Safety last: Risky investments soared at start of 2021
FILE - In this Tuesday, March 9, 2021, file photo, a JetBlue flight arrives at Salt Lake City International Airport, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)NEW YORK โ Who needs safety when the world's about to get back to normal? Worries are also rising that one the worst enemies of bond investors, inflation, may be set to return. The drops in bond prices sent the average intermediate-term core bond fund down 2.9% in the first quarter, as of Tuesday, according to Morningstar. Higher interest rates are adding more pressure on high-growth stocks, which were often lagging the market during the first quarter.
US jobless claims fall to 712,000 as pace of layoffs eases
A JetBlue flight arrives at Salt Lake City International Airport, Tuesday, March 9, 2021, in Salt Lake City. The Labor Department said Thursday that applications for unemployment aid dropped by 42,000 from 754,000 the week before. Though the job market has been slowly strengthening, many businesses remain under pressure, and 9.6 million jobs remain lost to the pandemic that flattened the economy 12 months ago. AdAll told, 4.1 million Americans are receiving traditional state unemployment benefits. Even where restrictions didn't exist, many Americans for months chose to stay home to avoid the risk of infection.
US airlines adding jobs, extending rebound from October low
The Transportation Department said Tuesday, March 9, 2021, that the airline industry employed 713,949 people full-time or part-time in January. Cargo airlines have added jobs while passenger airlines have shed workers, mostly through incentives for workers to quit or take early retirement. The Transportation Department said Tuesday that 713,949 people held full-time or part-time jobs at airlines in mid-January, up from 694,638 in December and the low of 673,278 in October. American Airlines eliminated 8,700 jobs, or 8% of its workers, and Southwest shed more than 4,600 jobs, or 7.5%. FedEx's express-delivery division grew by about 24,000 jobs, or 9.8%, United Parcel Service added 183 jobs, or 2.9%, in its air-shipment business, and smaller cargo carriers such as Atlas Air also added jobs, according to the Transportation Department.
JetBlue is the latest airline to retreat from blocking seats
The days of airlines blocking seats to make passengers feel safer about flying during the pandemic are coming closer to an end. A spokesman for the carrier said Thursday that JetBlue will reduce the number of seats it blocks after Dec. 1 to accommodate families traveling together over the holidays. Southwest Airlines said last week that it will stop limiting the number of seats it fills after Dec. 1. Some airlines promised to block middle seats to create more distance between passengers. Southwest CEO Gary Kelly made a similar reference to โscientific evidenceโ that cabins are safe, but he also cited a strong financial incentive to stop blocking middle seats.
Major airlines now requiring face masks to fly
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Major airlines are changing the face of flying, literally. Starting Monday, May 4, anyone who flies aboard a JetBlue, Delta, or United Airlines aircraft must wear either a face mask or covering when traveling. The airline says masks will need to be worn while checking, boarding, in the air, and when passengers exit the plane. Per CDC recommendations, masks and face coverings must cover the nose and the mouth. If you look around Jacksonville International Airport, face masks and coverings appear to be as common as suitcases.
These are the 10 best airlines for traveling with families
We all have preferences, but as a whole, theres been some consensus as to which airlines are the best for traveling families. So, without further ado, here are the top 10 airlines for family travel, according to the Points Guy:1. JetBluePerks: Built-in free entertainment and Wi-Fi, unlimited free snack basket, comfortable seats, the ability for families to pool miles together and a frequent-flyer program thats easy to use. Perks: availability of free seat assignments, miles dont expire, on-time stats are great, expansive route network and there's seatback entertainment. Though its route network is extensive, it has miles that expire and limited complimentary advanced seat assignments.
JetBlue flight makes emergency landing in Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A JetBlue jetliner made an emergency landing Monday afternoon at Jacksonville International Airport. 2581 was heading to Nashville from Fort Lauderdale with 152 people on board when it made an emergency landing in Jacksonville because a fire sensor inside the plane was going off. "We landed safely in Jacksonville. We landed safely in Jacksonville. @danabanker & @aric_chokey and I are temporarily stranded in Jacksonville after our @JetBlueFlight to Nashville made an emergency landing due to a fire sensor going off.
DeSantis continues New York business trip
After a breakfast with the Manhattan Institute at the Harvard Club of New York City, DeSantis was scheduled to have meetings at Fidus Partners, Success Academy Charter Schools, Soroban Capital and Trustco Bank. On Thursday, DeSantis had meetings at the banking and financial-services company BNY Mellon in New York City and at the airline JetBlue in Long Island City. In a tweet Thursday, DeSantis said he was highlighting "the benefits of expanding in Florida's favorable business climate." He added he was traveling to New York to "highlight Florida's low taxes, top rated university system and impressive workforce." The governor made similar trips to New York City in February and May and to Chicago in September.
DeSantis tries to lure companies in New York
Ron DeSantis was slated to return Thursday to New York for another round of meetings with business leaders. DeSantis' schedule said he had meetings planned at the banking and financial-services company BNY Mellon in New York City and at the airline JetBlue in Long Island City. JetBlue flies to Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Orlando, Sarasota, Tampa and West Palm Beach. DeSantis in February and May also went to New York City to talk with players in the financial industry. News Service of Florida
Facial recognition takes over airports
Other examples include iris recognition, fingerprints and facial recognition. Facial recognition in the USOn the other side of the Atlantic the US government has been using facial recognition for the past 20 years or so, although it's only ramped up biometric boarding recently. Protests and concernsSome civilian groups have also expressed uneasiness about airport facial recognition. In China, facial recognition is widespread -- including, but not limited to airports. In Dubai, Terminal 3's "Smart Tunnel" is designed to funnel passengers through passport control via facial recognition.
Water quality on planes has been studied
Mario Tama/Getty Images(CNN) - You've probably never given much thought to the quality of the water on an airplane. A recent study ranks the water served on major and regional US airlines. They tied for last among major airlines in the study, which came out at the end of August. Airlines are required to provide safe drinking water for passengers and crew because of the Aircraft Drinking Water Rule, a federal government policy which dates back to 2011. The criteria for the study included fleet size, the number of Aircraft Drinking Water Rule violations, results of water sample reports and how cooperative the airlines were in providing answers to questions about water quality.
Kilos of cocaine found on JetBlue planes in Lake City
LAKE CITY, Fla. โ Three kilos of cocaine were found on two different JetBlue jets at a hangar in Lake City, the Columbia County Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday. Then on Sunday, two additional kilos of cocaine were found on a different JetBlue A320 aircraft in the exact same area as the first. The Sheriff's Office told News4Jax that JetBlue aircrafts go to HAECO regularly for service, but the airline does not have flights out of the Lake City Airport. "We are pretty confident that maybe someone is missing three kilos of cocaine and they are wondering where it is. The Lake City Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will be assisting the Sheriff's Office in the investigation.