American Airlines has made a minor but noteworthy improvement to first class on its domestic redeye flights, which I’m happy to see.
American adds pillows & blankets on some first class flights
Going back many years, it was standard to have a pillow and blanket in first class on virtually any domestic flight. Over time, the scale of this was greatly reduced, and then the pandemic caused even more cuts.
Since the start of the pandemic, American hasn’t offered pillows and blankets in first class on any “standard” domestic flights (the exception is “premium” domestic routes, as well as flights to Hawaii).
Along those lines, there’s a positive development, as flagged by View from the Wing. American has started providing pillows and blankets on domestic transcontinental redeye flights.
As of now, these are the only flights to see the return of blankets and pillows. Admittedly these are the flights most in need of pillows and blankets, given how tough it can be to actually get comfortable on redeyes, without a flat bed.
While a random tangent, I am curious about the “flow” of these pillows and blankets through the network. Typically airlines offer pillows and blankets in both directions of travel, so there are always roughly the right number of pillows and blankets at a particular station.
In this case, pillows and blankets are being offered west to east, so how are they getting from east to west? Is the airline “catering” these on the East Coast, but only using them for the return? Or how are they being shipped to the West Coast?
I really miss consistent pillows & blankets
I’m happy to see American bringing back pillows and blankets on some flights. Maybe it’s just me, but I very much value pillows and blankets on any flights. In particular, they help with getting comfortable, whether it’s using them for lower back support, or just trying to get as cozy as possible for sleeping.
It is interesting how American has added back pillows and blankets on some flights, but hasn’t made any sort of announcement about it. It’s rare to see American investing in its inflight product, so you’d think the airline would at least highlight this…
Bottom line
American is once again offering pillows and blankets on domestic transcon flights. While a far cry from back in the day, when virtually all first class flights had them, this is the best we’ve seen in several years. I’m happy to see this change, and hope we see it eventually rolled out to more flights.
What do you make of American bringing back pillows and blankets on some flights?
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