uLufthansa’s Pilots Ordered To End Strike, Wednesday Flights Remain Canceledr

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  (Adam Fagen)
  

  The Lufthansa pilot strike that led to the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights on Tuesday and Wednesday has ended after a German court ordered the pilots to return to work.

  Reuters U.K. reports that the increasingly bitter dispute between pilots and the airline over cost cuts and pay appears to be on hold, but flights already affected by the strike will remain canceled.

  While the court’s order means all striking pilots must immediately return to work, Lufthansa says it’s too late to revise the flight schedule for Wednesday. Although, the airline says it will attempt to return Thursday’s affected flights to their normal schedule.

  The regional labour court in the federal state of Hesse overruled a lower court’s Tuesday decision to extend the strike, saying that pilots were not only striking over pay and retirement benefits, but over Lufthansa’s plans for low-cost expansion.

  Since this was not part of the union’s mandate in pay talks, the court said the strike was not considered legal.

  The pilots union, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), started a series of 13 strikes about 18 months ago, Reuters U.K. reports, with the aim to prevent changes to early retirement benefits. However, recently the pilots have expressed their desire to prevent the airline from undergoing a low-cost expansion.

  A spokesperson for the union says they were surprised by the court’s ruling on Wednesday.

  “We will review the decision and then draw the consequences for our continuing labour battle,” he said.

  Lufthansa says it welcomes the decision and officials are ready to resume pay talks with the union.

  VC kicked off its most recent strike starting with long-haul flights on Tuesday, which forced Lufthansa to cancel 90 planned trips.

  The strike is extending to include medium- and short-haul flights on Wednesday, with Lufthansa announcing it would ground about 1,000 flights, affecting 140,000 passengers.

  “Lufthansa deeply regrets the resulting inconvenience to its customers and will do its best to keep possible disruptions to a minimum,” the airline said at the time, urging customers to check its website for updates on the travel situation.

  Customers who have flights canceled due to the strike can rebook or cancel their reservation without penalties.

  Lufthansa pilots ordered to end strike by court [Reuters U.K.]

  
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by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uBritish Airways Flight Catches Fire On Las Vegas Runway, 14 Passengers Injuredr

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  (@pberberian)
  

  Fourteen people were injured Tuesday when a British Airways plane preparing for takeoff from Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport suddenly experienced engine failure that resulted in an intense fire.

  The flight, which was heading to London with 159 passengers and 13 crew members on board, billowed black smoke and orange flames from under the plane’s wings as it sat on the taxiway of the airport around 7 p.m. (EST), The Associated Press reports.

  Passengers and crew members utilized the plane’s emergency slides to escape the fire, a spokesperson for Las Vegas airport says. In all, 14 people were taken to a local hospital after suffering minor injuries from sliding down the chutes after the fire broke out.

  Clark County Deputy Fire Chief Jon Klassen tells the AP that airport fire personnel reached the plane approximately two minutes after the flames were reported at 4:14 p.m., and all passengers were off within three minutes. The fire was extinguished by 4:18 p.m.

  While the investigation is ongoing, Klassen says it appears the fire never breached the inside of the plane’s cabin.

  Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Ian Gregor says the agency is investigating the fire, but no official cause has been determined yet. However, he did tell the AP that the fire began in the plane’s left engine.

  A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board say it was also collecting information on the incident.

  British Airways reported on Tuesday that the aircraft “experienced a technical issue” as it was preparing for take off to London’s Gatwick Airport.

  “Our crew evacuated the aircraft safely and the fire was quickly extinguished by the emergency services at the airport.” a spokesperson says. “A small number of customers and our crew have been taken to hospital. All customers have been provided with hotel accommodation, and our colleagues are helping them with anything further they require.”

  Several passengers recalled the scary situation to The Washington Post on Tuesday, saying that while the incident was terrifying, the actual evacuation went smoothly.

  One passenger said the evacuation could even serve “as a training video. Everybody did their job.”

  Jacob Steinberg, a writer for the Guardian who was traveling on the flight, documented the situation on Twitter.

  Just evacuated on a British Airways flight at Las Vegas airport after an engine caught fire. Don't think anyone hurt http://pic.twitter.com/Y986xW9Wzy

  — Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) September 8, 2015

  “Was asleep as the plane took off. Came to a crashing halt,” he writes. “Smell of smoke. Initially told to stay seated, then shout of evacuate.”

