Category: New Business

Doors, wireless charging and 4K video: A first look at Air France’s new Boeing 777 business class

If you’re flying between New York and Paris on Air France in the not-too-distant future, you could be in for a big upgrade.

The French flag carrier is soon set to roll out an updated cabin configuration on 12 of its Boeing 777-300ERs — the largest planes in its fleet. These 12 aircraft will feature a much-enhanced product across all three of its classes: Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class.

The new business-class seats, from French manufacturer Safran, aren’t revolutionary (we’re not talking about Qatar Qsuite here). However, they are the best Air France has ever offered and will be a highly competitive “hard product” for North Atlantic crossings. So far, Air France has announced only New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) as a route for this configuration, but the carrier promises more city pairs to come.

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If you’re not lucky enough to snag one of the 48 reverse herringbone seats that are all angled toward the window, you can still enjoy an upgraded Premium Economy cabin. It’s using the same seat that are on Air France’s Airbus A350s,

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Air New Zealand’s Subpar 787 Business Class

To finish off my review trip, I flew Air New Zealand’s Boeing 787-9 business class from Auckland (AKL) to Los Angeles (LAX), which I managed to book using Virgin Atlantic points. The experience was not great, which is kind of what I was expecting.

Air New Zealand’s business class hard product is bad

Air New Zealand has first generation herringbone seats in business class, which are oh-so-outdated. These seats all face the aisle, and really provide no privacy.

Air New Zealand Boeing 787 business class cabin
Air New Zealand Boeing 787 business class cabin

This flight was really a reminder of how far business class seats have otherwise come, and also of how I’m getting old(er). These seats were great in the early 2000s when other airlines primarily had angled seats on long haul flights, but nowadays these seats are simply uncompetitive.

Air New Zealand Boeing 787 business class seats

The seats have virtually no storage, it’s so easy to accidentally knock things over, so many of the seat controls are poorly positioned, you’ll pull some muscles you didn’t know you had while trying to look out the window or plug something into an outlet, etc. Never mind that you

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Madison Co. celebrates new business’s move, former Honeywells building

Spark Robotic owner Frank Johnson cuts the ribbon at a ceremony celebrating the business' move to Madison County.

MARS HILL – After Honeywell vacated its Micro Switch building in Mars Hill in 2012, the 110,000-square-foot building has been largely underutilized.

That all changed when Spark Robotic owner Frank Johnson acquired the building last fall. On Sept. 24, county government officials celebrated the business moving to Madison with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the facility, located on Hickory Drive near the university’s athletic complex.

Spark Robotic specializes in computerized numerical control machines, including plasma cutting tables and router tables.

Development Services Director Brad Guth welcomed the ceremony, which included members of the county commission and Mars Hill town board.

“We’re really excited to be here at Spark Robotic, and all the other businesses that are here in the former Micro Switch building,” Guth said.

Spark Robotic owner Frank Johnson bought the manufacturing complex located at 400 Hickory Drive in Mars Hill in October 2021.

“On behalf of Madison County government, we’re just very pleased to have everybody here this afternoon,” Interim County Manager Norris Gentry said. “I must say that we’re very happy to have someone relocated from Buncombe County to Madison County to find your happy place.”

Spark Robotic owner Frank Johnson said he purchased the building in October 2021, though the company operated in its Woodfin location until moving full-time to the Mars Hill complex in spring 2022.

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The NACD updates its framework for corporate boards

With stock market gyrations, inflationrising interest rateswar in Ukraine, divisive politics, and climate change making business survival ever-more challenging, the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) has picked an opportunity time to update its user manual forboard members.

The last time the membership group had issued a set of principles about the role and responsibilities of boards was in 2011, when corporate leaders were still reckoning with the global financial crisis. A new business ethic was growing, from b-corps to conscious capitalism, but it was far from mainstream. The end game was still focused on the shareholder—a.k.a. the stock price—full stops. Boards loaded up CEOs with stock options and equivalents with the idea of ​​“pay for performance” ringing in their ears.

The rules are beginning to change, though.

A dynamic environment of social media, systemic risks, and deep uncertainty about the future has underscored the need for a different kind of leadership, new ways of governing, and standards for conducting business that speak to a wider set of stakeholders.

As director of the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program for the past 25 years, I was honored to participate in the process that led to

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Locals discuss concerns over new business park currently under construction

PARKERSBURG, W. Va. (WTAP) –

People of Washington Bottom came together Saturday afternoon to discuss concerns over a 29-acre business park currently under construction in their neighborhoods

The Saturday meeting was a chance for the Washington Bottom community to come together and discuss the construction of PMCompany’s business park.

Jeff Simmons is a member of a concerned citizens group actively trying to stop the construction of the business park. Simmons said the goal was to talk about the concerns they’re feeling… and to brainstorm ideas on how to stop the construction.

“We’re looking at every kind of possible option to preserve or community. This is a peaceful place.”

We spoke to the Real Estate Director for the PM Company, Jared Decker, earlier in the week.

Decker responded to concerns of the construction by saying the company is playing by the rules.

“If people have questions as to whether or not we are abiding by the rules. They should call law enforcement or their elected officials and send inspectors to our site. We have an open-door policy.”

Simmons said he’s not going to stop fighting until the last nail is in.

