The Philadelphia Orchestra To Rename Its Home At The Kimmel Center For The Performing Arts Marian Anderson Hall In Honor Of The Legendary Contralto, Civil Rights Icon, And Philadelphian

On June 8, 2024, Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts will be rededicated as Marian Anderson Hall, home of The Philadelphia Orchestra, in honor of the legendary contralto, civil rights icon, and Philadelphian. The first major concert venue in the world to honor the late performer and trailblazer, Marian Anderson Hall will be a permanent monument to its namesake’s artistry and achievements, a reflection of the inclusive future she helped to engender, and an active testament to the intersection of music, art, and positive social impact.

They will officially dedicate the hall in Ms. Anderson’s honor on June 8 with an unveiling in the afternoon, and will celebrate that evening during the Great Stages Gala, featuring The Philadelphia Orchestra and Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, actress and singer Audra McDonald, soprano Angel Blue, and jazz pianist Marcus Roberts.

Marian Anderson Hall will be dedicated 85 years after Ms. Anderson was denied the opportunity to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., because of her race, singing instead for a crowd of over 75,000 at the Lincoln Memorial. Throughout her life, Marian Anderson emblemized the idea that music can change the world. It is our hope that Marian Anderson Hall will inspire everyone who comes through its doors with the idea that the arts are a transformative force for good in the world. We hope you will join us as we forge a bright, inclusive future in which the arts are for everyone.

To ensure this work continues long into the future, they have partnered with the Philadelphia branch of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to establish an endowed scholarship in honor of Ms. Anderson, to be awarded each year to two Black students from the Philadelphia region studying the performing arts or pursuing a career in arts administration at schools throughout the country.

The dedication of Marian Anderson Hall was named in her honor by a visionary philanthropic gift from Richard Worley and Leslie Miller. They extend our deepest gratitude for their transformative leadership. Additional generous support for Marian Anderson Hall was given by Sidney and Caroline Kimmel. They also thank the family and estate of Marian Anderson, whose enthusiasm and support for this initiative have been crucial.

For more details, please visit: https://www.ensembleartsphilly.org/

Travelore Tips: You Can Now Transfer American Airlines AAdvantage Miles For 0.5cpp

American Airlines announced some negative changes yesterday regarding checked baggage fees and only offering miles and Loyalty Points on direct bookings (in most cases).

They made one further change, this time relating to the cost of transferring miles to another AAdvantage member. Surprisingly, the change is a positive one that could mean it’ll make sense to transfer miles in the future rather than buy them.

There’s a minimum transfer amount of 1,000 AAdvantage miles, while it maxes out at 200,000 miles. You’re allowed to transfer up to 200,000 miles per year or receive up to that amount per year.

Transfers used to cost 1.5cpp (cents per point) which represented very poor value because buying miles doesn’t tend to cost much more than that. Paying that high fee to transfer existing miles therefore made very little sense.

The change that American Airlines has made is that the fee has been slashed to 0.5cpp – a reduction of two-thirds. While that’s more than some other airline loyalty programs that offer family pooling for free (e.g. British Airways Avios), it does mean that transferring existing miles from one account to another could be worth it in some circumstances rather than buying miles.

With the other changes that were announced yesterday, I speculated that Delta and United might follow American’s lead in increasing checked baggage fees and only awarding miles to those who book directly in the future. Both those airlines charge similar fees to what American Airlines used to charge; Delta charges 1cpp plus a $30 fee to transfer, while United charges 1.5cpp plus a $30 fee. While it would be nice to think that they’ll follow American’s lead with reduced transfer costs, I doubt they’ll feel as much pressure to make a change such as this. That’s because I imagine that frequent flyers looking to transfer their miles are far less numerous than the number of people who check bags or book their flights through OTAs. I’d be more than happy to be proven wrong though.

https://frequentmiler.com/author/stephenp/

Major U.S. Airline Makes Pricing Change Its Passengers Will Love

As the winter months come to a close and aspiring vacationers begin to sense the approach of spring, many are looking for opportunities to travel.

Whether for spring break or for one last chance to get away to a warmer climate before summer, JetBlue is now offering some inexpensive trips to warm climates.

Destinations include Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America and involve the use of the airline's TrueBlue points.

The most basic way to earn these points is flying with JetBlue or American Airlines. Travelers earn points based on the cost of tickets and fare type.

When airfares are reduced, the points required for booking are also lower.

JetBlue vacation packages allow people to redeem points for flights, hotels and car rentals, but the points are not to be used for travel insurance or taxes and fees that are part of the packages.

You can also use cash plus points to purchase airfare on JetBlue, bringing down the total cost.

Flights are in February through May

It may be smart to move on these offers fairly quickly.

"In fact, if your weekend plans this weekend are free, you may be able to snag a last-minute ticket to somewhere warm ... and near the ocean," wrote Sean Dudahy for The Points Guy.

Many of the destinations involved in TrueBlue points offers are from the Northeast (particularly New York) to locations in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America.

The travel dates are February through May, depending on the routes. And Dudahy suggests booking directly with JetBlue.

"In keeping with the nature of dynamic pricing, JetBlue's award pricing fluctuates from one day to the next and from one route to the next," Dudahy wrote. "However, what we found are TrueBlue prices that are generally trending in the 4,000- to 7,000-point range one-way."

"Most of the availability is for the New York City area, though if you live in New England or South Florida, you may want to plug in some destinations out of JetBlue hubs Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) or Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and see what you can find," he added.

These are some flights that are involved

One example is an early March flight from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Cancun International Aiport, priced at 4,100 TrueBlue points each way.

"TPG values TrueBlue points at 1.4 cents per point, so the value of that 8,200-point round-trip itinerary is around $114," Dudahy wrote.

Another flies from Newark Liberty International Airport to Jamaica's Sangster International Airport for 5,800 points each way.
For 6,100 TrueBlue points, a traveler can fly nonstop from Newark to Queen Beatrix International airport in Aruba.

"Keep in mind that with JetBlue, the prices for the outbound and return trips are priced separately, so you may find the award pricing is higher on the return trip or vice versa," Dudahy wrote.

"If you're itching to plan a late winter or early spring getaway and have been waiting for the right opportunity to use some TrueBlue points, now may be your opportunity," he continued. "Hop on the airline's booking site, and run a few searches for February, March or even April and May to some destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America you've been hoping to visit."

"You may be able to find a redemption for just a few thousand points each way."

https://www.thestreet.com/author/jeffrey-quiggle

China Pledges Pair Of Pandas For San Diego Zoo

China for the first time in more than two decades is sending pandas to the United States to the delight of the San Diego Zoo, which is preparing to receive a pair that could include a female descendent of Bai Yun and Gao Gao, two of the zoo’s former residents that were among the most reproductively successful panda mates in captivity.

The China Wildlife Conservation Association said Thursday it also signed agreements with the zoo in the Spanish capital of Madrid, and is in talks with zoos in Washington, D.C., and Vienna, quelling fears that Beijing was ending its historic panda diplomacy with Western nations due to diplomatic tensions.

“We look forward to further expanding the research outcomes on the conservation of endangered species such as giant pandas, and promoting mutual understanding and friendship among peoples through the new round of international cooperation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in Beijing.

The partnership will include research on disease prevention and habitat protection and contribute to China’s national panda park construction, the organization said.

The black-and-white bears have long been the symbol of the U.S.-China friendship since Beijing gifted a pair of pandas to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., in 1972, ahead of the normalization of bilateral relations. China later loaned pandas to zoos to help breed cubs and boost the population.

