Now Here's A Great Idea (Not!)

This just in from the Washington Post Foreign Service:

A start-up airline out of Duesseldorf plans to offer long-haul all-smoke all-the-time luxury flights. If all goes well Smoker's International Airways will make its maiden voyage early next year.

I've had lots of experience with smoke on planes -- too much experience. I remember travelling once from Australia to Canada in a business class No-Smoking seat. The two guys across the aisle from me were in the Smoking section. Eighteen inches of airspace separated the Smoking section from the Non-Smoking section. It didn't work. They smoked non-stop from Sydney to Vancouver. I remember writing a letter. I would like to think that that letter was responsible for the subsequent banning of cigarettes on flights world-wide.

But back to the subject at hand -- the all-smoke, all-the-time airline.

What I like about the idea is, with everybody smoking in such a contained area, there would be no need for you to light up -- you could just breathe in the smokey cabin air. Sure, the flights are expense, but the savings would quickly add up.

It's almost enough to want to take up smoking.

Not.

Wait a minute. The article continues.

The owner is planning on installing an extra-strength air-conditioning system that will pump in fresh air from outside. According to the owner, "the air on Smintair will be more refreshing than on a normal flight. You will not even notice the smell of somebody smoking a cigarette or pipe in the next seat."

All I can say is, "good luck with that", and, "what's this guy been smoking?

And that's the way the smoke-free Ball bounces.