bid travel jobs

About BIDTravel

Company size.

Bidvest Travel services is a proudly Bidvest company that provides industry-leading travel management services to corporate businesses and leisure travellers through our extensive local, regional, international and online network.

Includes the subsidiaries: BushBreaks & More | Cruises International | CWT | Harvey World Travel | mymarket.com | New Frontiers Tours | Rennies BCD Travel | Rennies Travel Namibia | Travel Connections | Travelwise | World Travel

Why Work For Us

Our culture, our engineering processes, our hiring process, companies, like bidtravel, are waiting to reach out with upfront role and salary info.

Whether you're looking for a startup, tech giant or remote opportunity – there's something for everyone.

Application and Data

Business Tools

Get job opportunities that match what you want in your dev career

On OfferZen, companies reach out to you with upfront role, tech stack and salary info so you can choose opportunities that resonate with you from the get-go.

More From Forbes

20 flexible companies hiring for fully remote jobs in 2024.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Some employers will pay for you to have vacation—so look out for these in your job search this ... [+] summer

Vacation season is swinging around the corner.

But unfortunately, not everyone has the luxury of taking advantage of their PTO. Many workers simply cannot afford a summer vacation, or are unable to take the time out that they need to relax, even during their work days, due to rigid company policies imposing in-office attendance and restricting work/life balance.

However, all is not doom and gloom.

There are still some employers that exist who are hiring (or have hired recently) for fully remote jobs, which in itself, is a rare find during a time when many executive teams are opting for RTO and hybrid mandates for their workplaces.

Additionally, these companies have policies and provisions that, at the time of writing, encourage their employees to maximize their PTO. Employers are starting to recognize the positive impact that vacation time and having flexible working policies can have on employee wellness and boosting productivity.

When Does Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2 Come Out On Netflix See The Release Schedule

A storm of 3,000 ukrainian bomblets blew up four russian jets at their base in crimea, samsung galaxy s24 series users really want to turn off one of its best features, 20 companies hiring fully remote jobs in 2024.

In light of the findings of a recent Zety survey , which showed that 68% of professionals are cutting back on their vacation spending this year due to finances, these "summer-friendly" employers are even providing financial incentives to step away from the desk.

The remote work job board, FlexJobs, recently listed 20 remote-friendly employers that also provide extra pay, reimbursement, stipend, or some other tangible benefit in exchange for taking time off.

For example, some employers such as Expedia provide wellness and travel reimbursement to employees, while others such as Olark reward employees with a $1,000 vacation bonus, upon the condition of taking five consecutive days off work.

Here is the full list of 20 companies that are hiring now—with some role categories being fully remote:

• Chime Financial
• Disruptive Advertising
• Evolve Security
• FullContact
• Kasa Living
• Kindred Concepts
• Philo, Inc.
• Thirty Madison
• TripAdvisor
• United Airlines
• Verb Interactive

How To Find A Fully Remote, Flexible Job In 2024

One interesting observation that can be made from the list above is that a large percentage of flexible companies—at least those derived from FlexJobs' list, operate within the travel, leisure, and hospitality industry.

These offer company-specific perks such as discounts off their own resorts and hotels, and stipends towards related travel and stays, which you can take advantage of this year.

Therefore it might be a smart career move to consider working at an employer within the travel or hospitality industry, as this might be more beneficial to your wellbeing (from a PTO and travel perspective).

Another way to find a fully remote job that also offers flexible perks such as unlimited PTO, is to look at Glassdoor reviews and feedback, and talk to current employees on LinkedIn. Ask them what they enjoy about their role, and what they like/don't like about working for their company. Even a simple coffee chat over LinkedIn can shed significant light on what to expect should you apply for a role with one of these employers.

One of the easiest places to see what is available to you as an employee is the company's career page section of their website. They will usually use this page to shout about their achievements as an employer, and showcase the perks they provide, in a bid to entice quality talent such as yourself.

But perhaps most essentially, let's not forget how essential it is is to set expectations early on to avoid confusion later. Create clarity and avoid ambiguity by discussing your flexibility requirements, such as vacation plans, health and personal needs, right from the beginning. Of course, timing is everything, so ensure that you only mention this towards the negotiation stage of your job application process.

For example, if you have three rounds of interviews, it might be best to not rock the boat and mention anything to do with personal benefits until the very final stage interview, once you feel satisfied that you have checked all their boxes (and vice versa).

Don't be afraid to negotiate flexible benefits including your PTO towards the end of your job ... [+] interviews

This year, prioritize your wellbeing in your work, and not the other way around. When selecting your next employer, look out for positive signs that they value you as a person, not just as another number on a spreadsheet.

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.

Money Talks News

These Are the Top Companies to Watch for Remote Jobs in 2024

Posted: January 23, 2024 | Last updated: May 17, 2024

Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on FlexJobs.com .

FlexJobs is excited to announce its 11th annual list of the Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Jobs.

The 2024 list is based on an analysis of more than 60,000 companies and their remote job postings between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2023.

Despite the cooling job market, shifting workforce views , layoffs, and return-to-office mandates, remote employment remains a favored option among professionals for their ideal work arrangement.