But only four giant pandas remain in the United States, all at the zoo in Atlanta, after China did not renew loan agreements at three other zoos in San Diego, Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee, in recent years.

Cindy Rose has been coming to the San Diego Zoo for 40 years and would go see Bai Yun before she and the bear’s son, her sixth cub, were sent back to China in 2019. They had been the zoo’s last pandas.

“I’m so excited!” she said. “We love the pandas, and it’s so great one will be related to the one that was here.”

She and her husband, Randy Rose, brought their grandson to the zoo on Thursday.

“It makes me feel good that this is one way to reduce tensions,” Randy Rose said. “We have a lot of differences but we all love pandas. They’re fun to watch, munching on bamboo and climbing trees.”

San Diego Zoo officials told The Associated Press that if all permits and other requirements are approved, the two bears, a male and a female, are expected to arrive by the end of summer.

“We’re very excited and hopeful,” said Megan Owen of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and vice president of Wildlife Conservation Science. “They’ve expressed a tremendous amount of enthusiasm to re-initiate panda cooperation starting with the San Diego Zoo.”

In November, Chinese President Xi Jinping raised hopes his country would start sending pandas to the U.S. again after he and President Joe Biden convened in Northern California for their first face-to-face meeting in a year and pledged to try to reduce tensions. Speaking at a dinner with business leaders on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, Xi called the bears “envoys of friendship” and said he learned the San Diego Zoo and people in California “very much look forward to welcoming pandas back.”

Bai Yun, who was born in captivity in China, lived at the zoo for more than 20 years and gave birth to six cubs there. Her mate Gao Gao was born in the wild in China and lived at the San Diego Zoo from 2003 to 2018 before being sent back.

Decades of conservation efforts in the wild and study in captivity saved the giant panda species from extinction, increasing its population from fewer than 1,000 at one time to more than 1,800 in the wild and in captivity.

Zoos typically pay a fee of $1 million a year for two pandas, with the money earmarked for China’s conservation efforts, according to a 2022 report by America’s Congressional Research Service. The pandas return to China when they reach old age and any cubs born are sent to China around age 3 or 4

The life expectancy of a giant panda in the wild is about 15 years, but in captivity they have lived to be as old as 38.

The U.S., Spain and Austria were among the first countries to work with China on panda conservation, and 28 pandas have been born in those countries, China’s official Xinhua News Agency said.

Demands for the return of giant pandas, known as China’s “national treasure,” had grown among the Chinese public as unproven allegations that U.S. zoos mistreated the pandas flooded Chinese social media.

The San Diego Zoo continued to work with their Chinese counterparts even after it no longer had any pandas.

Owen of the San Diego Zoo said China is particularly interested in exchanging information on the zoo’s successful breeding of pandas in captivity. Giant pandas are difficult to breed in part because the female’s reproductive window is extremely narrow, lasting only 48 to 72 hours each year.

Bai Yun’s first cub, Hua Mei, was the first panda born through artificial insemination to survive into adulthood outside of China, and would go on to produce 12 cubs on her own after she was sent to China.

Bai Yun, meanwhile, remained at the zoo, where she gave birth to two more females and three males. With cameras in her den, researchers monitored her, contributing to the understanding of maternal care behavior, Owen said.

“We have a lot of institutional knowledge and capacity from our last cooperative agreement, which we will be able to parlay into this next chapter, as well as training the next generation of panda conservationists,” she said.

BY JULIE WATSON

Checking A Bag Will Cost You More On United Airlines, Which Is Copying A Similar Move By American

United Airlines said Friday that it is raising its fees for checking bags, following a similar move earlier this week by American Airlines.

Starting with tickets booked Saturday, economy-class passengers on domestic flights will be charged $5 more. That will bring the price to $35 if they pay online at least 24 hours before the flight, and $40 after that.

The fee for a second checked bag will also rise $5, climbing to $45 in advance online and $50 at the airport.

Passengers in premium cabins, holders of United-branded credit cards and customers with elite status in the airline’s frequent-flyer program will still be able to check a bag for free, United said.

Earlier this week, American Airlines raised its fee for a first checked bag on domestic flights from $30 to $35 if paid in advance and to $40 at the airport. It also hiked the fee for a second bag from $40 to $45. American also increased bag fees for short international flights.

Alaska Airlines raised its bag fees for most economy passengers in January, and JetBlue followed earlier this month.

Bag fees have become a dependable source of revenue for airlines since American introduced them in 2008, when jet fuel prices were surging. In 2022, the last full year for which statistics are available, U.S. airlines took in $6.8 billion in checked-bag fees, led by American at $1.4 billion and United at $1.1 billion.

AP

American Airlines Will Become The Only U.S. Carrier To Fly Direct Between New York And Tokyo

Traveling to Japan will get easier this summer with new service from American Airlines between New York (JFK) and Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport (HND). Last week, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) formally approved American’s application to become the only U.S. carrier operating nonstop service between JFK and HND.

“American looks forward to launching flights between JFK and HND this summer,” said Brian Znotins, American’s Senior Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning. “This new service will complement flights offered by our joint business partner, Japan Airlines, giving more ways for our customers travel between the U.S. and Japan.”

Tickets will be available for purchase Feb. 26 at aa.com or American’s mobile app.

American and Japan Airlines offer comprehensive network between the U.S. and Japan

Launching June 28, American’s service will complement existing flights with joint business partner Japan Airlines. This summer, customers traveling between JFK and HND will have up to three daily flights to choose from operating at convenient times throughout the day.

American’s new daily flight will offer roundtrip connections to more than 30 cities across Japan and East Asia operated by Japan Airlines, including major cities such as Osaka, Sapporo and Fukuoka.

The new JFK–HND service will be American’s fourth daily nonstop flight to HND, joining existing daily service from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and two daily flights from Los Angeles (LAX).

American’s schedule of services*

Departure Airport Arrival Airport Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Type

New York (JFK) Tokyo Haneda (HND) 11:25 a.m. 2:30 p.m.

(next day) Boeing 777-200

HND JFK 4:30 p.m. 4:35 p.m. Boeing 777-200

Japan Airlines’ schedule of services

Departure Airport Arrival Airport Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Type

JFK HND 1:20 p.m. 4:35 p.m. (next day) Airbus 350-1000

HND JFK 11:05 a.m. 11:00 a.m. Airbus 350-1000

JFK HND 1:30 a.m. 4:45 a.m. (next day) Boeing 777-300

HND JFK 6:30 p.m. 6:25 p.m. Boeing 777-300

The joint business partnership between American and Japan Airlines will offer customers up to 17 daily flights between the continental United States and Japan next summer, including 10 daily flights to HND. Together, the two airlines will offer customers the following convenient schedule to Japan next summer.

United To Resume Service Between New York/Newark And Tel Aviv On March 6th

United plans to resume a daily flight from New York/Newark to Tel Aviv, the first step in restoring vital passenger and cargo service that was suspended in October.

The initial Newark-Tel Aviv flights on March 2 and 4 will stop in Munich to ensure all service providers are ready to support non-stop service to and from Newark. No Newark departures to Tel Aviv are planned for March 3 and 5. Our goal is to resume daily nonstop service to Tel Aviv beginning March 6.

United conducted a detailed safety analysis in making this decision, including close work with security experts and government officials in the United States and Israel. We also worked closely with the Air Line Pilots Association and the Association of Flight Attendants to develop the protocols to ensure they are safe and well-informed.

