Author: openjargon

• Qatar Airways' private jet subsidiary just took delivery of the first two Gulfstream G700s.
• The $81 million plane, which has a bedroom, can fly faster and further than its predecessor.
• Elon Musk was reported to have ordered one back in 2022.

Gulfstream's G650ER is popular with billionaires including customers like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Bill Gates.

But the long-awaited G700 is a step up, capable of going faster and further than its predecessor. Certification of the new jet had been delayed from its target of last December, primarily because the Federal Aviation Administration changed its internal processes.

While the G700 had previously been displayed at the Paris Air Show, I was among the first to tour one post-certification when it was displayed at a business aviation conference in Switzerland.

With a longer cabin and improved technology, it's unsurprising that someone as wealthy as Musk has placed an order for the G700, as reported by the Texas-based news site Austonia.

In May, I flew to Geneva to attend EBACE, Europe's largest business aviation conference.

Six days earlier, the first two Gulfstream G700s were officially received by Qatar Executive — the private jet subsidiary of Qatar Airways.

The G700 was finally certified by the Federal Aviation Administration in March, making it the world's newest private jet.

Qatar was evidently proud to show off the new jet. It was the only one on display at EBAXE that wasn't fenced off, and anyone could line up to see on board for a few minutes.

However, unlike previous years, Gulfstream itself was not exhibiting at EBACE.

Underneath the cockpit window is the enhanced flight vision system, a camera that helps pilots land in low-visibility conditions.

Powered by Rolls Royce's Pearl 700 engines, it can reach speeds of Mach 0.925 (709 mph) with a range of 8,630 miles — one of the farthest in the industry.

That gives the G700 both a faster speed and a further distance than its predecessor.

Boarding the jet, you first see the galley with an oven, microwave, and plenty of counter space.

Opposite this was a seat for the cabin crew, with a sliding door for privacy.

Qatar's touches to the fully customizable interior were evident, especially with the elaborate carpet. The cabin is a spacious 6 feet 5 inches tall.

The G700's cabin can be pressurized to 2,916 feet, the lowest altitude of any business jet — easing the effects of fatigue and jet lag.

Past the front seating area was an entertainment space with a sofa and a TV that pops up from the sideboard.

There's another screen at the back of the cabin, where four people can sit round a table.

This G700 can seat up to 13 people. Plus, the divan and chairs can turned into beds giving space for eight people to sleep on board.

Qatar Executive describes the cabin as "whisper-quiet." That's helped by the flush design of the overwing emergency exit.

The cabin air is replaced every two to three minutes, and Qatar Executive says the ionizing system provides "the highest air quality possible today in a business jet."

I sat in one of the leather seats, which have adjustable headrests and a pop-up legrest. Of course, it was incredibly comfortable and worlds away from my easyJet flight that morning.

From the seat, I could experience Gulfstream's signature "panoramic windows." It's hard to sum up just how expansive the circular shape makes the view, compared to a usual plane window.

The lights and window shades can be controlled by buttons next to each seat.

And there are charging ports set into the wall at an angle for improved convenience.

The main comfort is the bedroom in the aft living space.

It had plenty of stowage space on the side and another TV at the foot of the bed.

I don't think there would be many morning views much cooler than rolling over to see the skies out of the huge window.

There's more stowage space, a lamp, and a drink holder tucked behind the pillows.

I thought the bathroom layout was a bit quirky with the mirror perpendicular to the sink.

But that allows for a larger mirror and space for a door which provides easy access to the hold in flight.

• I'm a journalist and consultant, and my partner is a carpenter.
• He changed my perspective on work and taught me my career isn't my identity.
• Watching his cycle of layoffs made it bearable when I lost my job.

I met Tom at a bonfire hosted by a friend of mine. That night, he sent me a message, and the conversation hasn't ended nearly four years later. We became an item when I separated from my now-deceased ex-husband.

When Tom said he was a carpenter, I thought of artisan furniture in quaint New England shops. The reality was that he worked in concrete and did hard, manual labor that ruined his knees and led to arthritis in his mid-40s.

