The most expensive building ever

The 50-storey General Motors Building in New York City was sold on Saturday for the record-setting $2.9 billion – the most ever paid for a skyscraper in the United States.

The sale of the office tower represents the loss of the crown jewel of the troubled Macklowe real estate empire, which acquired the building in 2003 for $1.4 billion.

The buyer is a group led by Mortimer B. Zuckerman, chief executive of Boston Properties, and his partners, Goldman Sachs and investment funds from Qatar and Kuwait.

The white marble G.M. Building is located on Fifth Avenue at 59th Street overlooking Central Park and is one of the famous tourist attractions in Manhattan.

The previous record deal for an American office tower was $1.4 billion set in 2006 for a 41-story building on 5th Avenue.

Top 7 US short city break destinations

Las Vegas, Nevada
The fun never ends in Las Vegas. The city is today the largest playground for grown-ups and one of the top tourist destinations in the U.S. To start with, take a stroll along the Strip and see some of the world's most famous hotels & casinos. Visit The Venetian and take a gondola ride through the streets of Venice. Enjoy lunch in a 50-storey replica of the Eiffel Tower. Make sure to see the fountains at Bellagio, where water dances and shoots high into the sky. Enjoy the art at the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum or take in a show at Cirque du Soleil. If shopping is your thing, head to the Fashion Show Mall with its 7 anchor stores and 250 retail stores and restaurants.

Orlando, Florida
Orlando has developed a cool reputation over the years as the ultimate family destination. Famous for its amusement parks, Orlando welcomes millions of visitors each year. Just south of the city lies Disney World, the world's largest theme park; plus Universal Resort, themed to the Hollywood super-productions; and SeaWorld Orlando with its aquarium and dolphin shows alongside a water park. There's modern art at the Orlando Museum of Art and interactive exhibits at the Orlando Science Center. For shopping, try the immense Florida Mall.

New York City
Each year the "Big Apple" welcomes over 35 million visitors, drawn by its legendary skyscrapers, renowned museums, and incredible shopping. Must-sees in this 12-million metropolis include Times Square, Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, and the famous Statue of Liberty. Get some fresh air at Central Park. See art and waxwork at the Metropolitan & Madame Tussauds or catch a show on Broadway. Then immerse yourself in the city's vibrant nightlife with its first class restaurants, nightclubs and entertainment of all kinds, plus thousands of stores and boutiques that make New York a shopping wonderland.

Los Angeles, California
LA and its immediate vicinity are internationally recognized as the "entertainment capital of the world." Important landmarks include the Los Angeles City Hall, El Pueblo State Historic Park, Farmers Market, Chinatown and Little Tokyo. Stroll along Hollywood Boulevard to see the famous sidewalks decorated with stars of celebrities. Take a glimpse at active backlots and enjoy stunt demonstrations and high-tech rides at the Universal Studios theme park. Disney Land, the original family-oriented fantasy park is located in nearby Anaheim. The most beautiful beaches of Los Angeles can be found in Malibu.

San Francisco, California
The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the US, renowned for its steep rolling hills and eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture. Famous landmarks include the legendary Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, the cable cars, and Chinatown. Stroll across the Golden Gate Park, including the California Academy of Sciences, the Asian Art Museum and the Japanese Tea Garden. With top-brand retailers, restaurants, and personal services, Embarcadero Center offers the very best in San Francisco shopping, dining and entertainment.

Washington D.C.
The capital of the USA has the architectural beauty of a well-planned city filled with magnificent monuments, governmental buildings and parks. Its main points of interest are situated in the National Mall - between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol. The city has some of the finest museums in the country, including the vast complex of Smithsonian Institution museums - most of them absolutely free to the visitor. There's a collection of masterpieces at the National Gallery of Art, Auguste Rodin's sculptures at the Hirshhorn Museum, and exotic animals at the National Zoo.

Seattle, Washington
Famous as the home of the grunge music, today the city is one of the most visited tourist destinations on the West Coast. A good place to start with is the Space Needle - Seattle's most recognizable landmark. Buy some sea food at the Pike Place Market and have some coffee at the world's first Starbucks store. Enjoy concert at the Benaroya Hall, or watch a performance at the Seattle Opera. For shopping, try the four-storey Westlake Center. Fishing, rafting and mountain climbing are all within a short drive from downtown.

If short break travel is your thing, visit Flihgtandroom and book domestic flights and hotels to U.S. most popular cities.

Virgin America expands to San Diego

Virgin America commenced service to San Diego, CA from its base of San Francisco International Airport on February 12. It is the sixth destination for the low-fare carrier, which aims to serve as many as ten major U.S. cities within its first year of operation.

