JetBlue Charges $7 for Pillow

[Amish RakeFight]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20080804/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_pillow_fees

JetBlue charging $7 for pillow, blanket kit
By SAMANTHA BOMKAMP, AP Business Writer1 hour, 20 minutes ago



JetBlue Airways Corp. said Monday it is now charging customers for pillows and blankets.

The carrier has done away with the recycled blankets and pillows used on its flights, and has started offering an "eco-friendly" travel blanket and pillow that can be purchased for $7 on flights longer than two hours. The pair come in a kit with a $5 coupon to home furnishings retailer Bed Bath & Beyond.

The carrier claims the pillow and blanket feature a fabric technology, developed by CleanBrands LLC, that blocks pesky critters like dust mites, mold spores, pollen and pet dander.

JetBlue already offers free "Snooze Kits" on overnight flights from the West that include an eyeshade and ear plugs.
But the blanket and pillow kit is the latest in a string of a la carte items the company says are providing a revenue boost to help offset the soaring price of jet fuel.

A JetBlue spokeswoman declined to predict how much the sale of these kits will bring in, saying that the company only provides revenue details for specific items in its quarterly earnings conference calls.

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.

Shares rose 22 cents, or 4.2 percent, to $5.48 in midday trading.

 

[chperplt]

Great idea!!!

I'll gladly pay $7 for a clean pillow that I get to keep.

 

[GuinessGuy]

When I first saw this proposed, I thought.....Elcheapo Airways (Spirit/Allegiant/Skybus). But when I saw one of the Blanket/Pillow Kits, I was plesantly surprised. Not a bad little setup for the money. $7 is cheap compared to those $25-$30 U-shaped pillows people buy in the Airport shops

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Don't forget you get a $5 Bed Bath and Beyond coupon too, which offsets the cost. If these $5 coupons are anything like the ones I receive in the mail from them, it requires a minimum purchase like $15- $20.

 

[chperplt]

Elcheapo Airways (Spirit/Allegiant/Skybus)

*Cough... PUTZ.... cough

 

[BEECH-SLAPPED]

Elcheapo Airways (Spirit/Allegiant/Skybus)

Such a fantastic grasp of the Spanish language. Clever too! Maybe they can put you in charge of writing those cute little sayings on the nose of your aircraft using the word "blue". How about this one:

"Blue eleven hours in JFK on the taxiway during a blizzard"

Relax! It's a joke.

- "ElCheapo" MD-80 pilot

 

[Beetle007]

I would rather pay $7 for a fresh clean blanket than one of those "free" recycled blankets you get from other airlines.

As they say..you get what you pay for.

 

[inline]

Why not go another step and have the pax load and unload the baggage. Layoff all the baggage handlers and save the companies more $.

 

[kwick]

Sounds like desperation before they close the doors.

Apparently the last chance cash infusion from Lufthansa is about spent. Sorry to hear they might be going down, the TV.s never worked very well, but a lot of nice people might be out of work.

Better cash in those ticket vouchers.

 

[chperplt]

Sounds like desperation before they close the doors.

Apparently the last chance cash infusion from Lufthansa is about spent. Sorry to hear they might be going down, the TV.s never worked very well, but a lot of nice people might be out of work.

Better cash in those ticket vouchers.

Someone needs to stop sniffing glue...

 

[clickclickboom]

No he's right every airline that tries to briing in ancillary revenue is doomed. Sorry guys it was a great run. I guess it's back to wal mart handing out happy face stickers at the door....

I heard that a week before closure we are going to start charging for the first checked bag.onder where that insane idea came from?

 

[Cheeta]

Sounds like desperation before they close the doors.

Apparently the last chance cash infusion from Lufthansa is about spent. Sorry to hear they might be going down, the TV.s never worked very well, but a lot of nice people might be out of work.

Better cash in those ticket vouchers.

$1.35 Billion in total cash ...of which $850 Million is unrestricted cash...acording to our 2nd quarter 10K

BTW we still have all the cash from the Lufthansa deal......we are doing better than most right now!

