MIAMI (CBSMiami) — Are you sick and tired of being cooped up during the coronavirus pandemic and dreaming of heading to the Caribbean?  Island vibes are happening as the Caribbean islands lay out their plans for a ‘new normal’ for locals as well as welcome back visitors.

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By Amanda Woods

A black Southwest Airlines flight attendant had a heartfelt discussion on race and racism with a white passenger who she only later learned was Doug Parker, the CEO of rival American Airlines — all because she spotted him with a book on the topic.

JacqueRae Hill, 38, of Dallas, drove to work Friday morning with a “heavy heart” over George Floyd’s police-custody death in Minneapolis and the subsequent protests, she told ABC.

But her spirits lifted during the work day when she stopped to speak with Parker — who she didn’t recognize — but was intrigued by the book he had with him, “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism” by Robin DiAngelo.

“So how is the book?” Hill told ABC she began the conversation, as she sat down next to Parker.

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Click here to read the full article. 

Theme parks in Los Angeles County are urging local officials to allow them to reopen between mid-June and July 1, arguing that they can do so safely.

Karen Irwin, president and chief operating officer of Universal Studios Hollywood, asked the L.A. County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to allow theme park workers to return to work immediately in order to prepare for a reopening. The county’s amusement parks include Six Flags Magic Mountain and Pacific Park at the Santa Monica Pier.

More from Variety

• Walt Disney World to Reopen Orlando Theme Parks in July
• Universal Orlando Wants to Reopen on June 5
• Why the Reopening of Theme Parks Is Still a Terrifying Proposition (Column)

She said that it is a “misperception” that theme parks should be among the last facilities to reopen, noting that park visitors spend most of their time outdoors.

“Theme parks actually offer a more controlled environment than beaches, gardens or hiking trails,” said Irwin, speaking at a meeting of the county’s Economic Resiliency Task Force. She said that the industry is developing protective measures that will allow for physical distancing, and noted that parks have the ability to limit capacity and manage guest flow.

“We would like approval to begin the reopening process immediately in order to get our employees back to work,” she said. “L.A. County parks will be ready to begin reopening between mid-June and July 1.”

AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

• United Airlines has cut work hours for its managers and administrative (M&A) employees, and warned that layoffs are coming.
• However, workers say that the cuts violate terms of the CARES Act bailout, prohibiting pay cuts or furloughs before September 30.
• Business Insider spoke with United M&A workers who described stress, anxiety, and frustration with the airline as they prepare for what could be massive job cuts.
• Are you an employee at United or another airline? Contact this reporter with your thoughts or tips at dslotnick@businessinsider.com.

Two months after United Airlines agreed to terms with the federal government and accepted a $5 billion bailout for payroll support, workers at United Airlines are accusing the airline of breaking its promise.

Earlier this month, United announced that it would require management and administrative (M&A) employees to take 20 unpaid days off between May 15 and September 30. The requirement came as airlines around the globe — including United — reduced flights and grounded portions of their fleets due to a collapse in travel demand during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Ed Komenda, Reno Gazette JournalUSA TODAYMay 27, 2020, 12:22 PM CDT

LAS VEGAS – In a bid to stimulate Southern Nevada’s paused tourism economy and airline industry, a downtown casino mogul is giving away 1,000 free flights from more than 20 major U.S. cities to Las Vegas as the state reopens amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The flights are available on a first-come, first-served basis on theD.com.

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Here’s a look at what cities are available:

• Appleton, Wisconsin (ATW)
• Austin, Texas (AUS)
• Atlanta (ATL)
• Boise, Idaho (BOI)
• Chicago (ORD)
• Cincinnati (CVG)
• Dallas (DFW)
• Denver (DIA)
• Detroit (DTW)
• Knoxville, Tennessee (TYS)
• Louisville, Kentucky (SDF)
• Memphis, Tennessee (MEM)
• Milwaukee, (MKE)
• Minneapolis (MSP)
• Oklahoma City (OKC)
• Omaha, Nebraska (OMA)
• Phoenix (PHX)
• Portland, Oregon (PDX)
• San Diego (SAN)
• San Francisco (SFO)
• Seattle (SEA)
• Sioux Falls, South Dakota (FSD)
• South Bend, Indiana (SBN)
• Tulsa, Oklahoma (TUL)

Once registered, guests can choose from several flight options and reservations, which will be arranged through the concierge team at the D.

