Jetsettersblog

Not many chefs have faced the challenge of serving food for 100,000 customers a day at 35,000ft, so when famously innovative chef Heston Blumenthal asked British Airways if he could try it, the airline jumped at the opportunity.

The experiment is part of Heston’s new Channel 4 programme, ‘Heston’s Mission Impossible’ where he pushes the boundaries of food development across a number of great British institutions.

In the one-hour program with British Airways, Blumenthal tackles the very specific issue of what happens to food and the ability to taste at altitude, combined with the confines of an aircraft’s galley area.

In the behind-the-scenes programme, Heston works with British Airways cabin crew members Jackie Simister and Simon Curley, as well as Steve Walpole, the airline’s development chef at their longhaul catering supplier, Gate Gourmet to develop a meal that tastes as good in the air as it does on the ground.

Mark Hassell, British Airways’ head of customer experience and a tasting panel judge on the show, said: “There is a real science to food at altitude and with his innovative and creative approach, Heston’s work has been really interesting to us. We have very high standards when it comes to our food and Heston has not only been asked to impress British Airways, but more importantly our customers. Ultimately, they will be the judge of Heston’s final creation.”

The result remains a secret at this stage, but if Heston’s endeavours prove successful then British Airways customers will be in for a treat.

“Heston’s Mission Impossible” starts on Channel 4 on 22 February at 9pm.

Event and conference planners and meeting organisers will be pleased to learn that Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has launched a new meeting website at www.swissotelmeetings.com which is designed to be easy to navigate and offer a time-saving booking process.

Whether it is a small meeting with just a few participants or a large conference attended by 1000 delegates that is being planned, the extremely user-friendly new site provides decision-makers with an easy and convenient way of booking their event. One particularly useful feature is the function that enables organisers to compare three different Swissôtels at once from the international hotel chain’s portfolio, to ascertain their capacity at a glance, and to check availability directly online.

Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts offers a complete range of room and conference facilities in central locations all over the world, providing ideal venues for meetings and events of every kind and every size. The high-quality service, modern technology and creative gastronomy are tailored to the needs of the customer and make for successful, top-class conferences.

Travel operator and Nordic specialist 50 Degrees North Pty Ltd has just released its ‘Nordic Design’ tour of Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Denmark.

The tour is a partnership with Great Dane Furniture, Australia’s eminent purveyor, master, and collector of classic Scandinavian furniture with showrooms in Melbourne and Sydney.

The 18 day tour is escorted by Owner & Director of Great Dane, Anton Assaad, who will help discover the history and secrets behind the simplicity and beauty of Scandinavian design. The small group of only 16 participants will have the opportunity to meet the artists and workmen of the local design community.

In Helsinki, the World Design Capital of 2012, a day is dedicated to master architect Alvar Aalto’s life, architecture and design. Participants will have a go at glass blowing in the Fiskars Ironworks Village, and tour Turku, the 2011 European Cultural Capital. Sailing through the magnificent archipelago to Stockholm, they visit Gustavsberg and the ‘Design House Stockholm’. In Iceland young designers at the Iceland Design Centre show off their talent, and the group will enjoy a full day savouring the spectacular Icelandic nature. There is even time for a soak in the steamy Blue Lagoon.

As a result of the ‘Scandinavian’ partnership between 50 Degrees North and Great Dane a number ‘back stage’ doors to Scandinavian design have been exclusively opened. The group is lucky to meet, Thomas Kjærholm, the son of Danish design great Poul Kjærholm. The door to room 606 at the former SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen stands open with the original Arne Jacobsen décor. Finn Juhl’s House at Ordrupgaard is visited with no other tourists in sight, and at PP Møbler, a family owned Danish joinery workshop, they will witness the production of Hans J Wegner’s ‘The Chair’.

The tour makes a trip to Århus where we meet some of the Great Dane suppliers, their workshops, and furniture factories. Again, doors stand open into the factories to meet the designers and cabinet makers behind the great Scandinavian design.

Throughout, the small group will enjoy luscious dining experiences at world class restaurants, and stay in handpicked design hotels. This is a unique, once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the charm of the Nordic region with its simple design, home grown food and cosmopolitan capitals.

