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☆ Airline collision close calls are on the rise partly because there's not enough people working the high-paid, high-stress job that prevents them
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Hannah Towey | Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Part of that can be chalked up to the air traffic controller labor shortages. A government audit released in June found that 77% of critical air traffic control facilities in the US are staffed below the recommended threshold. Staffing shortages "have placed a tremendous amount of strain on air traffic controllers," Rich Santa, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said in a statement to Insider. "Air traffic controllers are doing an exemplary job in a very difficult situation, but this is not sustainable." In May, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told CNN that air traffic control needed 3,000 more workers to be fully staffed.

Persons: Rich Santa, Transportation Pete Buttigieg Organizations: New York Times, Service, Southwest Airlines, FAA, Cessna, Times, NASA, Air, National Air Traffic Controllers Association, Transportation, CNN, California TRACON, htowey Locations: Wall, Silicon, San Diego, what's, California, Jacksonville

☆ Airline close calls have been happening multiple times per week, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On average, there have been multiple airline close calls per week so far this year, the report says. Several of the close calls were linked to mistakes by air traffic controllers, a workforce that's severely understaffedA government audit released in June found that 77% of critical air traffic control facilities in the US are staffed below the recommended threshold. Shaun Best/ReutersClose-call incidents are often the result of human error, such as mistakes made by air traffic controllers and pilots, the investigation found. The US continues to face a shortage of air traffic controllers, with 77% of critical air traffic control facilities in the US staffed below the recommended threshold, according to a government audit released in June. Are you an air traffic controller or training to become one?

Persons: It's, Shaun Best, General Organizations: New York Times, Federal Aviation Administration, Times, Southwest Airlines, FAA, Safety, Reuters, Transportation Department Locations: San Diego

☆ Meet a 27-year-old concierge at the Four Seasons hotel catering to VIP guests paying up to $25,000 a night
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The queen ant in this metaphor is 27-year-old guest relations manager Jessica Waddy, whose job revolves around the hotel's high-profile guests and their countless needs. The cellar level of the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown. The Empire Suite at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown, with rates starting at $25,000 a night. Courtesy of the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown. The needs of high-profile guests are listed on a "rider," a document that's typically multiple pages long and attached to their hospitality contract.

Persons: Jessica Waddy, Waddy, There's, Hannah Towey, willy nilly, it's, Jason Jean, It's, Jessica, Carbone Organizations: Morning, Hotel, Monday, Vogue, Polo Bar Locations: New York, York Downtown, Staten Island, Queens

☆ Prepare to show your ID at TSA this summer, even if you're paying $189 to scan your eyeballs instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

All Clear members will have their identity verified by the TSA in the future, the agency says. For $189 a year, Clear members can cut airport security lines with "touchless" ID verification. Clear, a privately-owned security program available in most major airports, allows members to cut security lines with its "touchless" ID verification system. While it may seem like a minor change, increasing ID checks for Clear members could upend the company's already fragile competitive edge. Clear did not immediately respond to follow-up questions about when the new digital identity standards will roll out in airports.

Organizations: TSA, Washington Post, Clear, DHS, Technology

☆ United CEO says climate change is going to make massive delays more common
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Hannah Towey | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

United CEO Scott Kirby says climate change will cause even more flight delays in the future. The airline canceled thousands of flights in a six-day meltdown leading up to July 4 weekend. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby hasn't hesitated to point fingers when it comes to flight delays, from criticizing airport infrastructure to slamming the FAA for staffing shortages. Garth Thompson, a United pilot and union chair, similarly highlighted internal issues at the airline as a driving factor behind the flight delays in late June. "While Scott Kirby attempts to deflect blame on the FAA, weather and everything in between, further flight delays are a direct result of poor planning by United Airlines executives," Thompson told Insider at the time.

