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Business Traveller

Long Haul Flights

Aired December 10, 2005 - 08:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR: He has to be around here somewhere. Santa? I'm on a late mission to bring the BUSINESS TRAVELLER's wish list for 2006. Something tells me I'm in the right place but clearly the wrong clothes.
That's better. Now let's go find the man with the beard. He'll be able to make our travels less troublesome.

Hello and welcome to CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER. I'm Richard Quest, this month reporting from (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in Finland.

Just here is the start of the Arctic Circle. They say the secret of good business travel is forward planning, so we've come early with our wish list, the sort of improvements we'd like to see for business travel on the road.

Here he is.

SANTA CLAUS: Hello, Richard.

QUEST: Santa!

SANTA CLAUS: Nice to see you. Warmly welcome to the Arctic Circle.

QUEST: Thank you. Now, I've brought the BUSINESS TRAVELLER's wish list.

SANTA CLAUS: Ah, the wish list. Oh, that looks like a bit of a long one. Let's have a look what's in here. Oh, more free miles. You'll have to talk with the airline companies about that one. Yes. And then more leg space, yeah, I'm with you there, I agree, because in my reindeer sleds, you know, I have really good leg space and it's important on a long journey, yes.

QUEST: Can you do this, Santa?

SANTA CLAUS: Well, I'll certainly try, Richard. We're got enough time for Christmas, so I'll get my elves working on it.

QUEST: Thank you very much.

Coming up on the program.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(voice-over): The flights of the future. Longer haul gets a whole lot longer. The all business airlines, two new carriers join the fray. We have the beds that beckon in the new year and the thrill of the husky chase. I enjoy a winter safari.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Bangkok, Berlin, New York, Singapore, Paris, destinations that are all too familiar to the business traveler, and just think, Santa has to get around them in one night. He must be gold elite by now.

Joining up more cities is one of the biggest wishes of business travelers and next year it's a wish that's likely to come true with more ultra long haul flights.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): It took months to plan. Now the 777 Boeing Flight 002 was ready, ready to break the world record as the longest commercial flight. With 53,000 gallons of fuel onboard, I inspected the giant G engines. I wanted to make sure they could indeed carry us for 22 hours nonstop, oh, the wrong way around the globe.

Leaving Hong Kong, the takeoff picture perfect. For the eight captains flying this plane, much of the work has already been done by months of preparation.

SUZANNE DARCY-HENNEMANN, PILOT: Our challenge was getting ready for the flight. I'd say 98 percent of the energy we've put into breaking this record was in the pre-work that we did.

QUEST (on camera): So, we have been in the air just a couple of hours and there are still 20 to go if we're going to break the record. The route very interesting. Out from Hong Kong, over the Pacific, making landfall again at Los Angeles, out, across, past New York, and then across the Atlantic into London.

(voice-over): It all seems to be going smoothly. Time to join the others for a bit of shuteye. There are plenty of beds in business and economy, but I opt for the mattress on the floor. Now here's a thought. It doesn't get much flatter than this. A beautiful sunrise goes by. Even though we haven't officially broken the record yet, Boeing is pretty confident it's all but a done deal. And it has high hopes for the commercial success of this ultra long haul plane and its appeal to airlines.

LARS ANDERSON, BOEING: They want to appeal to their passengers and if that can bring them additional market share and in some cases maybe additional ticket price because of the convenience of the service, that is a marketing advantage for them.

QUEST: Part of the reason for the 777 LR is that the competition already has a plane like this. Last year Singapore Airlines started its direct service between New York and Singapore. The A3-4500 used on the route flies for 18-and-a-half hours to cover the 10,000 miles.

A plane like the 777 LR has a list price of $200 million. Pakistan International Airlines is the launch customer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will give us what we desire, hot temperatures, short runways, long distances, all the way to U.S.A.

QUEST: The plane can take 301 passengers. It will open up routes like Perth to London, New York to Auckland, Miami to Taipei. Because of the nature of this flight we enjoyed another stunning sunrise.

(on camera): We're now crossing the Atlantic, and although it hasn't yet been rubberstamped, the fact is we have broken the world record for the longest flight. More than 11,000 nautical miles, 13,000 stature (ph) miles.

The only issue is when all is said and done, do passengers really want to fly on these ultra long haul flights?

MALCOLM GINSBERT, ABTN: The problems of the planes are just sitting on an aircraft. It doesn't matter whether you're in first class, business class, even in economy. The fact of the matter is that sitting in an aircraft for that length of time.