I had just started my writing career when Tom and I met

My family likes to say we're a union family — my great-grandmother Maida was a dressmaker whose organizing career took her to Africa, England, and Turkey to advocate for labor rights. Now, we are rather white-collar. My granddad — Maida's son — was an attorney and my grandmother led a foundation. I went to private schools and toured the country performing slam poetry with my mother.

I spent my 20s hopping around the country before having kids in my 30s. This delayed my career. In my mid-30s, I began writing and returned to school. My writing career had just begun when Tom and I became acquainted.

We worked in entirely different industries

The first time he told me he'd been laid off, I told him I was sorry. He wasn't. He told me all jobs in the trades end eventually, and layoff is an inevitable part of the process. This was new to me — most jobs, I've worked a few years until I quit.

As I finished undergrad, became a serious journalist, and began my master's degree, the only thing changing in his world was the addition of me and my children. His work remained the same. A job. A layoff. Another job.

I was doing all new things: teaching public speaking to college freshmen, interviewing authors, learning about artificial intelligence for my thesis.

Before my last semester of graduate school, I accepted a senior leadership job at a nonprofit. When my position was eliminated due to a funding cut six months after I started, watching his cycle of layoffs made mine bearable.

He often says, "I came here looking for a job, and I'll leave here looking for a job." I tried to keep that attitude and stay optimistic. I put my head down and pitched editors and I made enough money that I was kicked off unemployment before my second check.

That summer, I took a part-time consulting job and focused on my journalism career. I wrote my first cover story, and developed ongoing relationships with editors that have kept the money consistent.

We've learned from each other

As my career blooms, Tom's is winding down. He is set to retire with a full pension by 50 and he would like to do something else — perhaps continue his education or open a deli — when he is done.

Construction is slow and he has been off for six months. But he takes good care of our home and loves my children like his own. He would like to find another job doing furniture assembly, which is easier on the body than concrete — but the offices he put together last year are empty because none of us "office folk" want to return in person.

He's taught me that my career is not my identity. Jobs are just jobs, and I put most of my energy into my writing. He says that I've taught him to look forward to retirement and a chance to do work that is more meaningful — and possibly even slightly enjoyable.

We've made each other more entrepreneurial. And I know I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else.

• Cracker Barrel is trying to regain relevancy with diners, its CEO said earlier this year.
• One restaurant hostess said that her Cracker Barrel location struggles with worker turnover.
• She also described how management aims to upsell customers on drinks and take-home meals.

At a Cracker Barrel in the Midwest, busloads of diners pull in from the interstate most Saturday nights and swarm the entrance.

"You're at the hostess desk, someone comes up, and I say 'Hey, welcome to Cracker Barrel. How many will be dining with us today?' and they'll say 'It's 48.'" The hostess asked not to be named, citing potential retaliation at work. Business Insider verified her identity and employment.

The hostess said these big groups, which can include seniors heading home from a casino or high school sports teams on their way to a tournament, can quickly overwhelm the restaurant's waitstaff. She said frequent employee turnover can mean many waiters have been on the job for just a few weeks and have only just grasped the menu and workflow.

"It's just absolute hell," the hostess, who has worked at the restaurant for about 18 months, said of the Saturday evening rush. Another Cracker Barrel employee, a server in Pennsylvania, also described high turnover at their store.

Cracker Barrel CFO Craig Pommells said during an earnings call in November that the chain has increased its investment in worker pay in hopes of reducing employee turnover.

To be sure, most restaurants face high turnover rates. The restaurant industry's turnover rate last year was 74% — the highest of any industry in the US, according to Toast, a restaurant software company.

Cracker Barrel is upselling customers with packaged food

The hostess said her Cracker Barrel location is increasingly trying to get customers to buy more food and drinks through various upselling strategies.

She said her managers recently instructed her to approach diners with a tray of entreés packaged to go and ask them if they'd like to buy one. The entrées, which cost $5 each, are one way that Cracker Barrel executives say they're trying to increase how much patrons spend during a visit.

