# No pillows for you! One year! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 10, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431 "2005-02-10T17:52:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/21 "2005-02-10T22:47:25Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > Another consideration is how much of a hassle am I going to have by whichever method I go, the amount of time I’m going to have to spend (and I include going to the airport and checking in as part of the travel time), and how comfortable I’m going to be. Right now, I’m so extremely uncomfortable in an airplane that I view air travel as a last resort. It’s not just the cramped plane seats…it’s the uncomfortable seats in the waiting area, the bad meals, having to trot up and down a long flight of steps in some airports, etc. I’d rather spend 10 or 12 hours on a driving trip than a couple of hours in an airplane. The security lines, the hassle of either parking or taking a three hour bus trip to the airport, etc. In other words, ditto. Though I do enjoy road trips. I also enjoy Amtrak. For me, a large part of the enjoyment of travel is the travel itself, and the airlines have sucked every bit of happiness out of flying. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/22 "2005-02-10T23:00:34Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > No one bitches because Grayhound doesn’t feed you, right? No, because the people who ride Greyhound are too busy bitching about the fleas and lice crawling over from the toothless wonder who smells of used motor oil and cat piss in the seat next to you. ---
**Author:** ![Agonist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@Agonist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agonist)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/23 "2005-02-10T23:13:34Z")
> [@wisernow](#): > > Yeah. But I also pay maybe less than 1/4th of what I pay when I fly. > > I do not seem to get the economics as to how not having pillows will save them so much money that it could possibly change loss into profits. How much does that small padded piece of cloth cost? Also, it is not served on the meal tray for the passengers to have as dessert. It is used over and over again until it becomes unusable. So, how much do they think they will save not giving pillows? I expect laundry costs are the issue. Each one of those pillows has a little papery pillowcase on it, and I’ve never had a dirty one. Come to think of it, I’ve never gotten one that was even slightly flat, as you’d expect after a lot of use, so they must replace them a lot more frequently than I replace the ones on my bed. ---
**Author:** ![19ForMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/439d5e/32.png) [@19ForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/19ForMe)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/24 "2005-02-10T23:25:53Z")
I’ve flown more than any sane person should and do not care about the pillows. I find it remarkable that they keep returning after getting pulled. They are nice on rare occasions when trying to sleep in a window seat but also an occasional nuisance clogging the overhead bins. Newer seats with those “wings” on the headrest largely make pillows moot. There are plenty of reasons to pit the management of airlines but this doesn’t strike me as worthy. Just for fun, here’s a personal top ten: 1 Culture of casual lies 2 Lack of communication with customer 3 Incomprehensible pricing rules 4 First class seats for deadheading employees rather than paying customers 5 Scheduling 50 flights to take off in one five minute window 6 Contaminated drinking water 7 Constant overuse of PA system 8 Equipment changes a month before flight without reassigning comparable seats 9 Two tier employment systems (unions share blame) 10 Contracts tying skilled workers to a single employer (unions share blame) Its hard for pillows to break into a top ten list when it competes with geivences like “the culture of casual lies.” ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/25 "2005-02-10T23:50:28Z")
I had a friend who briefly had a job cleaning the planes between flights. He told me to never even touch the pillows, let alone put my head on one. He said they rarely, if ever, cleaned them and he would find them full of snot, baby drool and godknowswhatelse on them. He usually was picking them up off the floor and dusting off the footprints. So - no pillows? Consider yourself lucky. And if you think you really need one for a long flight, bring your own. ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/26 "2005-02-11T00:03:37Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > Based on the information in your post, I sincerely doubt that you have ever flown first class. Do you realize how snobby this sentence sounds? ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/27 "2005-02-11T00:06:10Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > I had a friend who briefly had a job cleaning the planes between flights. > > He told me to never even touch the pillows, let alone put my head on one. He said they rarely, if ever, cleaned them and he would find them full of snot, baby drool and godknowswhatelse on them. He usually was picking them up off the floor and dusting off the footprints. > > So - no pillows? Consider yourself lucky. > > And if you think you really need one for a long flight, bring your own. Umm…eww. Does a pillow count as a carryon? That’s why I’ve never brought one - I figure I need my bag with books and CDs and my laptop more than I need the pillow, since I can get one from the overhead. If the pillow counts, I’ll stuff everything in the pillowcase. E. