Latest news with #St.George
Skift
29-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
United and JetBlue Launch Partnership: 'Blue Sky' to Link Loyalty Programs
Putting an end to months of industry speculation, United and JetBlue confirm that they're linking loyalty programs. What could come next? United Airlines and JetBlue Airways are entering a partnership. In a joint statement on Thursday morning, the carriers unveiled plans to bring their loyalty programs closer together. The arrangement will allow customers from both carriers to earn and burn frequent-flier miles. As part of the deal, JetBlue will also provide United access to slots at New York JFK for up to seven daily round-trip flights. These will operate from Terminal 6 and start 'as early as 2027.' In what the companies describe as a 'net-neutral exchange,' JetBlue and United will trade eight flight timings at Newark. Many elements of the proposed deal remain subject to regulatory review. A Widely Expected Move Since a federal judge struck down JetBlue's Northeast Alliance with American Airlines in 2023, the New York-based carrier has been eager to start a new domestic partnership. In April, JetBlue President Marty St. George told analysts during a call that the company was expecting to make an announcement on a domestic partnership in the coming weeks. St. George said one of the major benefits of such a partnership was the network connectivity. 'If you are a customer in the Northeast and you love JetBlue for leisure, but twice a year, you have to go to Omaha or Boise, these are places that you can't earn TrueBlue points on now. And when this partnership goes forward, you will be able to," St. George said. United said in a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission in January that it was not in any talks with other airlines about a merger. This is a breaking story that will be updated. What am I looking at? The performance of airline sector stocks within the ST200. The index includes companies publicly traded across global markets including network carriers, low-cost carriers, and other related companies. The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. See more airlines sector financial performance. Read the full methodology behind the Skift Travel 200.
Irish Independent
15-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Five things to do in Carlow to make the most of the sunshine this weekend
According to recent forecasts, it seems that the glorious sunshine and hot weather is here to stay for at least another few days. With temperatures expected to reach up to 20 degrees this weekend in Carlow, you may want to start making plans to make the most of the sunshine….while we still have it. With that it mind, here are five outdoor things to do in Carlow to make the most of this gorgeous weather. Altamont Gardens With summer finally here and the sun making an appearance or two, Altamont Gardens is the perfect place for you and your family to get outdoors this weekend. Located near Tullow in Co Carlow, Altamont is known as one of the most beautiful gardens in Ireland. Take your family on a riverside walk or visit the walled garden or an old arboretum. There is also a café onsite in the form of quaint tea garden. Altamont Gardens, cultivated since the 1750s and gifted to the nation by Corona North are in the care of the Office of Public Works (OPW) and looked after by Head Gardener, Paul Whyte and the OPW team at Altamont. Often referred to as 'the jewel in Ireland's gardening crown', both the gardens and the old house it surrounds are steeped in Irish history. It is thought that Altamont was originally the site of a convent, but that hasn't been proved yet. However, the house that exists today was built on the remains of an older dwelling dating back to at least the 16th century. ADVERTISEMENT The gardens were originally created by the St. George and Doyne families in the mid-1700s. During this time the house was also transformed by the two families. In the 1850s, the house and gardens came under the new ownership of the Borrors family who added a library wing to the house and in 1871 they built a butler's pantry. The famous lake situated in Altamont Gardens was dug out by hand in order to offer employment to the local population after the Irish Famine. Huntington Castle and Gardens Huntington Castle and Gardens in the historical village of Clonegal in Co Carlow is open daily to the public from 11am until 5pm. The castle has been in the Robertson family home since 1625. Visitors can choose to take a tour of the castle or explore the stunning gardens, or of course do both. Tickets are available for castle tours daily at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm, while tickets for the gardens, which are open daily from 11am to 5pm, are also available to purchase on-site. You can also enjoy a coffee and treat from local artisanal bakers in the seventeenth century tea room. Ducketts Grove If you are looking to get outside and enjoy some fresh air while also exploring the history, ruins and gardens of an old Carlow estate, then the nineteenth century Ducketts Grove House and Estate is perfect. The supposedly haunted Ducketts Grove has been a part of the Carlow landscape for over 300 years since it was abandoned by its former owners, the Duckett family. The ruins and walled gardens are open and free to visit and with its surviving towers and turrets, Ducketts Grove is one of the most photogenic historic buildings in Ireland. There is also a café onsite if you get hungry or want some refreshments during your visit. Delta Sensory Gardens Located in Carlow Town, the Delta Sensory Gardens, described by many as an 'oasis of peace