Persons: Scott Kirby, Kirby, Scott Kirby hasn't, Kirby —, —, United, United's, Pete Buttigieg, Garth Thompson, Thompson Organizations: United Airlines, Politico, Hurricanes, Independence, United, New, Transportation, FAA, CNN Locations: New York, Newark, New York City

☆ 63 cruise ships owned by Carnival Corporation released more toxic sulfur gasses than all the cars in Europe, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Hannah Towey | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

63 cruise ships owned by Carnival Corp. emitted more sulfur oxides than all the cars in Europe in 2022. The cruise industry is investing in alternative energy sources such as LNG fuel and shore power. Though the IMO rule slashes the sulfur emissions of individual ships, it has done nothing to limit the increasing number of cruise ships in recent years. Compared to 2019, cruise ships are also spending more time at European ports and consuming more fuel, per the report. As a result, cruise ships overall emitted 9% more sulfur oxides in 2022 than in 2017, according to Transport & Environment.

Persons: MIGUEL MEDINA, Robert Rohde, — Dr, We're Organizations: Carnival Corp, European Federation for Transport, Environment, Carnival Corporation, International Maritime Organization, Transport & Environment, Cruise, Carnival Locations: Europe, Venice, AFP, Berkeley, Paris, New, York

☆ A Carnival cruise passenger on a Bahamas vacation is missing after he leaned over his balcony and fell overboard, officials said
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A man is still missing after he went overboard on a Carnival cruise ship on Monday. The unidentified 35-year-old man was aboard the Carnival Magic cruise ship. A man went overboard on a Carnival cruise ship returning to Virginia from the Bahamas — and he remains missing after officials said he leaned over a balcony railing and plunged into the water. Under the 2010 Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, cruise ships must have 42-inch guard rails and man-overboard imaging or detection systems. Have a tip or story to share about man-overboard incidents on cruise ships?

☆ Family stands to lose nearly $6,000 in airfare and hotel costs after they were bumped from an overbooked cruise ship
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have overbooked multiple ships in recent months. One customer said she may lose nearly $6,000 after being bumped from an overbooked cruise. Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have seen a spate of overbooked ships in recent months, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. 68-year-old Diane Gainey, a frequent cruise-goer, could lose nearly $6,000 in airfare and hotel costs after Celebrity Cruises overbooked her September voyage from Japan. Courtesy of Diane FoleyA Celebrity Cruises spokesperson said the company continuously monitors their sailings to prevent disruptions to guests' travel plans.

☆ Flight attendants and pilots are anxiously gearing up for a potentially record-breaking summer of travel
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

"It's just a really precarious time of year for airline employees," Anthony Cataldo, a flight attendant for American Airlines with 33 years' experience, told Insider. Such predictions have left some airline workers anxious about carrying the industry through what could be a record-breaking travel season, four mainline pilots and flight attendants told Insider. Compared to last summer, airline staffing levels have largely improved, with Delta and United hiring thousands of new employees this year. The Southwest and American Airlines pilot unions both voted to authorize a strike this month. Air traffic control remains understaffedAs of April, the crowded airspace around New York City had 129 certified air traffic controllers — just over half of the staffing target of 226 — with 67 air traffic controllers in training, according to aviation firm Rinaldi Consultants.

☆ MSC cruise ship fails health inspection with the lowest score in years after CDC finds a door handle covered in hamburger blood and yogurt containers with 'black filth residue'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The cruise ship MSC Seaside failed its CDC's sanitation inspection on April 27, records show. The vessel received a 67 out of 100 — the lowest score a cruise ship has received in five years. The cruise ship MSC Seaside failed the CDC's vessel sanitation inspection at the end of April with an unusually low score. The vessel received 67 out of 100 points, nearly twenty points below the agency's passing grade. In the past 10 years, only three other cruise ships have received sanitation scores below 70, CDC records show.

☆ Airlines could soon be forced to pay you if your flight is delayed or canceled
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Biden administration is proposing a new rule to address airline passengers' rights in the US. It would require airlines to provide cash compensation for flight delays and cancellations. JetBlue and Alaska Airlines are the only carriers that offer flight credit during lengthy delays, the DOT says. No major US airline currently guarantees cash compensation for controllable delays or cancellations, the dashboard shows. For comparison, the department's 2021 proposal that would require airlines to refund passengers for delayed luggage and broken WiFi still has not taken effect.