The continued appeal of remote work can be attributed to its ability to provide individuals with the flexibility to balance both professional and personal commitments, creating an environment for enhanced productivity and work-life integration.

Read on for the top remote job categories, titles, and companies.

For professionals looking to enhance their lives and find more balance, the Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Jobs in 2024 list is the perfect place to start their search!

Join 1.2 million Americans saving an average of $991.20 with Money Talks News. Sign up for our FREE newsletter today.

Try a newsletter custom-made for you!

We’ve been in the business of offering money news and advice to millions of Americans for 32 years. Every day, in the Money Talks Newsletter we provide tips and advice to save more, invest like a pro and lead a richer, fuller life.

And it doesn’t cost a dime.

Our readers report saving an average of $941 with our simple, direct advice, as well as finding new ways to stay healthy and enjoy life.

Click here to sign up. It only takes two seconds. And if you don’t like it, it only takes two seconds to unsubscribe. Don’t worry about spam: We never share your email address.

Try it. You’ll be glad you did!

Advertising Disclosure: When you buy something by clicking links on our site, we may earn a small commission, but it never affects the products or services we recommend.

Career Fields and Jobs That Hire Remote Workers

While the workplace has evolved to include many career categories, the most common industries for remote work include:

• Computer & IT
• Accounting & Finance
• Medical & Health
• Project Management
• Customer Service
• Administrative
• HR & Recruiting

Most Popular and Searched-For Remote Job Titles

With a wide variety of jobs being available for remote work, some remote job titles are more popular than others. Similar to prior years, a majority of remote jobs were targeted toward experienced professionals (64%).

However, remote jobs were also posted for managers (19%), senior-level professionals (12%), and entry-level professionals (5%).

The following list includes the top 10 remote job postings to be looking for from companies:

• Executive Assistant
• Financial Analyst
• Product Manager
• Customer Service Representative
• Software Engineer
• Customer Success Manager
• Accounting Manager
• Product Designer

Most Searched-For Remote Job Terms

While the previous list is attributed to the most popular jobs posted by companies, the below list is comprised of the top 10 most searched-for remote job terms by job seekers:

• Project Manager

Related: 8 Things I Always Buy at Target

What Employers Think About Remote Work

The following companies made the Top 100 list because of the number of remote job openings they posted.

However, these companies genuinely walk the walk when it comes to working from home.

“BCD Travel is honored to be recognized in the FlexJobs’ Top 100 Companies for Remote Jobs list. We are proud to offer work environments that fit the needs of our diverse workforce.

“Our remote positions allow people to connect from all over the world while providing more flexibility in their journey with BCD.”

— Christian Dahl, senior vice president of People & Culture at BCD Travel

• Williams-Sonoma

“The demand for talent can be very challenging in the retail space.

“Through remote work, the scale in which we need to attract that talent to ensure we care for our customers at the highest level has been much more attainable.”

— Josh Layton, senior recruiting manager of Care Center Operations at Williams-Sonoma

“As a customer experience services company started by remote workers, it never occurred to us to limit our talent searches to a particular geographic area so we could congregate in the same building.”

— Mike Pinkerton, chief operating officer at ModSquad

What Job Seekers Say

We also care what job seekers think about their new roles (and their experience with FlexJobs).

Read on as a few job seekers who landed a remote job at a Top 100 company share their experience.

Sponsored: Find a vetted financial advisor

• Finding a fiduciary financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. In five minutes, SmartAsset's free tool matches you with up to 3 financial advisors serving your area.
• Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. Get on the path toward achieving your financial goals!

Finding Remote Work Fast

“I gave FlexJobs a shot, and it delivered! I wanted a remote job with a reputable company and bingo, I found one in less than two weeks.

“There is something for everyone here. Thank you, FlexJobs!”

— Kelly P., customer service professional at CVS Health

Boosting Confidence

“FlexJobs explained the key ways I needed to update my resume. In the end, I applied for one job and was hired for one job!

“I had more to apply for, but I focused first on customizing my materials for one position and company at a time. I would have never known what was needed, why, or how to do it without FlexJobs’ resources.

“FlexJobs gave me incredible confidence. It was instrumental in showing me the job and making it possible for me to get the job. FlexJobs is well worth the subscription fee. Thank you!”

— Margaret G., editor at Cactus Communications

Surpassing Expectations

“I spent over a year working remotely, and it surpassed my expectations. After becoming a mom, we transitioned back to the office.

“In-person work and long hours of commuting were no longer feasible. I needed better work-life balance. My remote, flexible job as an executive assistant at Boldly has improved my life.

“I have more control over my schedule. My perspective has changed in a positive, impactful way. Boldly is a wonderful, supportive company, and I couldn’t be happier. Thank you, FlexJobs!”

— Jennifer K., executive assistant at Boldly

Now, let’s move on to the Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Jobs in 2024 list.

100 Companies Hiring for Remote Jobs

Each of the companies below posted the highest number of remote jobs in 2023.

Remote work for this list is defined as a professional-level role allowing work to be performed from home either entirely or part of the time.

