JetBlue announced Monday that it will begin charging $7 for a blanket and pillow on its flights. The move has again cast a spotlight on the subject of airline fees, which was a hot topic on morning newscasts across the country today. ABC News says “the fee is the latest in a long series as the airlines struggle to find ways to offset rising costs. Some airlines have already removed all the pillows and blankets from their flights to save weight. But JetBlue — known best for its free live satellite TV — will now actually charge for the once-free amenity,” ABC writes on its website, noting that the airline’s in-flight “TV remains free.” Customers can keep the blanket and pillow.

“Travel authorities call the new fees a sign of the times,” The Washington Times writes. “Airlines are struggling just like the nation and world with fuel costs, but they were struggling before gas prices skyrocketed,” Martha Meade, a spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, tells the paper. Still, she acknowledges that “some travelers might prefer that they charge more for the ticket and give them a cold drink and a blanket.”

JetBlue says customers can bring their own pillows and blankets if they don’t want to pay the $7. Paul Hudson, executive director of the Aviation Consumer Action Project in Washington, D.C., tells Newsday he thinks many may do just that. “The public will decide (whether the fee will work), … but in general I can tell you this nickel and dime stuff doesn’t work,” Hudson says to Newsday. However, Hudson may be wrong on that account. Despite passengers’ gripes about “nickel-and-diming,” Wall Street analysts repeatedly noted surprisingly high levels of “ancillary revenue” last quarter as many airlines reported better-than-expected losses.

The airlines’ that reported significant rises in ancillary income did so after they tacked on fees for everything from advanced seat assignments to checking luggage. Indeed, The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) notes that for JetBlue, a la carte pricing already “appears to be working … . The company says it is on track to collect about $60 million this year from customers’ purchasing extra legroom and paying an extra $15 to check a second bag. The company says it will also bring in an additional $50 million in revenue after doubling its ticket-changing fees to $100.”

“These fees will be annoying at first,” Calyon Securities analyst Ray Niedl tells ABC. “But passengers will adjust because of the need for air travel.” As for JetBlue, the airline acknowledges that driving revenue is a key component of the new fee. “We expect this will contribute a small amount to our ancillary revenue figures,” JetBlue spokesman Bryan Baldwin tells TheStreet.com.

Still, The New York Times (free registration) notes “JetBlue tried to put a green spin on the move, portraying the kits as environmentally friendly.” The Washington Times writes the new $7 pillow-and-blanket kit is way of “saving millions of paper-covered pillows every year from going to the dumpster — as well as a way to eke out more revenue, said airline spokeswoman Alison Eshelman.” And, “to assuage passengers who aren’t happy about losing their free pillows, (JetBlue) is throwing in a $5 coupon good at Bed Bath & Beyond stores,” the Washington Times writes.

So, how is the public reacting to JetBlue’s move? “You gotta be kidding,” exclaims one TV anchor from Boston’s NECN network. Among travelers, opinions appear to be mixed, according to those interviewed by the Journal. Kunal Kadakia, a 22-year-old financial consultant at IBM and frequent JetBlue travel tells the paper he thinks the fee is “ridiculous,” noting it comes against the backdrop of other fees throughout the industry. “These airlines have dropped the bar so low, I can’t imagine what would be another step lower,” he says. But leisure flier Jessica Raymond had a different opinion, telling the Journal she’d rather pay extra for items she wants if it means base fares stay low.

Find More Other News : Airline, Airline Service, Aviation, Company, Travelling