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/28 "2005-02-11T00:10:48Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > I know I’m going to get flamed for this, but - > > \<…snip…\> > > Jeez. It’s not like they’re taking away the wings of the plane or anything. Calm _down_ I have to second this one all the way through. There are _plenty_ of things to gripe about with air travel, but the loss of those disease-infested, stained, stinky, scratch, flat “pillows” isn’t even on the radar. I suspect they’re probably getting rid of them as much to make more space in the overhead bins (now that every joker tries to carry-on two full-sized roller bags under the theory that one of them should be considered a “personal item”) as to reduce costs. Air travel sucks, and it’ll keep getting worse as competition increases and margins go down, as long as customers focus on price first. And for people who only fly once or twice a year, taking the spouse and 2.3 kids to grandma’s for Christmas, price is pretty much the only measure. Don’t like it? Start your own airline for people who are willing to pay for the amenities. Just don’t expect to turn a profit. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/29 "2005-02-11T00:30:30Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > I had a friend who briefly had a job cleaning the planes between flights. > > He told me to never even touch the pillows, let alone put my head on one. He said they rarely, if ever, cleaned them and he would find them full of snot, baby drool and godknowswhatelse on them. He usually was picking them up off the floor and dusting off the footprints. > > So - no pillows? Consider yourself lucky. > > And if you think you really need one for a long flight, bring your own. I totally agree! After seeing the icky things drooled, globbed, plopped, and goobered onto the pillows, I always take my own. I wouldn’t touch one of those nasty things. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/30 "2005-02-11T00:33:31Z")
> [@19ForMe](#): > > I’ve flown more than any sane person should and do not care about the pillows. I find it remarkable that they keep returning after getting pulled. They are nice on rare occasions when trying to sleep in a window seat but also an occasional nuisance clogging the overhead bins. Newer seats with those “wings” on the headrest largely make pillows moot. > > There are plenty of reasons to pit the management of airlines but this doesn’t strike me as worthy. > > Just for fun, here’s a personal top ten: > > 1 Culture of casual lies > 2 Lack of communication with customer > 3 Incomprehensible pricing rules > 4 First class seats for deadheading employees rather than paying customers > 5 Scheduling 50 flights to take off in one five minute window > 6 Contaminated drinking water > 7 Constant overuse of PA system > 8 Equipment changes a month before flight without reassigning comparable seats > 9 Two tier employment systems (unions share blame) > 10 Contracts tying skilled workers to a single employer (unions share blame) > > Its hard for pillows to break into a top ten list when it competes with geivences like “the culture of casual lies.” Much as I hate to turn this political 😉 deregulation under Reagan didn’t do any of us any favors. ---
**Author:** ![SusanStoHelit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@SusanStoHelit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SusanStoHelit)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/31 "2005-02-11T00:49:58Z")
> [@19ForMe](#): > > Newer seats with those “wings” on the headrest largely make pillows moot. Maybe if you are 5’10" exactly (isn’t that who they make those seats for?). For nearly any other height, the headrest hits you in exactly the right spot to make sleeping in the seat a rather interesting form of torture. I need a pillow (although I usually use a rolled-up jacket, as the airline pillows aren’t firm enough). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/32 "2005-02-11T00:56:45Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > Perhaps the difficulty some people apparently have going for five hours without eating is tied in with the fact that we’re a nation of lazy fat people. I’m not going to flame you, I’m just going to warm your toes a little. Have you ever been on a flight that sat at the end of a runway for _ **four hours** _ with no bathroom access, no food or water before taking off for a seven hour flight? I have. I didn’t pass out because it wasn’t the first time I’d been stuck on a plane so I had brought water and mealbars with me. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/33 "2005-02-11T01:01:19Z")
> [@The Devil's Grandmother](#): > > I’m not going to flame you, I’m just going to warm your toes a little. > Have you ever been on a flight that sat at the end of a runway for _ **four hours** _ with no bathroom access, no food or water before taking off for a seven hour flight? I have. I have too. Then just as it was our turn to take off, they rolled back to the terminal because it was too late to land in Toronto (only a 1 1/2 hour flight from Chicago) without getting fined. After the other one hundred canceled flights had already taken all the hotel rooms. On my wedding night. No fun, no fun at all. ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/34 "2005-02-11T02:50:57Z")
> [@Metacom](#): > > Or maybe they’ll make coach a class you have to pay extra for, and create an all new budget class called “steerage,” and do away with in-flight beverages (bring your own), seat cushions (bring your own), drop-down oxygen masks (bring your own, if you can get it past security) and bathrooms (an FAA-approved lightweight aluminum bucket will be provided). Considering the vast majority of my flights are 1-2 hours in length, and I often spend longer than that sitting on the floor staring at a wall when I’m at home…hell, I’d fly that. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@The\_Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tim)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/35 "2005-02-11T03:04:11Z")
