The parent company of BA and Iberia has agreed to buy Spanish rival Air Europa for E1b. In a statement Monday, IAG says the purchase will be completed by the end of 2020 if competition regulators approve it. IAG expects the purchase to turn its Madrid base into "a true rival" to Europe's main air travel hubs in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London and Paris. The statement says that by taking control of Air Europa the group also expects to lead flights between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean. Air Europa operates 66 aircraft to 69 destinations in and outside of Spain. As one of the world's largest airline groups, IAG flies to 268 destinations with 573 airplanes.<br/>
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A quarter of cabin crew working at Qantas Airways were sexually harassed by a colleague over the past 12 months but only 3% reported it to the airline, according to a group-wide audit. A review commissioned by the Australian airline in the wake of the #MeToo movement found that a third of those who did not report sexual harassment said it was because they were able to put a stop to the harassment themselves. Others said it was because they feared they would be ostracised, not taken seriously or it would damage their careers, according to a summary of the findings circulated to staff on Monday. “To be clear, we have zero tolerance for any form of abuse or discrimination in any part of the Qantas Group,” said Rachel Yangoyan, COO, Australian Airports at Qantas, in an email to cabin crew. “If you experience or witness behaviour that is unacceptable, I encourage you to speak up.” Sexual harassment has become a big corporate concern over the past two years owing to the #MeToo movement. Trade unions representing cabin crew have said sexual harassment is a particular problem in the global airline industry, where some female employees are still forced to wear high heels and make-up. Staff must often work irregular hours and stay in overseas locations. Women are woefully under represented at executive level: a 2017 survey found that just 3% of airline CEs were women. <br/>
Citigroup said Monday it was planning to offer a high-interest online savings account early next year to users of its American Airlines co-branded credit card. The savings account, Citi Miles Ahead savings account, will offer up to 50,000 miles as a sign-on bonus and a 25% boost on miles earned through the card, the bank said. The digital service will only be available in areas where the bank does not have physical branches.<br/>