To view more information about the company, and to see past job openings, click the company name.

Logged-in members will also see job descriptions for current positions. (Not a member? Check out how FlexJobs can support your job search .)

• Working Solutions
• Robert Half International
• Thermo Fisher Scientific
• Cactus Communications
• UnitedHealth Group
• LHH — Lee Hecht Harrison
• Creative Financial Staffing — CFS
• Aston Carter
• Stride Inc.
• Coalition Technologies
• Prime Therapeutics
• Elevance Health
• Lincoln Financial Group
• Alight Solutions
• JLL — Jones Lang LaSalle
• Supporting Strategies
• New York Life
• Western Governors University — WGU
• Allied Irish Bank — AIB
• Planet Group
• Insight Global
• Lumen Technologies
• American Red Cross
• Intact Financial Corporation
• Progressive
• Express Employment Professionals
• Dun & Bradstreet
• Grafana Labs
• Precision Medicine Group
• Centene Corporation
• PointClickCare
• Beacon Hill Staffing Group
• Atrium Staffing
• Motive — Fleet Management Software
• First Citizens Bank
• Remote Technology Inc.
• Peloton Cycle
• Federal Reserve System
• ADTRAV Travel Management
• Signify Health
• The Hartford
• Citizens Bank
• InnoSource Inc
• Toast, Inc.
• Ensemble Health Partners
• Ascension Health
• Harvard University
• Stage 4 Solutions
• FlexProfessionals
• Rackspace Technology

More for You

WNBA Legend Sue Bird Addresses 'Unfair' Treatment Of Caitlin Clark

Fans Support Valerie Bertinelli After She Shares Vulnerable Video About Motherhood

How much house can I afford if I make $90,000 a year?

Human bones unearthed from a German cave have altered the timeline of ancient human history

'SNL' star Chloe Fineman to critics of her Cannes look: 'No need to be so mean'

TikToker goes viral for posting her 'lazy girl' makeup routine

15 Charming Pergola Ideas That Will Help You Create a Backyard Oasis

LPGA Tour Release Statement After 10 Players Withdraw From Mizuho Americas Open

New 'Dream Team'? USA basketball unveils 2024 Paris Olympics roster

Tens of Thousands More Quit Their Jobs in New York State

'The worst investment people can make': Real estate guru Grant Cardone believes too many Americans are chasing the dream of homeownership. Here's what he says you should do instead

These Are The Most Famous Dinosaurs From Jurassic Park

The Most Iconic Wedding Gowns In History

Rams News: Who Won the Matthew Stafford-Jared Goff Trade?

Once-in-a-generation wind event caused deaths, extensive damage across Houston, meteorologist says

14 Great Places to Live if You Are Broke

7 Big Names To Miss The Cut At The PGA Championship

15 Unspoken Rules Inmates Have To Follow in Prison

Social Security COLA Increase Slammed as New Estimate Released

The Complete List of the 9 3-Letter Birds

Near-perfect Sun Sibei wins women's BMX Freestyle Park at OQS Shanghai

Wheelchair racing superstar Marcel Hug, aka 'The Silver Bullet': "As soon as I have ...

Olympic Skate-a-rama | Bryce Wettstein

Shilese Jones takes charge: 'Hopefully we will peak for Paris'

How grief has impacted GB judokas Lucy Renshall and Jemima Yeats-Brown

Gabby Douglas lands at U.S. Classic - in the nick of time

Buy tickets & hospitality packages.

Step into the unforgettable! From single tickets to hospitality and travel packages, discover the available offers for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024.

Access sale

Watch the Olympic Qualifier Series live!

Watch live from Part 1 in Shanghai, from 16-19 May, as 464 athletes showcase their skills in breaking, sport climbing, skateboarding and BMX freestyle.

Are you in?

Road to Paris 2024

2024 ISSF Shooting European Championship Shotgun - Lonato

Olympic Qualifier Series 2024 | Shanghai

2024 FIBA 3x3 Basketball Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 - Debrecen

2024 World Rowing Final Olympic & Paralympic Qualification Regatta - Lucerne

2024 UIPM Modern Pentathlon World Cup Final - Ankara

2024 Boxing 2nd World Qualification Tournament - Bangkok

2024 ISSF Shooting Olympic Qualifier World Cup Rifle / Pistol, Munich

2024 UIPM Modern Pentathlon Olympic Qualifier World Championships, Zhengzhou

Olympic Qualifier Series 2024 | Budapest

Get ready for the games.

ABOUT THE GAMES

Celebrating the Games

Spectator Information

Travelling to the games.

Get ready with Worldwide Olympic Partner, Allianz. You enjoy the action. We’ll do the rest.

OLYMPIC SHOP

LA 2028 Neon Outline Graphic Hoodie

Woman LA28 Pride V-Neck T-Shirt

Men LA28 Snapback Hat

Paris 2024 Mascot Plush - 9"

Woman LA28 Neon Tag V-Neck T-Shirt

The Olympic Collection Pierre de Coubertin - Key ring

Men LA28 Neon Tags Long Sleeve T-Shirt

Paris 2024 Hoodie - Black

Download the official app.

