What to Know Now

For those flying on Lufthansa this week, it may be worth double checking your itineraries. Labor strikes have crippled the German carrier for the second time this year, canceling thousands of flights and stranding over 100,000 passengers in the process.

At the center of the work stoppage lies an unresolved contract between the airline and its cabin crew. The airline wants to cut costs to compete with low cost carriers; flight attendants justifiably don’t want to see a reduction to their benefits.

Flights on Monday have already been scratched, and unless a contract appears out of nowhere, the cabin crews plan to strike through November 13th. In the meantime, travelers may want to stick with other carriers.

Social Quote of the Day

Frankfurt airport- seems like there is not much going on today :-O #Lufthansa #strike

– @VHamburger | Valentin

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AIRLINES

Regulators Say American Airlines Will Honor $0 Mistake Fares to China: On St. Patrick’s Day, American Airlines set business class fares from several U.S. cities to Beijing and Shanghai at $0 and $20 for five hours. Read more at Skift

Qatar Airways takes 25th Dreamliner, becomes world’s No. 2 airline for 787s: Qatar Airways took delivery of its two new Boeing 787 Dreamliners Wednesday in Everett, Wash. Read more at Today in the Sky

United CEO Munoz Promises to Return in Early 2016 After Heart Attack Recovery: United Continental Holdings Inc. Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz is preparing to return to the airline once he recovers from the heart attack he suffered a month after he joined the carrier. Read more at Skift

The Long, Slow Decline of the First-Class Flying Experience: Today’s airlines make a fuss about the quality of their first-class amenities, boasting about lounges, chauffeured cars to and from the airport, lie-flat beds, big screen TVs, and chef-prepared meals served on real (!) plates. Read more at Skift

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Airports

The Airlines Giving Passengers New, Higher Baggage Fees for the Holidays: Jammed airports, jammed airplanes, and now a heftier fee for bringing a bag, too. Read more at Skift

Sharm el-Sheikh Airport Officials Criticize Culture of Bribery and ‘Human Stupidity’: The airport at Egypt’s resort of Sharm el-Sheikh has long had gaps in security, including a key baggage scanning device that often is not functioning and lax searches at an entry gate for food and fuel for the planes, security officials at the airport told The Associated Press. Read more at Skift

Car-Theft Ring Targeting NYC Airports Busted: Rental cars and airport parking lots have recently been targeted in a car-theft ring at New York City airports. Read more at Flyertalk

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Tech

Expedia’s HomeAway to Follow Airbnb’s Lead and Add a Booking Fee for Travelers: HomeAway, which announced it will be acquired by Expedia Inc. for $3.9 billion, has been sitting on a potentially very lucrative asset in a traveler booking fee, and has now decided it will introduce one for all online bookings starting in the second quarter of 2016. Read more at Skift

Behind Hilton Hotels’ Online Learning Hub for Meeting Planners: Hilton Worldwide’s Connect+ content platform represents the first time a global hospitality brand is engaging planners at the corporate level with (for the most part) substantive education. Read more at Skift

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Hotels

Behind Hilton Hotels’ Online Learning Hub for Meeting Planners: Hilton Worldwide’s Connect+ content platform represents the first time a global hospitality brand is engaging planners at the corporate level with (for the most part) substantive education. Read more at Skift

What Hotels Say About Airbnb on Their Earnings Calls: When you’re labeled an industry disruptor, chances are your name is going to pop up a couple of times as your contemporaries/rivals discuss their futures. Read more at Skift

Hyatt Hotels’ Select Service Category Leads the Brand’s Growth: Of the 50 properties that Hyatt Hotels is opening in 2015, over 50% of them are select service brands, including Hyatt Place and extended-stay Hyatt House. Read more at Skift

InterContinental Hotels Exploring a Sale or a Merger: Holiday Inn owner InterContinental Hotels Group Plc is exploring strategic options including a potential sale or merger after attracting interest amid a boom in lodging deals, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Read more at Skift

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Photo credit: A Lufthansa A320 aircraft. Lufthansa

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