Blanket Party

American Airlines will now charge you $8 bucks for a blanket and pillow and everyone is screaming about it. Ever since I saw the segment on 60 Minutes about all the germs and nasty stuff that lives in Airline blankets and pillows, they can keep them anyway!

Still, it got me thinking. When I first started traveling by air in the 80's, flights from LA to Chicago were $600 to $800. It was something that I couldn't afford to do more than once a year. During the 90's, prices dropped but still remained in the $500 range for a long time. We would see a movie during the flight and were given a pretty decent meal. Pillows and blankets flowed freely, and carry on's were never questioned or given a second thought.

After 9/11, everyone was scared to fly and our confidence in air travel was shattered. Airlines reduced their prices to almost nothing to get us to come back and trust them again. This became a double edged sword. The public never wanted to pay those high fares again. Airlines started to falter and fail. I never thought I'd see TWA go under, but I did. I still have a pair of their head phones. The movies went first, then the meals. That's OK. I could live with that. Apple and the iPod made it much easier to fly and be entertained. I'd just grab some snacks or something on my way into the terminal.

Then we had the tennis shoe bomber. No more liquids. Period! No water, food or anything unless you bought it in the terminal after going through security. Airlines also started limiting carry ons and checked luggage. 1 carry on and 1 checked bag. That was it. Any additional bag would be $25 to $50. Of course, the flight just cost us $49 one way. But that was irrelevant! We wanted it all! The cheap flights, limitless luggage, carry on's, blankets, food, etc.

Now we have had the crotch bomber. You can have a carry on but you can't get to it the last hour of your flight and you have to put everything away! Just sit there and look out the window. Air travel is no longer the pleasant experience it once was.

Now the blankets have been removed. Thanks to the crotch bomber that used a blanket to cover up his attempted acts of terror and just because the Airlines can charge for such items.

There is always a price to pay. Cheap fares have resulted in cheap flights, no frills, no nothing. Just be happy you get to where you're going.