"You're supposed to come up with scenarios," she said, referencing instructions from management. "'You have a kid at home, give him some meatloaf.'"

She said some customers have balked at this selling strategy, with one telling her, "It seems like Cracker Barrel is trying to squeeze every dollar out of its patrons."

A Cracker Barrel spokesperson told BI that patrons have "responded positively" to the $5 take-home entrées since the chain introduced them early last year.

"As a company, Cracker Barrel communicates menu updates and innovations to guests in a variety of ways including in-store through our servers and hosts and through signage throughout the restaurant and digitally though email, social media and through the Cracker Barrel app and Cracker Barrel Rewards," the spokesperson said.

Upselling is hardly unique to Cracker Barrel, however, as anyone who has dined out would know.

It's a common strategy used in restaurants, stores, and online to inflate ticket totals and earn more profit on every customer.

And Cracker Barrel could really use a boost in customer spending.

Cracker Barrel said in May that quarterly revenue declined 1.9% to $817.1 million year-over-year. Same-store sales dropped 1.5%, and same-store retail sales fell 3.8% in the same period.

Do you work at Cracker Barrel or another major restaurant and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com

• Netflix's Ted Sarandos says streaming has made the world a "smaller and safer place."
• He says platforms like Netflix expose viewers to other cultures, making them more empathetic.
• He added that more authentic stories are likely to resonate with global audiences.

According to Ted Sarandos, co-chief executive of Netflix, his company is making the world a better place.

Streaming is "not only great for culture, in a strange way, I think it's been great to make the world a safer place," Sarandos said on the the tech podcast Hard Fork.

Sarandos, who stepped into his role in 2020, now leads Netflix with co-chief executive Greg Peters. During his tenure, the company has raked in massive profits from the global streaming explosion. It brought in $9.37 billion in revenue in the first quarter of 2024 and added some 9.3 million new subscribers worldwide.

Sarandos said that by exposing viewers to stories from other cultures, we've collectively become more empathetic of one another. He said the 2011 Oscar winner, The Separation, is a good example.

The film is about a middle-class Iranian couple forced to separate for the prospect of a better life. It makes you realize "how much we have in common with each other around the world," he said. "Storytelling makes the world a smaller, safer place."

He believes that Netflix algorithms have helped create a melting pot of streaming content.

The new series, Baby Reindeer, now among the top shows on Netflix, originally took off with viewers in the UK before Netflix's algorithms started presenting it to viewers worldwide. "When something gets that big in one country, it's likely there's a lot of audience for it outside that country," Sarandos said.

The series follows the story of a struggling comedian who contends with a female stalker. Sarandos said he believes global viewers have picked up on its authenticity. "It's a really incredible human story," he said.

• 43-year-old Mark Boardman thought he was too old to work at Google when he landed a $320,000 offer.
• Prior to accepting it, Boardman worked at BCG and had taken Google on as a client.
• These are his tips for breaking into Big Tech at an older age.

This story is based on a conversation with Mark Boardman. Business Insider has verified his employment and salary.

43-year-old Mark Boardman had just about given up on his dream of working at Google.

About a decade ago, Boardman applied to Google and was in the interview process when the recruiter left, and he lost his opportunity. That was the last time he applied.

But a few months ago, Boardman was working at Boston Consulting Group and had taken the tech giant on as a client. Shortly after he started working with them, they approached him with an open role at Google Cloud on its sales team — and ended up offering him a £256,000 compensation package, or over $320,000.

Boardman said the high salary and benefits were irresistible, and it was the best career move he'd ever made. But he was also surprised by the offer, as he thought he was too old to be taken on by a company like Google.

Big Tech companies often hire younger demographics; one reason for that, Boardman suggests, is that it's harder to mold a candidate to a company once they have about 20 years of work experience under their belt. Statistically, he's right.

