AA FAs Now Hawking AA Credit Cards Inflight
Oct 30, 2018, 9:23 am
#272
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Orleans (MSY)
Programs: AA EXP, IHG PLT, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Amtrak, WN
Posts: 2,617
This endless annoyance I lay at the feet of management, who have taken a page from the tech industry (Google,Amazon, et al) by never passing up a single moment (or square millimeter of space) to insert a commercial message on the off chance they can milk another pfennig from a mark, sorry, customer.
Oct 30, 2018, 10:23 am
#273
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,755
But is the alleged "damage"of any consequence? I see that you're EXP. Have you reduced your AA flying on account of the credit card sales pitch? AA has lots of really smart people working for it. I would guess that the business they anticipate losing on account of the verbal onboard sales pitch is a fraction of the additional revenue they anticipate that they'll get from it.
Oct 30, 2018, 12:09 pm
#274
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFOSJCOAK
Programs: AA-EXP & 1MM+, AS, MR-LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 7,581
Just got off Flight 1714 ILM-CLT. The announcement started by stating they had an exclusive offer today to sign you up for the largest frequent flyer program in the world and award you 60,000 AAdvantage miles. Gave the benefits, including a false one of Priority Boarding, and what flights you could get with 60,000 miles but never once mentioned anything about Barclays or that you were applying for a credit card. The only hint was that one of the benefits was “no foreign transaction fee”.
Totally deceptive. Unbelievable!
Totally deceptive. Unbelievable!
Oct 30, 2018, 12:38 pm
#275
Join Date: Jul 1999
Programs: QF WP, AA EXP
Posts: 3,520
Oct 30, 2018, 12:54 pm
#276
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
The difference is if the FAs don't do a PDB service no one in management seems to care but if they fail to do the cc pitch...... Someone said it best, AA is a credit card company that just happens to fly airplanes.
Oct 30, 2018, 6:13 pm
#277
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: DFW EGE AUS
Programs: AA EXP | UA PLT
Posts: 75
On a flight from DFW to DCA and the FA gave the pitch before we pushed back.
Mentioned each authorized user can also earn 60k for their first spend, special offer only on this plane and that this was the last day for the offer. She kept saying 120,000 miles and talking about flying all over the world. Upon being pressed by several folks she stood by her guns about this being the very last day for the offer. I’m sure I won’t hear this pitch on the return tomorrow.
The shilling is annoying but the only objection I have is to the patently false information. Why is it permissible for FAs to lie about this stuff?
Mentioned each authorized user can also earn 60k for their first spend, special offer only on this plane and that this was the last day for the offer. She kept saying 120,000 miles and talking about flying all over the world. Upon being pressed by several folks she stood by her guns about this being the very last day for the offer. I’m sure I won’t hear this pitch on the return tomorrow.
The shilling is annoying but the only objection I have is to the patently false information. Why is it permissible for FAs to lie about this stuff?
Oct 30, 2018, 6:40 pm
#278
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: CID/ORD
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 66
FA on my flight went off script a bit, theorizing about how the miles could be used to get those college kids back home for the holidays.
Which I suppose is true. Even though more than likely it'll be 30k+ each way for an anytime award for peak holiday travel.
Which I suppose is true. Even though more than likely it'll be 30k+ each way for an anytime award for peak holiday travel.
Oct 30, 2018, 6:50 pm
#279
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K (until it expires then never again), *wood Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 9,239
Oct 30, 2018, 8:33 pm
#280
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP >3 Million miles,HH Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 2,887
Flew 6 segments last week ..ord to Phx rt Phx to Las and Ord to Sju rt..pitches on all six flights..slightly different as to the benefits..some mentioned you would be in group 5 for boarding which certainly doesn't. Seem like a big jump up..that the bonus miles could get you that dream vacation, 2 3 or 4 tickets, but my favorite was on the return from Sju they said you can't have an address in Canada Mexico or Puerto rico..it has to be in the US...while Barclays may have excluded US territories for underwriting purposes I think it's not exactly pc to say its not the US...they also did a comparison to the citi offers being hawked in the airport by indicating you only needed to buy a pack of gum or cup of coffee to get the bonus miles..
I'm definitely in the this is really annoying camp.
I'm definitely in the this is really annoying camp.
Oct 30, 2018, 8:41 pm
#281
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,043
It's fascinating to me how difficult it seems to be for many participants in the AA forum to come to grips with what AA has become, but folks, THIS is what AA has become.
Regards
Regards
Oct 30, 2018, 8:52 pm
#283
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,043
No worries, I wasn't pointing at you specifically (and thus why I didn't quote you directly), this thread is 19 pages long.
But I think there are some that just keep thinking it's somehow going to get "better" contrary to several years of evidence that its not going to get better; in fact I suspect it will continue to get worse.
I will say this, my wife and I flew in paid F on United recently (domestic) and they basically do the exact same thing (pitch their credit card), but they do it via the seat back video right at the beginning of the flight (I can't remember if it was before or after the safety video) and it just didn't seem quite as desperate as having the actual FAs do it. And once the video was done, it was done. No multiple attempts and reminders after that. So I'd say if they have to do it, that would be the better way in my book.
Regards
But I think there are some that just keep thinking it's somehow going to get "better" contrary to several years of evidence that its not going to get better; in fact I suspect it will continue to get worse.
I will say this, my wife and I flew in paid F on United recently (domestic) and they basically do the exact same thing (pitch their credit card), but they do it via the seat back video right at the beginning of the flight (I can't remember if it was before or after the safety video) and it just didn't seem quite as desperate as having the actual FAs do it. And once the video was done, it was done. No multiple attempts and reminders after that. So I'd say if they have to do it, that would be the better way in my book.
Regards
Last edited by scubadu; Oct 30, 2018 at 8:57 pm
Oct 30, 2018, 9:24 pm
#284
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW-In Plano & CDG-In the 11th
Programs: DL Diamond, AA revenue negative, Bonvoy Titanium +, Avis likes me
Posts: 3,209
^
Oct 31, 2018, 5:49 am
#285
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
I agree its going to get worse. If fuel prices continue to climb not just AA but all airlines will be hunting for non ticket revenue. I can imagine one day after the beverage service is done the FAs will be back out in the aisle with a cart of "merchandise" (junk) to be hawked. Look for seats that more resemble those on your school bus you rode years ago to school. Ryanair is the future. Thank god for noise cancelling headphones.
From the brief time I spent in marketing I came to conclusion that its all a bunch of bs. I run of ......s sitting in a room with Excel Spreadsheets claiming their data says consumers like to be constantly pitched.
From the brief time I spent in marketing I came to conclusion that its all a bunch of bs. I run of ......s sitting in a room with Excel Spreadsheets claiming their data says consumers like to be constantly pitched.