Cash flow positive how many airlines of any size can say that?

 

[clickclickboom]

Cheeta you dont have to defend yourself. He is throwing stones from that Spirit Terminal next door. Upset over his own situation, taking jabs at others makes him feel better..

Talking about desperation,,, Did our CEO have to send a press release saying that 40% of the company was NOT being shown to the door..

Besides SWA JB is about as solid as an airline can be currently. The new blanket pillow thing is damn nice for $7 I got 2 of them for the kids

 

[airmack]

Sounds like desperation before they close the doors.

Apparently the last chance cash infusion from Lufthansa is about spent. Sorry to hear they might be going down, the TV.s never worked very well, but a lot of nice people might be out of work.

Better cash in those ticket vouchers.

I think if we put 178 seats in our A320's, started charging for the blue chips and every checked bag, ... well, then I might worry. But dont you worry Kwick about JB, we will be more than happy to staple you to the bottom of the senority list.

 

[clickclickboom]

A fleet analysis was completed on Spirit last month by our Live TV division. After removal of the older airframes and lease returns from spirit it was determined that the remaining fleet could be completely refitted with TV's within 120 days.

321 's for high density low yield JFK S FL flights and the 319's on the transcon and island market. The blue shirts are actually great they dont show the sweat rings.

Lufthansa identified Central, South, Latin America, and carrinean as high growth areas. Now what was that $300 million for?

Pieces of the puzzle

 

[castle bravo]

"321 's for high density low yield JFK S FL flights"...

How many 321's does NK operate now?

 

[Headfake14]

I can't see us absorbing another carrier right this second....a possibility, but not right now.

 

[slackass]

A fleet analysis was completed on Spirit last month by our Live TV division. After removal of the older airframes and lease returns from spirit it was determined that the remaining fleet could be completely refitted with TV's within 120 days.

321 's for high density low yield JFK S FL flights and the 319's on the transcon and island market. The blue shirts are actually great they dont show the sweat rings.

Lufthansa identified Central, South, Latin America, and carrinean as high growth areas. Now what was that $300 million for?



Heard a similar tale almost word for word from a senior VP (R.C.) (achew) at Jetblue during a transcon a few months ago right after the Lufthansa money came.

 

[QOL_is_great:)]

What's next??

So what's next:
Since JB is an LLC then charge for seat belt extenders for the overweight pax.
How about charging for the snacks and drinks too?
Charge to flush the toilet only after you have the pax that the captain has sit there so the FA can have a "real" seat.
Start charging for any trash a pax wants to dump during the flight. Just wait, the nickle and diming of the pax will cause them to leave each and every seat pocket full of trash and God know's what.
Charge for each and every smile an FA gives up while working. Or let's see a charge for every safe or smooth landing that a pilot can deliver.
Now I hope all works well for JB. I am simply being the thorn in the side because the public is saying it now.
Good luck!

 

[Joblu]

I can't see us absorbing another carrier right this second....a possibility, but not right now.

Why absorb? Just wait until it dies then pick off the dead carcass.

 

[jhwk0309]

When I saw this headline I too was taken back. I then came across an article in the WSJ dated 5 Aug 08 on page D3 that put some perspective on the situation. It stated that,

"In recent years, American, Delta and Northwest have either stopped handing out pillows or limited their availability. American says it doesn't carry pillows on domestic flights but offers them on international routes. Delta provides pillows and blankets for first-class customers domestically. Coach passengers only have blankets."

The same article stated, "Last week, US AIRWAYS GROUP Inc. said it would stop providing glasses of water free and begin to charge fliers $2 for a whole bottle --to offset rising fuel prices."

I don't know how the average consumer keeps up with this stuff. I guess B6 really isn't too far out of touch from the rest of their competitors.

 

[go!ng for broke]

So a guy standing at the ticket counter says "all these extra charges are making me sick" The ticket agent says " Don't forget pocket change for the pay toilet and the air sick bag dispenser.....