The US Bureau of Labour shows a decrease in employed workers in tech roles after they reach the 45-year mark. While ageism is hard to prove, several older workers have spoken out about struggling to find a job. One laid-off tech worker was recently told that he was too old for a job in the field after three decades of experience.

But it's still possible to get a Big Tech job at a later stage, as Boardman proves. Companies are looking to diversify their employee pool, and Boardman says bringing in candidates from different age groups is a part of that.

These are his tips to break into the tech field at a later age.

Make sure you're knowledgeable about the company

Since Boardman had Google as a client, he was in a unique position where he already knew about the products and how the team functioned. After landing an interview, he didn't have to fake what he knew or learn everything for the first time.

He also knew the people on the team, which made it easier for him to understand what they were looking for. Boardman suggests networking throughout your career and attending professional events to make connections and get to know the people at companies you're applying to.

Don't be afraid to speak up

As an older candidate, Boardman leveraged his experience in the field to give honest answers and authentic feedback to Google.

Boardman compared Google to a high-profile celebrity — when people meet them face-to-face, they "only hear good stuff." While interviewees often lead with flattery, Boardman said he wasn't afraid to speak the good and the bad. Boardman found when he was able to ask tough questions and lead with honesty, clients would open up to him and it would help break a barrier.

Find what makes you happy

Boardman said at a company like Google, you can't apply more than once a year. When he went through the interview process about a decade ago, he said the job was a perfect fit. After that opportunity passed, Boardman said he didn't come across a role he felt was the right match for him.

"You can't force it," Boardman said. "We always get stressed and think things aren't going how we want it to go and compare ourselves."

Boardman said that's the wrong approach. Rather than pigeonhole himself into one company, he found success at BCG, rose through the ranks, and eventually ended up at his dream job. He suggests finding what you're good at and working with like-minded people.

Don't get complacent

Boardman didn't stumble into a job at Google — he's been working for this moment his whole career. As someone who's been in the job market for over 20 years, Boardman could have easily gotten comfortable. But he said he's remained extremely career-oriented.

That doesn't come without sacrifice. Boardman said he "literally works seven days a week," whether for his employer or on his own projects. That's taken time from his personal life. At one point, he said he rented an apartment in London, away from his wife and kids, to be closer to the office he was working at.

"If the door doesn't open, build your own door," Boardman said.

• When my kids were young, I sent them to an inexpensive summer day camp in France.
• They weren't happy about going, but it was better than boredom.
• They ended up having fun, learning some French, and making friends.

When my children were growing up, we lived between New York City and Italy. Switching schools and languages wasn't always easy, but they managed to bounce between two worlds.

One summer, a friend who lived in a small village in Provence, France, was looking for a place to stay in New York City. We decided to do a house swap.

I thought it would be a great opportunity for my 13-year-old son, Alec, and 11-year-old daughter, Madeleine, to learn French. I found a sleepaway camp at an international school not far from our temporary home, where the kids would study French each morning and do typical camp activities each afternoon. I chose the Monday-Friday option, so we'd spend weekends all together. With the kids in camp during the week, my husband and I would have adult-only time to sip rosé at wineries and bike to village markets. It sounded like the perfect balance.

As soon as I told the kids about the French camp, my son started complaining, calling the French language stupid and saying that speaking English and Italian was enough for him. He got his sister involved in the moaning, too. I stayed strong, telling them what a privilege, not to mention expense, attending a camp like this was.

Finally, after weeks of crying and complaining, I could no longer bear the thought of spending so much money on kids who were so upset and ungrateful. I told them, "I'm canceling camp. You guys will be with me all day in a tiny house in a tiny town in Provence".

A local summer day camp sounded better than boredom

Off to Provence, we went. The house was perched on a hill with an incredible view of the Luberon Valley. I would have been content to read on the shady terrace all day, but Alec and Madeleine's idea of summer fun couldn't have been more opposite. They were instantly bored and miserable. They knew no one, couldn't understand a word of French TV, and claimed there was nothing to do.

