Austrian Airlines, owned by Germany’s Lufthansa, plans to lay off around 500 staff as part of efforts to reduce annual costs by about E100m, a person familiar with the plan said Monday. The carrier has faced increasingly stiff competition from low-cost carriers including easyJet, Wizz Air and Ryanair’s Laudamotion on short-haul routes out of its base, Vienna. The plan to reduce costs is due to be officially announced on Thursday, when Lufthansa publishes its third-quarter results. Austrian Airlines declined to comment. Austrian media reported the cost-cutting plan last week. Austrian Airlines now has just over 7,000 employees, roughly 1,200 more than after the last round of job cuts in 2012.<br/>
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A United flight was forced to make an emergency landing at a New Jersey airport after the crew reported smelling smoke in the cockpit. Officials say Flight 800 had departed from Newark Liberty International Airport early Monday and was headed for Orlando when the problem arose. The plane was only airborne for a few minutes before It returned to the airport. It wasn't immediately known how many passengers and crew members were aboard the plane, but no injuries were reported. The cause of the smoke condition remains under investigation. The passengers aboard the flight were able to depart on another plane later Monday morning.<br/>
United customers now have the option to pay over time for flights through the carrier’s partnership with point-of-sale financing company Uplift. Travellers can use Uplift Pay Monthly to pay over 11 months when booking flights from the US to any United destination. Visitors to United’s website can apply for the monthly payment option and receive an instant decision, Uplift said. “Our mission to make travel more accessible, affordable and rewarding for everyone perfectly aligns with United’s purpose of connecting people and uniting the world,” Uplift CEO Brian Barth said. “Travel has become a fundamental part of our lives and consumers today demand more flexibility. We’re excited to help more people experience the world with this partnership with United.” Uplift Pay Monthly integrates into the airline’s existing payment processes, using the payment rails in place with the UATP network. <br/>