 

[Bavarian Chef]

When I saw this headline I too was taken back. I then came across an article in the WSJ dated 5 Aug 08 on page D3 that put some perspective on the situation. It stated that,

"In recent years, American, Delta and Northwest have either stopped handing out pillows or limited their availability. American says it doesn't carry pillows on domestic flights but offers them on international routes. Delta provides pillows and blankets for first-class customers domestically. Coach passengers only have blankets."

The same article stated, "Last week, US AIRWAYS GROUP Inc. said it would stop providing glasses of water free and begin to charge fliers $2 for a whole bottle --to offset rising fuel prices."

I don't know how the average consumer keeps up with this stuff. I guess B6 really isn't too far out of touch from the rest of their competitors.

I noticed that the lead line of almost every story was something like "JetBlue to Charge for Pillows and Blankets" which seemed funny to me since we haven't had them on the airplanes for a loooong time. While yes, it's technically correct, maybe "JetBlue to Offer Pillow and Blanket Kit for $7" would have been less disingenuous.

And better spin as well.

 

[wt219200]

Does anybody else thinks this seems weird due to the "Jetting" advertising. Specifically the ones talking about extra fees? They're all over Boston.

 

[Bavarian Chef]

Does anybody else thinks this seems weird due to the "Jetting" advertising. Specifically the ones talking about extra fees? They're all over Boston.

We're trying to pretend that "jetting" didn't really happen and that we didn't really pay @15 million bux for it.

My favorite part of the campaign was when they sent us emails telling us to remove the word "fly" or "flying" from our email signatures (for those that may have had it). I still say "We appreciate you flying with JetBlue" on the PA and have no plans of EVER saying the word "jetting". Ever.

 

[elag777]

We're trying to pretend that "jetting" didn't really happen and that we didn't really pay @15 million bux for it.

My favorite part of the campaign was when they sent us emails telling us to remove the word "fly" or "flying" from our email signatures (for those that may have had it). I still say "We appreciate you flying with JetBlue" on the PA and have no plans of EVER saying the word "jetting". Ever.

Just a poor sport eh Chef? :nuts:

 

[Bavarian Chef]

Just a poor sport eh Chef? :nuts:

YEP, that's it. Just a poor sport. Good thing management didn't admit that they too weren't happy with the ad campaign back at the LGB town hall meeting.

Whatever. Life goes on. We're just a big, goofy, regional airline with a multi-million dollar ad campaign that most people don't understand, and most employees roll their eyes at.

We have arrived!

 

[elag777]

You live and learn....you cant put a price on the free press we got this week though, but I have to say it is difficult not to tell Joe public where to go when he/she is byatching about things they can't possibly understand, I tell them to go ahead and drive to NY! I do hear we are adding a variety of Bavarian beer to our flights though?...

 

[Bavarian Chef]

You live and learn....you cant put a price on the free press we got this week though, but I have to say it is difficult not to tell Joe public where to go when he/she is byatching about things they can't possibly understand, I tell them to go ahead and drive to NY! I do hear we are adding a variety of Bavarian beer to our flights though?...

Yeah, we have taken a beating on this pillow thing. Funny thing is, we didn't even have pillows and blankets on board (for the most part) last week. Now we do, they're nicer and we charge for them (should you CHOOSE to buy one). Oh well.

On Friday night, at a squadron mandatory fun dinner, the wife of a buddy went off on me and JetBlue over this new policy. Has she ever flown JB? Nope.

 

[captain dad]

"Excuse me, miss. I would like a pillow. Not a big pillow. Just one big enough for say a G.I. Joe. Thanks. Oh, and I would like a blanket. Not a big blanket. Just one big enough to tie around my neck like a cape, so I can play Superman. Thanks."

Who cares. It's just another airplane ride, blankets or not. It is just another joke, in a long list of jokes, that aren't funny.

I ride JB once in a while and I think it's in poor taste at best and worst.