AUGUST 28, 2023

(Bloomberg) -- At Bloomberg Pursuits, we love to travel. And we always want to make sure we’re doing it right. So we’re talking to road warriors to learn about their high-end hacks, tips and off-the-wall experiences. These are the  Distinguished Travel Hackers.

FaceGym founder Inge Theron’s beauty brand started with a single space inside London’s Selfridges department store in 2014. This year it opened its first studio in Sydney, after expanding to France, Los Angeles, New York and across the UK. 

The company’s skincare products, tools and sculpting methods have been used by such celebrities as Nicole Kidman to get ready for the red carpet ahead of the Oscars. Spider-Man’s Tom Holland  posted a video of him using the brand’s £575 ($722) FaceGym Pro e-stim device when doing press for his Apple TV+ series, The Crowded Room, this summer.

Theron, who is originally from South Africa and now lives in London with her husband and two daughters, logs nearly 100,000 miles a year flying long-haul to Asia, the Middle East and the US, where she’s been designing wellness spaces in Japan, Qatar and Miami; she also counts a weekly commute to Milan, where many of the product and material designers for her spas are based.

Her airline of choice? Emirates. “The service is second to none,” she says, noting the spacious suites in first class and their luxurious lounges. She used to fly primarily on British Airways, but found the UK flag carrier’s service to have gone downhill in recent years. 

Read More: Airlines Boost First Class Flights With Suites, Personal Chefs

Here are her travel tips. 

Sitting in a window seat? Don’t forget your SPF.

My really big tip for skin on the plane is  you have to wear sunblock, especially if you’re sitting in a window seat. No one thinks about putting on SPF on a plane, but you absolutely have to, as airplane windows don’t protect you fully from the sunlight coming in. You can get sun damage from flights. 

The trick to sleeping on a plane is packing the right products. 

I like a little tipple on the plane—despite knowing better—but I have found a way to mitigate my bad habits, and I do this with ZBiotics, a probiotic I take before drinking that’s supposed to ward off hangovers. I also travel with my own full blackout face mask by Z Lab and Calmor wax ear plugs for total peace and quiet, as I’m one of those people who need total darkness and silence to sleep.

Recently I’ve been using a Vagus nerve calming device called Sensate to help me drift off. What it does is send out small sound waves and vibrates in a way that soothes your nervous system. I also take 1 mg of melatonin, in chocolate form, from Good Day, and that feels like a treat. Those are my secret weapons; now it takes me just 10 minutes to fall asleep once the plane is in the air. 

And for fighting jet lag, follow a neuroscientist’s advice.Once I’m on the plane, I eat and sleep as if I’m already at my destination. But I find my morning routines are just as important when I’m getting used to a new time zone. The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is open the windows and look at the natural light.

I’m an  Andrew Huberman fanatic, and so I’ve been following his neuroscience protocols. He says the way you wake up in the morning is the way you’re going to go to sleep at night. So if you wake up late, at say 10 or 11, and you look at the sunlight for the first time, that will have a massive impact on when you want to go to bed at night. So, getting light exposure first thing in the early morning sets you up for a really good sleep in the evening and helps keep you alert in the day.

If you’re shipping your luggage instead of checking it, be careful what you pack.

I sent my luggage ahead to the Hamptons this summer by FedEx [from Europe] because I like to travel with just one bag, but don't want to be limited in what I can bring. But because of all the supplements I’m trying now, my bag got stuck in customs for two weeks. So when I arrived in New York, I had to borrow dresses from friends, I had to go buy new things.

Sending your luggage to your destination ahead of time sounds clever, but make sure that it’s just clothes you’re packing. Don’t put in any gnarly new pills or peptide injections in your luggage, especially if you’re going to America. 

The best hotel in the world is Claridge’s in London.

It’s not just because I did the spa there, but every time I’ve stayed at Claridge’s, I’ve been impressed with the thoughtfulness and level of service they’ve perfected over 200 years. I’ve gone at Christmas, and they decorated the kids’ rooms with disco lights and set up a treasure hunt all around the rooms with hidden chocolates.

