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Industry data show business travellers are taking longer trips than before COVID-19, leaving airlines adjusting flight plans. Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN.AX) and Virgin Australia say higher airfares have so far offset any revenue impact from fewer business trips. Ajit Chouhan, a Texas-based human resources executive, used to go on one-day business trips to San Francisco at least once a month before the pandemic. "If I'm on a business trip, do I want to stay an extra day if my partner's at home?" One-day journeys accounted for around 4% of domestic business trips globally in 2019, according to CWT data, versus 3% now.

☆ Analysis: For China's COVID policy, change comes in small increments
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Tony Munroe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Authorities are making changes such as more precisely targeting lockdowns, rolling out new vaccines and adding international flights. Daily infections, though extremely low by international standards, are hitting six-month highs, while officials repeatedly reaffirm the zero-COVID policy that President Xi Jinping argues saves lives. Still, Huang does not expect fundamental change in China's COVID policy anytime soon. "COVID is not scary, it is preventable and treatable," the city's health authority told residents. China recently began rolling out what is believed to be the world's first inhalable COVID vaccine, which could help in reducing vaccine hesitancy that is especially widespread among older Chinese.

☆ Kenya Airways says pilot strike causing flight disruptions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 5 (Reuters) - Kenya Airways PLC (KQNA.NR) said it was experiencing disruptions to its flight schedule after its pilot union began a strike on Saturday, despite the government urging them to call it off. The pilots union had said earlier it would call a strike over a dispute on pensions contributions and settlement of deferred pay for its members after a 14-day notice had passed without the airline's management addressing their grievances. The airline had described the planned strike as unlawful and warned that it could jeopardise its recovery from the pandemic, and the airline could at a minimum lose 300 million shillings ($2.5 million) a day. In last-minute talks to avert a strike, Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen had issued a plea to the pilots union not to go ahead with the industrial action. Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru and Elias Biryabarema in Kampala; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Passengers stranded as pilots at Kenya Airways strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] A woman pushes her luggage after her flight was cancelled during a strike by Kenya Airways pilots, organised by Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA), at the Jomo Kenyatta International airport in Nairobi, Kenya. REUTERS/Thomas MukoyaNAIROBI, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Thousands of flights were disrupted and passengers stranded as pilots at Kenya Airways PLC (KQNA.NR), one of Africa's biggest carriers, began a strike on Saturday, despite the government urging them to call it off. The Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) said the carrier's management declined to listen to their proposals on how resolve their grievances. In last-minute talks to avert a strike, Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen had issued a plea to the pilots union not to go ahead with the industrial action. One of Africa's largest airlines, Kenya Airways carried over 8,000 passengers daily in the first half of this year, according to the airline.

"There's a growing perceived chance that the Fed will be the last major central bank to throw in the towel and arrest its tightening cycle," said Francesco Pesole, FX strategist at ING. U.S. payrolls data released later on Friday will provide the latest indication of the health of the U.S. economy. In contrast, Friday data showed euro zone business activity contracted last month at the fastest pace since late 2020. CHINA HOPESFriday's 'risk on' move in currencies, as well as commodity and share markets, followed reports China could relax its anti-COVID restrictions, which have been hobbling economic activity. "CNH (the yuan traded offshore) will tell you if investors are running hot or cold in China markets.

☆ Kenya Airways says plan by pilots to start strike on Nov. 5 unlawful
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Kenya Airways planes are seen at the Jomo Kenyatta international airport in Nairobi, Kenya August 1, 2020. REUTERS/Njeri Mwangi/File PhotoNAIROBI, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Kenya Airways PLC's (KQNA.NR) pilots will begin a strike on Nov. 5, their union said on Friday, which the airline described as unlawful and could jeopardise its recovery from the pandemic. "The intended unlawful industrial action negates the strides KQ (Kenya Airways) has made this year in improving its financial position following the COVID pandemic that affected the economy," it said in a statement. It warned that the industrial action could at a minimum cost it 300 million shillings ($2.5 million) a day. The Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) — a union that represents more than 400 pilots at the carrier — issued the notice that expired at midnight on Wednesday, following a dispute over pensions contributions and settlement of deferred pay for its members.