Never miss a moment! Enjoy full access to breaking news, live sports, original series, and so much more.

Download now

Questions? Contact us

How to buy tickets for the Olympic Games Paris 2024?

Tickets for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 are available for spectators around the world only on the official ticketing website. To buy tickets, click  here .

The Paris 2024 Hospitality program offers packages that include tickets for sporting events combined with exceptional services in the competition venues (boxes, lounges) or in the heart of the city (accommodation, transport options, gastronomy, tourist activities, etc.).

The Paris 2024 Hospitality program is delivered by the official Paris 2024 Hospitality provider, On Location.

For more information about the Paris 2024 Hospitality & Travel offers, click here .

What is the official mascot of the Olympic Games Paris 2024?

The Olympic Games Paris 2024 mascot is Olympic Phryge. The mascot is based on the traditional small Phrygian hats for which they are shaped after.

The name and design were chosen as symbols of freedom and to represent allegorical figures of the French republic.

The Olympic Phryge is decked out in blue, white and red - the colours of France’s famed tricolour flag - with the golden Paris 2024 logo emblazoned across its chest.

When and where are the next Olympic Games?

The Olympic Games Paris 2024 will take place in France from 26 July to 11 August.

What sports are in the Olympic Games Paris 2024?

• 3X3 Basketball
• Artistic Gymnastics
• Artistic Swimming
• Beach Volleyball
• Canoe Slalom
• Canoe Sprint
• Cycling BMX Freestyle
• Cycling BMX Racing
• Cycling Mountain Bike
• Cycling Road
• Cycling Track
• Marathon Swimming
• Modern Pentathlon
• Rhythmic Gymnastics
• Rugby Sevens
• Skateboarding
• Sport Climbing
• Table Tennis
• Weightlifting

Where to watch the Olympic Games Paris 2024?

In France, the 2024 Olympic Games will be broadcast by Warner Bros. Discovery (formerly Discovery Inc.) via Eurosport, with free-to-air coverage sub-licensed to the country's public broadcaster France Télévisions. For a detailed list of the Paris 2024 Media Rights Holders here .

How many athletes compete in the Olympic Games Paris 2024?

Around 10,500 athletes from 206 NOCs will compete.

How often are the modern Olympic Games held?

The summer edition of the Olympic Games is normally held every four years.

Where will the 2028 and 2032 Olympic Games be held?

Los Angeles, USA, will host the next Olympic Games from 14 to 30 July 2028. Brisbane , Australia, will host the Games in 2032.

What is the difference between the Olympic Summer Games and the Olympic Winter Games?

The summer edition of the Olympic Games is a multi-sport event normally held once every four years usually in July or August.

The Olympic Winter Games are also held every four years in the winter months of the host location and the multi-sports competitions are practised on snow and ice.

Both Games are organised by the International Olympic Committee.

Which cities have hosted the Olympic Summer Games?

• 1896 Athens
• 1904 St. Louis
• 1908 London
• 1912 Stockholm
• 1920 Antwerp
• 1928 Amsterdam
• 1932 Los Angeles
• 1936 Berlin
• 1948 London
• 1952 Helsinki
• 1956 Melbourne
• 1968 Mexico City
• 1972 Munich
• 1976 Montreal
• 1980 Moscow
• 1984 Los Angeles
• 1992 Barcelona
• 1996 Atlanta
• 2000 Sydney
• 2004 Athens
• 2008 Beijing
• 2012 London
• 2016 Rio de Janeiro

What year did the Olympic Games start?

The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athen s, Greece.

WORLDWIDE PARTNERS

BCD rounds out top dozen companies to watch for remote work in 2024

January 12, 2024

FlexJobs® has ranked BCD Travel 12th on its list of Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Jobs in 2024. The 11th annual list is based on an analysis of approximately 60,000 companies and their remote job posting histories in the FlexJobs database between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023. BCD has appeared on this list nine times.

“BCD Travel is honored to be recognized in the FlexJobs’ Top 100 Companies for Remote Jobs list ,” said Christian Dahl, Senior Vice President of People & Culture at BCD Travel. “We are proud to offer work environments that fit the needs of our diverse workforce. Our remote positions allow people to connect from all over the world while providing more flexibility in their journey with BCD .”

FlexJobs is the leading career service for remote and flexible work. The 100 companies featured on its list had the highest number of remote job openings throughout 2023. The company’s on this year’s list span a variety of industries ranging from travel and computer and IT to healthcare and education, demonstrating the widening reach of remote work in the evolving work landscape.

Today, 13,000 dedicated BCD team members service clients in 170+ countries under a flexible work model offering office, remote and hybrid roles. A remote job is defined as a professional-level role that allows the worker to perform their job from home either entirely or part of the time. In September, BCD ranked 14 th on FlexJobs’ list for top companies offering hybrid roles . Hybrid jobs are flexible working arrangements where employees are permitted to work partly in a company workspace and partly remotely – at home or elsewhere.