The way they curate and personalize for guests is incredible: They’ll actually go on your Instagram, see what your kids are doing, see what football teams they like and then there’ll be a football jersey for that team in the bedroom. It’s that level of attention to detail that makes the hotel so special. A lo-fi hack for pesky night lights. 

Before I had my blackout glasses, the red lights in hotel rooms were such a problem that I used to have to travel with kids’ Band-Aids. I’d be spending $3,000 a night on a room and would be running around with Band-Aids, sticking them on things to block out the lights from the TV and other devices. 

Sometimes hotels have thought they’re being really clever by giving you this fabulous iPad, but the way they light up can be a problem when you’re trying to sleep. I was in the Equinox Hotel in New York, which is meant to be this longevity hotel, and their new system is meant to make your life easier—with one touch on an iPad to get anything you want, but it gives off this enormous big light at night. So you’ve got blackout blinds, but the light coming from inside the room has become the problem. 

On your next trip to Italy, go to Umbria instead of Tuscany. 

People call Umbria the poorer cousin of Tuscany, but it’s unfairly off the radar for many travelers. There are incredible little villages that produce wonderful artisanal goods like clay pottery and leather goods from the people that supply big brands like Donna Karan, not to mention the  Brunello Cucinelli store in Solomeo. There is wonderful biking and hiking, and if you love meaty pasta with a delicious full-bodied red Sagrantino, there is no better place to go than Montefalco.

Read More: From Italy to Japan, Alberghi Diffusi Are Saving Dying Villages

Make sure to go in early summer when each village has their special sagra, a local street festival dedicated to food. And don’t forget to explore the medieval village of Todi while you’re there. 

For family travel, nothing beats a good kids’ club.

I love a hotel that offers a really well-thought-through kids’ menu of entertainment. That’s my booking mentality right now. I would spend a fortune if my kids are happy, so I’m quite astounded by the fact that many hotels don’t put more energy into kids’ clubs. The Four Seasons as a brand do it quite well, as well as Jumeirah in the Middle East.

The Jumeirah Mina A’Salam in Dubai has got it down to a science. They have multiple kids’ clubs and full schedules of programming with things like outdoor movies, water sports and henna temporary tattoos. It’s family-first in the Middle East, which is why Dubai has managed to crawl into our list of annual holidays, because my kids think it’s the best place in the world. They think it’s better than Disneyland. 

AUGUST 28, 2023

The federal government is fining American Airlines $4.1 million for dozens of instances in which passengers were kept on board planes without a chance to exit during long ground delays.

The U.S. Department of Transportation said Monday it is the largest such fine against an airline since rules covering long ground delays took effect about a decade ago.

The department said its investigation revealed that from 2018 through 2021, American kept 43 domestic flights stuck on the ground for at least three hours without giving passengers the chance to deplane. There are exceptions in which airlines are allowed to bend the rules, including for safety and security reasons, but the department said none of those were factors in the flights it identified.

“This is the latest action in our continued drive to enforce the rights of airline passengers,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who vowed to hold airlines accountable under consumer-protection laws.

Associated Press, The Associated Press

AUGUST 30, 2023

The chairman of the committee of Chief Medical Directors/Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Hospitals, Prof Emem Bassey, on Wednesday, August 30, said other African countries are now poaching Nigerian medical doctors and other health professionals.

Bassey, who is the CMD of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, said the health sector is currently undergoing a major crisis in terms of manpower as health professionals are leaving in droves.

He also said doctors often went on strike because the government often failed to meet unrealizable promises.

Bassey said this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee to probe employment racketeering in Federal Government agencies alongside the heads of other health institutions in the country.

He said: “Some African countries are also beginning to poach from Nigeria. The West Coast is looking for our specialists. So many people are now going to places like Sierra Leone and Gambia and the wages they earn 3000, 4000 dollars. It is about three to four times what they earn back home. So we are beginning to see that people are leaving to other African countries too.

