SkyMall bankrupt

The in-flight catalog company SkyMall filed for bankruptcy on Jan. 23, blaming lower sales on the increased use of tablets and smartphones, which offer alternative distractions in the air and other purchasing options. 

Once present on every major US airline, SkyMall ended its catalog service on Jan. 16. Delta removed the catalogs from its planes in November, and Southwest planned to do so later in 2015, leaving only American and United.

SkyMall, which first released its catalog in 1989, reported 2014 earnings of $15.8 million through September after earning $33.7 million in 2013. Its parent company, Xhibit Corp., which bought SkyMall in 2013, also is filing for bankruptcy.

Neither SkyMall nor Xhibit Corp. gave any indication on where travelers now would be able to purchase realistic garden Bigfoots.