BCD was also named to list of “2024 Best Places to Work” by Builtin , an online community for U.S. national startups and tech companies. BuiltIn’s annual Best Places to Work program honors companies with the best total rewards packages across the U.S. and in the following tech hubs: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Interested in BCD careers? Click below.

Keep reading

Qatar Airways for a sustainable future

Success story: BCD rescues high tech firm from low OBT adoption

Share this story

• share  
• print  
• email  

New on bcdtravel.com

May 17, 2024

How to pack a capsule wardrobe for business trips

May 16, 2024

BCD wins BTN awards for helping protect the planet

May 2, 2024

East meets West: A business traveler’s guide to Singapore

May 1, 2024

TripSource’s new desktop experience looks great and works even better

April 30, 2024

Airline operations

April 29, 2024

Texas is the new Silicon Valley, according to travel stats

The power of connection: generations at work.

April 26, 2024

It’s all about excellent service and partnership

Client testimonial: partnership with the irish football association.

April 25, 2024

Make your managed travel program safer for travelers

April 19, 2024

Report: Taking real climate action

Moving beyond climate neutrality claims: taking real climate action, stay in the know, even on the go.

Never want to miss a thing?

We'll get you the latest news, trends, insights and BCD news right in your inbox.

Travel smart. Achieve more.

Get solutions for business travel that help you save time, money and stress.

• KSAT Insider
• KSAT Connect
• Entertainment

WEATHER ALERT

5 advisories in effect for 19 regions in the area

Austin will now allow homes on smaller lots in bid to fight housing affordability crisis.

Texas Tribune

By Joshua Fechter

Sign up for The Brief , The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

Recommended Videos

AUSTIN — Austin will now allow single-family homes to be built on smaller lots, capping off a slate of sweeping land-use reforms intended to help ease the city’s housing affordability crisis.

The Austin City Council voted Friday to dramatically reduce the amount of land the city requires single-family homes to sit on. The vote came after a two-day hearing that included passionate and often rowdy testimony from advocates pushing for greater housing density and opponents who believe the policy will accelerate gentrification and displacement.

The council also voted to allow apartment buildings to be built closer to single-family homes and denser development along a planned light-rail line.

"Austin has an affordability crisis, and City government has been too slow and inefficient addressing it," Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said on the social media site X after the vote. "We needed to act on Austin’s needs and with real results. Today, we did that."

The move by Austin City Council members is the culmination of a yearslong push by city officials and housing advocates to tame sky-high housing costs . Austin officials have sought for much of the past decade to loosen restrictions on what kinds of housing the city allows, a bid to ease home prices and rents by allowing builders to add more supply. But they have often been stymied by homeowners and neighborhood associations opposed to allowing greater housing density.

Record high home prices and rents brought on by the Austin region’s explosive growth during the pandemic — and pressure from Texas lawmakers to address the city’s housing affordability crisis — fueled a sense of urgency among local policymakers to enact reforms and accelerated a political realignment around housing. That renewed focus has resulted in the most significant changes to what kinds of housing the city allows since the Reagan administration.

Council Member Leslie Pool shepherded the reforms under the banner of the HOME initiative — or “Home Options for Mobility and Equity.” She assembled a coalition of homebuilders, environmentalists, historic preservationists, labor unions, business groups and advocates for older adults to back the reforms.

“The status quo hasn't worked,” Pool said in an interview with The Texas Tribune. “We know this. We have to acknowledge that those pressures exist for many, many households. We can and should do more to reform our zoning code to provide relief. A more affordable, sustainable and inclusive city makes Austin a home for everyone that we all talk about wanting. That's not just for today, but it's for generations to come.”

The reform package also constitutes a major victory for a pro-development coalition of Austin housing advocates and urbanists — typically referred to as “YIMBYs,” an acronym that stands for “yes in my backyard” — who have long pushed for denser housing stock.

The group was instrumental in securing a supermajority of pro-housing City Council members during the 2022 elections. Friday’s vote was a further sign that YIMBYs and their ideas have made significant in-roads at City Hall, where groups traditionally opposed to development have long held political sway.

The Austin City Council heard testimony on reforms meant to address the city's housing affordability crisis on Thursday. Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune

“I do hope it's a permanent political shift because people suddenly feel like you can't be an entrenched neighborhood person who says ‘no’ [to zoning changes that allow more housing] and win elections in Austin, even in the most conservative districts,” said Felicity Maxwell, a local housing advocate who sits on the board of the Austin urbanist group AURA.

Whether Friday’s victory will last remains to be seen. The reforms will likely factor heavily in the November elections when six council seats, including the mayor’s, are up for grabs. Several opponents of the changes vowed to target those council members who voted for them at the ballot box.

Resistance to the reforms runs deep among some neighborhood groups, anti-gentrification activists and the city’s old guard of environmentalists, all of whom have long opposed efforts to boost Austin’s overall housing density. A group of homeowners has successfully sued to kill past attempts to overhaul the city’s land development code and allow denser housing stock, and they will likely try to reverse the latest batch of reforms.