“The health sector is currently undergoing a major crisis in terms of manpower.  What we are seeing is that medical specialists, not just doctors, even nurses, in fact, even more nurses are even leaving. Doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, physiotherapists, radiographers, and all manner of health professionals are leaving the country in droves.

“That is part of the problem we are facing. Replacement of these health workers is a major problem. This is because even though we are usually granted approvals to recruit, getting the waivers is a tortuous process.”

On incessant strike actions embarked on by doctors, he said: “A strike should be the very last option, but one of the things we have seen has been the fact that we see threats and threats and threats. And instead of, I would say, governments in the past sitting down to negotiate resolutions that are feasible, just because you want to end a strike, you have agreements that you cannot implement. And then after a certain period, six months or one year and you have not implemented it, people now go on strike. So we need to sit down together.”

The chairman of the ad hoc committee, Hon Yusuf Gagdi, urged the doctors to be patriotic by staying back to contribute to the development of the country, even if they have better options abroad.

He said the committee would work towards addressing the need to balance compliance to the spirit of federal character and filling up urgent vacancies in the health sector.

Gagdi said: “I admit there is a lack of advanced medical facilities in our health sector. This is a fact and we must as a government pay attention to that. Where we are confused is the aspect of lack of patriotism. You are produced by Nigerian institutions.

“We admit the brain drain and are trying to find solutions. We are happy to see you here. A lot of you have connections maybe based on the value of your intellect to be in the developed countries and provide services to them. But most of you find fashion in adding value to your own motherland and fatherland.

“What are you telling your co-professionals about patriotism, about giving back to the society that gave you the knowledge? We challenge you to throw to your own profession the issue of morality. You cannot disown your father no matter how poor he is for taking you this far to go and adopt somebody’s father. Nigeria is our country. Nigeria produced us as medical doctors, no matter the rot within our public sector in terms of remuneration. Let us work together and see how we can find solutions to that. But let us remain in Nigeria to serve our own country.

“We would review your submissions entirely. For these institutions that have pending recruitment cases, we would interface with them uniquely. For those of you who don’t have one, we will look into your issue. You have a very good defence for now having a balanced sheet in terms of federal character. Nigerians have listened to you. So whatever this committee at the end of the day recommends to the government it is going to be done and it is for our own good entirely.”

AUGUST 30, 2023

(Bloomberg) -- American Airlines Group Inc. flight attendants gave their union leaders approval to trigger a strike if the labor group is eventually allowed to end contract negotiations under federal labor law, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants said.

The so-called strike authorization was approved by more than 99% of flight attendants voting, the union told members as they picketed Wednesday at Dallas-Fort Worth and other airports across the carrier’s network. 

“APFA members today sent a strong message to the Company — we are unified and long overdue for a new contract. We are ready and willing to do what it takes.” Julie Hedrick, national president of APFA, said in a statement. “It was Labor that built this great country, and now it’s off the backs of labor that corporate greed makes its money.”

While the vote doesn’t mean flight attendants will strike immediately, it clears the way for a walkout if one is authorized by the National Mediation Board. A potential walkout could occur as early as November —  when holiday begins to pick up in the US — and only after a multiphase process outlined in the Railway Labor Act, which governs airline-union relations. 

“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made in negotiations with the APFA, and we look forward to reaching an agreement that provides our flight attendants with real and meaningful value,” American said in a statement. 

American Airline shares were little changed at 12:10 p.m. in New York. The stock has gained 16% year to date as passengers embraced travel once again after years of Covid restrictions. 

The vote and widespread picketing highlight a year of labor tension at US carriers that have been negotiating for post-pandemic contracts with unions for pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and other employees. Many of the workers haven’t had pay raises since at least 2019, and are leveraging the tight labor market to secure higher compensation and rules that provide better work-life balance. 

