The following question about aircraft blankets was tweeted at me a few days ago:

So I asked American Airlines what their procedure is.

Here’s what they said:

We have verified that AA does not ever fold a blanket, and we do not ever place used blankets or pillows back into a sealed wrapper. We have procedures to replace these used items with fresh ones throughout our system and throughout the course of an aircraft’s flying day.

For example, here at DFW such used items are pulled from an aircraft by our contractors and sent to an industrial cleaning facility in South Arlington. They in turn launder these, seal and re-supply our inventory.

This is all contractual and there is oversight to ensure procedures are adhered to.

(Emphasis mine.)

It’s a disgusting story. And we all find it pretty easy to believe gross stories about the airlines.

But in this case, at least with regard to American Airlines procedures, it appears not to be true. And in my own experience with American’s sealed blankets, they’ve always seemed to me to be fresh.

I rate this one as false.

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