Cuppa coup

Their cups runneth, er flyeth, over

Southwest, like most airlines, wants two things: to save money and to be liked. In that sense, perhaps, airlines aren't that different from normal people except that Southwest is very good at letting people know why they should be liked. They're clever that way. Their latest trope is a celebration of their latest weight-saving cost cutting measure, which is not a new computer or a new winglet or even a new uniform.

No, it's their new cups. The airline is boasting that it is on course to save more than $1 million a year by switching a PET (Polyethylene) cup to a PP (Polypropylene) cup. It buys about 98.5 million cups a year, and these cups, although slightly milky in colour rather than clear like the old cups, should save weight as well as money. And we are pleased to note that Southwest got the word out via e-mail, rather than sending out a mailing.