A Blanket
I flew on a US-based airline recently. It was unavoidable. Anyway, it was cold in the cabin. Much colder than usual. In fact, had I coughed or sneezed I would have started a snow storm in there. Now, I’m generally ok with a bit of a chill, but this was way beyond what even I could stand. So, I looked around for some blankets and when I couldn’t find any I simply asked a flight attendant. I thought it was a pretty common and easily fulfilled request. Guess not. I was greeted with this response: “Blankets are for our first class and business class customers only.” I was third class so I didn’t qualify and was obviously not worthy of a blanket. Blankets are reserved for the special people. Ok. But mere minutes later and right after the safety instructions a flight attendant grabbed the microphone and gleefully announced this to entire plane: “If there is anything we can do to make your flight more enjoyable, please don’t hesitate to ask.” I wondered why they didn’t see the disconnect. I guess they haven’t implemented the technology to segregate audio messages like they segregate people.
Last time I flew the flight attendant said they got rid of them due to swine flu concerns. Apparently they would have to wash them after each use, which they weren’t willing to do for non-first class customers. Pretty annoying because the plane was positively chilly.
emgee
July 31, 2010 at 1:47 am
Well, I certainly now understand that insane explanation they gave you given my experience. Learn something new every day, I guess.
Jim Grisanzio
August 2, 2010 at 10:36 pm
welcome to the 21st century.
their lips are moving. do not believe their “blithering of the day”.
bottom line is what it is about. by cutting out blankets and pillows entirely, they shave a few cents per head. note, however that you can *buy* said binky and pillow in the terminal, if you are aware ahead of time.
since travel has been so heavily reduced in the last ten years, they are desparate to make money anywhere they can. extra fuel fees, charging for checked luggage, charging for food, now binkies and pillows.
one airline on the east coast has recently started charging for carry-on bags.
what airlines refuse to realize, is that the travel model (like the computing model) has changed, and they are literally reducing travel further.
my wife and i *will not* fly anymore unless it is absolutely essential and literally unavoidable. what use to be a 2 hour flight and 30 minutes on the road now requires spending 8 or more hours arriving early for security checks, stripping, having your lunch confiscated, waiting in terminals, etc.
add all of the above to this and it no longer becomes “leisure travel” .
i found i can get most places i want to go in a ten hour drive. For everything else in north america, i am buying a used rv and planning on 3 days on the road each way, in comfort, eating what i want when i want, and in a known comfortable and clean bed. When the Hiltons started finally admitting to bedbugs, that was the final nail. I don’t need to be exposed to bedbugs or the toxic chemicals used to delouse the rooms.
grumpyoldguy
August 5, 2010 at 7:02 am