Virgin America will initially operate three flights a day on the San Diego route, expanding to five daily flights on March 9. Introductory fares start at $39 one way in the Main Cabin and $149 one way in First Class.

Started in August 2007, Richard Branson’s U.S. airline flies to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., and New York City. Virgin America said it will launch service to Seattle March 18.

British Airways to launch US carrier

British flag carrier British Airways (BA) announced plans to create subsidiary airline to operate direct services between the US and mainland Europe. The new airline, called ‘OpenSkies’, will fly daily between New York and either Brussels or Paris from June, subject to regulatory approval.

A Boeing 757 will be used to service the first of these European routes, and a second will be added later in the year to operate the other. BA plans to allocate six Boeing 757 aircraft to the new operation by the end of 2009, and says it will consider routes to other major European cities such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Madrid and Milan.

The new airline will be a full-service carrier and will offer business class, premium economy and economy cabins. The routes that ‘OpenSkies’ intends to fly is only possible because of the recent Open Skies Agreement between the EU and the United States which permits any US or European airline to operate services to and from any European or American location. Until now, British Airways has only been allowed to fly to the US directly from the UK.

Top 10 air passenger trends and issues for 2008

Airline mergers and more low-fare regional jets, predicts the Air Travelers Association in its assessment of the top ten airline passenger trends and issues for the new year. Here’s the list:

1. The battle with the government over delayed flights versus high fares will continue.

2. The airline system will continue to operate at or near capacity.

3. The start of the next generation air traffic control system (NextGen) will continue to be delayed.

4. There will be more reports of near collisions in the air and on the ground.

5. The battle over the “Passengers’ bill of rights” versus passengers’ rights to get to their destination will continue.

6. Watch for domestic airlines to merge or accept foreign carrier investments.

7. Expect more low fare regional jets in the near future.

8. There will be continued service problems with airlines with labor disputes.

9. The competition between the super-jumbo Airbus A380 versus super-nonstop Boeing 787 will begin in 2009.

10. The battle between residents on the ground over noise and airline passengers in the air will continue.

The Air Travelers Association, founded in 1997, advocates for airline passengers on airline safety, security, savings, and service.

JetBlue to launch Charlotte-Ft Lauderdale flights

JetBlue Airways announced starting of seasonal nonstop flights between Charlotte Douglas International and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The once-a-day return service will begin January 10 and end April 30, 2008. Raleigh and Richmond, VA, also will get seasonal nonstop flights to Fort Lauderdale. The low-cost airline will offer promotional rates starting at $69 one way, for tickets purchased by the end of August.

New York-based JetBlue Airways currently operates more than 700 daily services, including mainly internal low cost flights in the United States, as well as flights to the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Bermuda, and Mexico.

Largest indoor ski resort planned near Atlanta

An Atlanta developer announced plans to build the longest and highest indoor ski dome in the world. The $1 billion Mount Pegasus project would cover 400 acres southeast of the intersection of Georgia 400 and Ga. 53 in Dawsonville. The ski park would have two indoor hockey rinks, five ski runs of varying difficulties, a half-pipe for snowboarding, a snowmobile track, four hotels, 30 restaurants and 800,000 sq. ft. of residential and retail space.

The first indoor ski facility in the United States, a $1.3 billion project called Meadowlands Xanadu, is due to open in 2008 off the New Jersey Turnpike, a few miles from Manhattan.

Virgin America reinvents US air travel

After federal regulators approved the company's revised plan to operate US-based commercial flights, finally Virgin America started operations on August 8. Richard Branson's new airline took to the skies for the first time with inaugural flights from New York's John F. Kennedy and Los Angeles International Airport to its US main base in San Francisco.

Virgin, which has a long reputation for reinventing stagnant market niches, is looking to do the same for its new domestic service in the US. Where others see disaster, Richard Branson sees opportunity. The founder of Virgin Group says their “secret” is quite simple: they look at an industry that is doing everything the same way, identify the weak points for customers, and focus their business on doing those services differently. For Virgin America, this means: brand new airplanes, TV screens in each seat, mood lighting in the cabin, online ordering system, built-in ”seat to seat" chat system, power plugs for laptops, iPhone and iPods, chargers for MP3 players, and many other unique conveniences unknown for a commercial plane.

But most importantly, Virgin America offers really low fares! Flights from San Francisco to Los Angeles start at $44 (coach) and $149 (first class). Airline tickets from New York to LA would cost $129 (coach) and $389 (first class). Operations between New York and Los Angeles will start on August 29, followed by Las Vegas, San Diego and Washington DC.

So, see you soon onboard Virgin America flights! And don't forget to take all your gadgets with you!