I've quit giving them out after a number of embarrassingly awkward moments where I think I am complimenting someone and they react as if the whole idea is an insult to them by AA. After several conversations with FAs about this I concluded that to most out there these mean nothing other than a reminder of how cheap they think AA can be.
Maybe my standards are too high, but those employees that truly go "above and beyond" for me are people with great attitudes--and those are the folks that get my certificates. I've never had any reaction but gracious thanks. Just last week I handed out one each to two FAs on a flight inbound from London, and both went out of their way to thank me for the certificates. We both knew it wasn't going to help pay the mortgage or anything, but having worked in customer service myself in my (much) younger years, any thanks is good to hear--the certificates are just a vehicle for that thanks (IMO). Both FAs in this case were very happy to get the certs, and I was happy to be able to communicate my thanks for great service.
Originally Posted by
FWAAA
Nothing says "I'm cheap" more than trying to bribe employees with low-value scrip issued by their employer. If you want to bribe someone, hand them real money.
I've never tried to bribe an employee with certificates. I wouldn't expect an employee to look positively upon a customer attempting to bribe her with certificates--but I don't think the majority of frequent flyers try to use them for bribery. As a token of thanks, I believe their actual cash value should be of secondary, not primary, concern.