> [@19ForMe](#): > > I’ve flown more than any sane person should and do not care about the pillows. I find it remarkable that they keep returning after getting pulled. They are nice on rare occasions when trying to sleep in a window seat but also an occasional nuisance clogging the overhead bins. Newer seats with those “wings” on the headrest largely make pillows moot. > > There are plenty of reasons to pit the management of airlines but this doesn’t strike me as worthy. > > Just for fun, here’s a personal top ten: > > 1 Culture of casual lies > 2 Lack of communication with customer > 3 Incomprehensible pricing rules > 4 First class seats for deadheading employees rather than paying customers > 5 Scheduling 50 flights to take off in one five minute window > 6 Contaminated drinking water > 7 Constant overuse of PA system > 8 Equipment changes a month before flight without reassigning comparable seats > 9 Two tier employment systems (unions share blame) > 10 Contracts tying skilled workers to a single employer (unions share blame) > > Its hard for pillows to break into a top ten list when it competes with geivences like “the culture of casual lies.” Two things: number 7 doesn’t sound so bad and number 6 sounds real bad. So, more info please. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/36 "2005-02-11T05:30:52Z")
> [@The Devil's Grandmother](#): > > I’m not going to flame you, I’m just going to warm your toes a little. > Have you ever been on a flight that sat at the end of a runway for _ **four hours** _ with no bathroom access, no food or water before taking off for a seven hour flight? I have. I didn’t pass out because it wasn’t the first time I’d been stuck on a plane so I had brought water and mealbars with me. No, I haven’t ever been in that exact situation. I have, however, learned a few things. 1. No matter how long the flight, bring at least a bottle of water and _something_ to eat. You could, as I once was, be on a flight which’ll be delayed 5 hours at the airport, but the airline keeps lying to you, saying it’ll be any minute, so don’t go far, and the only thing still open in that terminal was a snack bar that had pepperonni pizza and hotdogs - no good for a vegetarian. 2. Use the bathroom _before_ getting on the plane. One experience with the seatbelt light on the entire way from Philadelphia to Denver teaches you that. 3. If things get really dire, for whatever reason, see those nice people in uniforms? They may not be walking up and down the aisles right now, but there’s a little button over your seat that’ll page them. If you’re about to fall over dead from thirst (which I sincerely doubt), talk to them, and they’ll likely help you out. Seriously. Unless you’re from some remote 3rd-world country and have never been in an airport, plane, talked to anyone who has, or seen a movie or TV show in which they show air travel, you know that you’re pretty much on your own for comfort. As I said before, an airline is a transportation company, nothing more. I see no reason to hold them to a ridiculous standard of looking out for your own personal comfort. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/37 "2005-02-11T10:24:48Z")
Actually, I used to book flights for my ex-boss and schedule was as a big a consideration as price. As a rule, if I had a choice between bringing him back at in the evening for a somewhat higher price, that outweighed a cheaper flight the following morning when you factored in the cost of a hotel room, meals, etc. A non-stop flight was also preferable to a one-stop flight and it didn’t matter how cheap the flight was; if there was more than one stop, it was out. Unfortunately, I live in Pittsburgh where US Airways rules the roost, so we didn’t have that much choice. By the way, my boss used to fly at least once a month often on short (less than 3 weeks) notice. CJ ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/38 "2005-02-11T10:53:11Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > American Airlines has announced that they are doing away with pillows on their [flights](http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050209/ap_on_bi_ge/american_pillows_5). Well isn’t that special. Ya know, if it wasn’t for all those pesky passengers taking up space and demanding the barest of amenities, maybe the airlines could turn a profit. > > I’ve long held the belief that if the airlines installed those pet feeders at each seat, they could get rid of flight attendents. Just fill the things with some sort of compressed food pellets and water and people could just paw at the tabs to release nourishment. Think of the savings! > > Next to go: seats! I’ve never touched an airline pillow - they just have a perceived “ick” factor that’s off the scale with me. I usually carry a shawl or a pashmina on flights & in a pinch I can fold it up & use it as a pillow. What gets me about PillowGate is the apparent small percentage of savings this will mean for the airline. I’m sorry I don’t have a cite, but I believe the number bandied about yesterday was a savings of something like $300K a year. It just strikes me as penny-pinching at something that was a customer good-will item. VCNJ~ ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/39 "2005-02-11T15:10:56Z")
What will I use to smother people while they sleep? I think those pillows suck any way. You have grab up five of them for them to actually comfort you but the fact that is only saves 300k a year just demonstrates how cheap those pillows are. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431/40 "2005-02-11T15:25:25Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > I’m pretty sure that Southwest proved that one wrong. Bare amenities + cheap price = profit in the airline game. For most people, air travel IS a commodity for all except the very best and the very worst airlines. Some people are looking for something else. Like me. I won’t fly Southwest beause its the most uncomfortable flight I’ve even been on, and I only flew from the west coast to Washington DC. Now I mainly fly to Europe, and I won’t sit in cramped little seats the discount carriers try to use (I’m 6’4’). I’ll pay extra for a little comfort on a 10-15 hour flight. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pillows-for-you-one-year/289431.md?page=3)