☆ Meet the typical private jet owner: 'Overwhelmingly male,' over 50, with a net worth of $190 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Private jet use has become more popular than ever. Members of the "jet-owning oligarchy" have a median net worth of $190 million, a new report says. The typical private jet owner is a North American male over 50 who works in finance or real estate. The report describes typical private jet owners as "overwhelmingly male," North American, and over the age of 50. Full private jet owners have a median net worth of $190 million while fractional jet owners have a median net worth of $140 million, the report says, citing data from Credit Suisse and Wealth-X.

☆ Royal Caribbean's CEO made over $10 million in 2022 — 705 times more than company's median worker
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty made $10.76 million in 2022, regulatory filings show. Meanwhile, crew members onboard Royal Caribbean's ships made a median annual wage of $15,264. Royal Caribbean Group's CEO Jason Liberty made over $10 million in 2022, approximately 705 times the median annual wage of the cruise giant's shipboard crew members, regulatory filings show. Meanwhile, crew members working onboard Royal Caribbean's ships took home a median yearly salary of $15,264 in 2022, according to the company's estimates. On a single cruise ship, crew members may represent over 100 countries around the world.

☆ Cruise workers reveal what happens if you quit your job in the middle of the ocean
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

If a cruise worker quits they have to pay for their flight home, current and former employees say. On a cruise ship, quitting your job is a luxury not all workers can afford. "What will happen is the cruise line will fly you home, but will deduct from your wages what you owe," Jim Walker, a Miami-based maritime lawyer who represents cruise workers and passengers, told Insider. What happens when you try to quit your job on a cruise shipFor the most part, resigning on a cruise ship looks logistically similar to any other job, except for the fact that you might be hundreds of miles away from home (or from any land, for that matter). Do you work on a cruise ship?

☆ The US is one of the only countries that doesn't guarantee paid vacation — here are 25 places where workers get a full month off
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The US is one of the only countries in the world that does not guarantee workers paid time off. 25 countries provide at least 28 days of paid vacation per year, according to a recent study. Do you live or work in a country that guarantees paid vacation? That's because the US is the only advanced economy in the world that does not have federally mandated paid vacation for its workers. According to 2022 data analyzed by the software development company Resume.io, a total of 25 countries around the world guarantee workers at least 28 days of paid vacation (not including holidays).

☆ Meet the real-life manager of the luxury hotel in Sicily where 'The White Lotus' was filmed, with rooms starting at $2,000 a night
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Lorenzo Maraviglia is the general manager of the hotel where "The White Lotus" Season 2 was filmed. He told Insider what the show gets right about his job and where it embellishes reality. That's because the renovated 14th-century convent overlooking the Ionian Sea was the central filming location of the hit-TV drama — and it's all hotel guests want to talk about. "It's funny because in "The White Lotus," Jennifer Coolidge gets killed on the cruise — so I don't know how inspiring that can be." Sabrina Impacciatore plays the hotel manager Valentina in "The White Lotus" season 2.

☆ These US port cities are fighting to restrict cruise ships. It's easier said than done.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The pandemic offered coastal communities across the US a taste of life without cruise ships. Now, port cities in Florida, Maine, Alaska, and California are fighting to limit or ban the vessels. A few weeks prior, Juneau, Alaska's city assembly voted to cap the number of cruise ships visiting the capital's downtown port at five per day. According to one study commissioned by Stand.earth, an environmental organization, found that cruise passengers visiting Victoria, a major Canadian cruise port, were responsible for less than 2% of tourism spending. Do you live or work near a US cruise port?

☆ 35 secret terms only cruise workers know — and the ones you don't want to hear as a passenger
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Cruise workers have their own secret language they use to communicate with one another. That's because crew members have dozens of secret code words and sayings they use to communicate while keeping passengers in the dark. Insider compiled a dictionary of cruise ship language based on interviews with cruise workers, previous reporting, and industry blogs. GUSTAVO GRANADO/AFP via Getty ImagesBabaloo: Alternatively spelled "Babalu," this is widespread cruise worker slang that means "fool" or "idiot." Cruise to Nowhere: Also called a "stay-cation" by some cruise workers, this is when a ship cruises at sea without stopping at any ports.

