Danny Kashou, 53, a business owner in San Diego, was impressed by the soft fabrics and Saks monograms on the blankets on an international trip earlier this year. "Heck, yeah, we took it," Mr. Kashou says. "We didn't ask. We just stuck it in our carry-ons and walked off."

"I've been flying this airline long enough," he says. "I deserve it."

Maybe you do and maybe you don't, Mr. Kashou, but if the airline didn't give you permission to take it then you are a thief, the same as a person who steals from your business.