☆ Kenya Airways pilots to start strike on Nov. 5, union says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Kenya Airways planes are seen through a window as the Jomo Kenyatta international airport in Nairobi, Kenya August 1, 2020. REUTERS/Njeri Mwangi/File PhotoNAIROBI, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Kenya Airways PLC's (KQNA.NR) pilots will begin a strike on Nov. 5, their union said on Friday, adding that a 14-day notice on the action had ended without the airline's management addressing their grievances. The Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) — a union that represents more than 400 pilots at the carrier — issued the notice that expired at midnight on Wednesday, following a dispute over pensions contributions and settlement of deferred pay for its members. "We are therefore at liberty to exercise our right to withdraw our labour forthwith," Murithi Nyagah, the general secretary of KALPA, said in a statement. ($1 = 121.4500 Kenyan shillings)Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Writing by George Obulutsa; editing by Uttaresh.VOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Kenya Airways pilots to give decision on strike after govt plea to call it off
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Kenya Airways planes are seen through a window as the Jomo Kenyatta international airport in Nairobi, Kenya August 1, 2020. REUTERS/Njeri Mwangi/File PhotoNAIROBI, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Kenya Airways PLC's (KQNA.NR) pilots union will give its final decision later tonight on whether to begin a strike on Saturday after the government urged them to it call off, the transport minister said on Friday. He also said he was hopeful the pilots would obey a court order invalidating the strike. "I’m very optimistic that in the next two hours, the pilots will make the right decision," he said of the decision by the pilots expected at 9pm local time (1800 GMT). The Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) — a union that represents more than 400 pilots at the carrier — has said it is at liberty to call a strike after its strike notice expired.

HONG KONG, Nov 4 (Reuters) - China may soon shorten COVID-19 quarantine requirements for inbound travellers from the current 10 days to seven or eight days, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday. Such a move would follow China's decision in June to slash quarantine time for inbound travellers by half. Health officials at the time said the shorter incubation period of the Omicron variant allowed for shorter quarantine times. Travel in and out of China has plunged as the country pursues "dynamic COVID zero" policies that include mandatory quarantine and RT-PCR tests for travellers upon arrival. International flights to and from China are at a small fraction of pre-COVID levels.

☆ Transported through history: Greek mosaic floor graces new subway station
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Deborah Kyvrikosaios | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Household objects of an ancient Greek house are seen at an exhibition inside Piraeus subway station, near Athens, Greece, October 19, 2022. They're not visitors to a museum, however, but passengers on a new subway line that links Piraeus, the sea port that serves the capital, with its airport. Subway builder Attiko Metro worked closely with archaeologists to create it, and the trove represents a highlight of thousands of artefacts found during the line's construction. "We are giving the passenger a small taste of an everyday moment in an (ancient) Piraeus house," said archaeologist Stella Chryssoulaki. "They found a small ancient ring.

☆ Here's what you can expect if you get COVID-19 on a cruise ship according to a Royal Caribbean passenger who was given the option to quarantine on the ship even after the cruise ended
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Isabella Zavarise | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

If a passenger contracts the virus, cruise ships offer medical treatment and future cruise credits. Both the medical team and the guest services team called him regularly to check on him. CelebrityThe liner Celebrity Reflection cruise ship arrives at the French Mediterranean port of Marseille. Future cruise creditsMost cruise lines offer future cruise credits if a passenger gets sick with COVID-19, but Hochberg said that process has been challenging. In July, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ended its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships, putting the onus on cruise lines to create their own standards.

SummarySummary Companies Q3 RevPar up 14% from same period in 2019Average pricing in Q3 was 23% above 2019 levelDemand in Asia will "correct itself"Oct 26 (Reuters) - Europe's biggest hotel group Accor (ACCP.PA) reported higher than expected third-quarter revenue per available room (RevPAR) on Wednesday, continuing a sharp improvement in activity since the start of the year after a "gorgeous" summer season. U.S. tourists travelling to Europe took advantage of the dollar's strength against the euro and other currencies, Chief Financial Officer Jean-Jacques Morin said on a call with journalists. Accor's average pricing in the third quarter has been 23% above 2019 levels, the CFO said, adding the capability to earn more fees through inflation needed to be accounted for. However, the situation in Asia will "correct itself", with recovery in China and Southeast Asian countries next year possibly making a difference to the group's performance, Morin added. ($1 = 0.9930 euros)Reporting by Diana Mandia and Dina Kartit; Editing by David Holmes, Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Shanghai island to host 3,250-bed COVID quarantine facility
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Shanghai plans to build a 3,250-bed COVID-19 quarantine facility on a small island close to its city centre as China stands by its stringent zero-COVID controls, rather than relaxing curbs as many other countries have done. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe Shanghai government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Shanghai, like other Chinese cities, has continued to battle sporadic outbreaks with repeated mass testing and targeted lockdowns. The southern metropolis of Guangzhou has a 5,000-bed quarantine centre that is mainly meant for travellers entering China from abroad. ($1 = 7.2236 Chinese yuan renminbi)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Eurowings pilots begin strike over workload
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Pilots at Lufthansa's (LHAG.DE) Eurowings began a three-day strike on Monday over working hours, their union said, confirming action that could affect thousands of the budget airline's passengers. And so far there is no new offer," sais a spokesperson for the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) pilots' union. The union wants the carrier to ease pilot workloads through measures such as increased rest periods, but Eurowings warned over the weekend that the demands put jobs at risk. It expects to cancel a similar number of flights on Tuesday and Wednesday. The walkout is due to end at 11.59 pm local time (2159 GMT) on Wednesday.