Interested lovers of Scandinavian design and travellers can visit www.fiftydegreesnorth.com for more information. To get a free 50 Degrees North brochure e-mail: info@fiftydegreesnorth.com.

About 50 Degrees North:
50 Degrees North Pty Ltd is a wholesale travel operator specialising on the area north of the 50th parallel north, as well as Antarctica (50 degrees south). The company is fully licensed, and a full member of the Travel Compensation Fund.

Stockholm-based Svenska Hotels and Frankfurt-headquartered Worldhotels today announced a strategic partnership to launch multiple 5-star luxury hotels in India, with Svenska developing 20 hotels over 10 years with a total inventory of over 1,000 rooms.

Svenska’s first hotel in India, located in Mumbai at Lokhandwala Complex, Andheri West, opened on December 1, 2010 and has passed rigorous selection process and stringent quality standards to join the Worldhotels highest category of Deluxe Collection, with over 1,000 assessment criteria anonymously tested on an annual basis.

Svenska is focused on upscale small-format (30-100 rooms) boutique, design hotels, based on trend-setting concepts and chic design elements, combined in signature service and personalized hospitality to create memorable experiences for discerning guests. Worldhotels is an exclusive collection of the world’s most unique independent hotels with over 450 affiliate properties in 250 destinations and 65 countries worldwide.

Svenska Mumbai is a 29-room boutique hotel, with 22 superior rooms, 6 deluxe and 1 suite, along with five food & beverage outlets, including all-day-dining at Mesa Bistro; small eats and beverages at Mesa Deli; Miro Spanish signature restaurant; Miro Lounge for drinks; and open-air Japanese speciality grill, Sensen; apart from upscale banqueting facilities.

“Aimed at senior corporate executives, Svenska offers a range of complimentary offerings such as welcome drinks on arrival, in-room spa treatments, high-speed secured Internet and WI-FI, private butler service and various of gadgets for entertainment such as iPads and iPods with docking stations and choice of PS3 and Wii gaming consoles, apart from blue-ray movies on demand”, said Zia Shiekh, CEO & CMD of Svenska.

Worldhotels Vice President Asia-Pacific Roland Jegge welcomed the alliance with Svenska, adding “With Svenska, we are bringing a fresh and exciting product to the Indian market, which will introduce the country to a whole new world of personalized luxury, and high technology amenities to satisfy the constantly evolving need of our international guests.”.

Said Wasim Shiekh, Managing Director, Svenska Hotels, “We have found a truly world-class partner in Worldhotels, which brings unparalleled marketing and distribution capabilities to Svenska. The alliance is truly strategic in nature as it’s based on a long-term engagement model under which all our future hotels would be part of the Worldhotels collection.”

The next hotel under the partnership is opening in early February in Bangalore within the Electronic City complex. Svenska Bangalore has 56 rooms, comprising of 40 superior rooms, 10 deluxe rooms and 6 luxury suites, with rooftop swimming pool and health club. Apart from Mesa and Sensen, the hotel also has a contemporary Indian speciality restaurant, Soul, with live interactive kitchen and indoor as well as outdoors seating.

Svenska Mumbai and Bangalore become the seventh and eighth hotels of Worldhotels in India, joining Asiana Hotel in Chennai, The Claridges in New Delhi and Surajkund, Pride Park Premier in Gurgaon, The Sahara Star in Mumbai and Matthan Hotel in Bangalore.

Last year British Airways launched ‘Flying Start’ – its global partnership with charity Comic Relief, to support vulnerable and disadvantaged children in the UK and around the world.

As part of this partnership, the airline is supporting Comic Relief UK’s bi-annual fundraising event – Red Nose Day. The event will be taking place on Friday 18th March, when the great British public will be asked to Do Something Funny For Money.

To date, twelve Red Nose Days have raised more than £500m. That money has helped, and is helping, to give extremely vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the UK and Africa a helping hand to turn their lives around.

To mark the occasion, British Airways is undertaking a number of fundraising initiatives; this includes hosting the Guinness World Record for the ‘Highest Stand-Up Comedy Gig in the World’ (taking place in the UK), as well as painting red noses on a number of its fleet, that will fly around the world.