As we walked to the boulangerie on our first full day, I saw a flyer for a day camp run by the town, costing only $10 per day. At least from a financial point of view, the stakes were low. I signed the kids up. This time, I didn't care how loudly they complained. And complain they did, but even they admitted that the daily program sounded fun, with a treetop climbing expedition one day and a beach excursion to Marseille another. They voiced concern about not being able to communicate with the other kids, but they grudgingly agreed that it sounded better than being bored.

When I picked them up after the first day, I could see from their body language that they were pretty happy. Not wanting to give me too much satisfaction, they reluctantly admitted that camp had been OK. Most of the French kids spoke at least some English. The counselors smoked cigarettes, and the oldest teen campers were allowed to smoke, too. My kids thought this was very cool.

They made friends and learned French

I knew they were making friends because when we strolled around town in the evening or splashed at the town pool on weekends, my kids seemed to know everyone under the age of 15. A few weeks into camp, Alec asked if he could invite his camp friends over for a dance party. In a scene straight out of Footloose, he taught them his favorite NYC moves.

After four weeks, our house swap ended. The kids had learned a few dozen French phrases and had a window into French culture that such an immersive experience offers.

I recently asked my now young adult children about our time in France. They said the experience helped them overcome fears and feel comfortable in diverse settings. Thanks to social media, they've even stayed in touch with several of their summer camp friends.

Though they weren't too pleased about attending camp at the time, their positive memories make me glad that we all persevered.

• Gazans are becoming increasingly critical of Hamas as Israel's military campaign rages on.
• Israel has launched air strikes and a ground offensive on Gaza following Hamas' October 7 attacks.
• More than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to Gaza's health ministry.

Gazans are growing increasingly critical of Hamas as Israel's deadly military campaign in the Gaza Strip continues.

Public criticism of Hamas — which took full control of Gaza in 2007 after ousting its rival political party, Fatah — had been relatively rare before the Gaza war.

Many Gazans also cheered the events of October 7 at the time, with people taking to the streets to celebrate what they saw as their occupier's humiliation.

But while those attacks on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people, increased Hamas' popularity in both Gaza and the West Bank, the majority of residents in both territories do not support the group, according to findings from a poll carried out by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research.

Israel responded to the October 7 attacks with a relentless barrage of air strikes and a ground invasion of Gaza.

With the death toll from the attacks now standing at more than 38,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, and many Gazans living in dire conditions, public dissent appears to be growing.

Daily affairs in the Gaza Strip are largely overseen by Yahya Sinwar, a former head of Hamas' military wing who has previously spent more than two decades incarcerated in Israel.

In a March survey by the West Bank-based Institute for Social and Economic Progress that focused on Gazans' feelings on Hamas' leadership, almost 77% of respondents said they opposed Sinwar.

"I pray every day for God to punish the one who brought us to this situation," Gaza resident Mohammed told the Financial Times in April. "I pray every day for the death of Sinwar."

Gazan residents also told the BBC that cursing Hamas' leaders had become common in the markets.

In one video seen by the BBC that was filmed outside a hospital filled with wounded Palestinians, a Gazan man covered in blood shouts: "I am an academic doctor. I had a good life, but we have a filthy [Hamas] leadership. They got used to our bloodshed, may God curse them! They are scum!"

"I'm one of you," he added, "but you are a cowardly people. We could have avoided this attack!"

"They should have predicted Israel's response and thought of what would happen to the 2.3mn Gazans who have nowhere safe to go," Gaza resident Nassim told the FT.

"They [Hamas] should have restricted themselves to military targets," he added.

• North Korea deepened its defense ties with Russia through a new security pact last month.
• The Pentagon said it would "keep an eye" on North Korea potentially sending forces to Russia.
• If troops were sent it would be due to their numbers, not their effectiveness, experts told BI.

Speculation has been growing that North Korea could send troops to Ukraine.

Last month, Russia and North Korea signed a pact agreeing to give each other military assistance if the other is attacked.

As part of the pact, South Korea's TV Chosun reported, citing an unnamed South Korean government official, North Korea plans to send construction and engineering forces to occupied Ukraine later this month for rebuilding efforts.

