With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1222419
SPEED THROUGH At high-tech airports like Beijing Daxing (PKX), facial recognition facilitates every- thing from bag-check to se- curity and boarding. Istanbul ( IST) rolls out kid-size robots to help passengers navigate terminals, while Stuttgart (STR) aims to be carbon- neutral by 2050, with help from solar power and electric vehicles. FUELLING THE FUTURE There's buzz around the electric ePlane, which had a global-first flight by Harbour Air in Richmond last December. British Airways is already con- verting half a million tonnes of landfill waste into alternative jet fuel, and sustainable aviation fuels ( SAFs) are cleaner energy sources that can save up to 70 percent of carbon emissions. EAT YOUR GREEN Singapore Airlines is improv- ing inflight food by partnering with AeroFarms, a sustainable aeroculture grower of produce that's delivered within hours of picking. Taste the greens from this B Corporation on the world's longest commer- cial flight, between Newark Liberty ( EWR) and Singapore Changi (SIN). FEEL GOOD At the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, you can get a virtual reality vacation and a deep cerebral massage. In a sleek white pod called The Vessel, by U.S. tech company Sensync, experience a hand- ful of VR trips—from jungle to the ocean, from the clouds to outer space—that reportedly reset your brain and bring on the calm. PHANTOM THREADS Google's Jacquard project weaves digital capabilities into your fave travel jacket or bag by making them gesture-enabled: imagine swiping a sleeve to skip a song, or taking a picture by tapping a bag handle. Early collaborations include a denim jacket with Levi's and a chic Cit-e backpack with Saint Laurent. FROM TOP: COURTESY OF PAUL CANNINGS; HARBOUR AIR; FOUR SEASONS HOTELS AND RESORTS Flyer's Remorse C A R R Y ON ( quality time ) You might cook like a chef, party like a rock star and think like a CEO, but do you choose accommodations like a hotel guru? When Paul Cannings visited Vancouver as a tourist two years ago, he sought out business amenities, re- sort facilities and an iconic location, close to the wa- ter and Stanley Park. His choice was memorable enough that he recently left a posi- tion in Asia to become general manager of the Westin Bayshore, the hotel where he once stayed. "A bed is a bed, but you remember how a hotel makes you feel," says Cannings, gesturing at the waterfront vista from an ivory leather booth in the Bayshore's sleek H2 lounge. "And this view, and this location, is that remarkable." Cannings has other business travel insights, some nuggets mined from the guest feedback that he personally reviews. "Business travellers tend to find more time to take care of themselves and exercise when they're away than when they're at home," he says, inspiring wellness amenities like loaner bicycles, healthy juices in the coffee bar and paddleboard yoga at the outdoor pool. More guests travelling with furry friends means new pet ameni- ties like beds, treats and even dog travel blogs. Although the hotel has a full conference centre, he notes an uptick in the demand for smaller gatherings held, for example, in hotel guest suites, and an in- crease in "meet- ings that used to be held in of fices now happening in restaurants and bars, for that more social connection." He also notices Westin guests cashing in their Marriott Bonvoy loyalty points, perhaps earned on business stays, for family trips or weekend add- ons. "They want to use them to achieve work /life balance," a perk that more companies are encouraging. The hotel where tycoon Howard Hughes once lived while in his 60s turns 60 itself next year. Today's perks— renovated rooms, with Westin Heavenly Beds, wifi upgrades and in-room entertainment that lets guests "create their own experience, logging into Net flix and other services using their own accounts," Cannings says—might just inspire mod- ern moguls to stay longer. • The real solution to flygskam, the flight-shame movement popularized by climate activist Greta Thunberg, could be technology. Here's how tech is making getting around more sustainable, efficient and virtual by Charlene Rooke APRIL 2020 BCBUSINESS 67 TRAVEL INSIDER R I G H T O N T I M E WestJet is the only Canadian airline with the flight record to land on data provider Cirium's 2019 list of most on-time airlines. It ranked in the North American top 10, im- proving its on-time total to 76.48 percent (just below the top-10 average of 79.47 percent) of flights.