First American Airlines, then Delta removed pillows from aircraft, along with meals on domestic flights.

But where travelers are seeing discomfort and hassle, frequent flier SuAn Chow (Can you say entrepreneur?) sees a product niche.

Chow, best known in Utah as the founder of Salt Lake City's Charlie Chow restaurant, has launched the Comfort Set, a carry-on pillow and blanket for travelers (http://www.satoripillows.com.)

"This is a project I've been working on for a year and a half," Chow says. "But with the airlines announcing they are removing pillows, the timing is fantastic."

Chow, who lives in New York but is warehousing, shipping and marketing her sleeping amenities out of Utah, always has found airplanes cold. "You need a pillow and blanket to be really comfortable."

Several versions of pillows and neck supports have been offered for years, using everything from inflatable tubes to buckwheat hulls for padding. Most are just a cut above what the airline offered - but travelers at least knew where their pillows had been.

"I travel quite a bit and I have learned what works and what doesn't work," says Chow. Foam pillows are too bulky, she says, and inflatable versions are a hassle and uncomfortable. Finally, the buckwheat hull items are noisy.

Her solution is a micro bead-filled pillow with a soft cover that can be washed in a hotel sink and drip dried. The pillow - conventional or neck support - and micro polar fleece blanket sets come in four coordinated colors and fit in a transparent tote bag.

The tote also will hold a water bottle, headphones and has an exterior pocket for a boarding pass. "All your travel necessities are in one location," Chow says. "Because the tote is transparent, it is easy for security to see what is going on."

Chow recommends that travelers not count the set, which weighs less than a pound and will strap to wheeled luggage handles, toward the two-bag carry-on limit. "You are using them in your seat, not storing them in the overhead."

So far, the pillowless airlines are not arguing the point. American spokesman Tim Smith says sleeping gear of a reasonable size is not a problem.

Delta spokesman Anthony Black agrees, only asking passengers to be reasonable about bedding bulk.

glenwarchol@sltrib.com