It seems the mere mention of weight is enough for an airline to drop something (for example, single use plastic wrap on an amenity kit). SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) is acting in its own way to reduce weight on an aircraft – by dropping tax-free sales.
SAS Airbus A340-300 taxing at Chicago O’Hare International – Image, Economy Class and Beyond.
SAS is playing the sustainability card on dropping inflight tax-free sales as it explores how to improve – be it fuel efficiency, alternative fuels and innovation, sustainable products and services.
However, sustainability isn’t the only reason at play. Quoting SAS:
Tax-free sales have long been a popular service onboard our flights amongst passengers who have used it, but our passengers’ buying behaviour has changed and sustainability has become more important than ever before – for both our passengers and SAS
Let’s take the wildest of leaps here. Tax-Free sales aren’t making the money it used to onboard, and instead – the airline is choosing to drop the service instead, and save the weight of carrying tax-free items around. The upshot is the airline can claim this as a win, as this will reduce the overall weight of the aircraft.
And that my friends – leads to reduced fuel bills in the long term, allowing SAS to reduce costs.
For those who miss out on tax-free shopping, SAS is planning to develop solutions to offer passengers ways of buying and receiving goods in connection with their journey.
Wither Tax-Free Sales?
Tax-Free sales have been facing a challenging environment for some time, facing a battle in towns and cities and the on-line marketplaces. In addition, airports have stepped up their sales game tremendously to gain
For some airlines – it is a key offering for them (Asiana, British Airways, Korean Air, Ryanair to name a few). Some airlines have focused on pre-ordering before a flight (such as Finnair) and offering a reduced selection onboard.
But there is a challenge in airport retail and onboard retail that airlines have to face up to – and if they feel it is worth carrying flights.
And airlines decide to get rid of it, they can always green-wash it and claim it saves weight and fuel.
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