“Some people are willing to give up too easily, I

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Garuda Indonesia’s Strange New Business Plan

In mid-2021, Garuda Indonesia announced plans for a major restructuring. The airline had been losing money for years (even pre-pandemic), and had crippling debt. It looks like the airline is now headed into a completely new direction, and… I’m not sure this is gong to end much better?

Garuda Indonesia’s new business plan

Indonesia’s State Enterprises Minister, Erick Thohir, has revealed new plans about what a restructured Garuda Indonesia will look like. As reported by Bloomberg:

  • Garuda Indonesia will stop flying most international routes, with few exceptions, including pilgrimage flights to Saudi Arabia; most long haul flights will instead be operated as part of codeshare agreements with other airlines
  • Garuda Indonesia will instead focus on selling business class, premium economy (which the airline doesn’t currently have), and economy seats, on “local” flights; Garuda Indonesia may no longer offer first class, but the writing was on the wall for that anyway
  • The airline currently only has around 30 planes, but intends to have the fleet return to the pre-pandemic size of roughly 120 planes; Garuda Indonesia will acquire additional planes from leasing companies
  • Garuda Indonesia needs to restructure $9.5 billion in debt, and a deal has allegedly been reached with
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American Airlines introduces new business class: Flagship Suites

The rumors are true: American Airlines will be phasing out long-haul first class in the coming years.

But well-heeled travelers don’t need to fret too much. The airline is planning to consolidate its Flagship First and Flagship Business classes into a new Flagship Suites configuration on its most premium-heavy planes, promising direct aisle access and a privacy door for everyone up front on many of its high-value routes.

American will also update and expand the premium economy cabins on those aircraft as part of the overhaul, installing new seats with headrest wings for greater privacy.

“What’s core to all of this is American Airlines continuing to listen to our customers and continuing to get feedback from our customers,” Julie Rath, American’s vice president of customer experience told USA TODAY. “Our Flagship Suites that we’re delivering are really aligned with what the customer expectation is in the premium cabin.”

Summer air travel meltdown?:Things in Amsterdam are chilling out

What will American’s new Flagship Suites be like?

Rendering of American Airlines' new Flagship Suite

Flagship Suite seats will feature privacy doors and direct aisle access for every passenger, as well as increased personal space compared to existing Flagship Business class seats. Every new Flagship seat will convert to

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New business moves into vacant Pier 1 building as 24th Street West begins to fill up

Once empty buildings along the 24th Street West and King Avenue West corridor are quickly filling in after years of vacancy.

The Pier 1 Imports store, which sits at the corner of 24th Street West and Rosebud Drive, has sat vacant since 2020 when the national retail chain filed for bankruptcy. The building will become the site of a new Skechers shoe store; work on the building began earlier this month.

The new Skechers store sits directly across 24th Street from a new Chick-fil-A, which is currently under construction. The chicken sandwich shop will be the second in Montana and is being built in the back end of the parking lot of Planet Fitness.

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Planet Fitness, of course, was a vacant Toys ‘R’ Us until the gym took over the building in 2019.

Just south on King Avenue West will be three new retailers filling in the long vacant Big Bear Sports Center. Big Bear closed in 2017 after a man barricaded himself in the big box store and was shot dead by police after an hours-long standoff.

Moving into the completely remodeled building will be a HomeGoods store, a Sierra retail shop and a PetCo.

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Tampa potter banks on a new business idea: dented mixing bowls

Kelley Pitcher reached up to hang a sign above her vendor stall at the Hyde Park Village monthly market which showcased images of her newly patented product — the stainless steel “Belly Bowl.”

Pitcher, a Valrico resident, wasn’t sure what the reaction would be.

It was still steamy outside over Labor Day weekend. She’d had already skipped the August market because of the weather and was worried few shoppers would be in attendance. But she was too excited to show off her latest invention — a mixing bowl you balance against your tummy, to local shoppers in Tampa Bay.

As Pitcher and her partner Joel Lebel set up their custom display shelves in front of the shopping plaza’s iconic fountain, Lebel said: “I don’t expect a huge turnout…”

“But sometimes it’s a surprise,” Pitcher added.

They’ve sold goods at the local Hyde Park Village Fresh Market countless times before under the name Pitcher Pottery. Together Pitcher and Lebel organize hundreds of ceramics, from mugs to food trays, in time for shoppers arriving for brunch and to browse in the late morning.

Over Labor Day weekend, Pitcher made room for a brand new display. Three metallic models of dented mixing bowls

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New Business to Take the Place of Smouse House | KCII Radio

At the September 20th Washington City Council meeting, the council unanimously approved the major site plan for Scooter’s Coffee which will move into the lot that the historic Smouse House occupied. The demolition date for the Smouse House has been set for Monday, September 26th.

The Washington Historic Preservation Commission approved the demolition on June 20th, citing its long-term vacancy, safety hazards, and the current estimate that it would cost over $1.5 million to renovate. At the July 5th Washington City Council meeting, the council unanimously approved a demolition permit. However, the demolition could not ultimately be finalized until the National Register of Historic Places supported the demolition.

Washington Mayor Jaron Rosien spoke with KCII and talked about how much involvement the City Council had in determining what would move onto the former Smouse House lot. “The council operates in terms of codes and ordinances, which has to do with the traffic and the entrances and exits around Scooters Coffee. We want to support business and industry here in Washington, and not at the expense of other industries and businesses here in Washington. However, Council concerns are restricted to codes and ordinances and not to debate the type of

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