Flying

[mike9876]

On a recent flight when they came around with coffee I asked the stewardess if they have sweetners. We only have sugar was the reply and most people carry their own sweetners. I felt like a I could scream being told most people carry their own sweetners again.

How much money would it cost a airline to have sweetners on board. They can cater for non diabetics but not diabetics when it comes to a hot drink.

To be honest I don't see why I have to carry sweetners when I am paying for a service that I don't get but non diabetics are catered for. Its not only airlines, many restaurants don't seem to have sweetners as well. Maybe they will give us diabetics a reduction on our tea or coffe seeing we are not using their sugar.

When I go on holiday in europe I have to drink diet coke because it seems nobody in other european countries to the UK don't seem to drink any other diet drink than diet coke.

These may seem like a small problem to somebody without diabetes but for somebody with diabetes its a huge problem. I wonder how a non diabetic would feel if they couldn't have a tea or coffee because they were not carrying sugar with them or were restricted to one type of fizzy drink when on holiday.

They would all be complaining.

I will be sending various complaints to different companies and will be looking at if airlines don't provide sweetners but sugar if they are in breach of the UK disability discrimination act.

Just needed that rant.

Mike

[solox316]

Sounds like a reasonable rant, I would agree! It shouldn't be too much to ask to carry a few sweetners on the airplane...

Most restaurants around here only serve a diet cola or iced tea. Not much else for other diet sodas. Some fast food places are starting to have a better variety, but not much.

[barko]

Most restaraunts here in the US have some sort of alternative sweetner available - but not sure about all the airlines - UAL seems to be aware though..

United Airlines - Goals and policies (http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,1059,00.html)

And..

United Airlines - Medical diets (http://www.united.com/page/middlepage/0,6823,1058,00.html)

Your concerns are certainly valid - seems crazy to expect people to carry their own sweetners. Its not that big of an investment for the airlines.

[painthorse]

I would agree except for 1 point. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I'v seen people request a sugar substitute and then make an absolute pig of themselves, demanding (or somply taking) it by the handfull. I'll bet the budget for these things is incredible. The lack of courtesy that exist in the U. S. has made it to the corporate side as well but not without cause, I think. They also have a captive audience - what are you going to do? Walk? I keep a small box of Equal in my truck so I'm rarely without, no hassle.

[princesslinda]

I never knew that airlines didn't have sugar substitutes. Will definitely make sure I have some from now on. Haven't flown since my diagnosis. I do think that if diabetic consumers made their voices heard things might change. I never thought of these things before diagnosis, so I think on one level it's just not something non-diabetics think of. Movies are another pet peeve...diet coke, water or nothing! I've started mentioning it to managers at the theatre..not sure if it will help, but someone will be made aware.

[desperado]

I was having stomach problems 20 years ago and was taken off any thing with caffiene. I soon learned that meant no tea and no diet coke caffiene free at that time.

I started asking for water when ever away from home. I can say that is the one thing I do well is drink water all the time. Breakfast noon and all the time..

In my area there seems to be plenty of sugar subitutes in fast food as well as the restaurants. as far as flying I don't know but good luck .

[mike9876]

In the UK we get these little airline meals with knife, fork, sugar ect in a nice little sealed plastic bag. It wouldn't kill them to put some sweetners in the bag as well. It might seem like something small but it restricts peoples lives which is already restricted even more. I do believe if more diet drinks were available non diabetics would drink more of the sugar free than the with sugar drink. Its not asking a lot.

[mg_2204]

I am so surprised they didn't have sweetners! I mean, they are all over the place...!!! In fact, last time I went out with a friend of mine, she had a hard time finding a table with REAL sugar. There were sweetners all over but no real sugar on most tables. Incredible!

[Keezheekoni]

In the UK we get these little airline meals with knife, fork, sugar ect in a nice little sealed plastic bag. It wouldn't kill them to put some sweetners in the bag as well. It might seem like something small but it restricts peoples lives which is already restricted even more. I do believe if more diet drinks were available non diabetics would drink more of the sugar free than the with sugar drink. Its not asking a lot.

The problem is that when you have companies who by taking just one olive off of each salad save $3M a year, you'll likely not find them adding sweeteners to anything...as they are more expensive than an olive is, and most people would probably just throw the sweetener away. It's just not cost effective for them to supply sweeteners, unfortunately.