Alaska Airlines to stop offering prayer cards to passengers

For decades, Alaska Airlines handed out prayer cards to passengers along with their meals. For the past 6 years the practice has only been done for first class passengers, but it still has been a long-standing tradition for Alaska Airlines.

Now, Alaska Airlines’ long-standing tradition of handing out prayer cards will be done away with entirely, the company announced in a press release Thursday. The decision was made, the company explains, after the company heard from customers who thought it was inappropriate to mix religion with transportation.

“This difficult decision was not made lightly,” Alaska Air Group CEO Bill Ayer and Alaska Airlines President Brad Tilden wrote in an email Wednesday to regular customers.

“Some of you enjoy the cards and associate them with our service,” they wrote. “At the same time, we’ve heard from many of you who believe religion is inappropriate on an airplane.”

Alaska Airlines first started handing out the prayer cards with meals in the 1970s. The company received very little in the way of complaints from passengers over the course of nearly 30 years, but that started to change in 2006, which prompted the decision to limit prayer cards to first class and, ultimately, scrap it entirely.

In the press release, Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Bobbie Egan said that the company considered both decides when it came to the decision.

“After carefully considering all sides, it was agreed that eliminating the cards was the right thing to do,” Egan said. “It is important that everyone know that this decision does not change our core values nor our care for our customers.”

Do you agree with Alaska Airlines’ decision to stop offering prayer cards with meals, or do you think the practice was harmless to begin with?

[Image credit: AP]