Travel Tip: Always Wear Layers
Travelers are generally outraged that American Airlines will be charging $8 for blankets on their domestic flights. Nevertheless, the announcement comes as no surprise, and I pretty much expect other airlines to make similar announcements soon. JetBlue and US Airways already have charges in place.
Can you think of any flight that was ever a comfortable temperature? It’s almost always chilly on airplanes, and AA is hoping to capitalize on passengers’ silly optimism that their next flight might actually be different. But you do not want that blanket — even if it’s free. According to a flight attendant friend, those blankets rarely get washed and are probably dirtier than the airplane lavatory. So wear warm clothes on your flight.
Even if you’re flying from Miami to Cancun in July, you’re going to want to wear a sweatshirt and long pants for the plane. Your shorts and tank tops go in the suitcase for when you reach your destination. This is a no-lose situation. No one ever overheated because they were wearing jeans, and a full zip hoodie lets you regulate just how bundled up you’ll be, and you get a little extra pocket space for anything you want handy on the plane. In the rare event that it gets too warm for long sleeves on the plane, shed your hoodie and use it as a pillow (pillows are also no longer free on American Airlines).
While it’s fair to whine about being nickel-and-dimed by the airlines in most cases, blanket charges are totally avoidable, and if you find yourself “having” to pay $8 to stay warm on a plane, it’s your own fault. Wear layers and quitcherbitchin’.
