Southwest to stop serving iconic snack
Southwest Airlines will say goodbye to its signature in-flight snack, citing passenger allergy concerns
Peanuts or pretzels? Passengers on Southwest Airlines will no longer have to decide after the carrier announced that it plans to stop serving peanuts to protect people who are allergic to them.
Southwest Airlines is jettisoning peanuts, the carrier’s signature in-flight treat, beginning Aug. 1 to address concerns over passenger allergies.
The Dallas-based airline long known for marketing its low-cost “peanut fares” will continue to offer passengers complimentary pretzels and some other free snacks on longer flights.
“Peanuts forever will be part of Southwest’s history and DNA. However, to ensure the best onboard experience for everyone, especially for customers with peanut-related allergies, we’ve made the difficult decision to discontinue serving peanuts,” Southwest said in a statement. “We’ll miss the peanuts, but, at the end of the day, it’s our Southwest employees and the hospitality they deliver
that set us apart, far more than peanuts ever could.”
Southwest will not prohibit passengers from bringing their own peanuts, but it also will continue to allow customers with peanut-dust allergies to board early so they can wipe down their seat and tray tables to remove any residue.
Dr. Betsy Gelb, marketing professor at University of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business, agreed that Southwest would benefit from discontinuing peanuts on their flights because people who suffer from peanut allergies will feel catered to by the airline.
She also applauded Southwest for being able to create attention for itself by getting rid of the peanuts.
“As a marketer, I have to admire people for getting publicity without spending a dime,” Gelb said.
She is confident Southwest will be able to fend off any blowback from disgruntled peanut fans.
Southwest “is the best at patter,” she said. “Surely (the flight attendants) will be clever to talk up the snacks that they are giving you, whether they add something or not. I’m guessing that it will turn into, in a sense, a way to entertain the folks that ask what happened to the peanuts.”
Passengers at Hobby Airport on Tuesday did not seem overly concerned by the impending loss of the legume.
Joy Jordan said she succumbed to temptation as she munched on the complimentary peanuts while flying Southwest from her home in Cleveland.
“I should not have had it because I wear braces and they got caught,” Jordan said with a laugh. “I couldn’t resist.”
As much as she enjoyed the peanuts, Jordan said she approves of Southwest’s move. As a health care professional, she said, she knows that many people are allergic to peanuts and peanut products.
Pete Garcia, a marketing consultant to the airline industry, said the number of seats packed onto airplanes these days increases the risk of allergic reactions from passengers breathing the peanut allergens.
He said he does not think Southwest acted to merely save money.
“Today with airlines being very profitable, I don’t think it would be a matter of a cost-cutting issue, but more a matter of a customer service issue,” Garcia said. “I think it’s more of an issue of safety and avoiding the potential of someone becoming ill and the potential of a lawsuit.”