☆ Taiwan welcomes back visitors after ending COVID quarantine rules
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Ann Wang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Travellers from Thailand on the first quarantine-free flight to Taiwan, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, receive a welcome by officials and the media at the airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan, October 13, 2022. REUTERS/Ann WangTAOYUAN, Taiwan, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Taiwan began welcoming back visitors on Thursday after finally ending mandatory quarantines to control the spread of COVID-19, with gifts of cuddly toy black bears for the first tour group that stepped off the plane shortly after midnight. Some rules remain, including a requirement for people to monitor their health for seven days after arrival and perform rapid tests on themselves. Prior to the pandemic, Taiwan was a popular tourist destination, mostly for travellers from Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia, attracted by the island's cuisine and natural beauty. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Ann Wang; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Poland advises its citizens to leave Belarus
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WARSAW, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Polish citizens in Belarus should leave the country, Warsaw said on Monday, as relations between the two countries become increasingly tense in part due to the war in Ukraine. The advice follows a similar recommendation given in September to Poles in Russia, a close ally of Belarus. "We recommend that Polish citizens staying on the territory of the Republic of Belarus leave its territory with available commercial and private means," the government said in guidance for travellers published on its website. Warsaw says that the Polish minority in Belarus faces repression from the state, with some community leaders having been imprisoned. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Alan Charlish, Anna Koper, Editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

HONG KONG, Oct 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - China’s lackluster Golden Week holiday this year casts a dark cloud over the economy. Domestic tourism sales during the country’s annual spend-and-travel blitz fell to $40 billion, less than half of pre-pandemic levels. Before the pandemic, domestic tourists splurged some 650 billion yuan ($91 billion) during the 2019 Golden Week – over a quarter more than during the Chinese New Year festival. Overall, domestic trips were just 422 million during Golden Week, down 18% from last year. China’s Golden Week has lost its shine.

☆ China urges 'patience' as COVID cases rebound ahead of key congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

People line up to get tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a nucleic acid testing site, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Shanghai, China, October 10, 2022. REUTERS/Aly SongSummary Local COVID cases in China rise to highest since Aug. 20Covid epicentre in northern region of Inner MongoliaParts of Shanghai close leisure, entertainment venuesBEIJING, Oct 10 (Reuters) - China called for "patience" with its tough COVID policies and warned against any "war-weariness" as local cases soared to their highest since August, days ahead of a pivotal Communist Party congress. A few days into the Golden Week, the western region of Xinjiang also barred people from leaving as cases ticked higher. Tourists stranded in Xinjiang could seek temporary work as electricians, cooks and wood craftsmen, advised authorities in its capital Urumqi. Shanghai, which locked down its entire population of 25 million in April and May, reported 34 local cases on Oct. 9, the most in almost three months.

Passengers wearing face masks following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak sit in a sightseeing bus during a night tour, ahead of the Chinese National Day Golden Week holiday in Beijing, China September 26, 2022. REUTERS/Florence LoBEIJING, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Travel during China's Golden Week holiday, which begins on Saturday, is set to hit its lowest in years, analysts say, as COVID-19 concerns spur calls for people to avoid travel and keep to their cities, while economic woes damp spending. If trips this holiday reached half the levels of 2019 and spending over the period reached 30% to 40% of holiday spending before the pandemic, that would amount to a "pretty good" result, he added. In the past two years, China's Golden Week travel and spending have fallen short of the levels of 2019, which racked up 782 million trips and tourism revenue of 650 billion yuan ($90 billion). Sanya "is not back", said Shirley, the manager of a luxury store in the city, where travel industry workers despair of the return of Golden Week tourists.

