Got A Match?

You may ask yourself if it’s really worth it. But, for a smoker sitting on a long fight from Germany to Japan, it just might be. The German news agency DPA says the world's first airline just for smokers plans to offer its first flight next March.

Of course, the privilege of lighting up onboard will come with a price. Alexander Schoppmann, the founder of Smoker's International Airways -- also called Smintair -- says his carrier plans to fly between Tokyo and Dusseldorf, Germany, where travelers can then connect to other European destinations.

Schoppmann says currently there are no direct flights out of Dusseldorf to Tokyo, and there is a large contingent of Japanese business people who would be willing to pay high seat prices for the privilege of smoking during a flight.

The airline reportedly plans to lease two Boeing 747s. Each would offer 138 first-class and business-class seats.

So... how does Schoppmann expect to get the needed capital for such a venture, and not end of the butt of a joke? He says he expects to get help from sponsors... such as cigarette companies.

If the idea doesn't go up in smoke, will the TSA have to stop collecting those bins and bins of cigarette lighters?

FMI: www.smintair.com