and tranquillity' are award winning gardens set on 2.5 acres. The Delta Sensory Gardens are a series of interconnected gardens designed to appeal to your senses. From beautiful limestone sculptures, a game of snakes a ladders, water features and much more, the Delta Sensory Gardens are the perfect way to spend a sunny day. Café Thyme is also onsite if you need to refuel with some tasty treats. The Nine Stones Viewing Point If you want to spend your weekend out in nature and enjoying the beautiful countryside Carlow has to offer, The Nine Stones Viewing Point is definitely worth a visit. Located at the top of Mount Leinster, The Nine Stones Viewing Point is one of Carlow's hidden gems and offers one of the most scenic views in the county. On a clear day, eight counties (Carlow, Laois, Kildare, Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny and Tipperary) can be seen from this spot.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Visa sees economic uncertainty starting to curb travel spending
This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. Spending for air travel and lodging has slowed amid general economic uncertainty, Visa executives told analysts as they reported quarterly results. Weaker currencies and a shift in the Easter and Ramadan holidays into the April quarter also affected travel volume, Visa said. 'Obviously the situation is quite fluid, and we're monitoring the data very closely,' Visa Chief Financial Officer Chris Suh said Tuesday, noting 'a meaningful slowdown' in Canadians traveling to the U.S. San Francisco-based Visa, the largest card network, also said that in early April consumers chose to 'pull forward' some of their planned expenditures in certain categories, including electronics. President Donald Trump's tariffs on U.S. trading partners are widely expected to boost prices on many goods, unless they're reversed or mitigated, which likely prompted the pre-impact spending burst Visa and other companies have noted. Visa executives sought to emphasize Tuesday that U.S. consumers are still spending – and showing no signs of a broad retrenchment – despite the lack of macroeconomic clarity into 2025. 'Consumer spending has been resilient and strong, but there's much uncertainty,' Visa CEO Ryan McInerney said. JetBlue Airways, citing Mastercard data, on Tuesday also highlighted a reversal in travel demand that it's seeing. The carrier detected the travel demand slowdown primarily in the Northeast and used data from its bank partner, Barclays, along with consumer spending data from Mastercard, JetBlue President Marty St. George said Tuesday on a quarterly conference call with analysts. 'It is clearly showing that as far as the cut in air travel, it is very much focused on the Northeast, and to a lesser extent, the West Coast,' he said. That data is also informing JetBlue's capacity cuts, which are 'pretty aggressively' focused on the weaker demand periods of Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday evening, St. George said. The New York-based airline also recently canceled plans to begin seasonal flights from Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Long Island to Boston, one of the rare instances he said JetBlue has scrubbed routes before flights had begun. 'Of the trends we're seeing in U.S.-Canada demand, and more importantly, what we're seeing in the bookings on the airplane, it was not going to be accretive for us anytime soon, so we figured we'd better rip off the Band-Aid now and move forward,' St. George said. Visa's fiscal second-quarter net income decreased 2% over the year-ago quarter to $4.6 billion, as net revenue rose 9% to $9.6 billion, according to the report. Visa also said the constant dollar value of payments rose 8% over the previous quarter, with credit volume climbing 6% and debit volume increasing 9%. 'Durability and diversification is on display and yields an attractive investment proposition in Visa despite prevalent macro deterioration concerns in the market,' TD Cowen analysts wrote Tuesday in a client note. Visa's results 'remind us just how impressive its network model is, replete with pricing power, economic shock absorbers, steady organic revenue growth, free cash flow and profitability,' William Blair analysts Andrew Jeffrey and Christopher Kennedy wrote in a note to clients. Also Tuesday, Visa said it had recently passed $200 million in cumulative stablecoin settlement volume. Visa is using its 'Tokenized Asset Platform' to help banks issue stablecoins, with its first bank partner, BBVA, planning to debut a stablecoin later this year on the Ethereum blockchain, McInerney said. 'We do see real potential, which is why we've been investing in the crypto space for many years now,' he said. 'We are optimistic about the U.S. government passing more clear and pragmatic regulations' with other countries doing the same for cryptocurrency, he said. Sign in to access your portfolio
Reuters
29-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Exclusive: JetBlue negotiates partnership with United Airlines, sources say
