JetBlue to Charge for Pillows

The nickel and diming of the America air traveler continues. The latest news is that JetBlue is going to start charging $7 for an “eco-friendly” travel blanket and pillow that can be purchased on flights longer than two hours. Rising fuel prices are a major concern, but there has to be a way of generating revenue that doesn’t insult the customer’s intelligence.

The flying public has had to put up with a great deal of late. Service has become terrible. Flights are over-booked and then cancelled. Security concerns have everyone taking off their shoes and carrying clear bags with small amounts of shampoo and toothpaste. The situation is ridiculous.

JetBlue offers free “snooze kits” for those traveling from the west coast on the red-eye. The new kit, made by CleanBrands LLC, is dubbed as "the world's cleanest" due to its toxin-blocking fabric. Passengers who buy the kit also get a coupon for $5 off purchases at home and furnishings retailer Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.

MSNBC reports, “The carrier said last month it expects to collect about $40 million from customers buying seats with extra leg room this year. Its $15 fee for a second checked bag is expected to translate into about $20 million in additional revenue. A ticket change fee, which doubled to $100 in the second quarter, is part of a ‘basket of fee changes’ expected to produce about $50 million in extra revenue in 2008.”

Of course, the company is entitled to the money, and if passengers are really interested in the kit, they’ll buy them. The point is that if the airline were simply to raise fares and give the stuff away free, passengers would get the feeling that they were getting something for nothing.

© Copyright 2008 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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