All participants in the promotion must be at least 21.

New York (CNN Business)Hertz paid out millions of dollars in bonuses to its executives just before its bankruptcy — and a month after it started laying off thousands of employees.

Retention bonuses are typical for bankrupt companies that want to prevent their management from abandoning ship. But they’re always awkward: the company can’t pay its employees or its debts to lenders, but it prioritizes payments to its already handsomely paid bosses.

Hertz (HTZ) paid a total of $16.2 million to 340 executives on May 19 as part of a plan to keep them in place while the company attempts to reorganize, the company announced in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The executives will be required to return the money should they leave Hertz on their own before March 31, 2021.

Paul Stone, who was just promoted to CEO three days before the retention bonuses were awarded, got $700,000 under the plan. Chief Financial Officer Jamere Jackson got $600,000, while Chief Marketing Officer Jodi Allen got about $190,000.

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A Bombardier Global 7500 for sale.

Aviatrade

• A businessman is selling his brand new Bombardier Global 7500, one of the newest private jets on the market with an unparalleled range for its class of 7,700 nautical miles.
• The jet was delivered in February 2020 but the owner hasn’t flown on it or seen it since it was delivered.
• Complete with 16 seats and a private bedroom, the jet is ideal for long-range jet setters.

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• Hertz filed for bankruptcy protection Friday after skipping car-lease payments last month
• The coronavirus pandemic has crippled the Florida-based company, which was already struggling with billions of dollars in debt
• The company laid off around 10,000 North American workers amid the coronavirus crisis and their share price has plummeted more than 80% this year 
• Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

Car rental company Hertz filed for Chapter 11 on Friday after failing to reach a standstill agreement with its top lenders.  

The Wall Street Journal reports that Hertz has roughly $19billion of debt. 

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Ninety-seven bodies have been pulled from smoldering rubble in Karachi, Pakistan, where a plane crashed Friday shortly before 3 p.m. local time. 

Before it crashed, the plane jolted violently in mid-air. Passenger Muhammad Zubair thought it was turbulence. Then the pilot came on the intercom to warn the plane was experiencing engine trouble and the landing could be “troublesome.” 

In a telephone interview from his hospital bed, Zubair, one of only two survivors, told The Associated Press that Pakistan International Airlines flight PK8303 had taken off on time from the eastern city of Lahore at 1 p.m. It was a smooth, uneventful flight until the aircraft began its descent near Karachi. 

Zubair said he survived by launched himself from the burning aircraft. 

“When the plane caught fire. I unfastened my seatbelt and saw a light. I came out of the plane, I jumped from nearly 10 feet high,” he said in a video interview with TRT World.

“I had to jump down about 10 feet”

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KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — A jetliner carrying 98 people crashed Friday in a crowded neighborhood near the airport in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi after an apparent engine failure during landing. Officials said there were two survivors from the plane but they also found at least 57 bodies in the wreckage.

It was unknown how many people on the ground were hurt as the Pakistan International Airlines jet, an Airbus A320, plowed into an alley and destroyed at least five houses.

The pilot was heard transmitting a mayday to the tower shortly before the crash of Flight 8303, which was flying from Lahore to Karachi and carrying many traveling for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

Video on social media appeared to show the jet flying low with flames shooting from one of its engines.

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Tracy RucinskiReutersMay 21, 2020, 10:54 AM CDT

By Tracy Rucinski

(Reuters) – Southwest Airlines Co <LUV.N> will continue to limit bookings on its flights through at least July to give passengers space between seats, CEO Gary Kelly told shareholders on Thursday, mirroring a plan by competitor Delta Air Lines Inc <DAL.N>.

Social distancing on planes has become a topic of debate as airlines weigh safety measures to restore confidence in air travel that has collapsed during the coronavirus pandemic.

“You won’t see full flights on Southwest at least through the end of July, and if we do have more demand for that flight, we’ll add additional flights to meet demand,” Kelly said at its annual shareholders’ meeting, which was held virtually.

Delta also plans to continue limiting the number of passengers on each flight through at least July, people told Reuters this week.

Airlines have been operating about 90% fewer flights than normal but are gradually adding flights back to their schedules as demand begins picking up.

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