Marriott International said Friday the data of up to 500 million of its guests has been stolen from its Starwood guest reservation database. The data breach is likely one of the largest ever in US history. The hotel chain, which is the world’s largest, said in a release on Friday that it was first alerted …
Read MoreAuthor: Jessica Puckett
Syrian Man Living in Malaysian Airport for 7 Months Will Be Deported
A man from Syria who had been living in a Malaysian Airport for almost seven months has been removed by police, authorities say. Hassan al-Kontar was placed in police custody after having lived in the Kuala Lumpur (KUL) airport since March. Kontar originally left Syria to avoid compulsory military service and refused to return after …
Read MoreFlyer Tries to Open Emergency Exit Thinking It’s the Lavatory
A first-time flyer almost made the mistake of a lifetime on a GoAir flight earlier this week. The man, in his late twenties, attempted to open the Airbus A320 emergency exit mid-flight because he claimed he thought it was the door to the lavatory. According to the Independent, the passenger started pulling the emergency door …
Read MoreMan Faces up to 20 Years in Prison and $250,000 Fine for Threatening Flight Attendant
After a Southwest flight crew refused to serve him a fourth drink on board the aircraft, passenger Joel Michael Bane threatened to put one of the flight attendants in a “body bag” in October 2017. Bane, who is from New Jersey and teaches martial arts, also punched two police officers in the face after the New …
Read MoreVisa, Mastercard Settle Swipe Fee Lawsuit for $6.2 Billion
Visa, Mastercard and several major US banks on Tuesday finally settled a 13-year-old class action lawsuit with retailers across the country, which accused the credit card companies of fixing prices of card swipe fees to benefit the banks. The $6.2 billion settlement is reported to be the largest antitrust settlement in history. The class action …
Read MoreBritish Embassy Issues Warning on Alcohol for Flights to UAE
After a UK woman was jailed in July for drinking a glass of wine on an Emirates flight from London to Dubai and possessing incorrect documentation, the British Embassy in the United Arab Emirates is warning UK citizens of the consequences of drinking alcohol when flying to the UAE. In a message posted on Facebook, …
Read MoreParis Might Ban All Airbnbs in the City’s Center
A city council member in charge of Paris’ housing wants to ban all Airbnb and other home-share rentals in the center of the city. “If we don’t regulate Airbnb, we will no longer have citizens in our city centers,” Ian Brossat, the city councilman, told Le Parisien. According to Brossat, Paris has lost about 20,000 …
Read MoreThis Is Why You Don’t Flush Diapers Down an Aircraft Toilet
An American Airlines flight to Hawaii turned into a dire situation with passengers being told to urinate in plastic bags and bottles after a someone flushed a diaper in the aircraft lavatory, breaking the toilet. According to a video taken by a woman on board the flight, there was an announcement on the plane’s PA …
Read MoreDelta Flight Has Uncontained Engine Failure, Diverts to Atlanta
A Delta flight out of Atlanta (ATL) on Wednesday night experienced a reported uncontained engine failure shortly after take off. As Delta flight 1418 departed ATL for Orlando (MCO), the engine failed. The pilots shut down the engine and diverted back to Atlanta, where the plane landed safely, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. …
Read MorePeople Are Bumping Into Lots of Bears in National Parks
This summer has seen an unprecedented number of animal attacks in national parks. Back in June, in the span of just over a month, at least four people were injured by wild animals in Yellowstone National Park. Add to the list of dangerous animal encounters in Yellowstone an incident that unfolded Thursday morning in the …
Read MoreUK Woman Survives 10 Hours in Sea After Falling off Cruise Ship
A woman from the United Kingdom was rescued from the Adriatic Sea over the weekend after falling off a Norwegian Cruise Liner ship and spending 10 hours in open water in the middle of the night. Authorities say 46-year-old Kay Longstaff fell off the cruise line’s Norwegian Star ship about 60 miles off the coast …
Read MoreBaltia Airlines Slapped With $22 Million Judgement, Largest Shareholder Arrested
Baltia, the nearly 30-year-old “startup” US airline that has never flown a single commercial flight, was slapped with a $22 million default judgement, and its largest shareholder was arrested on financial fraud charges, newly surfaced legal documents show. The judgement comes after almost three decades of complicated and sketchy financial maneuvering from Baltia. Initially, the …
Read MoreVideo: Paddle Boarder Bumps Into Humpback Whales
One paddle boarder in Australia just had the whale sighting of a lifetime. And no, we’re not talking about the new Airbus Beluga XL. A 28-year-old German backpacker named Alex was paddle boarding off the coast of Australia when suddenly he bumped into a pod of humpback whales (his board literally bumps one of them). …
Read MoreDead Fetus Discovered by Cleaning Crew on American Airlines Plane at LGA
A LaGuardia Airport (LGA) cleaning crew made a gruesome discovery on board an American Airlines plane that was parked in an airport hangar. A deceased fetus was found in the plane’s lavatory on Tuesday morning. AA Flight 1942 had landed at LGA on Monday night, flying in from Charlotte (CLT). The Airbus A321 — registration …
Read MoreThis Ultra-Low-Cost Carrier Has New Routes to the US
If you are a penny-pinching traveler, you now have a new budget option to fly in the US. Swoop, the new ultra-low-cost carrier from Canada, announced its first destinations in the American market on Thursday. The airline is planning seven new routes in the US to five different airports beginning this fall. As of October …
Read MoreNew York Might Limit the Number of Uber, Lyft Drivers
Officials in New York City are considering a controversial push to limit the number of ride-hailing drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft that are allowed on the road. The New York City Council, concerned that the companies don’t pay drivers fairly and that the advent of Uber and Lyft has added to traffic congestion, …
Read MoreBeware: A Phishing Scam Is Posing as Delta for Your Data
A new email phishing scam is reportedly making its way around frequent flyers’ inboxes. This time, hackers are posing as Delta Air Lines in an attempt to steal your information. And, as René’s Points reports, the scam looks pretty legit. The email is said to have the subject line “Your Delta SkyMiles Account will be closed,” …
Read MoreAmericans Racked Up $104 Billion in Credit Card Interest and Fees Last Year
Americans spent more than $100 billion on credit card interest and fees last year, new information from the FDIC analyzed by Magnify Money shows. In the 12 months that ended on March 31, US consumers dropped $104 billion on the credit card charges. It’s the first time ever those figures have crossed the $100 billion threshold. The …
Read MoreNFL Player Says TSA Spilled His Mother’s Cremated Remains
New York Giants player AJ Francis is accusing the Transportation Security Administration of spilling his mother’s cremated remains inside his checked luggage. On Monday, the NFL player tweeted a photo of the interior of his suitcase, which showed a slip indicating the TSA had searched his checked bag, along with what appeared to be his …
Read MoreLooks Like Lufthansa Wants to Buy Norwegian, Too
Norwegian Air is a hot commodity. After two rejected bids to acquire it from IAG, British Airways’ parent company, now Lufthansa is after the low-cost airline as well. Norwegian has already rejected two bids from International Airlines Group earlier this year, and now Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr says his group is “in contact” with Norwegian about a …
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