First Class on Lufthansa
Lufthansa First Class has received the best possible rating in the renowned Skytrax ranking, which regularly evaluates the quality of airlines. Lufthansa's five stars were awarded for the outstanding comfort and comprehensive service on board as well as for the exclusive facilities of the Lufthansa First Class Terminal at Frankfurt Airport. In addition to fine cuisine and a high quality lie-flat bed, your cabin will literally feature rarified air (the airline actually researched and engineered more restful, jetlag-reducing First Class cabin air settings). And, if you fly out of select European cities you have access to a dedicated lounge in a dedicated terminal, which includes a limousine ride out to the aircraft.

Etihad's new U.S. Premium Lounge at Abu Dhabi Airport
Guests flying to the United States can use Abu Dhabi International Airport's U.S. Customs and Border Protection Facility to pre-clear U.S. Immigration and Customs before boarding their flights in Abu Dhabi. For First and Business Class guests, they have now opened a dedicated U.S. Premium Lounge where guests can relax after having cleared Immigration and Customs. The lounge offers comfortable seating, hot and cold refreshments, snacks, TV screens, luggage storage and restrooms. Read more here

Eco-friendly window shade powers your smartphone
A new Crystal Cabin Award winner from innovative interiors components manufacturer B/E Aerospace could soon recharge our personal electronic devices in-flight by making the most of the limitless power of the sun. The inventors of the Solar Eclipse, a solar-powered window shade with USB power outlets, shine light on the growing problem of demand for power supply in aviation.

The growing availability of Wi-Fi service on aircraft and/or wireless entertainment offered by airlines compounds this problem, and there are never enough chargers at airports to go around. Airlines have introduced new seats with power outlets in premium classes and some have installed power outlets in seats throughout the plane. But on existing aircraft, not already equipped with these newer seats, or wired adequately to provide the necessary power supply, installing power outlets in the cabin can be a complex certification mess.

"The Solar Eclipse brings DC power directly to passengers where no power exists," states B/E Aerospace. "Super-efficient thin film solar cells integrated into the window shade convert the high-solar irradiation available at altitude into 8-44 watts of energy." As a result, B/E argues, Solar Eclipse avoids passengers suffering through what it calls "battery anxiety." Read full article 

Global travelers' desire for free Wi-Fi is still the number one amenity when choosing a hotel for both leisure and business stays, but it is slowly declining according to the latest research from Hotels.comŽ.

• Complimentary Wi-Fi is the top factor in choosing a hotel for leisure stays (30%), as compared to 34% percent in 2013. 50% of respondents said free Wi-Fi is their must-have when traveling for business.
• Free breakfast is once again the second must-have amenity for leisure travelers (21%) and third for business travelers (12%), who ranked proximity to mass transit, restaurants and shops ahead of a free meal. Free parking is the third consideration when leisure travelers book a hotel (10%).
• 24% of global travelers say minibars aren't worth the hype and 17% say they go unused. Likewise, minibars are declining in value among U.S. travelers with 2 % admitting to never using them.
• Bathroom phones are the most unused item (22%) and cordless phones only got 1% of the vote as the simple amenity wanted in hotel rooms.

Tipping etiquette in 50 countries
Click on this article to avoid international breaches of manners 

Hotel & dining drive business travel per diem increase
Business Travel News: As corporate travel demand rises within the United States, the combined daily cost of renting cars, staying in hotels and eating three meals a day looks as though it will follow suit in the coming year.

Hotels are poised to lead the way for rate hikes, capitalizing on high demand and below-average supply growth. With both corporate spending and transaction volume up year over year in the dining sector, restaurants, too, will enjoy improved pricing power. Rental car companies, on the other hand, are struggling to raise rates in a highly competitive market. Though some agencies predict 2015 may be the year car rental suppliers successfully hike pricing, CTI data indicates 2014 generally was another flat year. Add all those costs together, and San Francisco, with a per-diem rate of $509.50, for the second straight year topped the 99 other U.S. markets in the CTI as the most expensive city in which to conduct a business trip. That compares with an overall average U.S. daily cost of $306.91.

Starwood Luxury Privileges
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