United will continue to monitor the situation in Tel Aviv and adjust the schedule as warranted, including changes to the resumed service from New York/Newark announced today. We're eager to resume a second daily Tel Aviv flight from Newark as soon as May as travel demand recovers. Previous flying from San Francisco, Washington Dulles and Chicago O'Hare will be evaluated for resumption beginning in the fall.

Resumed flights are available for booking on United.com and on the United app, alongside service on partner airlines including Lufthansa.

Cruise Line Shuts Down And Cancels All Sailings

America Queen Voyages shuts shown operations and cancels all sailings, as the US based cruise line files for bankruptcy.

American Queen Voyages, an operator of river and expedition ships based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, shut down on February 20, 2024, after it was unable to overcome the financial challenges of the pandemic era. The company said that guests who have paid deposits for future sailings will receive full refunds.

Cruise Line Unable to Recover From Pandemic’s Impact

American Queen Voyages, a cruise brand with seven ships that include a mix of authentic paddlewheel riverboats, and boutique and expedition vessels, is no longer operating as of February 20, 2024. The company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and all cruises have been cancelled.

“We are saddened to share that American Queen Voyages (AQV) has made the difficult decision to shut down. The overnight cruise industry was especially affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and related changes in travel preferences. Despite great efforts by our team, crew and partners, demand has not recovered, and AQV has become financially unsustainable,” the company said in an announcement.

American Queen Voyages owns American Queen, a 417-guest ship built in 1995; American Countess, a 245-guest ship that launched in 1996; American Duchess, with a capacity for 166 guests and built in 1996; and American Empress, a 217-guest ship that entered service in 2003.

Additionally, it owns the expedition ship Ocean Victory, which carries 186 guests and was the company’s newest ship, having debuted in 2021. The company’s river ships operated on the Lower and Upper Mississippi, Cumberland, Tennessee, Columbia, and Snake rivers. Ocean Victory typically sailed Central America itineraries in winter and Alaska cruises in summer.

The company was in the process of decommissioning and preparing to sell two more expedition ships, Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager. Ocean Navigator was in the news in October of 2023, when an explosion onboard the vessel as it was docked in Portland, Maine, caused all guests and crew to be evacuated. One crew member was injured.

The cruise line’s future looked brighter just a year ago: In February 2023, the line became one of the industry’s first to implement SpaceX Starlink Maritime, the satellite-based internet service, across its fleet.

However, in recent weeks, several major travel agencies have suspended sales of American Queen Voyages cruises due to slow payment of commissions and service problems, according to trade reports. The agencies included AAA Travel, Pleasant Holidays, Virtuoso, and Signature Travel Network.

Guest Refunds to Come Through Insurance Agency

The American Queen Voyages website provides instructions to booked guests, who will now have to apply for refunds of deposits already paid for future cruises. The cruise line’s deposits are insured by Argo Surety, and all applications for refunds must be made to that outfit.

https://www.cruisehive.com/author/donnatunney

American Airlines Raises Bag Fees, Won’t Allow Some Travel Agency Bookings To Earn Miles

American Airlines has raised the price to check a bag for the first time in more than five years and said it would limit which travel agency bookings are eligible to earn frequent flyer miles.

Passengers will pay $35 to check a first bag for domestic flights if the service is booked online in advance, or $40 if they purchase the option at the airport, the carrier said Tuesday. Both options previously cost $30. A second checked bag will cost $45, up from $40, whether purchased in advance or at the airport.

Travelers’ first checked bag on flights between the U.S. and Canada, the Caribbean or Mexico will be $35 whether in advance or at the airport.

American Airlines last raised bag fees in September 2018 along with other major airlines. Carriers are looking for ways to increase revenue as airfare has declined over the past year. The last inflation report showed airfare fell more than 6% in January from a year earlier.

“Our cost of transporting bags is significantly higher” over the past few years, said Scott Chandler, American’s senior vice president of revenue management and loyalty. “Fuel is a big component of it.”

Airlines and other companies have been grappling with how to cover higher costs, such as new labor contracts, while pricing power has waned.

Other airlines have also recently raised bag fees. This year, Alaska Airlines increased the charge for economy passengers to check bags by $5 to $35 for a first piece and $45 for a second bag. JetBlue Airways started charging most coach travelers $45 to check a bag within 24 hours of departure, up from $40. In advance, JetBlue is now charging $35 for the first bag.

“While we don’t like increasing fees, it’s one step we are taking to get our company back to profitability and cover the increased costs of transporting bags,” JetBlue said in a statement. “By adjusting fees for added services that only certain customers use, we can keep base fares low and ensure customer favorites like seatback TVs and high-speed Wi-Fi remain free for everyone.”

United Airlines and Delta Air Lines declined to comment Tuesday on potential changes to their policies. Southwest Airlines offers passengers two free checked bags.

In the first nine months of 2023, U.S. airlines brought in $5.5 billion from baggage fees — including more than $1 billion by American alone. The total was up 9% from the year-earlier period, and up more than 25% from the first nine months of 2019, according to the Transportation Department’s latest data.

American’s frequent flyer members with elite status and some American Airlines credit card holders will still receive a complimentary checked bag, it said Tuesday in announcing the changes.

The Forth Worth, Texas-based airline is also reducing fees for slightly overweight bags, so travelers will no longer have to frantically remove items from their suitcases at the check-in counter. For example, customers will pay a fee of $30 on checked bags that are as much as three pounds over a 50 pound limit, instead of the previous $100 fee.

American also said on Tuesday that it will start limiting which tickets purchased through a third party are eligible to earn AAdvantage frequent flyer miles, a move that aims to drive traffic to American’s website and the latest in a series of changes to the program. It said it will provide a list in April of preferred travel agencies whose bookings will still be eligible for the rewards credits.

Customers who buy basic economy tickets will only earn frequent flyer miles if they book on American Airlines’ website.

https://www.cnbc.com/leslie-josephs/

Travelore Tips: Recommended Clothing To Pack For Your Next European Vacation To Avoid Fines

Packing for a trip is all about planning, organization, and adaptability. From choosing the right fabrics to ensure you always look your best while on vacation to maximizing carry-on space and minimizing over-packing — you always want to make sure you avoid making packing mistakes that can eventually turn any holiday into a logistical nightmare.

These outfit oversights and packing shouldn't-do's go beyond forgetting to bring a jacket or deciding to pack a brand-new pair of shoes that blister your feet (ouch!). In fact, depending on where you go and what you do, making a clothing mistake could land you in some pretty bad trouble with local officials — and, sometimes, even incur a hefty fine that could ruin the rest of your trip.

From walking around in nothing but a bathing suit to wearing heels at historical sites, there are certain destinations across Europe that take their dress codes very seriously.

Cover yourself up in Italy

Sure, Italy might be known as one of the most fashionable destinations in the world. However, travelers looking to go beyond the shops should be aware that certain historic and cultural sites require guests to leave the trends at home and follow a strict, relatively conservative dress code instead.

For example, if you're planning to visit popular tourist spots like the Vatican, the Pantheon, or the Museum of the Dead — along with churches and other sacred places — it's important to read up on the rules to avoid getting caught off guard at the door. Specifically, most of these sites require that you cover up your knees and shoulders (a cardigan or shawl works perfectly during the hot summer months), not wear crop tops or anything with revealing cut-outs, and switch up the low-cut top for a higher neckline that covers more skin.,br />
Similarly, destinations outside of cities like Rome and Milan are also enforcing their own rules in order to crack down on inappropriate attire. For example, Sorrento recently announced that it would start fining visitors up to $546 for walking around town in a bathing suit. Meanwhile, Praia a Mare — in the southern region of Calabria — has gone as far as banning people from walking around barefoot.

