The airlines, in common with many Americans, are dieting these days.
But in this case, it’s not a matter of shedding pounds but a struggle to cut back on fuel.
For example:
- Airplanes are carrying less drinking water.
- Passengers are also increasingly facing added charges for bags that weigh more than 50 pounds.
- Ovens in planes that no longer serve food are being jettisoned.
- The need to reduce weight is being drilled into the heads of airline employees.
Is this really making a difference in reducing rising fuel costs?
“We fly so many flights a day that if we can get 100 pounds off every flight, we save millions of dollars a year,” American Airlines Capt. Steve Chealander, manager of flight operations, told the Chicago Tribune.
Report by David Wilkening
