News and notes from around the interweb:

• WSJ: Barclaycard Sells $1.6 Billion in Risky Credit-Card Balances hat tip to Doctor of Credit who points out “They didn’t sell any co-branded balances and in total sold 6% of the balances they had (30% of the non co-branded portfolio).”

• Etihad will provide free wifi and loaner ipads to first and business class customers on flights to the U.S.

  

• You can complete a Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club elite status challenge by flying Alaska Airlines

  

• Record US airline traffic in 2016

  U.S. and foreign airlines in the United States carried a record number of passengers in 2016, according to the government office that tracks airline traffic, besting the previous all-time high by 3.5 percent.

  U.S.-serving airlines carried 928.9 million domestic and international passengers, topping the previous record of 897.9 million set in 2015, the U.S. Department of Transportation said on Monday.

• Oman is the Middle East’s most surprising country (HT: Alan H.)

• The Bombardier C Series jet can fly London City – New York JFK

  

• Miami targets homeowners who opposed Airbnb ban

• Huge raise of Hawaiian Airlines pilots

  According to ALPA, the agreement will immediately increase pay for Hawaiian’s pilots, backdated to September 2015, between 20% and 45%, depending on an individual pilot’s seat, years of service, and aircraft type. By the time the contract becomes amendable in 2022, overall pay rates will have risen between 36% and 86%. The new contract will also bring all of Hawaiian’s pilots under a single retirement plan by 2022.