AAFA

FA's are currently being surveyed about whether or not we think the pillows and blankets should be removed from the flights.

All of the FA's I have been speaking with are pretty irate about it.

The questions we are being asked have four possible answers and none of the answers are -don't remove pillows or blankets.

ex. question:

Do you think all nighter flights should have:
20% blankets in coach with no pillows and 100% pillows and blankets in first class?

20% pillows in coach with no blankets and 100% p and b in first class?

no p or b in coach and 60% pillows and no blankets in first?

no p or b in coach and 60% b's and no p's in first.


If you like none of the above I suggest you all start writing letters becaus I fear we are about to make the latest stupid customer service blunder.

mwp2paris

Then when they decided to rip all b & ps off the plane, it will because "we are responding to our most frequent flyer's comments about the availability of b & ps on our flights."

Please.

Thanks AAFA for the heads up (or is that pillows down) on this.

HomelessScientist

Is it your impression that this "trial balloon" relates only to US domestic flights, or to international flights as well?

whirledtraveler

We need to do something about this. A pillow under my back is the only thing that makes neck-breaker J and F seats bearable.

Please let us know who we should contact.

engineroom

the day they stop having pillows & blankets, esp in first, is the day i switch airlines

LLZ

Bad bad move AA....deluge them with emails everyone!

crAAzy

I'm usually not a very picky person, but I've always had an aversion to pillows and blankets on airplanes, especially in coach (where I spend 80% of my time). If the blankets in F or J are wrapped in plastic I'll use them without worries. If they're not, I'll do without thank you.

I do realize that many people do use the blankets and pillows in coach; however, I'd much rather see AA do away with them in their coach cabins and upgrade the premium cabin products (P class domestic and F,J class international). Something similar to CX's duvet blankets and oversized pillows would be very nice. Especially if AA plans to go through with the rumoured J class seat conversions. As for domestic F, the current product is fine IMHO.

Sticking with the available options, I would have to choose the first, as I always thought blankets were more versatile than pillows since they can also be rolled up and used as a pillow.

In compliance with rules of full disclosure, I generally sleep with 4-5 pillows

LLZ

Yes that would be nice, but unfortunately not present in the available choices given to AAFA and the rest of the flight attendants....

venk

Assuming they can actually save costs with this, here are my suggestions if I were to purely optimize by usage.

Short haul flights (less than 2 hours)

40% pillows and 20% blankets but not distributed in the seats where people stomp on them and sit on them. Handed out when asked only.

Long haul flights - domestic and day time and FC on short haul

60% pillows and 40% blankets again given when asked only.

Long haul red-eyes and international and FC on all domestic long haul

100% pillows and 100% blankets pre-assigned to seats.

The only problem is if they fly the same plane on different missions, they will need to stock 100% on almost all. But I think stowing them and handing out only when asked results in a lot less dirty pillows and blankets when you need them and lot less washing.

dspringer28

Out of princple I think they should have them, but personaly, I almost never use them, and the only time I even think about it is when they are sealed in plastic. I see more people using pillows as a foot rest for there nasty bare feet than putting them behind there head.

tismfu

On a recent LGW-DFW flight in Y, my pillow and blanket were obviously unwashed and had all sorts of nasties all over them. Is it just my imagination or are pillows and blankets almost always fresh on longhauls? That was the first time I remember thinking the things were nasty on a longhaul flight. For domestic I am used to unwrapped pillows, but not longhaul international.

oldpenny16

I will not use them. I carry a large silk scarf for use as a blanket and my own back pillow (Magellans). Not only I have seen many of them on the floor, but also wrapped around messy children, snuffling adults and all sorts of feet and shoes. An amazing number of people put them on the floor and put there shod feet on them.

Ask any FA. They are seldom cleaned and are discarded when they are too horrible to fold up and use again.

inlanikai

As far as only giving them out only when asked..... oh yeh, the FA's are going to love that.

The blankets always smell, particularly when they have been wrapped in plastic. After coming back home on 167 from NRT, if I had a blanket on during the flight my spouse says I have "airplane smell" and promptly tells me to take a shower before she "welcomes" me home.

The pillows, as previously stated in this thread, are an absolutely necessity in the J seats on 767s and 777s.

In J and F: 100% blankets, 110% pillows placed at the seats
In Y: 60% blankets, 60% pillows spread throughout the cabin in the overheads.

free_miles

Whether in F, J, or Y, I always need a pillow for my lower back (the lumbar support in int'l F/J just doesn't work for me). If I'm lucky enough to find an extra pillow, I'd use it for my neck. A blanket is nice when it gets cold. Yes I know they can be nasty, but I need something to make the seats more comfortable. Can't imagine flying without them (and don't ask me to bring my own).

Plato90s

I've sent my e-mail via the AA.com site. Taking away pillows/blankets is a small savings compared to the customer animosity it'll generate.