United Airlines will eliminate non-recyclable plastic stirring sticks and cocktail picks on all its aircraft and replace them with environmentally friendly alternatives made out of bamboo, the company announced Sept 6. The carrier expects to start making the transition to bamboo in early November. The carrier called the move “a small but meaningful step to help minimize the impact plastic products have on our environment.” United has done the research and found that with 8.8b tons of plastic now polluting the world’s oceans, even something small like replacing plastic stirring sticks and cocktail pics can make a difference. United emphasized that the elimination of the plastic sticks and cocktail pics is expected to be just a first step in a larger sustainability initiative. <br/>
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EasyJet has struck a connecting-flight agreement with SIA and its LCC subsidiary Scoot, which will both join the ‘Worldwide by EasyJet’ booking platform by the end of 2018. Passengers can use ‘Worldwide by EasyJet’ to book connecting flights within and beyond EasyJet’s network, with a minimum connecting time of 2.5 hours. SVP sales & marketing Campbell Wilson said SIA already has partnerships with other LCCs, including Virgin Australia, as well as US LCCs JetBlue and Alaska Airlines. He sees no conflict between SIA’s full-service product and EasyJet’s LCC product, because passengers book according to their needs. The agreement with EasyJet is not a codeshare and Wilson said it does not affect SIA’s profit-share joint venture with Star Alliance partner Lufthansa. <br/>