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August 04, 2006
Going up in smoke
Germans once paid $100M to buy a "death-trap" nuclear power plant in a city called Springfield without ever inspecting or seeing the place. The ended up losing half their money in a matter of weeks, though they still had enough money left over to buy the Cleveland Browns.
Now a German businessman thinks he can make money off the legions of people addicted to burning tobacco by making an airline that allows smoking. Ordinarly I'd expect a new airline to go out of business within two years, especially one that appeals to only about 20% of the population. (And many smokers like clean air, too.) But addictions are strong, and perhaps smokers will be willing to cough up $8300 to fly from Dusseldorf (a relatively small but new airport) to Tokyo-Narita. I just don't know which is stronger: the awful economics of the airline industry or addictions.
The Onion couldn't make this stuff up:
Non-smokers will also be encouraged to fly with Smintair."Allowing our guests to smoke is one of the freedoms we are happily prepared to grant," says the company's Web site.
"Non-smokers will find the cabin air more refreshing than on any other flight with any other airline, as Smintair adds fresh outside air to the conditioning system."
The website adds a rant about the Nazi Party, comparing those who favor clean air to Germany's best-known politicians:
Airlines are money pits and so is politics. This crazy German would be far better-off buying the Cleveland Browns.
Posted by adrianjo at August 4, 2006 08:25 AM