This is sure to garner some smirks and
snarky responses.
Like this one you’re reading.
I have heard of many different measures by
airlines to save money, but
this one takes the cake. That is, if you have the knife to cut the cake and a fork to eat it.
Cathay Pacific is surveying customers if
they would bring their own utensils to business class, as spotted by PaddleYourOwnKanoo from a FlyerTalk forum. This is not a joke even
if it sounds like the set-up for one.
I’m all for pinching pennies and figuring
out ways to save money, but this sounds far-fetched. Then again, in the 1980s,
in what has become the stuff of legend, then-CEO Robert Crandall of American
came up with the idea of cutting just one olive from a salad to save money. So
what do I know?
Now, to be fair, the question was just one
of many asked of its frequent flyers on Cathay. But it still seems like an odd
question. This is a time when airlines are trying to reduce their carbon
footprint. They are recycling plastic water bottles and asking passengers to
bring reusable bottles. So it seems counter intuitive to ask passengers to bring
plastic cutlery. And for safety reasons, you probably won’t get past the Transportation
Security Administration checkpoints with a knife and a fork from mom’s kitchen drawer.
Can you imagine that conversation? “I’m
sitting in business class, so I need these to cut my meat.” In addition to
likely being arrested, are you familiar with the phrase 72-hour evaluation?
To reiterate, I am all for cutting costs
and saving money. And we all know that aviation, from a single engine puddle
jumper to a Dreamliner, is costly. Running an airline is an expensive
proposition. The cost of fuel alone is ridiculous.
But this seems outlandish if the question
is seriously being considered.
Anything to declare? “Why, yes, I have
this rum and a bottle of cologne and a knife and a fork.”
I can't imagine many business travelers would be willing to do this. With the cost of airfare prices these days, having your utensils included with your meal just feels like a given.
If Cathay is really in a financial bind and looking to become more sustainable, maybe eliminate the extra tomato or try cutting out an olive.
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