Northwest Airlines announced yesterday that they would be discontinuing the distribution of sugar and non-dairy creamer on flights due to "concerns expressed".

Hope everyone likes their weak, marginal, "created-in-a-factory-kitchen-and-trucked-who-knows-how-far" airline coffee basic tannish-brown, because that's the only way it's coming from here on out.

• RE: Yet another knee-jerk,RobertVA, 12:36z, 10-20-01
• RE: Yet another knee-jerk,Mike_Greenwood, 13:58z, 10-20-01
  • RE: Yet another knee-jerk,TD, 14:26z, 10-20-01
    • RE: Yet another knee-jerk,Ben Chiu, 20:45z, 10-20-01
    • RE: Yet another knee-jerk,Tarmack, 03:17z, 10-22-01
      • RE: Yet another knee-jerk,Mike_Greenwood, 22:14z, 10-22-01
      • RE: Yet another knee-jerk,TD [Passenger], 01:33z, 10-23-01

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Considering the products are supplied in factory sealed individual portions, that’s silly.

Although I have no interest in drinking coffee, isn’t the creamer they provide those little thimbles full of white liquid anyway? I usually drink the soda pop.

I wonder if this is really an excuse to cut the expense of purchasing the creamer and sugar. I hear Delta is cutting meal and snacks (nuts etc) on flights less then several hours long to cut expenses. If cost is the real reason they should at least be honest about it.

From reports I have recently seen, anthrax is a beige powder anyway.

Hey TD,

Good to see you back here.

>>Northwest Airlines announced yesterday that they would be discontinuing the distribution of sugar and non-dairy creamer on flights due to "concerns expressed".<<

Actually what I just heard was that non-dairy creamers and artificial sweetners would be banned. Sugar and salt will still be allowed since their granular texture is easily identified.

Either way you slice it, it's just plain stoopid!

Greenie

re: just plain stoopid...

I would agree. Eliminating silverware, you could make a case for.. maybe. Although anyone who has broken a plastic spork on an airline meal "entree" might think you need a chainsaw for a fair shot at cutting the thing.

The whole idea of bailing out the airline industry, who had managed to screw themselves better than the job done by a $3000/night "escort"; whose own short-sightedness in trying to cram all the flights into a 10 hour window; whose ability to lose luggage with elan and consistancy prompted the concept of carrying on as much as you in the first place... Christ on a crutch. The costs of running an airline: gas, people to get your passengers there, and people to take the ticket orders. AvGas did spike, but is going down; funny how pilots, stewardesses, and mechanics might want to see an increase in their paycheck (or at least something to offset the erosion due to higher health-benefit costs), although they are not matched by the increases in pay to those in the upper management who managed to boondoggle the airline into the hole in the first place; and ticket agents are being squeezed with online sites and the airlines' own efforts to grab more of the booking profit for themselves to the detriment of the travel agents out there.

The only thing more stupid than the way the airlines have managed to run a perfectly-good business into the ground is the concept that we might have to bail out insurance companies for the losses incurred on 9/11. (Granted, the events that day were massive, and hopefully a one-time occurance), I always thought that was why I paid policy premiums. Those premiums serve the same purpose as the table stakes in Vegas: Just like they didn't build all those neat buildings and attractions by paying every loser who stands pat on 17, so insurance companies have the game rigged enough in their favour already that for them to view actually having to pay out on a policy as a threat to their existence is just downright moronic...

<reaching over, turning off 'soap-box' mode, taking the wooden crate back to the corner, and then heading back to the corner to be quiet>

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>>The only thing more stupid than the way the airlines have managed to run a perfectly-good business into the ground is the concept that we might have to bail out insurance companies for the losses incurred on 9/11.<<

I agree 100%! Simply unbelievable...

Ben

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TD,

You ain't seen nuttin yet !

I certainly agree with your remarks.....but just you wait until a 55 year old "Stew", in menopause, is "armed" with a Taser stun gun.

