Organic in the Air

While my recent flights with (K) u-wait Airways and Gulf Air have given me new perspectives on the definition of terrorism, I am still rather down on the crappy service of US-based airlines. Last year I crossed the Pacific on American Airlines with a broken monitor for all to stare at wistfully, and then hopped on All Nippon Airways for a 6-hour flight to Bangkok complete with fresh sushi and my personal entertainment monitor. KLM impressed me on my short flight from Istanbul to Amsterdam by actually offering food. (Since when did that become a novelty by the way?) While other airlines are working up to “edible”, KLM has gone organic! It’s like Whole Foods in the sky without the inflated prices. Their marketed philosophy:

Reduce the toxic load: keep chemicals out of the air, water, soil and bodies
Taste better and truer flavor
Build healthy soil
Protect future generations

All wrapped in a plain cardboard box: a whole grain bread roll, organic preserves, organic yogurt, organic butter and an organic nutty granola bar. And what’s a Dutch flight without gouda? Woe to you who are organically allergic to nuts or lactose intolerant, however. The coffee was Rainforest Alliance Certified with at least 30% of the beans grown in RA certified plantations. That’s rather good, apparently, although 30% never impressed my high school calculus teacher. Well, even an F-minus tastes pretty darn good.

Whereas Turkish airlines and others have been doling out metal silverware that would never pass security, there won’t be any hijackings with the knives on board THIS airplane. Travelers with long nails won’t need these. Good luck spreading the organically cold organic butter.