No official confirmation has been made so far, but speculation heightened during a Pentagon press briefing late last month when a journalist said that North Korea's Central Military Commission had announced that North Korea would join forces with the Russian military.

(The Institute for the Study of War questioned the reporter's claim, saying that it had found no such statement made by North Korea.)

In response, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder described North Korea potentially sending military forces to Russia as "certainly something to keep an eye on."

As of now, the prospect of North Korean soldiers being deployed to Ukraine is speculative and unlikely, experts told Business Insider.

But if it did happen, the main advantage Russia would take from it would be North Korea's sheer number of soldiers — not their effectiveness, they said.

"North Korea has a large military of 1.3 million," Edward Howell, Korea Foundation Fellow with Chatham House's Asia-Pacific Programme, told BI.

"Yet, the quality of North Korean conventional weapons, arms, and the soldiers themselves is far weaker," he said.

John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said that even if the reports were true, he doubted the deployment of North Korean troops would have a "significant" impact on the battlefield in Ukraine.

One of the largest militaries but not the most effective

North Korea has the world's fourth-largest army, with estimates putting its troop numbers at about 1.2 million personnel.

But while it is "well trained" and "highly motivated," the Korean People's Army has not had any real-world combat experience in decades, said Evans Revere, senior advisor with the global advisory firm Albright Stonebridge Group.

The last time they really fought was during the Korean War, where fighting ended in 1953.

Revere, who served as the acting assistant secretary for East Asia and Pacific affairs during the George W. Bush administration, said this raised questions about how its troops would perform in combat against the "agile, determined, experienced, and tough Ukrainian military."

The Korean army's military exercises focus on fighting two adversaries, the US and South Korea, he said, adding that its weapons include "a lot of what the US military calls 'legacy systems,' particularly their aircraft, tanks, and artillery."

"This could be a problem on the battlefields of Ukraine," he said.

While North Korea is estimated to have 50 nuclear warheads as of January 2024, its stockpile of weapons is seen as outdated and unreliable, experts said.

This means it would take a while for North Korean soldiers to adjust to newer weaponry, Bruce Bennett, a defense researcher at RAND, told BI.

This would likely prompt Kim Jong Un, the country's leader, to only send "politically reliable" troops to support Russia, he said.

"What is uncertain is whether the Russians would provide the North Koreans with needed advanced weaponry — better tanks and artillery, communications and electronic warfare," Bennett said, adding that Kim would likely insist on that.

Wallace Gregson, a former US Marine Corps officer and former assistant defense secretary for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, said that North Korean troops' effectiveness would also depend on how they are supported with food, fuel, and medical care, and their command relationships with the Russians.

"Given what we know about nutrition in North Korea, even in the army, they might have issues," he told BI.

Howell from Chatham House was more blunt.

"If North Korea were to send troops to aid Russia's war, then they would merely be there due to their sheer numbers and not their military effectiveness," he said.

Deployment should not be completely ruled out

According to Benjamin Young, assistant professor of homeland security and emergency preparedness at Virginia Commonwealth University, Kim would not send troops "thousands of miles to Europe in order to die meaningless deaths on the front lines for a different country."

Young, the author of "Guns, Guerillas, & the Great Leader: North Korea and the Third World," said that, if they were sent, "the North Korean troops will most likely play an auxiliary role in terms of building fortifications and structures."

"They may also help repair tanks, weapons systems, and other armaments," he added.

Hardie, from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said we should "wait and see" if the report is true and an actual deployment takes place.

But if it does, he added that North Korean soldiers may "simply" be helping rebuild a destroyed city like Mariupol.

Other experts, however, had a different view.

Bennett, from RAND, said he thinks it is "fairly likely" that North Korea will send troops to Ukraine, without elaborating further.

Howell, meanwhile, said we should not rule out the possibility of some transfer of individuals — whether troops or support personnel — given the recent increase in defense ties between Russia and North Korea.

But we "must remember that, at present, these rumors are merely speculative," he added.