Detractors are skeptical that the changes will do anything to relieve housing costs. However, research shows that places that allow greater housing construction have kept their home prices and rents in check .

Two City Council members, Mackenzie Kelly and Alison Alter, voted against the lot-size proposal.

Opponents also fear the changes will lead to the demolition of homes that are already affordable only to be replaced by newer, more expensive housing and accelerate the displacement of lower-income residents. Evidence suggests that allowing denser development across a city may help shield residents in those neighborhoods from displacement .

Alter said she anticipated that land speculators and “corporate investors” will be the reform’s primary beneficiaries.

“A group of people will be winners and get ahead and a group of people will be left behind,” Alter said. “I think we only need to look back at history to know that the deck remains stacked against the everyday person.”

Council member Leslie Pool listens to testimony during a city council meeting. "We have to acknowledge that those pressures exist for many, many households. We can and should do more to reform our zoning code to provide relief," she told the Tribune. Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune

Nearly 160 people registered their opposition to the lot-size change alone. Opponents held signs that read “stop the sellout” and “protect affordable housing from luxury development” and called on council members to pass measures designed to prevent lower-income residents from being displaced.

“This is modern-day redlining,” Cindi Reid, an East Austin real estate agent, told the City Council. “You are codifying displacement through code. You are colonizing every current renter and homeowner through code. You are using a machete instead of a scalpel, destroying every single neighborhood instead of really looking at ways to preserve current affordable housing while adding appropriate density.”

Proponents of the changes also showed up in force, with 137 people signing up to express their support. They argued Austin’s current code has prevented the city from building enough homes to meet demand, pricing out longtime residents and keeping young people in need of housing from gaining a foothold.

“I'm taking time out of my day to ask you: Please give us affordable housing,” Chloe Wilkinson, an AURA board member and Austin Community College student, told council members. “We need it. My peers need it. We want to live in this city. We love this city. … We want to work in this city.”

As in other parts of the country, policymakers and housing advocates in Austin have increasingly placed a good chunk of the blame for the run-up in costs on city zoning restrictions that govern what kind of housing can be built and where.

In the past, those restrictions have dictated how much land single-family homes must sit on and how many parking spots they must have, among other things. Housing advocates and experts argue those rules have made it exceptionally difficult for developers to build enough homes in Austin to meet demand as the city boomed — resulting in higher home prices and rents.

For much of the past year, Austin officials have sought to peel back some of those restrictions. In December, they voted to allow homebuilders to put up to three housing units — like duplexes and triplexes — on almost any lot in the city where single-family homes are currently allowed. As of Tuesday, builders have filed 62 applications to build homes that wouldn’t have been possible without the reform, according to City of Austin records. About 60% of them are east of Interstate 35, which historically has separated wealthier white neighborhoods on the city’s west side and neighborhoods of color on the east side.

Austin also became last year the largest U.S. city to get rid of requirements that new developments include a certain amount of parking . Those requirements, advocates and housing developers argue, effectively forced builders to provide parking spots where they may have otherwise built housing .

Hundreds of people attend the Austin City Council meeting in person and online. Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune

Austin officials on Friday reduced how much land the city requires single-family homes to sit on, a restriction known as a minimum lot size. Before the changes, Austin required single-family homes in much of the city to sit on at least 5,750 square feet of land.

Researchers have tied lot-size requirements to higher home costs . For one, large lot-size requirements incentivize builders to build larger homes on them and effectively force homebuyers to buy a certain amount of land, resulting in a bigger price tag. Larger lot sizes also reduce the total amount of land a city has to build homes upon, creating a barrier for homebuilders to erect enough housing to meet demand.

The City Council on Friday reduced the lot-size requirement to 1,800 square feet — a move officials said they hoped would benefit first-time homebuyers.

Smaller lot sizes elsewhere in Texas have been associated with lower home prices. Townhomes built in Houston after city leaders relaxed land-use restrictions to allow housing units on smaller lots had lower values than traditional single-family homes, according to research from New York University’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy . The median assessed value of townhouses that replaced traditional single-family homes after 2007 was $340,000 as of 2020, according to the study. Traditional single-family homes on larger lots built in that time had a median assessed value of $545,000.

Housing experts and proponents of the Austin reforms consider them a key step in solving the city’s affordability crisis, though not the only one. And they don’t expect the changes to have an immediate effect on home prices and rents. It will likely take years for homebuilders and the market to adjust to the policy and for its effects to become clear, they say.

“It's not like everything is just going to change overnight,” said Jake Wegmann, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin who authored the Furman Center study.

Lot-size requirements, along with racial redlining and private deed restrictions in the 20th century, worked to solidify patterns of racial and economic segregation in U.S. cities by effectively limiting housing access in wealthier and whiter neighborhoods, researchers have argued. Reducing lot-size requirements citywide could help alleviate those entrenched patterns in Austin, some reform advocates say — while also relieving pressure on communities of color under the current land development code by reducing development barriers in more parts of the city.

The lot-size reform also could be used to fight displacement in lower-income neighborhoods. Years ago, a city task force charged with coming up with policy ideas to fend off displacement recommended allowing existing homeowners to subdivide and sell off a portion of their land so they can remain in place.