Don't walk around in swimwear in Croatia

Similar to Italy, Croatian officials and authorities have been playing their part in ensuring that visitors follow basic etiquette and dress codes — especially when it comes to when and where to wear the right thing. In fact, both Split and Dubrovnik are cracking down on shirtless and bikini-clad tourists walking around cultural and historic city centers. Slapping them with fines of up to $160 for disobeying the public dress code, local officials hope this will dissuade tourists from flouting local norms.

Let's put it this way: You wouldn't want to run into a rowdy group of half-naked tourists on your way to a sacred site or formal venue, right? Well, neither do Croatians who already have to deal with crowds and noise — especially during the summer months.

In addition to this, clothes and accessories that allude to drugs and drug use are also banned from most town centers in Croatia — and can result in a fine or, worse, jail time for anyone seen wearing them.

Kick off the high heels in Greece

Dreaming of wearing your best dress with the perfect pair of high heels while strolling around Greece's most beautiful sites? Think again. Since 2009, Greek officials enforce a strict "no heels allowed" policy at popular tourist destinations, like the Parthenon and Acropolis, in order to preserve the archeological sites' integrity and structure.

Since heels tend to be quite sharp and potentially damaging, experts decided that the best way to protect these thousand-year-old monuments was to completely ban visitors from wearing any type of pointy, narrow, or too-harsh footwear that could cause unnecessary wear and tear to the surface. Instead of trying to make a fashion statement, simply pack a pair of walking shoes and you should be good to go.

Along with this, certain churches and monasteries in Greece also require that visitors dress modestly — as in, nothing cropped, low-cut, or revealing — in order to respect the sanctity and traditions. In some cases, wraps are available for rent at the entrance of certain sites.
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Slip on some speedos in France

Men, this one's for you! Most popular French beaches are all about kicking back and letting loose: think riding world-class waves, playing volleyball surrounded by scenic views, and even catching some rays where the sun don't shine (if you know what we mean...).

However, if you're planning on hitting up a public pool during your time in the country, it's best that you come prepared to show off a little more skin than you're probably used to. Specifically, that means packing a speedo alongside your sunglasses and sunscreen.

Since 1903, France has strongly encouraged that all men and boys who visit public pools wear the tight-fitting swimwear as opposed to loose trunks or board shorts. The reason? Speedos are more hygienic than their baggy counterparts. Speaking to The Daily Star in 2022, Emmanuel Dormois — a head pool attendant in Paris — told the outlet that, while swimming shorts can be worn throughout the day — and accumulate dirt, grime, and sand in the process — speedos are only worn while swimming, which means there's less of a chance that they'll bring something into the pool water.

Ditch the flip-flops in Spain

If you're planning on choosing a rental car during your vacation to Spain, it's important to keep in mind that certain regulations might mean you can't just wear anything behind the wheel — especially when it comes to your footwear of choice.

Specifically, local authorities in Spain have been working toward keeping their roads and drivers safer by dissuading people from wearing flip-flops while they drive, as this could compromise control of the vehicle and increase the risk of accidents.

Although wearing flip-flops while driving isn't technically illegal, your shoe choice could still lead to penalties. According to Spain's Department of Traffic (DGT), driving barefoot or with flip-flops could incur a fine of up to $215 if the driver commits an infraction as a result of impaired driving abilities. Meanwhile, driving shirtless — which goes against the local rule that drivers always need to ensure their safety because if there's an accident, the seat belt can hurt a shirtless driver  — could also result in a fine of roughly $107.

Source: https://www.explore.com/author/camilaperezb/

London’s Iconic Underground Map Is Getting An Update, With 6 New Names And Colors

For anyone with even a passing acquaintance with London, the city’s Tube map is as iconic as the red buses or the black cabs.

But for the past few years, there’s been something not quite right about the map originally designed by Harry Beck in 1933 — a collection of orange train lines, mostly orbiting the inner city, known as the London Overground.

They are like interlopers on the carefully crafted and easy-to-navigate map.

Yes, it’s been confusing for Londoners too.

Now, London Mayor Sadiq Khan hopes to bring some clarity to the suburban rail network that was established in 2007 through the effective merger of previous routes, and has grown to carry more than 3 million customers a week across more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) of railway and 113 stations.

His solution, following widespread consultation, is simple — giving them names and new colors!

“Giving each of the Overground lines distinct colors and identities will make it simpler and easier for passengers to get around,” Khan said Thursday. “In re-imagining London’s tube map, we are also honoring and celebrating different parts of London’s unique local history and culture.”

The six names and colors will be:

— Lioness, which runs through Wembley Stadium in north London and honors the recent achievements of the England women’s soccer team. It will be shown as double yellow lines on the map.

— Mildmay, which honors a small charitable hospital in east London that played a crucial role caring for those with HIV/Aids in the early days of the illness in the 1980s. It will be shown as double blue lines on the map.

— Windrush, which commemorates the ship that landed near London in 1948, carrying more than 800 passengers from the Caribbean to new lives in Britain. A number of the stations on the line have historic Black communities, such as Peckham Rye and West Croydon. It will be shown as double red lines on the map.

— Weaver, which runs from the heart of the financial district in Liverpool Street to places such as Spitalfields, Bethnal Green and Hackney, where the textile trade blossomed. It will be shown with double maroon lines on the map.

— Suffragette, which celebrates the role of the working-class movement in the east of the city in the fight for women’s rights. The line runs to Barking, home of the longest surviving suffragette Annie Huggett, who died at the age of 103 in 1996. It will be shown with double green lines on the map.

— Liberty, which celebrates the eternal freedoms of the city and goes through Havering, which has historically had more self-governance than other parts of London. It will be shown with double grey lines on the map.

Transport for London expects the full rebranding to be completed by the end of the year. It will include an updated Tube map and station signs as well as the rerecording of public address announcements.

Last summer, the mayor’s office said the rebranding project had an estimated cost of 6.3 million pounds ($8 million), the bulk of which would be used to update customer information.

The Conservative opposition at City Hall said the changes were a “wasted opportunity” and that the mayor could have earned tens of millions of pounds by tendering the naming rights to commercial sponsors, as often occurs with sporting stadia, for example, with the money raised used to finance upgrades elsewhere in London’s transport system.

Mayor Khan said that was considered but that the “key thing was to make sure the lines have a link with the communities they are from.”

Last year, Transport for London changed the name of Bond Street tube station to Burberry Street for a week as part of a sponsorship deal, drawing widespread criticism. Detractors said the temporary name change, along with signage in blue instead of London underground red, caused confusion for visitors.

BY PAN PYLAS

Travelore News: Lufthansa Ground Staff To Strike On February 20, Says Union

Ground staff at German airline Lufthansa opens new tab LHAG.DE will go on strike on Tuesday, the Verdi union said on Sunday, announcing the latest industrial action to hit Germany's transport sector as workers demand more pay.

The strike is scheduled to start at 4 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Tuesday and finish at 7.10 a.m. (0610 GMT) on Wednesday, the union said. The airports affected are Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Duesseldorf, Cologne and Stuttgart.

Michael Niggemann, the Lufthansa executive board member responsible for human resources, said the strike was unfortunate as the German carrier had made a "far reaching" offer during talks - which Verdi had rejected - and it would inconvenience customers and staff alike.

A similar strike caused the cancellation of 900 out of 1,000 planned flights at the start of February, affecting about 100,000 passengers.

The ground services arm is among several groups of Lufthansa workers in negotiations over collective bargaining agreements.

