Marking a grim anniversary and rediscovering the industry of beautiful memories

Life has changed so very much for every travel retail company on the planet since precisely one year ago today when the first death from a then-unnamed coronavirus was recorded in Wuhan, China.

Your flight time will be 8,760 hours… you may experience some turbulence

In cities such as Seoul and Taipei we’ve seen plenty of flights to ‘nowhere’ in recent months. Is the Essence Corp Airlines destination more tangible?

How Changi Airport turned itself into the ultimate destination

The whole concept is the best example I have seen yet of an airport adapting to crisis and one that has the added benefit of permanently underlining the allure of Changi as a destination in its own right.

Miscellaneous

August 25, 2020

Keeping the (masked) ball rolling in Hong Kong

Who will be the first travel retailer to launch an own label mask? Qatar Duty Free perhaps? Dubai Duty Free through its in-house Akaru brand? How about destination-specific masks, surely a winner in the travel sector?

Airports

July 30, 2020

High ambition at Hamad International, high anxiety in Hong Kong

Thabet is in especially upbeat mood at present thanks to his beloved Liverpool recently being crowned Premiership champions in the UK, their first title in 30 years. I swear I could still see the smile on his face through the face mask he donned during our meeting.

Travel

July 27, 2020

Bravo Heathrow, bravo Qatar Airways, but work required Travelex

This is where we go so wrong so often in the west. A mask is there for a reason. You don’t wear half an oven mitt to protect yourself from burns.

Travel

July 25, 2020

Flying the flag of 2020

Boris Johnson said that the government had “underestimated” the extent of asymptomatic transmission and didn’t fully understand the coronavirus in the “first few weeks and months”. But now, 45,762 deaths later, they do understand. So that’s alright then.

Airports

January 22, 2020

Doing the right thing in Switzerland

I’m confused. Do I turn left (France) or right (Switzerland)? Well, as I always like to do the right thing, I’ll enter Switzerland.

Airports

January 11, 2020

Anything to declare?

The volumes involved were well in excess of any allowance other than that perhaps of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport arrivals duty free.