Get them coming and going

It appears as if JetBlue is relegated to milking passengers for every last nickle and dime as they have recently announced that they will charge $7 for blankets and pillows. Media reports state that David Neeleman was considering this move as far back as 2006, however waited until the fuel crisis really drove the carrier to such desperate measures. The carrier is hoping to generate additional ancilliary revenue from the sales. However, one has to question whether selling such a secondary product such as pillows and blankets is a real cash cow. Without any real research I am doubtful that many passengers will purchase the kit, and rather opt to endure the flight blanket and pillow-less. Airlines should attempt to locate real products or services that customers wish to purchase, such as JetBlue's decision to charge $5 for first run movies. Airline management needs to reestablish their thinking from a mere transport provider to that of a service provider. Airlines should attempt to retain experienced people from FMCG industries to complement airline-specific positions.