BUSINESS TRAVEL MADE EASY

ING Asia Private Bank Limited CEO Renato “Bing” de Guzman is always on a plane, flying from his home base in Singapore to anywhere from New Delhi to New York. This experienced business traveler shares his secrets to smooth sailing.

What airline would you recommend for business travel?
Go with top Asian airlines, like Singapore Airlines or Cathay Pacific. They’re a blend of modernity and Asian hospitality, plus they’re very efficient—from check-in onwards. They’re also punctual and have good routes. And they’re safe.

Do they have special amenities for the business traveler?
The new business class of Singapore Airlines is fantastic: spacious with only four seats per row, which makes it very private, leather seats, widescreen TV, flat bed. It really spoils you. I don’t think other airlines provide the same.

What other airlines do you think are business-traveler friendly?
I have limited experience with other airlines, although the standards of European airlines are improving, but still quite far from top Asian airlines. I have not heard too many good things about US airlines.

Which hotels have the best business-friendly amenities, such as Internet, fax, and secretarial services?
I prefer top hotels like Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, and Mandarin Oriental. They will always have the amenities required by a businessman, plus there is the added comfort and luxury that one deserves after working so hard. Also, they are normally well-located, so they’ll be appropriate for business meetings.

What tips do you have when traveling to unusual destinations, like Pakistan or Kazakhstan?
I suggest you handcarry all essentials with you; if possible, don’t check in your luggage. There are limited flight connections to these unusual places, so traveling there is inconvenient [at best]. The planes are often late or luggage can get lost. For example, I went to Islamabad on a business trip, and my luggage was not onboard. By the time it got to me, I was already leaving.

What’s your best advice for long-haul flights?
Take Singapore Airlines! They have a great range of movies to watch and magazines to read.

What tip can you give to someone traveling to a country where one doesn’t speak the local language?
Book your stay in a well-known hotel or one that is part of a chain. They will always have somebody who can speak English.

Any other travel tips you’d like to share?
Businessmen used to the efficiency of Changi Airport in Singapore will find everything else inefficient. From arrival to immigration to luggage retrieval, so far, for me, nothing equals it. Other airports should benchmark themselves to Changi. Transiting through Delhi and even Beijing on the way to Kazakhstan is quite an experience in itself. Delhi is poorly equipped to handle transit passengers. You have to wait in the immigration area to be picked up by the staff of the airline you will board. In Beijing, you have to go through the arrival area to go to the check-in in the departure area—quite a distance!