Skift Travel News Blog

We’ve all experienced that moment of dread when we arrive in our hotel room and begin unpacking our luggage, only to realize that we’ve forgotten to pack the star piece of one of our planned outfits.

Well a new partnership from Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and Anthropologie aims to alleviate these feelings of ‘pack-xiety’.

The new partnership forms part of Kimpton’s larger Forgot It? We’ve Got It! program, and will now offer guests access to a selection of complimentary accessories – including bags, belts, and bracelets – that are available to borrow for the duration of guest stays.

Launched in the United Kingdom last month, the new service is accessed via an in-room QR code which directs guests to an online catalog that allows them to browse, borrow, and purchase items.

“Kimpton is a brand known for its thoughtful perks and unique personal touches that enhance the guest experience and leave lasting impressions. Knowing accessories are often the first items to get cut or overlooked while packing, this partnership and accessories collection with Anthropologie provides guests with a chic solution in the event they’ve forgotten that perfect clutch or want to add a little extra something special to their style or seasonal look – whether it’s for a weekend getaway, business meeting, rooftop concert or night out,” said Kathleen Reidenbach, SVP of marketing and commercial for IHG Luxury & Lifestyle Americas and Kimpton Global.

The service is available now at Kimpton Fitzroy London, Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in Manchester, Kimpton Charlotte Square in Edinburgh, and Kimpton Blythswood Square in Glasgow.

Finnair has announced that it will be giving the interiors of its Embraer aircraft a refresh in the coming years. 

According to a release from the Finnish carrier, the new cabins will build off the familiar elements introduced in the carrier’s new long-haul aircraft cabins and will provide a ‘fresh and inviting interior’ for passengers. 

There are 12 jet engine aircraft in the Finnair fleet, which are used to fly Finnair’s domestic and European destinations, and the first renewed aircraft are expected to operate at the end of 2024 with the project due to be completed in 2025. 

“We want to improve travel comfort and provide our customers with a high-quality travel experience across our route network”, says Ole Orvér, chief commercial officer for Finnair. 

“We will bring similar elements and feeling to our Embraer fleet as we have used in our previously redesigned Airbus wide-body aircraft”.  

You can take a look at the new long-haul aircraft cabins in the video below:

Qatar Airways has announced a new collaboration with SpaceX’s Starlink, which will see the carrier introduce complimentary high-speed internet connectivity onboard specific aircraft and routes. 

The new initiative, which is currently in the pre-launch phase, will allow passengers to enjoy Wi-Fi speeds of up to 350 Megabits per second, allowing internet-based services such as video streaming, gaming and enriched web-browsing with one-click access.

“Qatar Airways is proud to announce its agreement with Starlink to provide seamless and complimentary Wi-Fi to its global passengers. This exciting collaboration is not only in line with our industry-leading approach to technological adoption, but also serves as an unmissable opportunity to connect Starlink to our global passengers. We look forward to our passengers benefitting from this state-of-the-art addition to Qatar Airways’ in-flight experience,” said His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, group chief executive, Qatar Airways.

Qatar Airways is not the first airline to partner with Starlink, with the technology also being implemented by JSX, Hawaiian Airlines, airBaltic, and ZIPAIR. We also previously reported that P&O Cruises and Cunard will roll out the service.

Emirates and Dubai International Airport are working with local schools, autism groups and key stakeholders on a new initiative in an effort to improve the travel experience for neurodivergent passengers. 

The ‘travel rehearsals’ have been designed to allow neurodivergent passengers to practice their journey through the airport and onboard aircraft, during which they are provided boarding passes and taken through security, to recreate the full travel experience. 

Throughout the process the individuals involved are accompanied by family members and therapists, with the aim of empowering families when navigating the travel process, whilst also providing key learnings for Emirates and the airport.

One example highlighted by the operator is ‘Emirates superfan’ Humza Dabab, who is autistic. 11 year old Humza recently flew from Melbourne to Dubai with his family, and was treated to a ‘a VIP experience from Emirates’ ahead of his flight.

The travel rehearsals join a number of initiatives Emirates and Dubai International Airport currently have in place to support travelers with additional needs, including enhanced employee training, autism friendly routes to navigate the airport, priority boarding, complimentary parking and the ability to pre-order meals.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has expanded its partnership online healthcare company Headspace to provide hotel guests and World of Hyatt members with coloured noise content in order to support their wellbeing.

The new content, which was launched in conjunction with World Mental Health Day, includes a sample of exclusive content from Headspace’s colored noise collection, which has been designed to aid listeners in their efforts to drift off to sleep, relax or focus. 

