In their relentless quest towards the world of zero fares, American Airlines after adding standby charges has moved to charge a fee for blankets and pillows on domestic flights starting May 1. They join JetBlue and USAirways who already charge for pillows and blankets.
As the airlines continue to search for ancillary revenues, American Airlines has shown that it is not afraid to lead the way. They were the first major domestic airline to begin charging for the first checked bag, they have been charging for meals for some time, they just announced $50 standby fees for coach passengers and now they are yanking free pillows and blankets and charging for them.
This new pillow and blanket fee will apply to all domestic flights, as well as those to or from Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Central America. Transatlantic, transpacific and flights to South America will still rate free blankets and pillows.
I have mixed emotions when it comes to pillows and blankets. I have seen far too many filthy airline blankets and pillows that I would never want close to my body. Plus, I have seen mothers changing babies on airline blankets and passengers wrapping their bare feet in them. So, a charge for a clean blanket and pillow that we get to keep and use on a future flight might not be such a bad thing.
Plus, the $8 blanket and pillow charge comes complete with a voucher worth $10 off a future purchase of $30 or more at Bed, Bath & Beyond (following the JetBlue and USAirway models). So we are going to kinda get our money back.
Of course, Southwest Airlines, the company that hates fees, solves the problem by not offering any pillows and blankets. This may be the best solution since it frees up space for overhead storage and passengers can bring along their own pillows and blankets (perhaps those they purchased from AA, JetBlue and USAir).
Unfortunately, as fees go up passengers seem to be dropping. Though the correlation between fees and passengers is rather tenuous. It seems that passengers are getting used to fees.
There is some hope on the horizon for confused passengers searching for a way to accurately compare prices on flights with so many hidden fees. Sen. Menendez (D-NJ) has introduced a Clear Airfares Act to the Senate. Staffers and advocates are working diligently to find a way to serve up a basket of fees that will be consistent across the internet and in ads for flights. Perhaps the combination of airfare+reservation fee+first bag+one drink might become the standard. Negotiations proceed.
The biggest surprise to passengers comes these days when they find an airline that doesn’t charge fees for everything. Remember when US Airways began charging for soda, juice and water. Get ready. My prediction — Within a year, all the majors will be charging for those drinks.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