QUEST (voice-over): With plenty of food, entertainment, sleep, we managed okay. For me the 22 hours literally flew by. As we approached London Heathrow it was a typical gray, miserable day outside. That didn't dampen the spirits onboard.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Let's get comfortable while Santa works on our wishes. And it doesn't get much more comfortable than the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Lodge, one of the finest private restaurants in this region.

Privacy and luxury. These are today's buzz words for the premium class passenger. And recently two new airlines have just started all business class flights between London and New York. Some say it's the most exciting development in years.

So while we put these airlines to the test -- thank you -- I'll put this reindeer steak to the taste.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): They're called MaxJet and Eos, two new carriers that started two months ago. They may both claim business class flights, but that's where the similarity ends.

GARY POGIANO (ph), MAXJET CEO: Our ideal traveler is, because of our price point, our price point is identical to a full fare economy ticket two or three weeks out. It's the business traveler, it's the business traveler that's booking close in and usually has to book in economy. And what we're saying to them is for the same price you can have a full business class experience.

QUEST (on camera): MaxJet are quite open and honest about it. This is neither a flat bed nor a full lay flat product. It's more of a traditional cradle seat. But there is a generous recline and, truth be told, at the price there is nothing else like it between London and New York.

(voice-over): While MaxJet uses a wide-body Boeing 767 for its 102 passengers, Eos uses a narrow-bodied 757 with just 48 seats, or suites, as they call them.

(on camera): The Eos experience is much more inline with the latest thinking on premium business travel. A sleeping pod, lie flat beds, and lots of luxury.

(voice-over): Eos has concentrated on being different. For instance, the ability to properly sit and have dinner with a traveling companion or hold a meeting without everyone having to stand by the toilet.

DAVID SPURLOCK, EOS CEO: I think it is the future. I think you'll see two types of airlines survive. You'll see the low cost carriers as they commoditize their product offerings and serve typically short haul markets and then I think you're going to see the long haul specialists who invest in their products, invest in their service, invest in innovation and differentiation. That's who Eos is.

QUEST: Lufthansa and Swiss Air currently have all business class flights. MaxJet and Eos join the club. Will there be more?

TOM OTLEY (ph), "BUSINESS TRAVELER" MAGAZINE: The airline industry has been in such upheaval in the last four or five years that I'm sure that while Eos and MaxJet think that they have respectively found the answer, the traditional airlines will be watching with interest, and if it proves successful I'm sure that they will take measures to compete with these two.

QUEST: Many have tried, most have failed, to run all business class flights. It's a very specialized product, but it may be one whose time has arrived.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Coming up after the break, a true flight of fancy. We look at business travel in 2012.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

QUEST: It's minus one degree and nearly half past two in the afternoon, and already it is getting dark.

Welcome back to CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in Finland.

Here at the Arctic Circle, they're lucky if they get four hours of daylight at this time of the year. It's enough to make you want to go to bed.

Now, talking of beds, for the business traveler these days the big issue is beds on planes. The difference between the flat bed and the lie flat, you know what I'm talking about.

Here is a thought about what we can expect in 2006.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Look long and hard. This could be the airline bed of the future. It's called the Odyssey and it's just a concept at the moment. But Dr. Phil Lewis, the managing director of Contour, which makes premium seats, believes this is the future.

DR. PHIL LEWIS, CONTOUR: Flatter, wider, longer seats, I mean, the bottom line, that's really what is comes down to. It's about how much living space have I got -- living space is a combination of how much length, how much width and how much privacy have I got.

QUEST: An average airline looks to upgrade every five to 10 years, and it's little wonder. These are expensive investments. A typical seat has around 1,500 parts and cost on average $40,000. It's truly fascinating to see what goes under our backside.

I must admit, I am enjoying trying out all these new beds.

(on camera): This is the sort of business class seat most of us will be familiar with. The so-called lie flat angled seat. It's flat but not horizontal, and the debate, of course, continues of whether you can really get a good night's sleep, especially if you're 6'2".

(voice-over): Currently only three airlines have fully flat beds in business: South African, BA, Virgin and now Air New Zealand. So, who is doing what in 2006?

Air Canada is joining the fully flat bed club. United Airlines will roll out its new international premium product, as is British Airways. Emirates is upgrading both first and business.

Still, there are those that believe that when it comes to seats, there is little more room for maneuver.

LEWIS: The fundamentals are the fundamentals. You go back to a seat we produced for BOAC in 1948 called the Slumberette. It had the space, it had the bed. The only thing it didn't have was the complex electronics.

