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Old Woman Knocked Out by Falling Shoe & 6 Other Stories You May Have Missed This Week

 

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Though FlyerTalk attempts to cover a full range of stories, every week a few fall through the cracks. Here are 7 stories we didn’t get around to writing, but are still worth knowing.

Falling Shoe Causes Medical Emergency, Forces Unscheduled Landing

Flight attendants repeat a familiar admonishment during every flight to exercise caution, as “items in overhead bins may have shifted in flight.” Much like details about the location of flotation devices and high school Trigonometry, this warning is typically filed under the category of information most people will never need to put into practice.

Hilda Holland, 79, found herself wishing that a fellow passenger on her Thomas Cook flight had heeded the flight attendant’s advice when a stray shoe dropped from the overhead bin that was opened 50 minutes into the flight. The rogue footwear struck Holland on the head, knocking her unconscious. The flight was diverted to Lisbon, where Holland was rushed to the hospital. She was released after a CT scan and is expected to make a full recovery.

Marriott Expects to Celebrate Opening of One-Millionth Room in 2015

The leadership of Marriott International expects breakneck expansion will result in agreements that will bring a total inventory of one million hotel rooms on-line at some point this year. In a press release issued Tuesday, Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson helped quantify the hotel group’s rapid growth, stating: “In 2014 alone, Marriott signed agreements for more than 650 hotels and 100,000 rooms to be added to its worldwide system over the next few years, a signing pace of nearly two new hotel deals a day.”

As Marriott moves toward opening its one-millionth room, the company says it expects expansion plans to call for more than $50 billion in new real estate investment and the creation of nearly 150,000 new jobs.

Airfares to Sky Harbor for Super Bowl XLIX Are Sky High

Airfares for flights to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) have risen an average of 80 percent for football fans traveling to the city for Super Bowl XLIX. The contest between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks has airline tickets rivaling Super Bowl tickets when it comes to outrageous markups.

According to ABC News, Seahawks’ fans have seen tickets from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to PHX rise 24 percent since last week. Patriots fans have seen even more dramatic inflation since their team qualified for the big game. Airfare prices from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) have risen nearly 80 percent in the past week.

Local Councils Withdraw Support for Second Runway at Gatwick

Two local councils have withdrawn their support for expansion plans at Gatwick Airport (LGW). The suburban London airport is in competition with London Heathrow Airport (LHR) for approval to expand capacity in order to accommodate increased air traffic in the heavily traveled London air corridor. The West Sussex County Council reversed a July 2013 decision to support expansion plans at LGW.

In November, the Kent County Council also withdrew its support for plans to build a second runway at Gatwick. The governing bodies faced an immediate backlash of public outcry among their constituencies following votes in favor of the new Gatwick runway. The reversal by the local councils will not necessarily block expansion plans; the decision whether to award a new runway to either LGW or LHR will be made by the Airports Commission.

Lufthansa & Flight Attendants Agree to Mediation

Lufthansa is seeking outside help as the largest airline in Germany struggles with continuing labor strife. The airline has agreed to enter into arbitration with unionized flight attendants. The carrier is hoping that use of an impartial mediator will help to defuse tensions as the company attempts to reduce labor costs without provoking any further strike actions by employees.

Last year, pilots staged 10 separate strikes over retirement concessions similar to those the airline is now proposing to its flight attendants. Last year’s walkouts by pilots are estimated to have cost the airline more than $230 million.

Air France Plans Will Cut Wages & Eliminate 800 Jobs

As Air France strives to lower operating costs, management has unveiled plans to eliminate 800 positions through voluntary furloughs and layoffs. The French flag carrier also plans to reduce wages and benefits for the remaining workforce.

The latest round of layoffs comes less than a year after Air France announced voluntary furloughs for 1,100 workers in March 2014. The airline says the moves are intended to reduce operating costs in the face of increasing competition from ultra-low-cost European airlines. Air France is also said to be considering delaying a scheduled delivery of three Boeing 777 aircraft.

Falling Oil Prices Make Delta-Owned Refinery Less & Less of an Asset

When Delta Airlines announced plans to purchase its own refinery in 2012, the decision raised eyebrows. As oil prices continue to drop, analysts are increasingly critical of the airline’s bold attempt to exert more control over fuel costs.

Delta has a long history of taking steps to control its exposure to rising oil prices, maintaining a vast network of fuel storage facilities, pipeline capacity and an in-house team of energy market speculators. The airline hoped that bringing an idled Pennsylvania refinery back online would effect a noticeable reduction in jet fuel prices. With fuel prices reaching historic lows, the gambit is being viewed as a losing venture.

 

[Photo: iStock]

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