Furthermore, the airline recently hosted a trip to visit some of the projects funded by Comic Relief UK in Cape Town, South Africa.

British Airways chief executive, Keith Williams, who attended the visit, said: “Having recently seen first-hand where the money goes, I am more enthusiastic than ever about Flying Start.

As a global airline, it is important for us to spread the positive message about Comic Relief and do our best collect loose change from customers. Every penny, cent and dime will go towards helping the most vulnerable children in the cities we fly to.”

Keith Williams and the Comic Relief UK teams visited a number of projects in Cape Town last month, including mothers2mothers – a mentoring program offering comprehensive support for HIV-positive pregnant women and new mothers – and Grassroots Soccer, which uses the power of football to educate, inspire and empower communities to stop the spread of HIV.

Customers can get involved by donating money on board flights, as well as online at www.ba.com/flyingstart.

Comic Relief UK is a UK wide charity, which aims to create a just world, free from poverty. It launched in 1985 and is perhaps best known for two major fundraising campaigns in the UK that take place in alternate years – Red Nose Day and Sport Relief. Thanks to the incredible generosity of the British public, Comic Relief UK has raised over £650million to help change lives.

Notes to Editors
• Comic Relief is a registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland).
• British Airways has a long-standing corporate responsibility programme, which has supported responsible air travel since 1984. ‘One Destination’ is our vision to ensure we lead the industry in how we fly, what we fly and what we buy, across the environment, community, marketplace and workplace.
• Red Nose Day 2011 is heading your way on Friday 18th March when the great British public will once again be asked to Do Something Funny for Money.
• To join in the fun go to www.rednoseday.com and find out how you can get involved.
• By raising cash this Red Nose Day, you’re helping to change lives forever. That’s because Comic Relief spends all the money raised by the public to give extremely vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the UK and Africa a helping hand to turn their lives around.
• Comic Relief was launched on Christmas Day in 1985, live on BBC One. At that time, a devastating famine was crippling Ethiopia and something had to be done. That something was Comic Relief. The idea was simple – Comic Relief would make the public laugh while they raised money to help people in desperate need. Before too long, Red Nose Day was created and the first ever event in 1988 raised a staggering £15m. To date, twelve Red Nose Days have raised more than £500m. That money has helped, and is helping, to support people and communities in dire need both in the UK and Africa.

The Monaco Government Tourist & Convention Authority team will this week be attending AIME exhibition in Melbourne, to present the unique principality as a top class international MICE destination on the stunning French Riviera.

The Monaco Convention Bureau offers a one-stop shop of services, impartially and free of charge to assist with planning your meeting or event in the principality. Monaco lies just 30 minutes by car and 6 minutes by helicopter from France’s second-largest airport, Nice, linking more than 80 cities in 26 countries around the world.

The Monaco Convention Bureau has created a Monaco Meetings offer which involves streamlining the hotel tariffs and creating three price categories that include taxes and breakfast in a standard single or double room.

Additional benefits of the Monaco Meetings offer include a free overnight inspection visit for two people, including helicopter transfers from Nice Airport, a discount voucher booklet for all delegates and a free welcome cocktail reception for new events booking 1200 room nights.

Alison Roberts-Brown, Regional Director of Monaco Government & Tourist Authority in Australia invites AIME attendees to their stand for an opportunity to win a bottle of champagne.

“Monaco lies at the heart of Europe and offers global connections, making it an outstanding location for international conventions or high end incentives. The Monaco Meetings offer demonstrates how serious the principality takes the MICE market. Please come along to our stand for a glass of Perrier Jouet champagne, a favourite of Princess Grace, to find out more about making Monaco your next international MICE destination.”

For More Information:
MONACO GOVERNMENT TOURIST & CONVENTION AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIA
c/o AVIAREPS Oceania (AVIAREPS Pty Ltd)
Level 5, 68 Alfred Street, Milsons Point, NSW, 2061 (PO Box 365, Milsons Point, NSW 1565)
Ph: (02) 8666 4696 Fax: (02) 9929 4543

Alamo Rent A car is excited to offer REDUCED car rental prices in the United Kingdom from $33 per day (based on a 2 week rental) if booked before 31st March 2011.

