jeromyers

Sitting at gate now in BDL agent is standing on counter announcing breast cancer awareness month with DL and staff looking to raise 10K at the airport. Passing around big straw hat asking for donations from passengers at gate.

MIT_SBM

1. Probably the worst FF program and awad availability of any 'major' US based airline.

2. Checked baggage fees

3. And now ... Being solicited by the staff.

Instead of soliciting the flying public, why don't they ask one of the Executives to forego her bonus this year and give that to the charity? I am sure that bonus alone will raise more than USD$10K. An added benefit would be that the staff could focus on improving the flying expereince for the customer rather than trying to separate them from more money.

I am not against charity, I just don't need a company soliciting me when I am trying to use the services that I paid for/'earned from previous paid activity'.

FL2009

Hate that. This is sort of like retail stores asking right before the purchase "would you like to donate XX for YY cause"
Keep it separate, oil and water, make it easy and discreet for people to donate. But the straw hat? Too much.

HongKonger

Yes and then you are made to feel bad if you don't give. I give to charity privately. I hate when people I don't know approach me about charities, no different than telemarketers IMO although their causes are good.

Spiff

Tacky.

BobH

+1

What I usually say is "we give directly and have our donations matched by my employer."

Bob H.

ca33326

Agree, they are becoming more like a Southwest/Ryanair by the day.

Or I may be just grumpy because I watched 2 episodes of PanAm

thezipper

+2

AlohaDaveKennedy

Travel donations was what my mint coins were for - always threw some in the poor boxes or when the envelopes got passed around on the plane when flying free. I figured if I was a bird entitled not to reap or sow and to fly free, I should at least toss a few coins for the big bird in the sky. But since the mint ended the miracle of the coins and the miles, I have no coins to distribute. So, I am now distributing the residual merchandise purchased while assisting a few airlines to reduce their seat inventory surplus. Stuffed animals and school supplies and wine and etc. for gift baskets at auctions. Sure the volume of free miles is not in the millions annually anymore, but several hundreds of thousands is not birdseed.

Doc Savage

Now don't go comparing the very good Southwest with the very sleazy RyanAir...

Delta shouldn't solicit donations because it has the appearance of paying for possible upgrades, i.e., if you don't donate and look like a cheapskate, what chance do you have for any discretionary upgrades by staff there at the gate?

tigerstraveler99

Looks like it is going to be a long October of this. This past Sunday on a 7:15a departure from MCO-ATL they were soliciting multiple times over the intercom and came up and down the aisle at least 3 times asking for donations during flight. Between the soliciting, the kid screaming in F, and the flight attendant who decided to sing on the intercom when we landed it was an annoying flight with no chance of sleep. All I wanted was a quiet flight to get some sleep before working all evening until 10 pm.

anbhc

Also had the singing flight attendant Monique and request for donations with straw basket on MSP-MEM and MEM-ATL (same plane, same crew)

tiggerlgh

They requested $1 donations on Thrusday from PHL to MSP while doing the drink service as well. Wasn't pushy at all just mentioned it when they announced service was going to begin.

exwannabe

I find this behavour disgusting.

And I would be glad to tell them so in a loud voice.

localady

I am 1000 percent for their October Breast Cancer campaign, but come on... collecting at the gate in a big straw hat is going a bit to far... especially since they collect on most flights and do the pink lemonade...