“As a hospitality company focused on care, Hyatt takes pride in raising the bar on wellbeing in a rapidly changing world,” said TJ Abrams, vice president, global wellbeing at Hyatt. 

“Collaborating with industry leaders like Headspace allows Hyatt to better care for our guests, and I have personally experienced the positive, stress-relieving impact of mindfulness content during my recent stays at our hotels.”

The content is now available via the World of Hyatt app and in-room televisions at select properties across the U.S, Canada and Mexico.

Heathrow has announced that it is trialing an initiative that allows passengers travelling through the airport to pre-book their security slots ahead of their journeys.

It is hoped that the service, known as ‘Heathrow Timeslot‘, will offer travellers more peace of mind when moving through the airport as well as helping to reduce queue times.

Currently live in Terminal 3, the trial is set to run for the next six months and will be open to passengers travelling with American Airlines, Delta, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic.

“Everyone is familiar with airport security, but at Heathrow we’re constantly thinking of innovative ways to boost the safety and streamline the experience for our passengers. This new trial will give passengers that extra added bit of certainty and reassurance ahead of their journey and we think it will be particularly popular for those with families or nervous travellers who may want a bit more confidence in their journeys. We look forward to seeing the data come in to give us some learnings on how we can roll this out more widely across Heathrow,” said Mark Powell, operational planning director at Heathrow.

TUI has announced a partnership with SignLive to provide customers with the option to have their conversations with the firm interpreted into British Sign Language (BSL).

In order to use the service customers will need to sign up for free to SignLive, at which point they will be able to call TUI via its online directory. Customers will then be paired with the TUI Accessibility Team and a SignLive interpreter, who will interpret the conversation in real time.

“At TUI we want to make traveling with us as easy as possible for everyone. SignLive has come to us with an amazing solution for our customers who use British Sign Language (BSL). This service means that these customers can have conversations with our team to ensure they book the perfect holiday for them and get any additional support they might need,” said Sue Bradley, director of customer experience, at TUI.

“Customers can speak to our contact center team about new or existing bookings all by signing up to SignLive for free for support with hotel information, navigating airports or booking accessible transfers in resort.”

The service is now live, and the video has been released to explain how the service works:

Emirates has expanded its inflight meal pre-order initiative across Europe, following the successful launch of the initiative on London to Dubair routes and the positive feedback received from passengers.

The inflight pre-ordering service is available to Business Class passengers, and allows them to reserve their main course up to 24 hours prior to their departure through the Emirates website and app. Onboard the aircraft, cabin crew will then use digital devices to view customer preorders.

According to a release from Emirates, the new initiative forms part of an existing suite of AI-enabled customer preference tracking data and cabin crew reports onboard Emirates, which ‘facilitate menu planning, optimal food loading and waste minimization’.

Emirates joins a growing list of airlines developing initiatives that are designed to minimize food wastage and enhance the customer experience, including Virgin Atlantic, United and Lufthansa, among others.

A dry “underwater” hologram experience featuring numerous sea creatures has opened at Four Seasons Resort Landaa Giraavaru.

The experience has been designed to replicate the real manta rays that can be found in the resorts surrounding waters of the Baa Atoll UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, with the holograms designed to provide guests with the opportunity to virtually ‘swim’ with manta rays, humpback whales, seahorses and mimic octopuses.

The sessions last up to 45 minutes, and are hosted twice daily at the Resort’s on-site Marine Discovery Center.

Qatar Airways has revealed its latest onboard theme song, ‘The Ascent’, which has been composed by Dana Al Fardan and performed by members of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.

‘The Ascent’ marks the trilogy of the two previous onboard theme songs, ‘The Awakening’ and ‘The Dawn’.

The theme song, introduces a unique fusion of Arabic charm intertwined with classical music, achieved through the incorporation of traditional Arabic instruments such as the Ney and the Rababa alongside the piano, violin, viola, and cello.

“As a composer, I really want to capture the sounds from my country and explore the nuances of different Arabic instruments, rhythmic patterns, and flourishes. The idea is to preserve the authenticity of one style of sound and build it into another in a way that fits without one having to accommodate the other by deconstructing itself,” Said Dana Al Fardan.

“Music is a universal language, and at Qatar Airways we have chosen a theme song that uplifts the passengers and transcends them to a wonderful destination. I am proud of Dana Al Fardan, not only is she showcasing our Qatari culture through sophisticated art, but her onboard music has also become synonymous with Qatar Airways’ brand identity. It is now directly associated with travel, culture, and luxury. It brings me great pleasure to welcome passengers onboard with the rhythms of Dana’s new symphony,” Said,  His Excellency, Mr. Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways Group.