Stealing pillows and blankets
 

I was on AA flight 2412 LAX - DFW this morning (767-300 I think). Anyway, I am sitting in row 6 of F and a boarding PAX with a curious look on his face catches my attention. The next thing I know the guy grabs a pillow and a blanket, still wrapped in the plastic bag, off an F seat and bolts into coach. A few minutes later the F PAX whose pillow and blanket was heisted shows up and begins looking for them. He asks an FA who grabs a set off of an empty seat. A few minutes after the PAX whose pillow and blanket was involuntarily given to the first F PAX boards but thankfully did not notice/care.

It’s bad enough when a coach PAX purposely puts bags in F/J overhead before even checking the overhead around his/her assigned seat, but grabbing the pillow and blankets! What's next? Some PAX is going decide the under seat space is shared space too and shove his oversized suit carrier under the seat in front of me as he passes?

Glad to see behavior and decorum is only getting worse amongst travelers. Elite status should grant the EXP FF 2 flying sidekicks a year to be inflicted on idiot PAX at his/her discretion. Like SWUs except possibly more rewarding.

What, you've never had the passenger in front of you try to stuff something under their seat? I usually give them one opportunity to move it before it gets booted forward.

Heheh... happens all the time. Then I stretch my legs and their stuff comes popping out. Then they push it back in, then I stretch again...

Just out of curiosity, since I've never asked the question before, nor do I ever use pillows or blankets on the airplane, what is the etiquette for picking them up. For example I've noticed on a recent overnight flight from SFO-DTW that seat A had a pillow, seat B had a blanket, and seat C had nothing. Are those items considered first come first serve??

If every seat does not have a pillow and blanket, then all blankets and pillows in Coach are first-come, first-served.

Good idea, but 2 may not be enough. Will we get a chance to choose extras as a reward for flying 125,000 miles? Can I get still more if I call in and am a very profitable passenger?

There’s only one Mr. Pillows. :D

I'd keep EXP for life just for this benefit...

Sounds like the offender in the op knew exactly what he was doing. I've had to stop folks from trying to take duvets/pillows with them off the aircraft. Sorry, no souvenirs today.

hmm, it seems that IME, whenever I see blankets and pillows at every seat on a flight (intl planes on domestic runs mostly), pax are handing them to FAs to put away since they just take up room in the already limited space we get. And besides, who knows how often those things get washed...

Or UA approach, "we've removed blankets and pillows (in coach) due to H1N1 concerns" (not applied consistently throughout fleet)

Then, no issue with space or who gets a blankie. :p

I was on two LAX-DFW red eyes last week in F. Same issue, no pillow or blanket... heisted away.

So I take it you boarded after the groups? I'm flying LAX-DFW redeye tonight. I'm going to protect my blanket!

I always bring my own travel blanket and pillow. This way I always have a set and it's much more sanitary. No worries about other people's germs.