Often1

These efforts are well-intentioned but can backfire against both the charity and the solicitor, e.g. DL. There are many generous people who give far more to charity than they can afford and do so anonymously and on a principled basis.

People at a DL gate are not there as casual passersby and they have to pay attention to announcements. There is also a real value to using the PA for what it really is required for and not for what it isn't.

Many people are turned off by agressive solicitations such as this and the net impact can be that the instant cookie jar gets filled, but the long-term one goes empty.

This is a different issue from highlighting an effort via a lapel pin, a colored cocktail along with a very (stress "very") brief announcement.

StayingHomeIsBetter

I am very much in agreement.

I am put off by "look how compassionate we are" corporate publicity/marketing/charity initiatives.

Perhaps this stems from my time in corporate American where the annual United Way drive was handled as a coercive "you should do this if you are concerned with your career advancement" program. [I actually had company solicitors show up at my desk with a graph linking current salary to expected contribution.]

I have, and take advantage of, enough opportunities to make charitable contributions from home.

I don't need additional opportunities on the plane or in the airport where, as others have suggested, peer pressure is intended to be part of the motivation.

BearX220

After seeing the vast opulent marble-and-gilt corporate cathedral that served as United Way HQ outside Washington DC, I never sent them another dollar. Donor dollars built that thing.

flyerCO

Had this happen on a JFK-SAT flight. Plane was half fuil with soldiers heading for pre-deployment training. Passenger (not part of the group) got FA to allow him to make announcement asking we pass a hat and collect funds so they could gave some fun.

MSPeconomist

That was inappropriate and the FA should never have allowed it. I hope this was reported to DL.

TuxTom

I can't believe the FA allowed that. Totally inappropriate use of the planes PA system.

jdrtravel

Agreed. That individual pax could have done whatever they wanted, and, additionally, the FA could have discreetly given the soldiers bottles of wine from F or something like that as a nice gesture.

MSPeconomist

I would hope that any gifting of wine doesn't come at the expense of FC passengers. I've been on several DL flights recently where the FAs ran out of wine in FC or D1.

jdrtravel

I have had an FA give me a bottle of wine to take from the plane once before, and it was done just prior to landing, after all onboard service was discontinued. This was done because the FA and I had a mutual friend and my friend asked the FA to "look out for me." It was nice.

Grouchy

Same here, gifts were only given once the service discontinued and the crew started preparing for landing.
Proost!

jdrtravel

I love the use of the amenity kit supplies to make a wine carrier! Fab!

flyerCO

I thought about, but the whole thing with soliders made me a bit worried about complaning. I didn't want some idiot at DL CS decide to mark my file as a trouble maker because they've got family deployed. Luckily didn't need to as during flight passenger next to me said he was going to. He even had recorded the passenger's announcement.

cruiser9999

It also could be the employees that are being manipulated in that their, or their supervisors' bonuses are tied to how much funds they raise. I have seen this in a very large organization - dont know about Delta but it does raise a red flag for me.

BJM

There are benefits for the charity too, not just Delta.
Why is it inappropriate?
What is the harm, really? Really?
Several of the comments talk about, and I will paraphrase, " being made to feel guilty."
The only one making You feel guilty is You.

BJM

I think not.