Verdi is demanding a wage increase of 12.5% for 25,000 ground staff workers, or at least 500 euros ($544.30) a month more over a 12-month period, plus a one-off payment of 3,000 euros to offset inflation. Germany, Europe's largest economy, has been hit with a number of nationwide strikes affecting air travel, railways and public transport.

Reporting by Ilona Wissenback and Alexander Ratz Writing by Sarah Marsh Editing by David Goodman, Reuters

Flight Attendant Reveals What They're 'Really Doing' When They Ask To See Your Boarding Pass

Any frequent flyers reading this will know that after a certain number of flights, all journeys start to feel pretty repetitive.

You check in, go through security with your teeny tiny bottles of shampoo, you spend three hours in purgatory (I mean, duty-free), then you queue for your gate, get your boarding pass checked, sit in a cramped chair for six hours, stand up way too early once the plane's landed, and then quietly race everybody else to baggage claim.

However, despite appearing to be very 'routine', there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes that most passengers are completely unaware of.

For example, flight attendants have a lot of confidential methods that they use to communicate with one another in order to help the flight go smoothly without alarming any of the passengers.

In fact, one cabin crew member took part in a quora Q&A that revealed the real reason why flight attendants greet passengers as they board the plane and why they ask for their boarding passes.

Now, most of us will probably assume they're just being polite and helping to direct us to our seats - but that's not the case. (I mean, unless you're going in the cockpit, you can safely assume you're going down the fuselage where all the seats are.)

It actually has a hidden security purpose that I guarantee you'd never have thought of, and that is to assess the health and general wellbeing of the passenger, and confirm that they are indeed in a fit state to fly.

Shrey P, who claims to have been a flight attendant for five different airlines, stated that the crew "check plenty of things and it will all happen in a glance". Some of the main points Shrey listed were:

What kind of clothes are you wearing?

Are you traveling alone or with someone?

How patient are you while waiting in that long line during boarding?

If you are an able-bodied passenger, in case we need help for any kind of emergency.

Are you intoxicated?

What kind of book are you carrying or reading? (If you are reading a medical journal or so we know who to approach for First Aid)

Shrey then stated: "The list can go on which usually happens in few minutes of boarding time."

Some of Shrey's points were also confirmed by TikTok user Kat Kamalani, who said in an eye-opening video: "Have you ever walked on the plane and seen the flight attendants standing here greeting you, or the flight attendants walking up and down the aisle? Well, I'm about to tell you what we're really doing.

"When you walk on the plane and see our happy, smiley face, we're actually looking you up and down and trying to find our able-bodied people. So these are people who are going to help us in an emergency."

Kalamani says that flight attendants often keep their eyes peeled for military personnel, firefighters, nurses, and doctors on board the aircraft.

Myriam Frafar, a flight attendant for German airline Condor, also confirmed Shrey's points, explaining the valid reason for the cabin crew asking for your boarding pass on the thread.

Frafar explained: "I check if they are drunk, drugged, sick, angry or afraid. That is extremely important as if I have the possibility to avoid any kind of troubles over the Atlantic, then I address it on ground. I say 'Hello, welcome on board', and I listen to how they respond."

Another attendant stated on the thread that they also use the meet and greet moment at the aircraft door to check whether a passenger is ill and may need further treatment on the ground, stating: "I've had passengers board who look pasty and pale, deathly ill. We removed them; nobody wants their flu germs!"

Shrey also revealed the truth about your in-flight meals, saying: "[They] are very unhealthy. Even if you have ordered that raw meal, vegan meal, bland meal etc. The food on your tray is prepared not in the galley but in the aircraft catering which is often done 12 hours before and even days before the aircraft departure. Now, how many such industries do you know where the hot or cold meal was made days before you consume it?

"The scrambled egg or the omelet that you just had was not only egg but can be a mix of egg and other substitutes. That cut fruit which is on your tray still looks fresh and how is that possible when it was cut hours before the departure, have you ever wondered?

"Most of us aren't aware of this, but when we are at cruise, the air pressure in an airliner is equal to about 8,000 feet above sea level (6,000-ft in a Dreamliner). In addition to making your ears pop, it causes our taste buds and sense of smell to go partially numb.

"This has major impact on how food tastes & smells [making] it super bland. So airline catering in recent years has really pumped up the spices, salts, and fats - all to make your mouth happy."

Per BBC News, this was confirmed in a 2010 study by Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics, which confirmed that passengers lose around 30% sensitivity in their taste buds to sweet and salty foods.

By Stefan Armitage

Amex Just Opened Its Largest Centurion Lounge — With A Whiskey Bar, 4,000 Square Feet Of Patio Space, And Food From A James Beard Award Semifinalist

Amex's latest lounge is at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport — and we were one of the first to check it out.

The next chapter of American Express lounges is here.

The card issuer has opened the doors to its newest Centurion Lounge — the largest ever — at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. At nearly 26,000 square feet, it’s nearly double the size of the next biggest Centurion Lounge at New York's JFK.

More importantly, it's arguably the most visually stunning in the entire 28-lounge portfolio.

The latest opening, near gate E11 in Atlanta’s international concourse, symbolizes a new era for Amex. A little over a decade has passed since the first-ever Centurion Lounge opened in Las Vegas. Since then, consumer preferences have evolved, and with thousands of additional premium Amex cardholders, more travelers have access. The competition — from the likes of Chase and Capital One— has also been fiercer than ever.

“Lounges have always been a physical manifestation of card membership, but this space [in Atlanta] is our next generation of what that looks like,” Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel, shared with Travel + Leisure while in the new lounge.

Indeed, the residential-inspired space — with soaring ceilings, lush greenery, and two outdoor terraces — feels like a significant evolution of Amex’s existing lounge design, one that has by and large remained the same for years. Instead of a cookie-cutter aesthetic replicated across the network, Amex continues to lean further into custom lounges that align with the cities they’re located in.

For the Atlanta location, the centerpiece is a 50-year-old olive tree and a dramatic, cascading custom light sculpture—a combination that greets guests as soon as they enter the canopy-like space. It’s a nod to Atlanta’s reputation as “the city in the forest” and its abundance of trees.

The star of the lounge, though, are the dual patios totaling 4,000 square feet. Each is complete with meticulously landscaped seating areas and heaters and fans for year-round use. On one terrace—in a space that spans nearly the entire length of the lounge — feature the action of the airfield and is an ideal spot for aviation aficionados. For more of an intimate and peaceful experience, however, travelers can take a momentary breather on the interior-facing (and zen-like) terrace.

“One of our main focuses in our lounges is on customer wellness, and here, we want to help bring the outside world in,” Hendley remarked.

Among other notable amenities, Amex will offer its first-ever whiskey bar, dubbed The Reserve by American Express. Besides a selection of classic and new American whiskeys, bartenders will serve a range of signature cocktails (and mocktails, including the Sir Charles Frosty Blue, a non-alcoholic concoction of grapefruit soda, Seedlip Spice 94, salt, and lime). The expansive buffet area features the cuisine of Chef Deborah VanTrece, a James Beard Award semifinalist and owner of three local Atlanta restaurants. Her customized global soul food menu includes specialties like black-eyed pea biryani, za'atar grilled chicken with green tomato chimichurri, and a “Twisted Soul Salad” with strawberry peppercorn vinaigrette.

In addition to the main buffet setup, Amex now offers several wellness stations throughout the lounge with gluten-free and vegan options, including protein bites, salads, smoothies, and immunity booster juice shots. One notable omission? A lack of grab-and-go options or a la carte ordering, as some other lounge competitors offer. Still, the food variety and quality are a noticeable step up from other Centurion Lounges.