• Dennis Dabney, 57, supercommutes from Texas to Arizona nearly every week.
• He said it was the best thing he could've done for career advancement.
• But it can take a financial toll, and it's difficult to be away from family.

Dennis Dabney, 57, is no stranger to travel.

After serving in the Air Force for 26 years, Dabney started working for his current employer in 2016 in Virginia. As a military family, his wife and two children were used to moving, so when his company asked him three years later to relocate to Fort Worth, Texas, that's what they did.

Then 2022 rolled around, and Dabney was offered a promotion within his company to be a program director — in Phoenix. Dabney was excited about the opportunity, and he viewed it as the perfect chance to advance his career and boost his income.

However, his wife and two teenage kids had set down roots in Fort Worth and did not want to move again, and the same applied to his 88-year-old mother, who lived with his family.

So Dabney made the decision with his family to purchase an apartment in Phoenix, live there during the workweek, and commute back to Fort Worth on the weekends.

"I couldn't do this without the support of my family and my wife. And that has been crucial to decisions that I've made over the years about where to go and where to work," Dabney told Business Insider.

"You have to continue to have open communication with your family unit because things change, attitudes change, and you just have to figure out when things are getting out of hand or when things are going smoothly," he said.

Every other Friday, Dabney gets the day off from work, and that's typically when he'll choose to book a two-and-a-half-hour flight back home using a budget airline like Spirit or Frontier. His family will also sometimes visit him while he's in Phoenix. While he said his company helped him with relocating costs, he estimated the supercommute costs him around an extra $20,000 each year.

Supercommuting has grown increasingly popular over the past few years, with more Americans taking advantage of hybrid work environments to opt for the longer commute to work to boost their earnings. The 2019 American Community Survey data from the US Census Bureau found that, as of 2021, 3.1 million Americans fell into the supercommute category, or a journey to work that takes 90 minutes or longer.

Dabney loves his job, and while it can be difficult to be separated from his family, he's grateful they allowed him to pursue this opportunity. But he recognizes it's not a possibility for everyone.

"It's just my mindset, my background, and how to leverage all of that and learn how to create the quality of life that I want," Dabney said. "And it's just been a growing and development phase for me in figuring out what I want and what the art of the possible is."

'The whole experience has been very gratifying'

This wasn't Dabney's first experience with a supercommute. Prior to his new role in Phoenix, he was driving five hours to Louisiana every week for a different position in his company, and he made sure to come home every weekend to see his family and support his kids at their various sports tournaments.

"It was a nonstarter ripping my kids out of high school to go to Louisiana and then eventually Phoenix," Dabney said. "We moved quite a bit, but after we got to Texas, I got a clear signal from my family that they didn't want to move anymore."

If his kids were younger, Dabney said, being a supercommuter would not have been possible for him. Doing so at this stage in his life allowed him to become an executive, earn more money to support his family, and find a job that gave him a sense of purpose — helping him feel confident in his decision to work over a thousand miles away from home.

"The whole experience has been very gratifying," he said. "Having the experience to live in another part of the country that I probably wouldn't have lived in before has also been good."

Of course, the long commute has cons. Airfare and a second home are expensive, Dabney said, and he recommended that those considering a supercommute be transparent with their company about negotiating a compensation package that could help cover some of those costs.

He also said that, given his military background, he is used to traveling, but those who might not do so as frequently should consider whether they can manage hours each week in a car or on a plane.

As BI previously reported, the share of commutes of at least 75 miles increased 32% post-pandemic, according to data from Stanford economists Nick Bloom and Alex Finan, with hybrid work expanding work and living options for workers.

It's a signal that more people might start considering the lifestyle Dabney has taken on — and while he said he has "no regrets," he cautions those who do take on a long commute to have full clarity on its implications.

"I think the way the company looks at it, you are making a choice not to relocate your family to wherever the job site is, and you are deciding on your own to do the supercommuting away from your family," Dabney said. "It took me a while to realize that they don't really owe you anything else."

