"Airline To Stop Handing Out Prayer Cards"

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And our last word in business today comes from Alaska Airlines. The carrier has been putting prayer cards on the meal trays it serves passengers since the 1980s. Flying can be nerve-wracking and the airline figured people might find comfort in a psalm from the Old Testament, along with the soothing image of a beach or the mountains.

It was also a marketing strategy so the airline could differentiate itself from competitors. Many passengers didn't mind.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

But some did mind, and recently the complaints outweighed the compliments. Yesterday, Alaska Airlines announced it will not place prayer cards on meal trays anymore. Only first class passengers will notice this difference.

MONTAGNE: That's because the airline has not served meals in the main cabin for six years.

And that's the business news on MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.

INSKEEP: And I'm Steve Inskeep.