Inflight Promotions OUT OF CONTROL
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Happy_People
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Are you a flight attendant? You must be management and nuts! I haven't talked to one flight attendant that thinks that this is okay or not a big deal. We all hate this idea! Its embarassing and degrading. Forcing passengers to listen to all these advertisements is a bad idea. I have been personally yelled at many times in regards to our "level off" video! The people are tired of all this forceful marketing!
In response to the sick policy letter that the east has received. Its not a big deal they do it every year to try and scare us.... get used to it.
Union back off..... i don't think so.
AFA 66 Speaks for me.
I scream for "NO ICE CREAM!"
DesertFA66
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As I understand the letter, the coupon is handed out with a napkin and pretzels during beverage service.....BIG DIVERSION FROM SAFETY???!!!! NOT! Not to mention this only affects PHL, CLT and PHX....safety concerns? Ridiculous waste of energy....get a fair contract!!!
Too labor intensive, not to mention more mess for the flight attendants to clean up after the flight.
I like your ideas on additional advertising opportunities. Here's another one: have the baggage handlers insert ads (Cold Stone coupons, credit card applications, etc.) in people's bags. Why should flight attendants be the only ones to do the company's dirty work? 😉
jimcfs
Veteran
(I'm not working on much caffeine yet... but off the top of my head...)
Put the Hefty ads on the trash bags.
Put gasoline/oil ads on the gas trucks (but they are subcon'd already, aren't they?)
Make everything the "Official <insert product here> of USAirways". Hey, if US can be the official airline of Sports Team Blah, why can't we have the same idea.
Someone previously mentioned the FA uniform... and how it would make their uniforms look like NASCAR crew outfits.
Hoots could redesign the uniforms and offer bonuses for those who wanted to dress like a Hoots girl. If for nothing else, put them upfront and make some CPs happy!
Provide Hanes underwear for the crews and give them buttons "Look who we got our Hanes on now".
Imprint the coffee cups with the type of coffee we serve.
WRT ColdStone, why not have their people at the gates and give free samples? Is this any different from BOA/Juniper having people in the terminals hawking their cards?
I personally do not have a problem with handing someone a coupon with their napkin and pretzels. What is the difference you hand them a napkin with a PF Chang ad on it.
My only concern about the f/a's raising an uproar on this is, cash cow. Many f/a's are doing extremely well with that, the company may just turn around an eliminate that program because it too is no different then handing a coupon to someone. Be careful what you wish for.
My only concern about the f/a's raising an uproar on this is, cash cow. Many f/a's are doing extremely well with that, the company may just turn around an eliminate that program because it too is no different then handing a coupon to someone. Be careful what you wish for.
US Airways the NASCAR of the sky!
I was on Alaska twice last week and both times there was a long, drawn out sales pitch for their Visa card ... right in the middle of a transcon when most people were probably resting/asleep. As as passenger, I for one cannot stand when F/As start trying to sell products. I'm fine with napkins, in flight video ads before a movie, etc., but nothing over the stnadard P/A.
N965VJ
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jimcfs
Veteran
We've forgotten about the biggest piece of ad copy out there... the outside of the aircraft itself. I think one of the low fare/cost carriers in Europe does this.
If this did happen on a large scale, think about how cheap the hubs would look when a bank was in... one huge commercial down the concourse.
FlyGuyBWI
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Here! Here! If the F/A group is to impliement a promotion that generates $ XX in revenue, the group should split at least a 25% commission -- there is "cost neutral" way to increase F/A pay -- let your advertisers foot the bill for increased F/A compensation.
Here is a coldstone update from the west FA union: Cheers to Gary for fighting this!!
Greetings,
Flight Attendant Coupon
(PHX Based FA Letter)
Sherri,
There are a number of us who read your letter and had a question:
How does this marketing campaign generate revenue "in many cases" to
the flight attendant? We were wondering when and on what paycheck we
would be realizing revenue from this campaign? Thank you for any
clarification.
Dorene
(Sherri's unedited reply)
Dorren these are marketing campaigns in general...FA's get money from
credit card promotions, sky mall and even cold stone provided a reduction of
price which mean to less money to pay for a product....Sherri
(Huh?)
(PIT Based US Airways FA letter)
Hello Sherri and Ed,
I never equated Low Fare with Low Class, but lately that seems to be the direction we are heading.
It's bad enough that 3 months have passed without an improvement in the horrific galley packout mess, but now we are once again bombarding our customers with more advertising.
It's difficult enough to have an attentive audience to the pertinent and important safety announcements, but this additional task is beyond demeaning.
It has left us Stone Cold....
Signed,
A concerned IN-FLIGHT SAFETY SERVICE SPECIALIST, i.e. Flight Attendant
I hear your concerns and sincerely appreciate the feedback. In the aggregate we all endeavor to provide a safe, reliable, and buyable service to our customers. We must partner with other businesses with the same goals of making our corner of the world enriched, more fun, more safe, and of course more prosperous for all of us. We have agreed to meet with your union leadership in the near future to discuss all of the marketing promotions and seek their input and feedback on these programs.
Sherri
(HUH?)
What's next? If Marketing controls the design of the FA Uniform, will this be the new design?
Over 700 emails to date have been sent by flight attendants and frequent flyers (see below), protesting yet another inflight marketing scheme that is demeaning and degrading to the flight attendant profession. Our primary job is to be on board as safety professionals and yet even after hundreds of email protests, US Airways management still doesn't get it.
