The sign of being a true Kiwi is having an unshakable love for the iconic lollies handed out on Air New Zealand flights.
There’s nothing quite like the anticipation of seeing the flight attendant making their way down the row with the basket of goodies.
But it begs the question - how many are you actually meant to take?
A curious Redditor posed the question: “Perhaps it’s odd, but I really like the lollies that they give out on Air New Zealand flights… I was wondering, is it okay to take like, three?”
They said they wouldn’t want “to be rude or seem greedy, I just really like them.”
The 250+ comments were a mix of unhelpful, but funny, jokes, life hacks, and serious answers.
One user said their buddy took “like 6” and joked he was taken aside by the crew who beat him “with a sock stuffed with coins”. (He was joking… we hope)
Another user presented a hack: “Just say ‘OK if I take a few home for the kids?’ and go to town. Ideally, you don't actually have kids, so you get to keep them.”
While everyone had jokes, many agreed two was the acceptable amount.
“One for instant consumption, and one for when I actually need it for ear pressure purposes as we descend to land,” said one user.
You could also take the second one and “put it in your pocket and then three months later you find it and your day improves significantly.”
Theories aside, a flight attendant came to the party and gave us the truth.
They advised against the infamous claw hand grip, which “really irks me”. But the FA confirmed that we are all free to “grab a few at any time of the day… if you ask politely and say ‘Can I please grab a handful?’ Then absolutely yes.”
To make sure we had all our bases covered, we did some research and found that the official answer has been validated by Stuff.
According to Leanne Geraghty, Air NZ’s ‘chief customer, sales and lolly officer’, “a handful is acceptable.”
“We do sometimes come across a lolly enthusiast who snags a handful. We're more than happy to support either approach to lolly eating - even if your dentist doesn't!" she told the outlet.
So, there you go, next time the basket is placed in front of ya, don’t hold back.
Just maybe leave the claw grip at home.
