Southwest Airlines is about to stop serving peanuts on its
flights.
"Peanuts forever will be part of Southwest's history
and DNA," the carrier said. "However, to ensure the best onboard
experience for everyone, especially for customers with peanut-related
allergies, we've made the difficult decision to discontinue serving peanuts on
all flights beginning August 1."
Southwest has been serving peanuts on and off since the
early 1970s, and peanuts have been a consistent offering of the carrier since
approximately 1980.
Most other U.S. airlines don't serve peanuts. One exception
is Delta. However, Delta states on its website that it will refrain from
serving peanuts on a specific flight if it receives notification of a peanut
allergy from a passenger ahead of time.
Southwest said it will continue to serve pretzels on short-haul
routes as well as a variety of snacks on longer flights.
"Our ultimate goal is to create an environment where
all customers -- including those with peanut-related allergies -- feel safe and
welcome on every Southwest flight," the carrier said. "We'll miss the
peanuts, but, at the end of the day, it's our Southwest employees and the
hospitality they deliver that set us apart, far more than peanuts ever could."