An attendee provides testimony during an Austin City Council meeting Thursday. Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune

“We really are ensuring that we are encouraging more homeownership opportunities where it makes sense,” Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, who represents Austin’s predominantly Hispanic southeast side, told the Tribune. “We're easing the development pressures, because right now, what is happening is actively displacing and gentrifying our communities.”

Austin officials also voted to allow greater housing density along the city’s planned light-rail corridor — a part of the city’s voter-approved public transit initiative called Project Connect. Transportation experts have said public transit requires a certain amount of neighboring density to be viable. Increasing density along the corridor is also seen as a key prerequisite to obtaining federal dollars to support the rail line. The council also voted to allow developers to build even taller apartment buildings if they set aside a certain amount of units for lower-income households.

In addition, City Council members voted to loosen restrictions that limit how tall apartment buildings can rise based on how close they are to single-family homes. They also directed city staff to study the “potential impact on displacement of communities of color” resulting from looser zoning restrictions and explore countermeasures.

There are signs in the Austin area that the underlying premise behind the reforms — that boosting housing supply at least helps temper housing costs — holds water. The Austin-Round Rock region in recent years has often permitted more apartment construction than most other major metropolitan regions in the country. Now, rents are falling in the region, according to Zillow data . Home prices, too, have dropped as more houses have remained longer on the market amid high mortgage rates.

“We need more Austins around the country in order to keep housing affordable and to give young mobile workers the opportunity to move where the jobs are,” said Orphe Divounguy, a senior economist at Zillow.

Other Texas cities like Dallas, Fort Worth and El Paso are considering similar reforms to allow denser housing stock to ease their housing affordability woes. Top Texas Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan , have shown a willingness to explore the possible benefits of curtailing cities’ zoning restrictions when state lawmakers reconvene in 2025 .

Disclosure: University of Texas at Austin has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here .

We’ve got big things in store for you at The Texas Tribune Festival , happening Sept. 5–7 in downtown Austin. Join us for three days of big, bold conversations about politics, public policy and the day’s news.

2024 Texas Tribune

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Disruptions Loom as 17 Air Traffic Controllers Balk at Job Relocation

The F.A.A. is clashing with workers over efforts to relocate them from New York to Philadelphia. Senator Chuck Schumer has denounced the plan.

By Kate Kelly

Reporting from Washington and Westbury, N.Y.

By late July, 17 air traffic controllers will be expected to trade in their headsets, walk out of their aging workplace on Long Island and report to a new office in Philadelphia, part of a plan to address a long-running problem with recruiting enough controllers to manage the skies around New York.

Despite the hefty incentives they have been offered to go along, the workers — unwilling to uproot themselves and their families — are balking at the move, and some powerful members of Congress are helping them fight back.

In a blistering letter sent to the Federal Aviation Administration last week, a group of New York lawmakers, including Senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat and the majority leader, demanded that the agency abandon plans to force the employees’ relocation this summer.

The move places undue hardship on those workers, legislators argued. The “forced reassignments” by the F.A.A., Mr. Schumer and his colleagues wrote, are “both confusing and outrageous.” The controllers say their family lives would be disrupted, citing new marriages, disabled children and elderly parents they care for.

The fact that the Senate’s most powerful legislator would complain so loudly about a tiny group of workers underscores the power of the controllers’ nerve center in Westbury, N.Y. — an intense workplace whose formidable responsibilities, high-stress environment and strong personalities inspired a magazine story and the 1999 movie “Pushing Tin.”

The anger of the controllers and their supporters is clashing with the desperate effort by the F.A.A. to find and train enough employees willing to tackle the demands of ensuring the smooth and safe flow of aircraft in and out of the New York airspace — its most complex, by all accounts.

The New York hub has for years struggled with chronic vacancies, placing its recent staffing levels at some of the lowest levels in the nation. The F.A.A. hopes that shifting some of the responsibility for the work out of New York to a more affordable place to live will make it easier over time to recruit more controllers, leading to higher levels of staffing and, with that, increased air safety and efficiency.

But the agency’s plan also risks losing some of its more experienced controllers who are resistant to moving, which, perversely, could add to the staffing problems.

The relocations, which are scheduled for July 28, are necessary “to improve efficiency and ensure safety in this region,” Bridgett Frey, an F.A.A. spokeswoman, said in a statement.

The group targeted for the move handles the airspace around Newark Liberty International Airport, which in the view of the F.A.A. can be done just as well from Philadelphia as from Long Island. That is because this group of controllers uses radar scopes, instead of guiding planes from a runway tower overlooking takeoffs and landings.

F.A.A. figures show that staffing gaps last year at the Long Island building affected 4 percent of the 541,136 takeoffs and landings that occurred at New York’s major airports last summer. The agency expects the summer flying season, which begins later this month, to be its busiest since 2010.

The air traffic controllers say they, too, are fighting with safety in mind. They say they need to be in the same room with their New York colleagues, as they are now, to communicate quickly with them in a crisis.