QUEST: In the end, it's all about the balance. Cost and comfort. And laying claim to a good piece of real estate on the plane. Now what a shame I didn't bring the PJs.

(on camera): I'm ready for a snooze.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Saturday night in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and you need a strong pair of elbows at (UNINTELLIGIBLE) when they're dancing a traditional (UNINTELLIGIBLE). In fact, here some of the best traditional Finnish folk music this side of the Arctic Circle.

When it comes to entertainment onboard the plane, things have changed a lot in the last 10 years. There used to be a movie and a bit of music. Now you've got video on demand, Internet activity, you name it.

Well, here is a glimpse of what the future holds.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Biometrics. Over the next few years we'll move beyond iris and finger scans to the E-passport, a tiny chip embedded in the center pages of your official travel documents. It will contain all the holder's personal data, including a digital photograph.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we talk about electronic passport, what is important, something which can be used throughout the world by many companies in many countries. And that's really what is a key parameter.

QUEST: Digging even deeper, there is also the concept of the trusted traveler. This time it's a chip embedded under your skin. It contains the user's passport and ID information.

A new airport walk-through lie detector promises greater security onboard. Passengers answer yes or no to five basic questions and the machine takes less than a minute to decide if someone has criminal intentions.

AMIR LIBERMAN, BIOMETRICS INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE: When you are very stressed or very excited or very confused or you have some, you know, hidden agenda, then different messages go to the voice which are not controlled, in a level that is not controlled. And our software is capable of -- our technology, basically, is capable of extracting those out, build a profile and then make the decision.

QUEST: Virgin Atlantic is offering the ultimate frequent flier reward. Two million miles will get you a seat into space on Virgin Galactic when it launches in 2008.

Back on terra firma, and tired of poor quality video conferencing, in Canada they're developing a virtual conferencing system. Holographs that make you feel like you're all in the same room.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of these technologies become possible because of the high speed network. Teleconferencing and realtime tele- immersive (ph) systems are possible.

QUEST: A bit pie in the sky, maybe. But with technology turning science fiction into fact at a remarkable rate, it would be foolish to disregard the improbable.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

A glimpse into the future. But, frankly, you can't beat a good old fashion log fire when it comes to keeping warm.

Now I'd like to hear what your priorities are in 2006 when it comes to business travel. What's the number one thing on your wish list that you hope to achieve? Send me an email. It's the usual email address, quest@CNN.com.

And visit the Web site, CNN.com/businesstraveller.

And when BUSINESS TRAVELLER returns in Finland, the thrills and spills of an Arctic safari. The program is going to the dogs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

QUEST: Some business people find this a perfect way to start the day. It's called (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Gets the blood moving. It's invigorating. You've got to be joking.

So, there are many other ways you can have fun in this winter wonderland.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): My safari starts with man and machine. Driving a snowmobile is easy, I'm told. Famous last words.

And it's not long before machine has got the better of man.

(on camera): I couldn't get -- my knee was in the way as a turned it, so I couldn't turn it far enough to get around in a circle.

(voice-over): No harm done, and soon I'm really motoring.

There is so much to see in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) once you join the reindeer trails. It's easy to get over-confident, though, especially when things are going well.

(on camera): I'm stuck. What did I do wrong there? Right, how do we get this out now. Oh, no, no. I'm going to help here. I got you into this mess. One, two, three.

(voice-over): Machine has clearly beaten man. I will surely do better with man's best friend.

(on camera): Forget horsepower. I've got 10 husky power to get me going.

Good grief!

(voice-over): They can run more than 50 kilometers a day, and a top dog is worth thousands of dollars. My musher is Husky Dundee. With a well-chosen word he steers the dogs. The power of these animals is awesome. The passenger view is unusual, to say the least, but I'm not a passenger for long. My 150 euros allows me to drive the dogs.

I've stalled. From dogs to horses and a quick count around the paddock, this is the most unusual of winter sports. Dragged around by a water ski rope tied to the back of a horse.

(on camera): Now that is an Arctic safari.

(voice-over): Obviously I'm missing one animal from my Arctic zoo. The reindeer. The reindeer experience is a gentle ride, more grand tour than Grand Prix. But don't be fooled. Reindeers have turbo power too. And I finish my Arctic safari just as I began, slightly out of control.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Our escape with an Arctic safari.

And that's CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER for this month. I'm Richard Quest.

Santa, your list.

SANTA CLAUS: Thank you very much. And wherever your travel may take you, I hope it will be profitable.

QUEST: I couldn't have put it better myself. I'll see you next month.

END

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