Of course, the new Atlanta lounge includes numerous distinct seating areas including multiple communal desks, high-top tables, and comfortable loungers. Nearly all seats in the Centurion Lounge have access to power outlets, USB-C, and USB-A ports. For travelers looking to get some work done, there are four private phone booths and five built-in workstations, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Centurion Lounge in Atlanta is located in the E concourse by gate E11 and is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

American Express cardmembers with a Centurion or Platinum-branded card such as The Platinum Card from American Express or The Business Platinum Card from American Express have access to Centurion Lounges within three hours of flight departure. In addition, Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card members can access the lounge when flying on a Delta flight.

Only the primary cardholder (and authorized users) have complimentary access to the lounge. Cardholder guests are charged a fee of $50.

Source: https://www.travelandleisure.com/chris-dong-7254869

National Harbor Celebrates Cherry Blossoms During Its Popular Cherry Blossom Season From March 20 To April 14

National Harbor has become a prime location in the D.C. region to celebrate its spectacular (early) cherry tree display. The 350-acre resort property has more than 200 cherry blossoms. Visitors can enjoy the trees along the 1.2 mile waterfront trail that bloom earlier than those on the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. This year’s festivities take place from March 20 to April 14 with National Harbor also serving as an official participant of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. In addition to National Harbor’s breathtaking waterfront views, this year’s celebration will be filled with entertainment, hotel room packages, food and drink specials, classes and more.

The annual Sakura Sunday festival, an official participating event of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, will be held on Sunday, March 24 from noon to 6 p.m. and will feature free cultural activities including Japanese inspired art, music, dance, culinary delights, and a Japanese market.

Throughout the month, National Harbor will host classes and events including origami, sushi making, Japanese games provided by Katsucon Entertainment, Inc., bonsai, sake, and candle making.

Restaurants throughout National Harbor will celebrate with food specials and will join National Harbor hotels and retailers in having a variety of special offers and displays. MGM National Harbor has its beautiful spring conservatory installation. Some of National Harbor’s eight hotels will offer specials and packages. Select hotels will provide special National Harbor welcome swag bags with Cherry Blossom package deals.

For more information on National Harbor and cherry blossom activities and offerings, go to www.nationalharbor.com/cherryblossom/. Events and activities will be added to the schedule as confirmed.

Notre Dame Reveals New Spire And Golden Rooster As Scaffolding Removed

The remaining process of removing all of the scaffolding could take weeks if not months.

The scaffolding surrounding the top of Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral was taken down on Monday, nearly five years into the reconstruction process.

Notre Dame Cathedral, ravaged by fire in April 2019, draws closer to its renaissance.

Giant cranes, removing sections of scaffolding, unveiled the cathedral's recently installed spire along with the new golden rooster and a cross that crown it.

While much of the cathedral remains surrounded by scaffolding, the clearing of the structures around its peak offers both the general public and the devout a glimpse into the future appearance of Notre Dame once the restoration is complete.

The last few months have seen remarkable progress on the cathedral’s rebuilding putting it well on track for a December 8 reopening, a date eagerly awaited by Paris residents and millions of tourists who normally visit the cathedral every year.

Although the cathedral will not be open to the public during Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, when millions of visitors flock to the French capital for the Games starting July 26, the rebuilt spire and roof should be complete, giving the cathedral a finished look from outside.

https://www.euronews.com/

Freed Developments Announces 5-Star Luxury Hotel And Residences Project, An $800M Skyscraper Set To Transform The Toronto Skyline

Visionary real estate developer Peter Freed of Freed Developments announces first-ever Freed Hotel and Residences tower located at Adelaide and Duncan, just west of University. This $800M skyscraper will bring both Katsuya by Sam Nazarian's Disruptive Group by sbe and artwork by renowned Japanese artist Takashi Murakami to Toronto. Designed by Chicago-based tall building experts Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, renowned for the next world's tallest and most luxurious skyscraper Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, as well as Central Park Tower in New York, the project will feature 100 five star luxury hotel rooms and 400 luxury condominiums with a world class Skybar/restaurant on the 63rd floor, boutique spa, and a 10,000 sq ft Katsuya Restaurant on the 2nd floor. .

Sam Nazarian's sbe, the leading lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates world-class restaurants, lounges and nightclubs, is proud to announce the much-anticipated upcoming opening of the very first Katsuya restaurant in Canada on the second floor of the Freed Hotel and Residences, expected to launch in Fall 2028. This announcement follows Nazarian's 2020 sale of Nazarian's hospitality brand and management platform which included over 100 hotels (SLS, Delano, Mondrian and Hyde, among others), more than 150 restaurants and lounges, and over $4 billion of luxury residential sales. sbe's Katsuya is a groundbreaking fusion that ignited a new sushi trend that swiftly spread throughout the culinary industry with locations in Dubai, Miami, Los Angeles, New York, and The Bahamas. This restaurant will mark the first location in Canada and the 12th globally. The menu, curated by Master Sushi Chef Katsuya Uechi, who merges the elegance of Japanese cuisine with modern techniques and flavors, will feature staples from the 20-year tradition of excellence that has brought Katsuya international acclaim, and new dishes imagined specially for Toronto.

Sam Nazarian, Founder and CEO, sbe stated, "We are so thrilled to be bringing the iconic Katsuya brand to Canada for the first time with Peter Freed and his best-in-class team at Freed Developments. Katsuya is going to be a destination for locals, hotel guests and residents alike, and we cannot wait to share Chef Katsuya's contemporary Japanese culinary experience with the discerning people of Toronto."

In addition, artist Takashi Murakami's captivating artwork Together with the Flower Parent and Child will be featured prominently in the lobby of the first-ever Freed Hotel and Residences launching in Toronto. Artist Takashi Murakami is celebrated globally for his groundbreaking contributions to contemporary visual culture. Murakami's most iconic motif, the flower, takes on the role of a parent and child holding hands and standing in synchronicity.

"As the largest owner and operator of the Ontario hotel and resorts portfolio, this project is a testament to my profound love for Toronto. Freed Hotel and Residences represents a groundbreaking moment for Freed Developments with the opportunity to merge art, culture, and sophistication through hotel-style living," says Peter Freed, Founder and CEO, Freed Developments. "Building on Freed's 30 year legacy of best-in-class projects, Freed Hotel and Residences will proudly display a captivating piece of artwork by Takashi Murakami, adding a unique cultural dimension to this venture, while also bringing forward the first-ever Katsuya Restaurant to Canada which will further enhance the city's culinary landscape, and best-in-class hotel experiences for both residences and guests."

"Freed Hotel and Residences will bring an unprecedented sophistication and luxury that is a signature of Freed Developments in Toronto. Located at the corner of Adelaide and Duncan Streets, the tower will offer residents and visitors spectacular views of the city and Lake Ontario. The tower shines against the city's already impressive skyline, becoming an instant icon." says AS+GG Partner Gordon Gill, FAIA. "The formal geometry of the tower is defined by both its arrival and skyline expressions. Diamond shaped facets create a distinctive arrival and retail experience at street level, while the complimentary faceted silhouette of the tower's top creates an iconic identity within the Toronto skyline. The tower boasts luxurious hotel and residential functions with abundant amenities including terraced, outdoor garden spaces."

Toronto's DesignAgency leads the interior design of Freed Hotel and Residences. In harmony with the contemporary architecture and landmark Murakami sculpture, the interiors will bring together a creative collection of spaces and amenities that transport residents and hotel guests into magical, fun, and exciting worlds of design. Melding moments of poetic simplicity and dramatic juxtapositions of colour, mood and scale, the identity-defining interiors will express a feeling of transformational luxury that embodies the project's iconic aspirations.

