SmintAir: Smokers International Airways (Link)

As more airlines competing to come up with new ideas & offer new services to its customers, a German airline comes up with an evil idea of an airline for smokers ... SmintAir (Smokers International Airways).

Former German investment banker Alexander W. Schoppmann hopes his new airline will begin daily services on March 26 between Dusseldorf in Germany and Tokyo's Narita airport. He says smoking will be permitted in all 138 seats onboard the airline's two leased Boeing 747 aircraft.

Flights will cost 6,500 euros ($8,300) return for business-class seats and 10,000 euros ($12,800) return for first-class seats.

He believes the route between Germany and Japan will offer a service to bridge Europe and Asia, and hopes to eventually extend the Dusseldorf to Tokyo route to Shanghai in China.

"It's not so much the idea of letting someone smoke, it's more the idea of letting people who are coming on board, who are making decisions every day, they don't want to be told off and we are giving them a feeling of being on a luxury airline."

SmintAir plans to start flying in March next year. Non-smokers will also be encouraged to fly with SmintAir.

Read Also:
'Smoking airline' plan, as hotels stub out (CNN)
Smoke and enjoy the flight (The Smokers Club, Inc.)
German plans airline for smokers (BBC News)