Swiss Miss?

Yesterday I was on a Swiss Air flight.  At least I think it was yesterday.  I'm still not quite sure what time zone I am in.  For the purposes of this post, let's just say it was yesterday.  While on the flight, the flight attendants came through with the duty free cart.  A chance to purchase an assortment of different items, tax free right on the plane.  Convenient if you were looking to pick something up, but didn't have time to stop at the duty free shop at the airport.  

As the flight attendants pushed the carts through the cabin, one of them announced the cart by saying, "Cigarettes, chocolate, watches."  At first I was struck by the strangeness of that list.  Cigarettes and chocolate I could see - both are usually sold at gas stations and mini marts.  But watches?!?  As I started to mull this over in my head, I was struck by an even greater oddity.  Swiss Air was selling cigarettes on an airplane!

For years now it has been illegal to smoke on planes.  There is a message included in the safety review at the start of the flight warning passengers that it is a no smoking flight.  There are alarms in the lavatories should any smokers be foolish enough to try secretly smoking.  And it is a felony to tamper with or try to disable those smoke detectors.  

Now, I am not a smoker.  I have never even tried a cigarette.  I do know smokers, and many of them have a hard time going for four hours without a cigarette. This flight is eight hours, twice that time, so any serious smokers would definitely be wishing for a cigarette before the flight is over.  It seems mean to me to tempt those individuals with a cart littered with cartons of cigarettes (not to mention chocolate and watches) less than halfway through the flight.

So I guess I learned today that Swiss Air is insensitive to the cravings of serious smokers.  Sure, that's my opinion, but all facts seem to support it.  And even if they are sensitive, that doesn't change the ridiculousness of selling those cigarettes along side chocolate and watches.

Good luck with that, Swiss Air.