"Freed Hotel and Residences is already an iconic project. By assembling a world-class creative team, Peter Freed has set the stage for innovation and imagination on a grand scale. Together with these exceptional collaborators, DesignAgency is excited to explore new realms of possibility to create immersive interiors that exude great wonder and style," says Anwar Mekhayech, Founding Partner, DesignAgency.

For over 30 years, Freed Developments has been changing the face of Toronto with its unique brand of experience-based developments, with over $10B of developed projects completed. Freed's portfolio includes luxurious modern condominium projects, F&B ventures, resort communities, and commercial spaces, led by the Founder and CEO Peter Freed. Freed Developments has been recognized for some of the most successful and iconic buildings in Toronto, including the Art Shoppe Lofts and Condos in collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld, Seventy5 Portland with globally renowned designer Philippe Starck, Fashion House on King Street West, and the iconic Thompson Hotel. In addition, Freed Hotel & Resorts is now the largest owner and operator of hotel and resort communities in Canada, which includes properties at Muskoka Bay Resort, Deerhurst Resort, Horseshoe Resort, and Blue Mountain Resort. Stay tuned for further updates here as Freed at Blue Mountain will be coming soon to The Village at Blue Mountain

The Freed Hotel and Residences is scheduled to begin sales in March 2024 and will be located at 240 Adelaide Street West. Potential buyers can expect a diverse range of units ranging from 270 sq.ft. to over 9,800 sq.ft. For further information on Freed Developments, head to: https://www.freeddevelopments.com/

Floats At Germany’s Carnival Parades Satirize Leading Political Figures

Throngs of revelers took to the streets of Germany’s Carnival strongholds on Monday, accompanied by floats that satirized the Ukrainian and Russian presidents, German politicians, former U.S. President Donald Trump and many others.

Shrove Monday parades are a traditional high point of Carnival celebrations in Cologne, Duesseldorf, Mainz and other places in western Germany, drawing large crowds of locals and visitors.

Every year, floats address current national and global political issues with biting sarcasm.

This year, a larger-than-life Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy progressed through the streets of Cologne with a sign reading “To be or NATO be.” Zelenskyy wants Ukraine to be able to join the Western military alliance.

In Duesseldorf, a float depicted Trump stabbing a Ukrainian soldier in the back — a reference to opposition among Republicans to aid for Ukraine. Another had the ex-president and 2024 presidential candidate carrying scissors and a U.S. flag cut into the shape of a swastika.

In Mainz, a “Barbies and Ken” pink car float featured Russian President Vladimir Putin behind the co-leaders of two German political parties, the far-right Alternative for Germany and the new Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, that criticize sanctions against Russia and oppose weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

The war between Israel and Hamas was also a theme. A float in Duesseldorf depicted a figure in military garb labeled “Hamas” pushing what appeared to be a family toward an Israeli tank.

Germany’s unpopular government came in for lampooning, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz portrayed as a sloth and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock as an elephant in a porcelain shop, the German equivalent of a bull in a china shop.

AP

As The Olympics Loom, Parisians Ask: Should We Skip Town? Games Organizers Work To Win Their Hearts

Before the Paris Olympics open and upend the French capital’s usual rhythms, retiree Pierre Schapira plans to hire a car and quit town.

But with the intense Olympic security measures and traffic disruptions they’ll cause, will that even be doable? For his answer, Schapira went straight to the top — popping the question this week to chief of police Laurent Nunez himself.

As he’s already done at other town hall meetings, did so again at this one, and will do at more to come, Nunez ever-so-patiently explained that Parisians are going to have to adapt to the July 26-Aug. 11 extravaganza but that it’s not going to put their lives and livelihoods on hold.

“It’s not going to stop you from entering or leaving Paris,” Nunez said Thursday to the audience of about 200 people, including some watching via video link in an overflow room next door.

Holding the Games in the bustling heart of such a compact city, rather than in a purpose-built Olympic park in the outskirts like Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and other previous hosts, was always going to rile and worry some Parisians who can be cantankerous at the best of times. Nunez, Games organizers and City Hall officials are finding that out for themselves as they embark on a concerted campaign to win Parisian hearts and minds and get people in the Olympic mood or, at least, get ready.

“We laugh about it ... because we are spending nearly all of our evenings together,” Deputy Paris Mayor Pierre Rabadan said after he, Nunez and other organizers spent more than two hours at the meeting detailing Games preparations and responding to questions.

“It’s quite time consuming but necessary,” Rabadan said. One of their aims, he added, is “to go against the talk at the moment that it’s better to leave, that being in Paris is going to be a catastrophe and whatnot. You get that at every Games and obviously we knew that because of our concept, we’d hear that, too.”

By mostly using existing sports venues as well as temporary ones that will be erected in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower and at other iconic sites before being dismantled again, Paris’ goal is to avoid the legacy of waste and vast cost generated by other Games and reduce the mega-event’s environmental impact. Images of Olympians competing amid the architectural beauty of central Paris should, organizers and the government hope, make France shine.

But for the 2.1 million people who live within the city limits and hundreds of thousands of others who commute in from the suburbs, the consequences of 10,500 athletes competing in their midst are going to be considerable. Traffic restrictions, special permits for this and that, police checkpoints, road and Metro station closures, millions of visitors from elsewhere in France and around the world. The list goes on.

“It’s a fantastic gamble but it’s going to be quite disruptive for residents,” said 79-year-old Schapira after hearing Nunez and the other speakers.

Jean-Pierre Rollin, who owns two souvenir stores near Notre Dame Cathedral on its island in the River Seine, wanted to know whether tourists will be able to get past police checkpoints before and during the July 26 opening ceremony. It is being held on the river and a security cordon will be in place along both banks.

“If we have no customers, there’s no point staying open,” Rollin told Nunez. The police chief acknowledged the security that day is going to make getting around more complicated.

Other questions also focused on the impacts of security measures. One man asked whether there’ll still be fireworks for France’s July 14 national holiday and was told there will.

Only once, when a retailer said he’d heard that daytime deliveries would be banned, did the police chief lose patience, puffing out his cheeks.

Not true, he insisted.

“I can’t repeat things 50,000 times,” he said. “I don’t want to hear things like that.”

The work of preparing people clearly has a way to go. A government website, “Plan for the Games,” offers tips. Among them: avoid Olympic crowds on public transport by riding bikes or walking.

Schapira, the retired dentist and former politician, came out of the meeting thinking that “it is indeed extraordinary to have the Games inside Paris.”

But he was nevertheless grateful that he’ll be in the Alps by then, on holiday.

“I prefer to watch them on the television,” he said. “I’m not enough of a sports fan to stay. I am happy to be leaving.”

BY JOHN LEICESTER, AP

Frontier To Take On American Airlines In This Key Market

Every couple of months, an airline will announce a burst of new flights to a given destination.

This depends a lot on flying data and whatever destination is particularly popular at a given moment. Both U.S.-based and European airlines have been setting major sights on Austin, Texas, in 2021 (this strategy later proved to be overly optimistic) while JetBlue Airways and Frontier followed each other with launching several routes to different parts of Puerto Rico in the spring of 2024.

The budget carrier Frontier is once again adding a spate of flights to a single destination. By May 2024, the airline will launch 10 new flights between Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) from different parts of the country.

Airline CEO says 'new routes span much of the country'

This marks a 47% increase in the airline's service to the city and includes flights from Chicago's O'Hare Airport, Tennessee's Knoxville, Ohio's Columbus, Maine's Portland and Florida's Pensacola.

