To Hell With Free Peanuts: Southwest Airlines Considers an “Intriguing” New Idea

Says Bloomberg this morning, Southwest Airlines may do the unthinkable and … sell food! The Dallas-based carrier doesn’t know what it’ll sell or when it’ll begin selling it, but as the airline industry seeks new ways to make money (cough … charging for checked luggage … cough), Southwest figures that selling snacks as opposed to merely pitching peanuts may raise some extra dough. And, says a spokesperson, it’s “intriguing.” Still, at this moment the whole idea’s a bit up in the air:

Southwest, the biggest low-fare airline, hasn’t set a timetable to decide on whether to adopt food sales, [spokesperson Beth] Harbin said Wednesday in an e-mail. Nor has it resolved whether an in-flight menu would be sandwiches and salads, or an expanded snack lineup, she said. Harbin said that in any scenario for onboard sales, Southwest would retain some free snacks.