Carry On: News for business travellers - Cathay Pacifc upgrades first class cabins

Cathay Pacifc upgrades first class cabins
Cathay Pacific Airways has refreshed First Class cabin’s look and suites to include a more adjustable meal table, more room in the personal closet and additional space inside the console compartment for personal items such as phones and glasses. A new 4.3” LCD touch screen controller allows passengers to recline the seat, adjust lumbar support and turn lights on or off. New reading lights have five levels of brightness and the rotation is more flexible with a wider angle. Noise cancelling headphones, iPhone/iPod connector and a USB port allow passengers to connect their own devices and watch video through their personal television and charge devices such as mobile phones. The first Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with the upgraded first class entered service on July 26 2013 and the entire project is scheduled to be completed by the third quarter of 2014.

First painted Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner unveiled
Boeing has finished painting its first 787-9 Dreamliner, the follow-up plane to its troubled 787-8.  Boeing has just finished painting the new aircraft – which will eventually be delivered to Air New Zealand – in the commercial division's new livery. It retains many of the features of the original 787-8 livery but adds a prominent number on the tail to help distinguish among models within the same product family. The 787-9 is 6m longer and will carry 40 more passengers an additional 300 nautical miles (555km), with 20% less fuel use. Boeing says is on track to fly the first 787-9 in the next few months with the first delivery to launch customer Air New Zealand set for mid-2014.

Air Tahiti offers free domestic flights
Air Tahiti Nui says it will pick up the cost of connecting domestic airfares from Christchurch or Wellington to Auckland. The free flights are available with Jetstar, which has added more flights on the main trunk from Wellington and Christchurch. Air Tahiti Nui general manager New Zealand Mark Hutchinson says the free domestic flights should entice more travellers on to its one-stop flights to Los Angeles, with add-ons to more 40 North America destinations beyond. 

New or changed routes
• China Airlines is increasing its Taipei Taoyuan-Brisbane-Auckland operation from November 28 to February 28, 2014. The Skyteam member operates two-class Boeing 747-400 aircraft instead of Airbus A330-300s.
• Air New Zealand is adding a third weekly service on its Auckland-Papeete (Tahiti) route from December 21 to January 11, 2014. The extra flight operates on Saturdays from Auckland, Fridays from Papeete.
• Thai plans to increase operations to Russia, as Bangkok-Moscow Domodedovo increases from four weekly to daily in the winter 2013/14 season.
• Singapore Airlines is likely to launch its third daily service between Delhi and Singapore later this year using Boeing 777 aircraft. The winter schedule is likely to come into effect from October 27 and continues until March 29, 2014.

Emirates sponsors World Cup cricket umpires
Sky TV has secured the New Zealand television broadcast rights for the 2015 Cricket World Cup to be co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia. Emirates sponsors the umpires, who will have the logo of Fly Emirates will be prominently displayed on their clothing. Sky TV’s deal means every game of the tournament will be screened live. Free-to-air coverage will also be available, although details are still to be confirmed.