Cash Grabbing Airlines
Flying the friendly skies has been costing more and more for quite some time. Of course if you fly the friendly skies a lot, you also know the skies aren’t always friendly. There are long lines at check in, long lines at security, and long lines while boarding! Then, there’s the fact that for a long time airlines have stopped offering any kind of food or drink on flights. They say it’s all a matter of cutting costs and making it more affordable to fly. Have you checked the price of an airline ticket lately? It’s hardly affordable. Of course since few airlines offer food during flights anymore, there’s always some guy sitting nearby who decided buying some kind of hot, spicy and smelly food from the terminal would be a good idea for the flight. Give me a break!
Now, making matters even worse, many airlines say they’re trying to off-set the high price of fuel, but charging extra, for what should be part of the flight. That’s right, it all started as a way for airlines to supposedly make up for lost dollars because of high gas prices. But, now this is really getting out of hand and it’s time for airline passengers to say “enough is enough.” Many airline carriers now charge for checked luggage, and in some cases they’re even charging for soft drinks, coffee and even that little bag of three peanuts.
But JetBlue has gone even further in the cash-grabbing-ways of airlines by no longer offering free pillows and blankets. That’s right folks, if you fly JetBlue and want to take a nap on a pillow, it will no cost you!
JetBlue, the airline that’s supposed to be even more traveler-friendly than the other airlines, is now charging you to take a nap. If you’re in need of a pillow and a blanket on a JetBlue flight, it will cost you 7 bucks. Of course JetBlue is trying to explain the cash grab away by saying the policy change is in the best interest of customers. They claim the so-called eco-friendly fabric technology of the new pillows and blankets resist dust mites, mold spores and a bunch of other icky stuff. At this point, Jet Blue has not yet estimated how much it will make from charging for the pillow and blanket kits.
I’m sorry, but I’m not buying it on many levels. Charging for a blanket and pillow that’s been used by someone else in the first place!? Ick!
When will this madness stop. This has nothing to do with off-setting high fuel costs anymore. This is simply a cash grab by the money hungry airlines who’ve figured out people will pay for things like this. Also involved in this JetBlue cash grab scam is Bed Bath & Beyond. According to a spokesperson for JetBlue, each blanket and pillow kit comes with a $5 coupon good toward any purchase at Bed Bath & Beyond. That company should be embarrassed and ashamed of the fact that they too are cashing in on a cash grab scam.
I say it’s time for airline passengers to stand up and stop being held hostage by the airline industry. They hold their paying customers hostage once you’re on the plane, and now they’re forcing you to pay for used merchandise. Big oil companies are feeling the pinch and lowering prices as people have stopped traveling so much. Maybe it’s time for big airline companies to feel the pinch as people stop flying the so-called friendly skies.
Just my two cents,
Dr. Rus