“This is an extremely stressful job,” said Joe Segretto, the controller who is president of the local chapter of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association representing the New York airspace hub. For controllers, he added, being forced by the F.A.A. to relocate away from spouses and children “is going to add a tremendous amount of pressure.”

As moving day draws closer, the fight looms larger. The F.A.A. already put in place a 10 percent reduction in flight volume in the New York area to cope with lower staffing levels at its New York Terminal Radar Approach Control building in Westbury, known internally as N90. But any further staffing issues could mean there simply are not enough controllers to manage the increased volume planned for summer, forcing delays.

The fate of this handful of employees in a work force of more than 14,000 has gotten the attention of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, even as his workload strains under the demands of tackling jetliner assembly problems at Boeing, investigating the cause of recent train derailments and leading the battle against what the Biden Administration says are “junk fees” charged by airlines.

“The complexity of N90 is more complex than many countries’ entire airspaces,” Mr. Buttigieg said in an interview with The New York Times in December.

Given the low staffing levels at N90, he added, “we know there needs to be more attention there.” Just 59 percent of available controller roles in the building are filled, according to March figures from the F.A.A.

Last June, the F.A.A. was chastised by the inspector general’s office at the Transportation Department, its parent agency, for doing too little to address yearslong shortfalls in controller staffing. Days after those findings were published, United Airlines delayed and canceled flights that affected 150,000 passengers. Scott Kirby, United’s chief executive, blamed the F.A.A. for controller shortages that he said exacerbated a situation in which his pilots were already contending with bad weather in the New York area.

Controllers working at N90, which is housed in a squat, windowless building in suburban Long Island, are responsible for overseeing the early ascent and descent of hundreds of thousands of flights at John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports each year — equating to at least 60 per hour in and out of Newark alone on a typical day or evening shift, according to F.A.A. data. N90 is second to Southern California’s airspace in size but is arguably a more critical cog in the overall system, affecting the punctuality and well-being of hundreds of thousands of passengers each day.

The F.A.A. has battled controller shortages nationwide since the pandemic, which forced pauses in training at both its Oklahoma City academy and on-site at air traffic control hubs around the United States. But N90’s low staffing has been particularly urgent.

The controllers’ jobs are so demanding and specialized that years of experience are customarily required to do them, including 18 to 24 months of hands-on training at N90 after working assignments at less-busy locations. Westbury’s short staffing in recent years has meant that some controllers have earned close to $400,000 a year because of extra pay, according to F.A.A. documents reviewed by The New York Times. At $183,000, the head of the F.A.A., Michael Whitaker, makes much less.

The agency over the years has tried a variety of strategies for filling the vacant jobs at N90, including offering raises and bonuses and using new recruitment tactics. (One hiring effort that targeted candidates with no relevant experience — referred to by some N90 controllers as “off-the-street” hires — was tried, controllers say, without much success.)

The washout rate has remained stubbornly high. Just 32 percent of N90 trainees achieved certification as fully qualified, according to F.A.A. statistics from March, a far lower rate than at comparable facilities. The Transportation Department’s report last year showed that N90 had the fewest supervisors of any Terminal Radar Approach Control, or Tracon, building in the nation, with only eight in place out of 30 authorized slots.

The F.A.A. has been working to relocate some of N90’s controllers to Philadelphia since at least 2020, only to be stymied by both the controllers’ union and New York legislators.

Its most recent effort to negotiate a move with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association began late last year. The two sides came to terms in March, according to documents reviewed by The Times, with a package that included an initial 15 percent incentive bonus and a $75,000 payout for those who moved to Philadelphia permanently. But, lacking an adequate number of volunteers to make the Philadelphia transfer work, the F.A.A. took a tougher stance about six weeks later, according to an April 29 memorandum that was reviewed by The Times: It notified more than a dozen N90 controllers that they would be involuntarily reassigned.

Under urging from the union, Representative Anthony D’Esposito, whose district includes N90, put together the May 7 letter demanding that the F.A.A. rescind its reassignments. In addition to Mr. Schumer, it was signed by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and four other members of Congress from the region in and around Long Island. Three of them were Republicans, including Mr. D’Esposito.

“You have people who actually have strong, solid jobs, and they’re not moving because they want to — they’re moving because we’re telling them to,” Mr. D’Esposito said in an interview. “It’s not a good situation.”

Some controllers who do not move may be reassigned to new roles at N90. But getting a new role is dependent upon proving to the F.A.A. that a move would create undue hardship and would require training for a new post for a year or more.

The F.A.A., which spent $36 million to renovate and upgrade the Philadelphia Tracon building, has recently tried again to make the relocation attractive. In the April 29 memo in which it mandated the 17 staff moves, the agency raised to $100,000 its incentive bonuses for controllers who relocated to Philadelphia, either temporarily or permanently.

Yet Mr. Segretto, the union chapter president, and many of his members are unwavering.

“We are completely against it,” he said. “It’s forcing air traffic controllers to choose between their career and leave their families, or to resign from their job.”

Mark Walker contributed reporting from Washington.

Kate Kelly covers money, policy and influence for The Times. More about Kate Kelly