The REDUCED rates applies to all of Alamo’s latest model vehicles in their UK fleet and the rates include unlimited kilometres, Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) (with Excess), Theft Protection (TP) (with Excess), Vehicle License Fee, Premium Location Fee, free additional drivers, free one-ways within the UK and VAT.

For more great rates and savings with Alamo Rent A Car contact Alamo on 1 300 300 913 or visit www.momentotravel.com.au.

About Alamo Rent A Car
Founded in 1974 and headquartered in St. Louis, Alamo Rent A Car is a value-oriented, internationally recognized brand serving the daily rental needs of airport leisure travellers. Alamo offers low rental rates and a fun, hassle-free customer experience at the most popular travel destinations throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific Rim. Alamo also is the largest car rental provider to international travellers visiting North America. In addition, it is part of a global strategic alliance with Europcar, creating the world’s largest car rental network.

Once again two outstanding hotels of Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts made it to the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List: Swissôtel The Bosphorus, Istanbul and Swissôtel Berlin were voted among the world’s best places to stay by the readers of the prestigious luxury travel magazine.

Swissôtel The Bosphorus, Istanbul, a member of the “Leading Hotels of the World”, is situated on the European side of the city and lies in a beautiful park, which is part of the former sultan’s palace, the Dolmabahce Palace. 600 spacious rooms and suites cater to the need of the most discerning guests and offer the highest level of service and privacy. Facilities offered include the Amrita Spa & Wellness, a “Leading Spa of the World”, extending over 4000 m2 as well as the trendy Gaja restaurant, which has become a hot spot in town over the past years.

Located in the heart of West-Berlin, the Swissôtel Berlin combines traditional Swiss hospitality with a heartfelt service. The elegant and modern Business Hotel offers 316 rooms and suites as well as 10 conference rooms. Restaurant 44 with its amazing view to the city’s famous Kurfürstendamm is known for creative menus prepared by young chef Danijel Kresovic, who unfolds his culinary skills with his unique degustation menu concept.

Both deluxe hotels made it several times to the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List in the past.

World On Skis is offering over 35 percent spring savings on air-inclusive ski vacation packages from the U.S. to Italy. One is an offer from New York City, Boston or Chicago to Cortina, Italy, a ski resort in the Southern Alps. From $1,095 per person, the seven-night package includes roundtrip airfare (fuel surcharge included) to Venice, Italy; roundtrip airport/resort transfers to Cortina; seven nights hotel; daily breakfast; and more, for travel between March 19 to April 9. Additional gateway fees include $67 for departures from Los Angeles and $34 for departures from Miami.

Beginning March 20, the cost of a six-day Dolomiti Superski Pass is $287 per person, which allows clients to ski Cortina and 34 surrounding ski resorts and over 700 miles of ski trails. For more information, visit www.dolomitisuperski.com. For more information in the Italian ski package, call 866-678-5858 and request the “Cortina Italy Ski Special,” or visit www.worldonskis.com/hotel/Cortina-Hotel-percent20Olimpia.html or www.WorldOnSkis.com

Cunard Line has expanded its CunardCare Guest Protection plan to now provide a future cruise credit of up to 75 percent of the cancellation fee amount towards the guest’s next Cunard voyage, in the event that a trip has to be cancelled for unspecified reasons.

Cash reimbursement of up to the total voyage cost (maximum $50,000 per person for double occupancy) for cancellations due to eligible reasons will continue to apply, while reimbursements for amounts in excess of the $50,000 maximum would be provided to guests in the form of future cruise credits.

CunardCare can be purchased up until final payment of the voyage. Other benefits include trip interruption refunds for unused, non-refundable land/sea expenses (up to total original trip cost) to return home or rejoin the original land/sea arrangements for interruptions due to eligible reasons; trip delay protection up to $1,000 for delays en route to or from the voyage caused by specified reasons; medical, evacuation and baggage coverage; and 24/7 worldwide emergency assistance.

Plan costs for CunardCare vary by voyage duration — coverage for voyages 14 days or less is 6.99 percent of the voyage cost, and coverage for voyages 15 days or greater is 8.99 percent of the voyage cost. For the complete description of CunardCare, call 800-7-CUNARD or visit http://tinyurl.com/CunardCare