What do airlines do with pillows and blankets?

Others still provide them on a limited basis, as upscale amenities for passengers in premium seats. And several airlines that do provide pillows and blankets also reuse them. But reps from those airlines told us that the items are laundered and repackaged between uses to eliminate any health concerns.



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After use, airlines will most often send blankets off to be washed at an industrial facility (whether it's one they operate themselves or via a laundry service), but for some carriers this only happens at their home base airports, so used blankets are either stuffed in the overhead bins or folded back up.

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After use, airlines will most often send blankets off to be washed at an industrial facility (whether it's one they operate themselves or via a laundry service), but for some carriers this only happens at their home base airports, so used blankets are either stuffed in the overhead bins or folded back up.

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Not yours to keep, not even in business class (unlike pyjamas, which are gifted). Airline blankets are gathered at the end of the flight, washed at industrial laundry centres and then redistributed. Some carriers, especially those based in the US, will let you buy blankets from the in-flight magazine should you desire.

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While some airlines allow you to bring a pillow on the plane free of charge, others charge a fee for this additional luggage add-on.

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Blankets and pillows Typically, the airline contracts with a separate cleaner who will remove all linens at each stop.

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Whereas larger airlines often hire dedicated cabin cleaners to tackle the aircraft between guests, “Generally on low-cost carriers, the flight attendants will have to clean the planes themselves,” says Catrina McGrail, a former flight attendant and creator of the 24 Hours Layover travel blog.

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Flight socks are compression socks which are designed to offer moderate pressure to the calves and legs. They help to encourage blood to flow back up your veins and towards your heart. Therefore, your blood is less likely to pool in your legs and feet, thus preventing clots from forming.

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While some airlines allow you to bring a pillow on the plane free of charge, others charge a fee for this additional luggage add-on.

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For one thing, in an era of increasingly intense price competition and pressure to control costs, many airlines no longer even provide complimentary pillows and blankets to all their passengers. Others still provide them on a limited basis, as upscale amenities for passengers in premium seats.

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Airlines report washing every two to six months - often in line with the A or B check maintenance schedule. AIrcraft can be washed with water and detergent, or dry washed. Wet washing usually involves high-pressure water jets and specialized detergents.

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Crew meals On long-haul flights, extra meals or snacks will be loaded. These meals may not always be eaten by the crew, as sometimes when a passenger did not get a special meal request or requests one last minute, the cabin crew can usually put something together from the crew meals.

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Flight attendants on long-haul flights are provided with spaces to rest. Here's a photo of the crew rest area on a Boeing 787. Crew rest areas exist on all airplanes, but what these rest areas look like depends on the airline, aircraft and the length of the flight.

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Airline pilots take turns using the bathroom nearest the cockpit during a flight. There are no bathrooms installed in the cockpit. For airplanes with a single pilot, diapers, catheters, or collection devices are used if they are unable to land to use the airport bathroom.

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Pillows are permitted in both carry-on bags and checked bags, according to the TSA's website. But while you'll have no problem bringing a full-size pillow through security, it's up to the airline to decide if it counts as your personal item.

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On airlines that don't charge for carry-ons, the pillow hack is handy for overpackers that don't want to pay for a checked bag — whatever you can't squeeze into your carry-on and personal item, you can pack into your pillowcase.

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