Are you, or were you, a supercommuter? Are you considering a supercommute? Share your story with this reporter at asheffey@businessinsider.com.

• Pomona is launching a basic income pilot for families with children under 4 years old.
• Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, the pilot offers $500 monthly to 250 eligible families.
• New parents can spend the no-strings cash on housing, groceries, and childcare.

Babies are expensive: Formula, diapers, clothes, toys, frequent pediatrician check-ups, and a crib can cost new parents thousands of dollars — and that doesn't include childcare or household bills.

That's why city officials in Pomona, California — a city in LA county — are planning to offer guaranteed basic income to new parents. Beginning in August, 250 families with children under 4 years old will receive $500 a month for 18 months.

The basic income pilot — called Pomona Household Universal Grants Pilot Program — is run through the city and FORWARD, an organization that helps governments administer resources to their communities. Funding will largely come through President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan Act.

Pomona's program mirrors over 100 basic income pilots across America. As an approach to poverty reduction, cities and counties have given low-income residents between $100 and $2,000 a month for a set time period. Participants can spend the money as they choose, with no strings attached. Like Pomona, a growing number of cities are choosing to direct the cash to financially-vulnerable families.

Along with having a baby or toddler, eligible families must meet at least one of the following criteria: have experienced a negative financial impact from the pandemic, live in a high rent-burdened area, be enrolled in federal safety nets like SNAP or Section 8 housing, or have an income at or below the median area income, which is $81,150 for a family of three. People who fit the income criteria and are currently pregnant can also be eligible.

The 250 families will be randomly selected from 600 eligible applicants, and the remaining 350 applicants will be placed in a control group so researchers can study the effects of the program. Throughout the 18 months, both groups will share their experience with researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Mayor of Pomona, Tim Sandoval, told Business Insider in a statement that basic income allows the city to "extend a lifeline" to families during crucial developmental years.

"It provides parents with the stability and resources they need to create nurturing environments for their children, setting the stage for lifelong success and well-being," Sandoval said.

Pomona's GBI pilot joins others aimed at new parents

Pomona joins cities like Baltimore and St. Louis, which have directed basic income to young families. BI has heard from parents across the US who have received GBI, and some used the money to pay bills and secure stable housing, while others were able to afford groceries and childcare.

For example, low-income mothers of color based in Marin County, California received $1,000 a month between 2021 and 2023, and a 2024 extension of the program gave some families an additional $7,500. Participants reported using the money to pay rent, buy food, build savings, and pay off debt. During the pilot's run, the number of families with housing stability rose by 15%, and participants reported an 8% decline in homelessness.

Elsewhere in the US, Flint, Michigan's pilot called RxKids is currently offering basic income to all mothers with a baby born in 2024. New mothers receive a $1,500 lump sum and $500 a month during the first year of their baby's life.

These programs are in addition to other federal safety net programs geared toward families, like the Child Tax Credit, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Women, Children and Infants (WIC) that provide aid to parents with young children.

Luke Shaefer, a co-director for RxKids and public policy professor at the University of Michigan, told BI that a family's household income often drops to its lowest point during a person's pregnancy or when their child is an infant, due to lost work hours.

"Combine that with the fact that a new child comes with all these added expenses: you're in a perfect storm of income dropping and expenses rising," Shaefer said.

He added that no-strings basic income can help families fill this earnings gap, and parents have the flexibility to spend the money "where it will help their kids the best."

Still, GBI research reflects short-term results. Some participants experience more housing and food security while receiving money, but it's not clear if families remain financially stable after the pilots end. Basic income continues to face political and legal opposition across the US, and not all policymakers agree that cash payments are a sustainable approach to poverty.

As Pomona looks toward its first GBI payments this summer, Sandoval is hopeful the money will support the city's "youngest residents," he said.

"It allows us to invest in the future of our community as a whole," he said.

Have you benefited from a guaranteed basic income program? Are you open to sharing how you spent the money? If so, reach out to this reporter at allisonkelly@businessinsider.com.