☆ 'We are not rich:' A couple share one money tip that lets them travel full time — on land and sea
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Living in a sailboat together has allowed Rene Sullivan and Samantha Khoo to work on their communication skills. "You realize you don't really need a lot of money — because you're not paying your staff, you're not paying your rent, you're not paying for a property, you're not paying for your [credit] cards." Sullivan and Khoo, who've been married for 22 years, said the most important thing that enabled them to travel full time was being debt-free. They spent four months at Pangkor Marina in Malaysia, where they worked for boat owners without pay to gain knowledge about boat life and maintenance. 'Bring on another 1,000'While the idea of living on a sailboat is relaxing, Khoo and Sullivan said it's anything but glamorous.

☆ China's biggest air show could take off again without C919 narrowbody jet
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A display of VT5 light main battle tank is seen at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China, in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China September 29, 2021. REUTERS/Aly SongBEIJING/SYDNEY, Sept 27 (Reuters) - China will show off its homegrown civil and military aviation technology at the country's biggest air show in November, the mayor of host city Zhuhai said on Tuesday, though there was no confirmation that would include the C919 narrowbody jet. Western suppliers are behind some of the key technology in the C919, including the avionics and engines. Two C919 jets arrived in Beijing on Sept. 13, in a move widely viewed as preparation for certification by the aviation regulator on Sept. 19, a symbolic date given the model number. But that did not happen and the two jets remain parked in Beijing, according to flight tracking websites.

☆ Desperation on Russia's borders as draft-eligible men flee
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Travellers from Russia cross the border to Georgia at the Zemo Larsi/Verkhny Lars station, Georgia September 26, 2022. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterHis escape was part of a vast exodus from Russia that has seen thousands of military-age men make for the borders with Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. On Monday, Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that 261,000 men had left Russia since mobilisation was declared, citing a Kremlin source. On the Kazakhstan border, Nikita described would-be emigres pitching tents along the highway leading up to the Vishnyovka border post, while others less well-equipped slept on the tarmac, building makeshift beds out of their own clothes. Some of the most dramatic scenes were at Russia’s only operational border crossing with Georgia, which allows Russians to stay for a year without a visa.

☆ GCash, other Asian e-wallets to expand into S.Korea with Ant's Alipay+
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/BEIJING, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Ant Group (688688.SS) said on Monday it would help four Asian e-wallets, including the Philippines' GCash and Malaysia's Touch'n Go expand into South Korea with its cross-border payment service Alipay+, as travel restrictions begin to lift across Asia. Launched in 2020, Alipay+ provides services and technology tools to global merchants and e-wallets that enable them to offer their users the ability to make payments in overseas markets with their local e-wallets. Earlier this month, south korea ended pre-departure COVID-19 test requirement for overseas travellers, in step with Japan and other countries that also removed it. In June, Alipay+ had enabled Malaysia's Touch'n Go users to pay with the e-wallet in Singapore. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Yingzhi Yang and Brenda Goh; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Macau casino operators soar as China allows tour groups after nearly 3 years
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A woman rest next to the decoration inside the Wynn Palace casino resort in Macau, China December 20, 2019, on the 20th anniversary of the former Portuguese colony's return to China. Sands China (1928.HK) rose more than 13%, Wynn Macau (1128.HK) climbed 7%, Galaxy Entertainment (0027.HK) advanced 10% while shares of SJM (0880.HK) and MGM China (2282.HK) jumped 8% each. Currently, Chinese tourists to Macau need to book a visa appointment followed by a week-long approval process. The individual visa scheme accounted for around 50% of Chinese visitors to Macau in 2019 while tour groups accounted for around 25% of visitation. In the first phase, the resumption of tour groups will come from five provinces -- Guangdong, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Fujian -- which represented almost 60% of mainland visits to Macau in 2019.

☆ 'I am leaving Russia': young men flee draft, Finland to restrict entry
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Essi Lehto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Cars queue to enter Finland from Russia at Finland's most southern crossing point Vaalimaa, around three hour drive from Saint Petersburg, in Vaalimaa, Finland September 23, 2022. Two days later, he was crossing the border into Finland. I am just for freedom, Russia (free) from Putin, democracy in Russia," he said, breaking into tears. Nikita was one of a dozen young men Reuters spoke to at the Vaalimaa border crossing in southeastern Finland, their number growing in the days since Putin announced the call-up of 300,000 military reservists. Traffic into Finland over its border with Russia was heavy on Friday.

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