Airline turns up the air conditioning, then sells blankets

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Back in July, US Airways was widely mocked for announcing that they’d be putting advertisements on the barf bags in the seat pockets. But this may be the winner in the airline “revenue enhancement” race to the customer-service bottom:

One airline executive attending the third-annual World Low Cost Airlines Congress here describes how a certain Asian low-cost carrier uses blankets to increase its nonfare revenue: When in-flight sales of blankets aren’t going well, the flight attendants, who get a commission on sales, ask the pilots to crank up the air conditioning.

“Certain Asian carrier” ?? Give us a name!

That practice goes way beyond selling duty free goods, headsets, and the airline’s credit card. It even goes beyond turning the cabin into a 600 mph bazaar. It actively increases passenger discomfort mid-flight in order to eke out a few extra pennies.

Heinous. (And it affirms why I never wear shorts on a plane.)

This kind of anti-consumer behavior deserves public humiliation. Expose who the culprit is, and out them for what they’re doing. So who’s on the short list? Which airlines in Asia sell blankets in-flight?

Related:
- US Airways finds a new billboard inside the cabin: the barf bag
- Art of the air sickness bag — an online exhibition

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2 Responses to “Airline turns up the air conditioning, then sells blankets”

  1. Rhea says:

    This Blanket-gate thing is unbelievable! Well, not really. After the barf bag episode, anything is possible.

  2. Better Living Through Miles says:

    “Blanketgate” — that’s perfect!

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