American’s flight attendants are seeking a 35% increase in hourly rates upon signing of a new contract, and a 6% jump annually during the proposed three-year term, Hedrick earlier said in an interview. Guaranteed base pay for American Airlines’ flight attendants — negotiated in 2014 under their last contract — is $27,300 a year before taxes, with opportunities to earn more, she said.  

Pilots at the carrier approved a new contract on Aug. 21 that provides 46% in pay raises over its four-year term and adds about $9.6 billion in incremental costs for the airline over its duration. It’s the most expensive labor contract ever for a US carrier.

Read more: American Air Pilots Approve Record Contract With Higher Pay

(Updates with comments from the union and American)

AUGUST 30, 2023

By Tope Omogbolagun

The Chairman of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Hospitals, Prof. Emem Bassey, on Wednesday, said other African countries are now poaching Nigerian medical doctors and other health professionals.

He also said that countries like Sierra Leone and Gambia were offering them up to $3000 to $4000 which was about three to four times in the country.

Bassey, who is the CMD of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, said the health sector is currently undergoing a major crisis in terms of manpower as health professionals are leaving in droves.

He also said doctors often went on strike because the government often failed to meet unrealizable promises.

Bassey said this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee to probe employment racketeering in Federal Government agencies alongside the heads of other health institutions in the country.

He said, “Some African countries are also beginning to poach from Nigeria. The West Coast is looking for our specialists. So many people are now going to places like Sierra Leone and Gambia and the wages they earn $3000 to $ 4000. It is about three to four times what they earn back home. So we are beginning to see that people are leaving for other African countries too.

“The health sector is currently undergoing a major crisis in terms of manpower.  What we are seeing is that medical specialists, not just doctors, even nurses, in fact, even more nurses are leaving. Doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, physiotherapists, radiographers, and all manner of health professionals are leaving the country in droves.

“That is part of the problem we are facing. Replacement of these health workers is a major problem. This is because even though we are usually granted approvals to recruit, getting the waivers is a tortuous process.”

He said due to the urgency of the need to replace various health professionals who leave, it is difficult to comply with federal character in recruitment.

He also noted that previous governments had reached ridiculous agreements because of their urgent need to end strike actions.

Bassey added, “A strike should be the very last option, but one of the things we have seen has been the fact that we see threats and threats and threats.  I would say, that governments in the past sitting had negotiated resolutions that are not feasible, just because they want to end a strike.

“ Now, they have agreements that they cannot implement. And then after a certain period, six months or one year and you have not implemented it, people now go on strike. So we need to sit down together and negotiate.”

The Chairman of the Ad hoc Committee, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, urged the doctors to be patriotic by staying back to contribute to the development of the country, even if they have better options abroad.

He said the committee would work towards addressing the need to balance compliance to the spirit of federal character and filling up urgent vacancies in the health sector.

Gagdi said, “I admit there is a lack of advanced medical facilities in our health sector. This is a fact and we must as governments pay attention to that. Where we are confused is the aspect of lack of patriotism.

“You ( Medical doctors)  are produced by Nigerian institutions. We admit the brain drain and are trying to find solutions. We are happy to see you here. A lot of you have connections maybe based on the value of your intellect to be in the developed countries and provide services to them. But most of you find fashion in adding value to your own motherland and fatherland.

“What are you telling your co-professionals about patriotism, about giving back to the society that gave you the knowledge? We challenge you to be true to your own profession and the issue of morality. You cannot disown your father no matter how poor he is for taking you this far to go and adopt somebody’s father. Nigeria is our country.

“Nigeria produced us as medical doctors, no matter the rot within our public sector in terms of remuneration. Let us work together and see how we can find solutions to that. But let us remain in Nigeria to serve our own country.”

Gadgi added, “We would review your submissions entirely. For these institutions that have pending recruitment cases, we would interface with them uniquely. For those of you who don’t have one, we will look into your issue.

“You have a very good defense for now having a balanced sheet in terms of federal character. Nigerians have listened to you. So whatever this committee at the end of the day recommends to the government it is going to be done and it is for our own good entirely.”`