Passengers on Alaska Airlines are seeing red, but it’s not because flights are being cancelled. The company is the first airline in the world to add the Red Bull Energy Drink to its regular in-flight beverage selection. Passengers flying Alaska Airlines this Memorial Day weekend will have the option of ordering the popular energy drink on all of Alaska’s 500 daily flights.
If you are flying first class the drink will be free. However, if you want to enjoy Red Bull at a cruising altitude in coach, be prepared to fork over $5 per can. The airline says, “Red Bull contains about the same amount of caffeine found in a cup of coffee, as well as a combination of natural substances that help replenish the body’s natural energy supply.” The nonalcoholic drink is favored by athletes and has become an essential beverage for college students pulling all-nighters. The makers of Red Bull say the drink is “made for moments of increased physical and mental stress and is designed to improve endurance, alertness, concentration and reaction speed.” Which begs the question, why offer the drink at 25,000 feet?
My guess, if some bars are making martinis with it, then why not add it to the in-flight beverage menu? The airline says offering Red Bull on its flights is a way to differentiate their company from the rest. The move is the latest in a series of new in-flight beverage product additions for Alaska Airlines. Last year, the airline began offering a brand of bottled water, whose profits directly benefit women’s cancer research.
Will the “Red Bull factor” really cause flyers to flock to Alaska Airlines? I would guess not. However, in a time when other airlines are cutting their in-flight beverage options in half, the introduction of a drink that claims to “gives you wings” will be a great addition to Alaska Airlines’ advertising campaign.
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