On a recent flight I asked for a pillow for my back (I'm too short to be comfortable with the seat-back curves -- seat is designed for the spine of a 6-footer), and I was told they no longer provided pillows, or blankets, "for security reasons."

I tried to imagine what peril pillows and blankets posed, and I could only think of two -- someone could try to smother the flight attendant, or (as some whites did to some Native Americans) get smallpox all over the blankets and spread the disease.

Does anyone know the true rationale -- is that second possibility what they actually fear? Or are they just tired of dealing with pillow-and-blanket roulette re:bulkhead space and passengers' whining?

What other amenities have disappeared? Have all airlines discontinued pillows and blankets?

Why would you even want one of those germy pillows in the first place?? They never wash them or the blankets. People sneeze, cough and drool all over those pillows. YUK!

Yuk! You too, what's with the aggression? Pris made it perfectly clear why she (?) wanted the pillow. She's not going to gnaw on it, she's going to use it for her back. Please Yuk!, we must be more compassionate and understanding, just like Richard Gere says.

You are quoting Richard Gere?? He's a goofball! Yuk wasn't being hostile just truthful. If you can't handle the truth you should go somewhere else. And please align yourself with someone other than Richard Gere for crying out loud..

I was told that the pillows and blankets were temporarily discontinued so fewer people would need access to service the plane.

It's probably more about money. I'd rather them just start charging $10 for meals and offer something decent!

That makes sense about access to the plane, but Yuk does have a point, do they wash them after every flight?? I seriously doubt it. I have seen travel pillows you can buy.

Gia, I'd sure like to align myself with Richard Gere!!

Richard Gere is gross now that he let his hair grow gray and wears it long and greasy.

Are we talking about Richard Gere the actor??? I do think he is still very handsome but now we are quoting him? What is with the whites giving the native americans small pox? When was this??? Was this supposedly intentional?

I believe that during the French and Indian war, the english delivered small pox infested blanckets to the Indians (I may be remembering wrong so don't quote me but I think this was an early use of germ warfare).

Pris - which airline were you on? I use a pillow for the same reason on flights, and can tell you that as of last week USAir & Delta still had pillows. I fly again tomorrow (Delta) - sure hope they're still stocking them on my planes!

Well, you sit on the seats don't you?
Putting a pillow behind your back touches the same parts that the seat would.
On my flights I usually find my pillow and blanket all wrapped up in plastic.
But I still wouldn't put them on my face. If I want to sleep on one, I put my clean, dry washcloth over it.

Rita-You must sit in first class because I have never found my pillow or blanket wrapped in plastic.

The blankets were thin but plastic-wrapped when we flew USAirways coach last summer.

How are we suposed to overcome hijackers without blankets? I thought the pilots had specificaly told passengers to use them, now what are we supposed to do?

The business about settlers deliberately exposing Indians (or whoever) to blankets or clothing that had been in contact with smallpox patients is unfortunately true. Fortunately for the indians, smallpox virus can survive ony briefly without human contact, otherwise the WHO eradication program could not have succeeded.

So which airline was it? I've asked two people I know who flew within the past few days, one on United and one on Lufthansa, and they both got blankets and pillows.

Ya, whats with the headrest on airplane seats? Why do they angle forward, there is nothing more uncomfortable than having my chin in my chest all through the flight. They have to redesign those seats.

Oh, come one Yuk!, just do like I do:
First I spray the entire seat with country-scented Lysol, then sit down and fold down the tray table and take one of those anit-bacteria moist towelettes and wipe that down. Next I repeat this process on the window (lots of people lean and breathe on the window, you know). I then ask for a nice pillow, and (I save my newspaper bags) and wrap that baby in two - yes two - plastic bags. Now I'm ready to relax & enjoy the flight: I recline my seatback as far as it will go, floss my teeth, and open my mail. BTW, I never use those blankets -- I bring my favorite newspaper (the Sun) onboard, and when I'm finished reading it, I wrap myself in it. Did you know you can use newspaper to wrap a newborn in after an emergency home delivery? They say it's one of the most germ-free household items!

Burrother, you never know what will show up here!

It was USAir -- a flight of an hour and 45 minutes on a A317 (or 3xx?). Wonder if length of flight or type of equipment makes a difference?

I'm obviously going to have to start bringing my own pillow/cushion (takes up more room in "carrion" luggage or else you can hyperventilate blowing one up!) and I used my coat for a blankie.

But -- sighhhh -- it was a lovely new plane, but of course we couldn't use the in-flight "entertainment" (music or whatever in the armrest, no earphones) although we WERE treated to a video about life-vests, etc. that were pretty much un-see-able by anyone other than the person immediately behind the drop-down screen.

And I'm glad to know others find the curvature of those seats such a privation! They curve back where I curve forward and the headrest forces my head down to look at the floor.

TravelSmith: You'd make a mint with a travel vest with cushioned padding in the back and around the neck, with pull-out blanketing material stowed in the hem!

Ha, I could just see the passengers wearing those vests getting stuck going through the metal detectors.
What an image.

I got tired of wondering where those pillows had been before I got on the plane. Now I just take my own. My wife got me a pillow/blanket set for my b-day. www.satoripillows.com