"From the Midwest to the East Coast and from Maine to Florida, these new routes span much of the country and represent our continued commitment to growth from PHL," Frontier CEO Barry Biffle said in a press statement. "In fact, PHL will see the second largest increase in daily departures on Frontier this summer among our major operational bases."

The routes predicted to be the most popular, including those between Philadelphia and Chicago and Detroit, will run every day while the less in-demand ones will operate three times a week. Other cities to which Frontier will start flying from Philadelphia include St. Louis, Kansas City and Indianapolis.

To promote the sale, Frontier is offering customers these super-low fares

At the moment, American Airlines (AAL) is the carrier that has the biggest hub in the City of Brotherly Love. It runs over 110 flights out of the city to different destinations across the country and, in August 2023, added three new international routes to Copenhagen, Nice and Naples.

When announcing the new routes last year, American executives called it an “incredible opportunity” to expand its network of flights to the city before the sports fans start descending upon it for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and FIFA World Cup matches taking place in 2026. The latter, in particular, will bring large crowds of European fans to Philadelphia.

While its only international destinations so far are to nearby tropical countries, Frontier will also reach a peak of 44 daily departures from Philadelphia by the summer of 2024. To promote the new routes and stand out from competitors like American, the budget airline is offering $19 fares on the new routes for those who book their tickets early.

One will be able to find the low rates by going directly to the airline's website and searching by destination and travel date — the lowest rates are generally between the nearest cities and for flights leaving on weekdays but promotional fares will apply to all the new flights before they start running in the coming months.

In the past, Frontier has done such a route expansion in cities including Cleveland and Chicago's smaller but more central Midway Airport (MDW).

Source: https://www.thestreet.com/author/veronika-bondarenko

Italy Takes Aim At Tourists With Airbnb Crackdown And Loudspeaker Bans

Italy's fight against overtourism now includes stopping tourists from lingering on bridges.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, in 2022, nearly 50 million people visited Italy, a nearly one-for-one match on the nation's total population of locals. As a result, Italy has strengthened its stance against overtourism, with new entry fees and group size restrictions in Venice for 2024 being the latest in a slew of new regulations. Additionally, a few recent events have led the European nation to propose policies to combat transgressions by ill-behaved visitors.

Take, for example, in 2023 when a tourist took a swim in the centuries-old Trevi Fountain, one of Rome's most iconic sites. The occurrence was so dramatic that local officials contemplated limiting access to the historic monument. However, like previous calls to erect a glass barrier around the fountain to protect it from unruly travellers, this notion was shut down after experts said it would impede the view of the fountain, with one expert telling La Repubblica the idea was “really silly”. (Just around the corner at the Spanish Steps, though, officials enacted a rule back in 2019 stating that neither locals nor tourists can sit on the steps, even for a photo opp. If caught taking a seat, tourists risk a €250 (£214) fine.)

But it’s not just bad behaviour Italy is contending with. It’s sheer overtourism too.

"When I first moved to Rome, I couldn't wrap my mind around the number of tourists wandering the streets regardless of the time of the day. But when the high season finished, the number of tourists didn't change," said Viktoriia Khutorna, a communications specialist who has been living in Rome for nearly two years. "In October, reality kicked in harshly – I realised that there is no such thing as 'off season' for Italy. People come to the country regardless of the month of the year thanks to the good weather."

Khutorna acknowledges that tourism is a major contributor to the Italian economy. In fact, it accounts for more than 10% of Italy's gross domestic product, with one out of every nine jobs in the country coming from hospitality. Nonetheless, "overtourism is a problem in Italy," she said. "For instance, the sidewalks in Rome are very narrow, so with so many tourists, it's impossible to walk comfortably in the streets. Another challenging thing is public transportation. People are squished in autobuses and metro trains sardines in a can. And don't even let me start on the litter problem."

The effects of overtourism across Italy

Starting this June, tour groups in Venice will be capped at 25 people per group, officials announced in December. And tour leaders will no longer be allowed to use loudspeakers to communicate with their flocks as this "can generate confusion and disturbances". The devices will be banned in the city and on nearby islands, officials said in a statement. And, as part of the new rules, tourists are also asked to no longer pause while traversing the city's bridges.

"It is an important measure aimed at improving the management of groups in the historic centre and on the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello," said Elisabetta Pesce, the official in charge of security in Venice. "It's about promoting sustainable tourism and guaranteeing the protection and safety of the city."

Venice and Rome aren’t the only destinations in Italy enacting regulations to both encourage better traveller etiquette and curb overcrowding issues.

In Portofino, tourists can get fined for "lingering" too long while taking a selfie. In Alto Adige, a region in Northern Italy, overnight tourism is capped to 2019 levels to prevent overcrowding. In the summer, visitors to Sardinia must book a reservation to use the beach via the app Cuore di Sardegna. And all over Italy, short-term rentals are being heavily regulated, including in Florence, where new short-term licenses have been completely banned in the city's centre to help free up housing for locals, which could in turn lessen the overtourism issue as people will have fewer places to stay.

BBC Travel reached out to Airbnb for comment and a brand rep responded that Airbnb wants to "work with Florence to create a way forward that protects local families who rely on the income they make from hosting. Airbnb is an economic lifeline for many Italians; one in three Hosts say the extra income helps them afford their homes and rising living costs. We recognize the challenges facing historical cities and welcome progress from the Italian government on new national rules, which will help support the policy goals of cities like Florence."

Still, will all these rules be effective in paring down visits to Italy?

"Italy has been experiencing overtourism, but [it's also happening in] many cities in Europe and countries around the world," said Simone Amorico, CEO of the destination management company Access Italy. Amorico says the best solution may be to get off the beaten path and, unsurprisingly, invest in a tour guide. "It is important to be advised by a travel advisor... For us, it is not only about the popular bridges, but we can show the insider Venice – the neighbourhoods that are less known and more authentic, to see where local artisans restore and build gondolas, for example. Or visit the Doge Palace after hours when it is less crowded, or a cooking class in a private home."

“We are putting a simple ban in the UNESCO area to meet our responsibilities of protecting the cultural and material identity of the centro storico, and to dampen the effect of rent increases across the entire city – which are directly linked to the boom of short-term tourist rentals,” Dario Nardella, the mayor of Florence, told reporters in 2023.

BBC Travel reached out to Airbnb for comment and a brand rep responded that Airbnb wants to "work with Florence to create a way forward that protects local families who rely on the income they make from hosting. Airbnb is an economic lifeline for many Italians; one in three Hosts say the extra income helps them afford their homes and rising living costs. We recognize the challenges facing historical cities and welcome progress from the Italian government on new national rules, which will help support the policy goals of cities like Florence."

Still, will all these rules be effective in paring down visits to Italy?

"Italy has been experiencing overtourism, but [it's also happening in] many cities in Europe and countries around the world," said Simone Amorico, CEO of the destination management company Access Italy. Amorico says the best solution may be to get off the beaten path and, unsurprisingly, invest in a tour guide. "It is important to be advised by a travel advisor... For us, it is not only about the popular bridges, but we can show the insider Venice – the neighbourhoods that are less known and more authentic, to see where local artisans restore and build gondolas, for example. Or visit the Doge Palace after hours when it is less crowded, or a cooking class in a private home."

As for destinations limiting the number of short-term rentals, Amorico doesn't see that as a problem. As he says, "There are so many amazing family-owned hotels" to check into instead.

By Stacey Leasca, https://www.bbc.com/