Travel

A ramp worker with United Airlines guides a plane out of a gate at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Feb. 23, 2022. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) Airlines are racing to hire workers as they anticipate more travelers returning to the skies, and some are offering incentives to try to draw new employees. In Chicago alone, United Airlines is offering a $10,000 signing bonus to new part-time ramp agents, baggage handlers, belt and cargo loaders and other positions. Southwest Airlines will increase starting pay for some Chicago roles to $18 an hour beginning March 1. Major airlines are looking to add thousands of employees this year, as they continue efforts to build back workforces reduced during the pandemic. At the same time, they are contending with tough hiring markets, and could also face a potential pilot shortage that has loomed since before the pandemic. Staffing has come into sharper focus as airlines are predicting more travelers wil...

Wider Yachts, which started the trend of fold-out platforms for yachts, is moving into the power catamaran field, with the launch of a new 92-footer. The Italian yard said that it worked with studio Luca Dini on the interior and exterior designs. Wider recently announced that it had purchased a shipyard in Fano, Italy. CEO Marcello Maggi said the first 92 would be launched in January 2023. Five units are under construction. "Making a 92-foot catamaran look beautiful was quite a challenge," said Maggi in a statement. "So we worked with the designer Luca Dini to make this boat look very smooth and thin." The stern, with foldout platforms, shows how Wider got its name.  Courtesy Wider Yachts The RINA-classed yacht will have a beam of about 39 feet, which is about the same size as the 80-foot power cat from competitor Sunreef. But the Wider, living up to its name, will have the advantage of expandable s...

AS the end of World War II loomed, the month-long Battle of Manila destroyed the city. From Feb. 3 to March 3, 1945, Japanese and American armed forces clashed, the city's districts burned and were reduced to rubble. By the end of the month, over 100,000 civilians had died. "The fires intensified as the afternoon turned to dusk and then evening. Block by block the Japanese methodically destroyed much of the 160-acre Walled City, erasing four centuries of history in an afternoon. The Japanese had rigged explosives in the Manila Cathedral and surrounding buildings, detonating them early that evening," American author James M. Scott wrote in Rampage: MacArthur, Yamashita, and the Battle of Manila (2018). To commemorate the Battle of Manila and what was lost, four heritage and tourism groups — WanderManila, Don't Skip Manila, The Heritage Collective, and Renacimiento Manila — have come together for 1945: In Memoriam , an online experiential tour on Feb. 26, 7 p.m. Th...

A weekly roundup of local real estate deals.  Duel-branded Marriott Clearwater hotel sells for $115 million  Marriott International's latest dual-branded hotel in Clearwater Beach has sold in a whopping $115 million deal.  The hotel at 309 Coronado Dr. is a combined 140-suite Residence Inn and 115-suite SpringHill Suites. It was developed by 3H Group, which entered into a joint venture with Miami-based Key International after the opening several years ago. The hotel is managed by LBA Hospitality of Dothan, Alabama.  The duel-branded hotel at 309 Coronado Dr. in Clearwater. GoogleMaps. Lodging Dynamics Hospitality Group purchased the hotel from Key International. The transaction represents $450,980 per key. The group has multiple hotel properties that are primarily Hilton and Marriott-branded hotels, but it does not include any other Florida properties, according to its portfolio.  The building has ground-floor retai...

British Airways launches holiday deals to USA, Caribbean and Europe. (Image: British Airways) This article contains affiliate links, we may receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more British Airways is now offering deals on holidays to the USA, Caribbean and Europe. With seven night trips available from just £599 up, don't hesitate to book the sale now. British Airways and British Airways Holidays has just launched a great deal to help travellers plan their next holiday this year. The airline is offering deals on package holidays to some of this year's most popular destinations. Including trips to New York, Orlando, St Lucia, Dominican Republic and more, it's the perfect opportunity to take your loved ones away on a holiday. With flights and hotel stays available from just £599 up and rooms only from £149, book the trips here. Visit New York with British Airways offer. (Image: British Airways) Trips are available throughout 2022 so please make ...

The concept of booking your flight on a specific day to save a bit of money has become one of the most common pieces of quasi-advice among travelers. But the popular travel myth might be just that — a myth — as flight prices these days depend on demand, not the day of the week. "While there used to be greater price variation depending on the day of the week you booked a flight, there's less variation now due to pricing being handled algorithmically by computers," explains Steve Oliverez, CEO of InsanelyCheapFlights.com. This means that there's really no magic trick to ensuring you outsmart the booking website and get the cheapest deal every time. That said, it doesn't mean you have to concede to paying a premium for your flight. We spoke to budget travel experts to get their top tips on exactly how to find the cheapest flights as well as some of our favorite services for helping you to find cheap airfare. Th...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Hong Kong's best-known travel agency folds after 50 years amid Omicron outbreak    South China Morning Post

Herbert Frei / 500px Getty Images With its sunny weather, gorgeous rural scenery, world-class wines, and sophisticated cooking, it's no wonder France is such a popular holiday destination. FRANCE HOLIDAYS And, now that fully vaccinated visitors from the UK won't have to take tests for entry, more than one in ten of us are planning a getaway there this year, according to research by travel insurer battleface. It's the ideal destination for those looking to book their next trip to the European beauty spot and there are plenty of beautiful places to visit in France, whatever type of holiday you have in mind. From cities brimming with culture and charming provincial towns full of historic buildings, to stunning valleys and vineyards and majestic chateaux, not forgetting the glitz and glamour of the Cote d'Azur, there's really something for everyone. France's varied lan...