The Airlines Stole Our Peanuts! What's Next?
The data from a new air travel survey was released yesterday from the Travel Industry Association, revealing some interesting facts. The 6 page air travel report is an eye-opening read. I was intrigued by the information compiled in what is being called a “first of its kind”* study and its strong emphasis on the state of our current economy. Then the shocker hit: US Air will stop serving snacks on their flights June 1st! They stole our peanuts! What’s next? Our resident predictor (aka my husband) forecasts that in-flight drinks will be the next to go, eliminating all drinks except water. I have to agree with his prognostication, and this is why:
The TIA’s survey showed that:“With rising fuel prices already weighing heavily on American pocketbooks, we need to find ways to encourage Americans to continue their business and leisure travel. Unfortunately, just the opposite appears to be happening.” – Roger Dow, President and CEO of TIA
- In the last year, people took 41 million fewer air trips
- As a result, the airlines lost $9.4 billion
- The vacations that didn’t happen also cost hotels $5.6 billion and restaurants $3.1 billion
The price of fuel is hurting everyone: missed vacations and business trips for people who now can’t afford to fly, the airlines losing revenue and having to cut flights, the hotels and restaurants who don’t have vacationers to patronize their establishments, and most of all – the poor souls who can actually afford to get on an airplane that now get NO PEANUTS!
Okay, just a little humor to break up the statistics. Seriously though, the small decisions we make every day have large and lasting effects.
When we travel less because we can’t afford it, the travel industry makes less money. The loss in revenue for all these businesses means that they will be cutting jobs and laying off employees. Those employees who may be losing their jobs are people just like you and me, who may be barely getting by right now.
Would you be prepared financially if you or your spouse suddenly became unemployed tomorrow?
It all comes back to realizing that we are all in this together. You and I do a great frugal job of spending less: we use coupons, walk to work, we stretch our dollars. These tactics are a great way to help our immediate family situation in this moment, but there are long-lasting effects on a much larger scale.
*quoted, TIA.com. Study only covered travel in the US.
6 Comments
Internet Secrets Investigator
We (I) have been working very hard around our house to live more frugally. But at some point the airlines have to realize that once you start to take the “perks” away, you start to lose customers. It becomes a trade off of customer service or more profits, can peanuts really cost that much.
GeekMommy
Not to put too fine a point on it, but unless you’ve been flying Delta lately, you haven’t been getting peanuts for years anyways. Because most airlines did away with peanuts due to the increasing numbers of people with deadly peanut allergies (for most, even peanut dust in the air in an enclosed environment like an airplane will cause an allergic reaction – up to anaphylaxis.)
As both sister to and mom to people with deadly peanut allergies, I was thrilled not to have to deal with it – we haven’t flown Delta since they reinstated peanuts.
Still, I get your point… but they said the same thing about getting rid of ‘meals’ on every flight.
Karen
It will be interesting to see where the airline industry is a few years from now and if there will ever be a turn around in how we fly.
Danelle Ice
@ geekmommy:
I think the term used in US Air’s press release was actually something like ‘packaged snacks’. Many airlines have made the switch from peanuts to pretzels or even chex-mix like snacks. Many people (yourself included) were glad for the switch from peanuts due to allergy concerns. I wrote peanuts in the article as a stereotypical reference to packaged snacks on flights. Thanks for the clarification and comment, and welcome to HB!
Danelle, Home Ever After
Danelle Ice
@ Karen:
I fully agree. I think it’s reached a point of no return and that major industry-wide overhaul is impending. We can forcast all we want, but I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see! lol
Danelle, Home Ever After
Anonymous
I think the industry with straighten out – at least I hope so since I am a pilots wife :). Just something to think about though – studies show that passengers pay less to fly now than we did 20+ years ago. One first hand example I can use is that my dad used to pay $350-$450 every summer for me to visit him – and he paid $199 this year. Too much competition really – and the airlines are going under to compete. The public wants more (no overbooking, snacks, more room, scedules, etc) but no one wants to pay for it.