Simple Scam Puts One Tourist Out $2,000

American Airlines denied reports of merger talks with United Airlines. Scott Kirby, CEO of United, spoke with President Donald Trump about a possible merger with rival American Airlines. The news came out last week and raised concerns about negative consequences on consumers, including less competition and fewer flights. But American Airlines has now clarified that it has not engaged with its rival regarding a merger and it is not on the cards.

“American Airlines is not engaged with or interested in any discussions regarding a merger with United Airlines. While changes in the broader airline marketplace may be necessary, a combination with United would be negative for competition and for consumers, and therefore inconsistent with our understanding of the Administration’s philosophy toward the industry and principles of antitrust law,” it said.

Related: The Biggest Airline Merger in Decades Could Send Ticket Prices Soaring

Cruisers aboard Carnival Legend were part of a happy rescue last week. The ship disembarked from Galveston, Texas, when the crew spotted emergency flares from a sailboat in distress. In videos shared by passengers, a sailboat without sails is seen bobbing in the water. The cruise responded to the emergency, and an announcement was made to passengers to remain in their cabins. The crew brought the sailor and his cat, Delilah, to the cruise after launching a rescue boat. 

The man’s identity was not revealed, but he was not injured and has since disembarked. The cruise has continued its journey to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

Two pilots were heard making meow sounds on an air traffic control frequency over Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The audio was recorded and someone else, supposedly an air traffic controller, is heard telling them to be professional. This was met with more meows and barks. Then the controller remarked, “This is why you still fly an RJ,” with RJ referring to regional jets that early career pilots begin with.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the agency will investigate the conduct. Pilots are prohibited from “engaging in non-essential conversations when they’re below 10,000 feet altitude” and the agency investigates all instances where pilots may have broken the rules.

A British tourist was scammed into paying 10,000 reais ($2,000) for kebab on a beach in Rio. The swindler and his accomplice manipulated a payment terminal to overcharge the tourist, and the tourist ended up paying thousands instead of 10 reais ($2). The scammer was later arrested by police.

Scammers are hitting the famous Copacabana Beach in Rio. In recent months, many such instances have come to notice: scammers tried to get two Argentine tourists to pay 7,000 reais ($1,400) for cups of acai, while a woman paid over 20,000 reais ($4,000) for corn on the cob instead of 20 reais ($4).

An EasyJet flight from London to Malaga had to leave behind five passengers over safety issues regarding its weight. Five people volunteered to disembark so the flight could make the journey, and they were met with cheers from other passengers.

The incident happened on Saturday when the flight crossed the weight limit for the weather conditions and the runway length. Passengers were given the options: six passengers volunteer to deboard, the luggage is off-loaded, or the flight is cancelled. Five passengers took the offer and EasyJet gave them a later flight and transport.

Although not very common, there are instances when airlines request passengers to volunteer to bump off if the flight is overweight. They may also decide which passengers to boot off a flight depending on check-in times and fare type. Passengers can negotiate compensation with airlines and if lucky, get a good deal out of it.

Related: Can You Be Kicked off a Plane if the Flight Is Too Heavy?