All of us as pilots were "trained" to never push the Call Button when we rode as passengers........now I believe that the passengers will be so trained. Grin.

The "30 minute" rule of sitting in your seats after takeoff and prior to landing in the DCA area is going to spread too. Get on board.....get to your "restricted area" where you can't even cross your leg or refold a crossword...and just sit there...for your Friendly Skies ride.

During the 70's my old airline NWA, only needed a 38% load factor to make a buck on a flight........now that same load factor MUST be over 70%. We took a system that was convienent, friendly, gracious, and worthwhile......to todays cattle cars that herd you through "hubs", and that hub system often makes a flight/flights longer than it was in the DC-3 days.......when EVERY seat was roomy, comfortable and included a smiling Stew face.

Darn glad to be at home these days. Grin.

Regards,

Mel

>>to todays cattle cars that herd you through "hubs", and that hub system often makes a flight/flights longer than it was in the DC-3 days<<

Yup...I've been livin' with the "hub" system ever since TWA stopped the non-stops between SFO and BOS. I sorta stuck with them since I had so many FF miles with 'em, but I got really tired of STL <g>. Now it doesn't make a bit of difference what airline I fly, as long as it gets me there.

I got lucky a few weeks back with a trip from SJC to BDL on American (that was supposed to happen on 9/11). The plane stopped in ORD, but we could at least stay on since it was the same equipment to BDL. The same held true for the trip back.

Unfortunately, that direct flight was one of many that AA bagged to "cut costs" so my mother and grandmother (who's ambulatory) couldn't get the same "luxury," as we had. However, your alma mater had at a similar deal (direct) for the trip back at least, so they're on NW for their Thanksgiving trip!

BTW, the price was simply unbelievable, and I doubt it even pays for gas! My mom is happy with the price, but I'm sure the bean-counters aint.

Greenie

All I can say are the following points:

a) The airlines screamed for deregulation in the 70s, and thought that by getting the Feds out, it would be the answer to their prayers. In the aftermath of several near-failures (the USAir/United failed merger, as well as the gobbling up of TWA assets) toward the supposed goal of increased competition and thus improved service for passengers, I seriously question deregulation of any industry with government oversight.

b) the idea of hubs-and-spokes was good to a degree, but no airport was designed for 8 flights taking off and landing every minute of the 11 hour window from 8a to 7p. 3-4 flights a minute maybe, 1-2 flights a minute spread out over a longer period, sure. Just because everyone wants to fly during business hours to claim it as a work day rather than dorking about like it really is... Now you have a system in place that depends on perfect weather every day, at all hours, and without that, you get massive pileups that airlines are not even required to ameliorate for passengers caught up in the system.. Any more, with the developments in hush-technology for jets, my attitude gets to "you live near an airport, there is a certain level of noise that comes with it. They have done what they can to limit the noise, they can fly 18 hours a day."

c) Stews with tasers don't really scare me. I would encourage them to use them on the small children that Mommie and Daddie don't feel need to be told to "SHUT UP!!!" like the 5 inbred weasels that were on a flight from Chicago with me this summer. Little kids can be cute, they can even say the cutest things. However, there is genuine, and contrived cute... and 5 little carpet-climbers all trying to impress Mom and Dad with their preciousness... I think Mom and Dad should have bought a TV after the second kid... also had me say loud enough for the Dad to hear as I walked past the little pack harrassing another passenger while the parents watched, "it's a *$^%*@ shame you can't beat kids in public anymore".

d) due to the safety concerns, I now no longer get to stick my head into the cockpit after patiently waiting until all the other passengers are off and talk with the pilots. I got to see a demo of the Regional Jet's CRT tests while sitting on the ground in Chicago waiting for the connection to MSP. That is gone, because every pilot is probably wondering what kind of kook wants to see the cockpit, especially one of those "flight-sim kooks"

feh... time for me to get back to other stuff...

TD