JetBlue looks to 'fleece' flyers for extra revenue

Josh Roberts believes the best trips involve long hikes and muddy boots. His life goals haven't changed much since he was a kid: He still wants to be Indiana Jones when he grows up.

Follow him on Twitter (@joshwhowrites) and Instagram (@joshwhowrites), and visit his website (joshrobertsbooks.com) or Goodreads page to learn more about his forthcoming novel.

Josh joined SmarterTravel in 2001, and is an active member in both the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

In addition to SmarterTravel, he has written for USA Today, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Travel, The Huffington Post, Airfarewatchdog, TripAdvisor, Jetsetter, ABC News, Oyster, and Business Insider. His travel photography can be seen in Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places, published by Penguin UK.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A lacrosse ball. It's small, lightweight, and works wonders on loosening up tight muscles."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Being the first to discover an ancient lost city. Failing that, visiting as many of the already-discovered ancient ruins as possible."

Travel Motto: "Not all those who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle."

See recent posts by Josh Roberts

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Reuters reports that JetBlue is looking for ways to increase its ancillary revenue, and one idea that appears to have the green light is offering inflatable pillows and fleece blankets for about $5. The carrier currently offers regular pillows and not-so-fuzzy blankets for free. Indications are that the freebies will still be available once the “added-value” blankets and pillows hit the scene, likely in a few months.

“We’re trying to figure out what’s a value add to our customer,” CEO David Neeleman tells Reuters. “What’s something that we don’t currently charge for today that we can continue to give for free but then take a step up and give them an option.”

The carrier already offers free headphones and a snazzier headset for which it charges $1.

As long as JetBlue keeps the base-level perks free, I don’t see any harm to consumers in the airline looking for a few extra bucks between the seat cushions, so to speak.

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