Summary Companies JetBlue seeks partnerships after NEA with American Airlines blocked Potential alliance with United differs from previous American partnership, sources say JetBlue struggles with profitability, shares down 47% this year CHICAGO, April 29 (Reuters) - JetBlue Airways (JBLU.O), opens new tab and United Airlines (UAL.O), opens new tab have been negotiating a partnership, three industry sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The New York-based airline has been seeking partnerships after a federal judge blocked its so-called Northeast Alliance with American Airlines (AAL.O), opens new tab in 2023. here. The partnership with United is envisioned as quite different from the NEA, the sources said. While the alliance is expected to focus on providing greater connectivity to customers and allowing them to earn and burn frequent-flier miles, the two carriers will not coordinate on schedules and pricing, they added. The sources said the two airlines have yet to finalize all the details and cautioned that things could still change. Asked for comment, a JetBlue spokesperson referred to remarks made earlier on Tuesday by the airline's president, Marty St. George, on a conference call after the company released quarterly results. St. George told analysts and investors that the company was negotiating with a domestic airline with a larger network and that an announcement was expected in the current quarter. He did not elaborate. Chicago-based United said it does not comment on industry speculation. JetBlue has been struggling to return to sustained profitability after the COVID-19 pandemic. It has managed to post a profit in just two of the past nine quarters. Its shares have fallen about 47% this year. In a sign of bearish investor sentiment, short interest in the company's shares has risen by 35% since early February. A slump in travel demand as a result of the economic uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump 's trade war has only exacerbated its pain. Earlier on Tuesday, JetBlue withdrew its outlook for 2025. Growth in its revenue generated from customer loyalty programs, aided by new partnerships, is currently one of the airline's few bright spots. The company is relying on alliances with other airlines to bolster that revenue stream by offering customers greater connectivity. It had also been discussing a new partnership with American Airlines. But the two sides failed to reach an agreement and the Texas-based carrier has filed a lawsuit seeking damages after the collapse of the NEA, American's vice chair, Steve Johnson, said in a letter to employees on Monday. JetBlue's falling market capitalization has also led to speculation that it could become a potential acquisition target. In January, following market talk that United was considering a bid for JetBlue, the Chicago-based airline had to inform the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it was "not in negotiations or discussions with any other airline regarding a merger, acquisition or similar strategic transaction." Last month, United CEO Scott Kirby said that while the company would like to have a greater presence in New York, it was not ready to deal with all the regulatory hurdles. "I would like to have a presence on the other side of the river at JFK (airport)," Kirby had said. "But man, all the headache, all the brain damage of buying a whole airline to get there. That's a lot to do."
Time Business News
24-04-2025
- General
- Time Business News
St. George's day
What's the Deal with St. George's Day? Every April 23rd, England celebrates St. George's Day — or at least, it's supposed to. Compared to St. Patrick's Day or even Bonfire Night, St. George's Day doesn't get a ton of attention, but it's still a day that's rooted in some pretty epic legends and a whole lot of history. So, Who Was St. George? The guy we now call St. George was actually a Roman soldier, born way back in the 3rd century in what's now Turkey. He became a Christian and was later executed for refusing to give up his faith — which is why he's considered a martyr and a saint. But let's be honest, most people remember him for the whole dragon-slaying thing. According to the legend, George killed a dragon that was terrorizing a town, saved a princess, and convinced the people to convert to Christianity. Is it true? Probably not. But it makes for a great story, and over the centuries, that legend helped turn him into a symbol of bravery and heroism. Why Is He England's Patron Saint? St. George became England's patron saint during the medieval period, especially after knights and crusaders started bringing his story back from the Holy Land. His red cross on a white background became England's flag, and it still flies today — especially during sporting events or, well, when England wants to show a bit of national pride. How Do People Celebrate? Truth be told, St. George's Day isn't a huge deal for most people — it's not even a public holiday. But in some places, especially small towns or communities with a strong sense of English identity, you'll still see a bit of fanfare: Parades with people dressed as knights and dragons with people dressed as knights and dragons Traditional food (think roast dinners, maybe a pint at the pub) (think roast dinners, maybe a pint at the pub) Church services St. George's flags flying from windows or rooftops flying from windows or rooftops And sometimes people wear a red rose, England's national flower Some folks would love to see it celebrated more, kind of like how the Irish go big for St. Patrick's Day. There's even been talk now and then about making it a national holiday. No luck yet, though. Fun Fact: England's Not the Only One St. George is also the patron saint of Georgia (yes, the country), Ethiopia, Portugal, and even Catalonia in Spain. In Catalonia, they turn St. George's Day into a kind of romantic holiday where people give each other books and roses. Not a bad tradition, honestly. A Day That's Quietly Meaningful Even if it's not the loudest holiday on the calendar, St. George's Day still means something. It's about courage, standing up for what you believe in, and holding onto traditions. And hey — any excuse to share a cool story, fly a flag, or enjoy a proper roast is a win. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
