respondents saying they would rather not tell their supervisors about their experiences.
However 92 per cent of the bosses and supervisors surveyed said they approve of their workers mixing leisure and work on business trips.
"We were pleasantly surprised to see our survey results showed [that] not only are frequent business travellers finding ways to balance both business expectations and personal interests on the road, but that their bosses support them in doing so," said Rob Connors, vice president of brand marketing for National Car Rental.
Cancellation rules
Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt hotels have changed their policies on cancelling a booking. Typically most hotels allow guests to cancel up to noon on the arrival date or the previous day. Now some of the biggest hotel groups are introducing a 48-hour rule for cancelling, with some charging for the first night or the whole booking. Make sure your plans are firm before booking a room.