News and notes from around the interweb:

• Passengers eat 66 pounds of oranges in 30 minutes to avoid paying checked bag fees They got ulcers in their mouths.

  The incident occurred at Kunming Airport (KMG) in China’s Yunnan Province. Mr. Wang and his three colleagues had pooled their resources to purchase a 30-kilogram (66 pound) box of oranges during a business trip to Kunming and now wished to take it home to their families.

  But during check-in for their flight, they were informed that the fee to transport the oranges would be 300CNY (~46USD). That was too high a price tag for their beloved oranges so they decided to have a party.

• United Airlines flight attendants declined to consider measures that would reduce furloughs and are asking for another government handout instead. Less than 50% of flight attendant jobs are at risk, so those with more seniority whose jobs aren’t on the line voted down any concessions that would have saved other union jobs. They prefer help to come from your pockets and mine.

  Oddly they don’t stand up and complain that United Airlines is keeping most of the payroll support grant money for themselves, only spending a small portion paying employees who had been previously furloughed.

• I’m a big fan of United’s plan to invest in direct carbon capture but it should be noted that the main current carbon capture plant in the U.S. just closed.

• What’s replacing the Grand Hyatt New York

  

• Etihad won’t pay staff who get Covid-19 unless they’ve been vaccinated that seems like a decent approach to incentivize taking the vaccine actually. In the UAE it’s Sinopharm’s vaccine that’s primarily available.

• 5000 bonus Hilton points for new members 2000 after first stay, 3000 after second stay (HT: One Mile at a Time)