  They opened the back door and slide went down and smoke started coming in plane, followed by mad dash to front. A lot of panic

  — Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) September 8, 2015

  To give you an idea of what the fire was like (that's my mate Jez, who just had a knee reconstruction, on the run). http://pic.twitter.com/snpHGFyxIC

  — Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) September 8, 2015

  “Could smell and see smoke but was on other side of plane,” he continued after evacuating the plane. “One person said fire melted a couple of windows.”

  Steinberg reported that when the pilot joined the passengers in a gate area he was applauded for the quick action of getting passengers off the plane.

  The pilot looked pretty shook up to be honest. Has been flying for years, don't think he had ever seen anything like that

  — Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) September 9, 2015

  Once passengers were relocated to hotels, Steinberg reported on Twitter that the airline sent a letter of apology and attempted to outline the next steps, including being subject to interviews from authorities.

  “I am sorry that you were involved in the incident at Las Vegas Airport today. We do not underestimate how distressing the experience has been for you and we have a dedicated team of staff here to help you.” the airline wrote. “I would like to reassure you that we will do everything possible to provide you with the assistance and support you need. After an incident like this, the authorities take over. They need to collect as much inflation as they can to help support any future investigation.” the airline wrote.”

  An apology letter from BA. It's 9.45pm in Las Vegas and we have just heard from a beleaguered tour guide. http://pic.twitter.com/eaLvk8l0Ws

  — Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) September 9, 2015

  London-bound plane catches fire on Las Vegas runway [The Associated Press]
  Quick action averts disaster as flames and smoke engulf London bound jetliner [The Washington Post]

  
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by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uMcDonald’s Will Transition To Using Only Cage-Free Eggs In U.S., Canadian Restaurants (Eventually)r

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  (PepOmint)

  McDonald’s is hopping on the cage-free bandwagon, announcing today that it’s going to transition to sourcing only cage-free eggs for its U.S. and Canadian restaurants over the next decade.

  In the announcement, the fast food chain cited consumers’ shifting attitudes toward the path their food takes to get to the plate.

  “Our customers are increasingly interested in knowing more about their food and where it comes from,” McDonald’s USA President Mike Andres said in a press release on Wednesday. “Our decision to source only cage-free eggs reinforces the focus we place on food quality and our menu to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.”

  Marion Gross, chief supply chain officer of McDonald’s North America, added that the shift advances “environmentally and socially conscious practices for the animals in our supply chain.”

  Currently, McDonald’s U.S. division buys about two billion eggs per year, and its Canadian business purchases around 120 million eggs. Those numbers could increase soon as well, as McDonald’s moves into its plan to offer all-day breakfast. Since 2011, about 10% of McDonald’s eggs in the U.S. have come from cage-free hens since 2011.

  While McDonald’s is ahead of some others in the food industry to pledge to go cage-free, with Costco facing increasing pressure to set a deadline to do so, it also has some catching up to do with its rivals: Burger King promised back in 2012 to go cage-free with its eggs by 2017, a date that is fast approaching.

  
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by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

uMacy’s To Close Dozens Of Stores In Early 2016r

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  (Nicholas Eckhart)

  Just hours after Macy’s announced it would begin selling consumer electronics through Best Buy outlets in some of its stores starting this fall, the company announced it would also shutter dozens of underperforming locations beginning next year.

  The retailer said Tuesday that it will shut 35 to 40 stores – or about 1% – of its 770 Macy’s-branded locations in the U.S.

  The locations of the closing stores – which are expected to shut their doors in early 2016 – will be announced at a later date. The company says that the stores’ annual sales volume, which is expected to be retained in nearby stores and online, totals roughly $300 million.

  Macy’s says the decision to close the stores came as the company continues to focus on online sales.

  “While making the decision to close stores is difficult, we know it is necessary for us to remain competitive as customer shopping patterns continue to change,” Terry Lundgren, Macy’s CEO, said in a statement.

  Macy’s is no stranger to closing stores. Earlier this year the company announced it had closed 14 stores and opened two in a restructuring effort. In all, the company said on Tuesday that it has closed 52 Macy’s stores in the past five years, and opened 12 new locations.

  
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by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uBath & Body Works Will Cleanse Worker Schedules Of On-Call Shiftsr

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  (Mike Mozart)

  This summer, a number of popular mall store chains have decided to end the practice of on-call scheduling, a money-saving trick where employees are scheduled to work but told not to report, or are sent home early. Now the dense scent cloud known as Bath and Body Works will join its corporate cousin Victoria’s Secret in stopping the practice next month.

