JetBlue: Sleepy? Try Our $7 Pillow

In the airline industry's continuing search for new revenue sources, JetBlue(JBLU Quote) has come up with a new one.

The innovative New York-based carrier says it will level a charge for pillows and blankets -- something no other major carrier does, at least not yet.

For $7, passengers can buy a kit with a pillow, a fleece blanket and a coupon good for $5 off purchases at Bed Bath & Beyond. The pillow is made by CleanBrands LLC from a fabric that blocks micro-toxins.

"Clean, healthy sleep should not be limited to just terra firma," said president Gary Goldberg, in a prepared statement.

Previously, JetBlue offered disposable pillows free of charge. But spokesman Bryan Baldwin noted the kit can be carried from flight to flight, so that passengers will be more likely to reuse the pillow and blanket, rather than discarding it. "We expect this will contribute a small amount to our ancillary revenue figures," he said.

Airlines say that a series of recently implemented fees and charges will add hundreds of millions of dollars annually to their bottom lines. But while some cost initiatives, such as a $15 charge for a second checked bag, have been matched by most carriers, other ideas have had more trouble gaining a following.

Last week, for instance, US Airways(LCC Quote) began charging $2 for soda and juice and $1 for coffee and tea: so far, no other carriers have matched. Additionally, a $15 charge for a first checked bag has divided the industry: Four major carriers have implemented it, but Delta(DAL Quote), Southwest(LUV Quote) and JetBlue are among the holdouts.