☆ Why you don't want to be called 'gate lice' at the airport
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Gate lice" is the unflattering name used to describe travelers who crowd the gate before boarding. But it's a major flight attendant pet peeve, aviation veteran Rich Henderson told Insider. The "gate lice" are likely passengers who are positioning themselves to be first in line so they can secure overhead bin space for their carry-on bags. Crowds of "gate lice" forming in the airport appeared to become more widespread following the pandemic, as The Points Guy senior aviation reporter David Slotnick wrote in 2021. But at least "gate lice" are waiting for their turn to board — unlike passengers who cut the line before their group is even called.

☆ Digital nomads can rent apartments on 'standby' for a fraction of the cost — but you might be forced to move out with 3 days' notice
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Landing's latest offering is a membership tier called "standby," and it's the rental equivalent to flying standby on an airline. "Standby" members pay a flat $1,295 monthly fee to access 20,000 fully-furnished apartments across more than 375 cities, with the exception of New York and California. That means if standard members want your apartment, you could be kicked out with as little as three days' notice. If that happens, however, you can transfer to any available Landing apartment at no additional cost — but it's not guaranteed it'll be in the same city. A Landing apartment.

☆ I worked on a cruise ship for eight months because I wanted to travel. The low pay and exhausting schedule weren't worth it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Chris Libreros worked on a cruise ship for eight months after working in the hotel industry. So he helped me get a job in the Guest Services department, which is like the general front desk of a cruise ship. We were originally scheduled to depart from Hong Kong, but because of China's COVID restrictions, they moved the cruise ship over to Singapore. On a cruise ship, most crew don't get any days off. If someone from the US were to work on a cruise ship, they would have to expect a decrease in salary.

☆ Portugal is shutting down its popular 'golden visa' program. Here are two ways you can still get a residence permit (for less money).
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Portugal is shutting down its "golden visa" scheme as part of its efforts to fight the housing crisis. But the nation's more popular — and less expensive — alternatives to the golden visa scheme are still attracting hundreds of remote workers and entrepreneurs to its shores. In late October, Portugal launched a "digital nomad visa" that allows remote workers from non-EU countries to live and work in Portugal for up to five years. Portugal approved 200 digital nomad visas in the program's first three months, according to data from the Ministry of Affairs. Before the digital nomad visa was introduced, remote workers and entrepreneurs used the popular D7 visa (also known as the passive income visa) to receive local residency status.

☆ From 'babaloo' to 'slop chest,' these are 35 secret terms only cruise workers know — and the ones you don't want to hear as a passenger
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Cruise workers have their own secret language they use to communicate with one another. That's because crew members have dozens of secret code words and sayings they use to communicate while keeping passengers in the dark. Insider compiled a dictionary of cruise ship language based on interviews with cruise workers, previous reporting, and industry blogs. GUSTAVO GRANADO/AFP via Getty ImagesBabaloo: Alternatively spelled "Babalu," this is widespread cruise worker slang that means "fool" or "idiot." Slop chest: A tiny convenience store in the crew-only section of a cruise ship that sells essential items.

☆ 5 cruise workers reveal the best and worst parts of their jobs — from in the kitchen to on stage
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Most jobs onboard cruise ships require grueling hours, cramped cabins, and no days off. Insider talked to 5 cruise workers about the best and worst parts of their jobs. Insider spoke with five cruise ship workers including a dancer, musician, chef, and photographer about the best and worst parts of their jobs. And nearly all cruise workers — with entertainers being a notable exception — do not have protected days off until their contract is complete. For many, the unique jobs available on cruise ships are a more intriguing alternative to 9-to-5 desk jobs.

☆ I'm a cruise ship officer. I love my job, but it's not the constant vacation that people assume.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

I've worked in the oil field, on research vessels, and on small boats, but working on a cruise ship is the most difficult job I've ever had. Working on a cruise ship has also allowed me to meet people that I would have never met otherwise. Cruise ship officers are divided into three different "watch groups" that are assigned two shifts that are four hours long. I'm in charge of the safety of thousands of passengersThe view from the cruise ship of St. Maarten (left)/ Inside the cruise mooring station (right). On the ship, you're always constantly on task and then you come home and you've got nothing to do.

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