  Other mall chains like Abercrombie & Fitch and the Gap have announced that they will stop the practice. While on-call scheduling systems are useful for companies and let them carefully calibrate how many people are needed to work, they aren’t very compatible with actual human lives.

  On-call scheduling is disruptive: it leads to erratic schedules, erratic income, and trouble scheduling other jobs or child care around retail shifts that the employee may not even work. Also, the practice may be illegal, depending on how many hours an employee works: this trend of companies renouncing the practice happened to start after New York’s state attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, began an investigation into the scheduling practices of thirteen large retail companies.

  Don’t bother guessing how many of the companies that have announced an end to on-call scheduling in recent weeks were on that list: the answer is “all of ’em.” Back in April, Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, and L Brands were all on the list of potential on-call scheduling offenders that the NY AG was looking into. Both Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret are both part of L Brands, a company that also includes La Senza and Henri Bendel.

  Bath & Body Works to End On-Call Scheduling [Wall Street Journal]

  
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by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

uFederal Judge Finds In Favor Of Tiffany In Costco Imitation Ring Caser

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  Costco’s rings were not in these boxes. (rayovolks)

  After more than two and a half years of litigation, the dispute between Costco and Tiffany over what, exactly, “Tiffany” means in the context of diamond engagement rings is over. A federal judge found in favor of Tiffany, noting that Costco clearly had not acted in good faith when slapping the word “Tiffany” on their jewelry cases.

  This dispute dates back to 2012, when a customer reported to Tiffany that she saw rings for sale that were branded “Tiffany,” but weren’t actually made or officially licensed by the company Tiffany. Costco countered that “Tiffany” is a generic name for a type of diamond ring setting, but at the same time was trying to present a more “upscale” warehouse club jewelry experience, with fancy packaging and designs that Tiffany claimed mimicked theirs.

  Since Costco does sell name-brand merchandise at a discount, it’s easy to see how customers could assume they were just getting a great deal on an actual ring from Tiffany, not a generic ring with a Tiffany-style setting.

  “The Court therefore finds that no reasonable finder of fact could reach the conclusion that Costco acted in good faith when it used the Tiffany mark in its display case signs,” wrote the judge, finding in favor of Tiffany. The case now goes to a jury to determine the damages that Costco should pay, based on the damage to their brand and Costco’s actual sales of the “Tiffany” rings.

  Before this ruling, the companies agreed that Costco would remove any signage implying that the rings came from Tiffany, and the company also sent a letter to known purchasers of the rings, letting them know that they could return the jewelry for a refund if they were unhappy with it or felt that they had been misled.

  Decision [PDF]
  Tiffany v. Costco Complaint (2013) [Internet Archive]

  
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by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

uUnited Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek Steps Down Amid Investigationr

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  (Adam Fagen)
  

  One of the nation’s largest airlines has lost its CEO and two other top executives, as United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek has stepped down from the company’s top post in the midst of a federal investigation into the airline.

  In addition to Smisek, who led Continental Airlines before it merged with United in 2010, the airline’s executive VP of communications and government affairs, and its senior VP of corporate and government affairs are also gone from the company.

  According to a statement from United, the departures “are in connection with the company’s previously disclosed internal investigation related to the federal investigation associated with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.”

  The federal investigation is reportedly looking into the possibility that Port Authority Chairman David Samson abused his position to illegally receive special treatment from United. Continental had long been the dominant carrier at Port Authority-operated Newark International, and now that title belongs to United.

  One of those special benefits for Samson may be the so-called “chairman’s flight” — a direct United route between Newark and Columbia, SC, which happens to be where the Port Authority chair keeps a vacation home.

  While the departure of Smisek and others does not bode well for their possible involvement in any sort of favors for Samson, the airline maintains that its “internal investigation and the related circumstances do not raise any accounting or financial reporting concerns.”

  Stepping up to replace Smisek is United board member, and chief operating officer of CSX, Oscar Munoz, who will continue to serve as a director for the airline.

  “It is truly a privilege to serve as United’s CEO. United has an incredible opportunity for improving an experience that is essential to the vitality of global business and to the personal lives of millions of people, for innovation, and for earnings growth,” said Munoz in a statement. “In my years serving on the board, I have been impressed by the dedication and skill of my new coworkers. Together, we will make United the top-performing airline.”

  
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by Chris Morran via Consumerist