Here is what Frequent Flyers are saying:
Dear Mr. Bular,
As a frequent flyer on America West, the last thing I want is more advertising. We already have to hear the blare of the video advertising and even see advertising on our seat trays. Now we are going to be subjected to flight attendants hawking ice cream. When will it end? Maybe the Pilot announcements can include a message for Dominos Pizza!
Let flight attendants focus on their real job and do not distract them with schemes such as this.
Sincerely,
Joe B
Dear Mr. Bular,
As a flyer on your airline I guess this is just another piece of trash for the attendants to dispose of at the end of the flights. Do you really think your passengers appreciate things like this? If you do think again.During the week most passengers are traveling for the jobs and a majority are even doing work on the planes they don't want to be bothered with this stuff. And passengers who are traveling with kids its just the thing to get the kids screaming I want ice cream and not when we land but NOW. And thats such a nice thing for the other passenger to have to listen to on a whole flight. And those coming from a vacation where there goal was to relax don't want to be bothered with this either. Is it to much to ask to have a relaxing and peaceful flight?
Sincerely
Donna
When does the corporate greed stop, and at who’s expense? Usually it is just employees that get miffed about corporations making huge profits and not passing it along to fellow co workers. Now US Airways is passing that frustration along to its customers. Making millions of dollars in profits each quarter and not making the flying experience more enjoyable; and this is at the expense of it’s customers. The barrage of advertising threw out the flight, seats that are so close together it is painful when a passenger in front of you reclines, and now hearing that they are shrinking their first class cabins to squeeze more seats in an already crowded airplane. As a frequent flier I am angry anytime I spend a lot of money to fly and am force fed advertising,.... .
Rob1963 (AZ Republic Biz Blog)
Dear Mr.Bular:
As a Chairman's Preferred customer, I am opposed to yet another US Airways marketing scheme that forces me to endure yet another assault on my time and senses. As a business traveler, often the only "quiet time" I have (had) is in the cabin of the aircraft. But since the merger between US Airways and America West, that serenity has constantly been eroded.
From Sky Mall videos to credit card announcements, air sick bag advertisements to table tray promotions, and the perpetual hawking of credit cards in the terminals, the US Airways travel experience has become a battle zone of competing outside advertising interests.
I urge you to reconsider this and all other marketing plans. If you want to provide Cold-Stone creamery coupons, stuff them in the ticket jackets at the check-in desk. If US Airways is intent on doing business this way, then may I suggest you might want to launch a marketing campaign with Bose...because your actions certainly are driving people to purchase their headsets in a desperate attempt to block out the non-stop assault you are hurling at them.
Sincerely,
Mark L.
Print out a copy of the above letters and hand deliver it to a Cold Stone Creamery franchise nearest to you. Let the franchise owner know how the US Airways and Cold Stone Creamery corporate marketing campaign is being received by their potential customers. To find the nearest store visit www.coldstonecreamery.com
Your continued efforts in objecting to these types of onboard marketing schemes is essential and needed. If you have not taken action by sending a letter to the management of US Airways and Cold Stone Creamery, do so now. If you have participated, please forward this action alert to your friends and coworkers. Take Action: Cold Stone Onboard Coupon-Chilly Reception By Flight Attendants
The word is spreading. Newspapers across the country are picking up the story with articles being written in the Chicago Tribune, Huston Chronicle, St. Louis Dispatch, and the East Valley Tribune.
US Airway workers say Cold Stone promotion is additional work | EastValleyTribune.com
US Airways attendants angry over coupon-distribution duties | Chicago Tribune
You can participate in Arizona Republic Columnist Dawn Gilbertson's US Airways business web blog by clicking on to the link here: US Airway-stone cold reception
In Solidarity,
Gary Richardson
Greetings,
Flight Attendant Coupon
(PHX Based FA Letter)
Sherri,
There are a number of us who read your letter and had a question:
How does this marketing campaign generate revenue "in many cases" to
the flight attendant? We were wondering when and on what paycheck we
would be realizing revenue from this campaign? Thank you for any
clarification.
Dorene
(Sherri's unedited reply)
Dorren these are marketing campaigns in general...FA's get money from
credit card promotions, sky mall and even cold stone provided a reduction of
price which mean to less money to pay for a product....Sherri
(Huh?)
(PIT Based US Airways FA letter)
Hello Sherri and Ed,
I never equated Low Fare with Low Class, but lately that seems to be the direction we are heading.
It's bad enough that 3 months have passed without an improvement in the horrific galley packout mess, but now we are once again bombarding our customers with more advertising.
It's difficult enough to have an attentive audience to the pertinent and important safety announcements, but this additional task is beyond demeaning.
It has left us Stone Cold....
Signed,
A concerned IN-FLIGHT SAFETY SERVICE SPECIALIST, i.e. Flight Attendant
I hear your concerns and sincerely appreciate the feedback. In the aggregate we all endeavor to provide a safe, reliable, and buyable service to our customers. We must partner with other businesses with the same goals of making our corner of the world enriched, more fun, more safe, and of course more prosperous for all of us. We have agreed to meet with your union leadership in the near future to discuss all of the marketing promotions and seek their input and feedback on these programs.
Sherri
(HUH?)
What's next? If Marketing controls the design of the FA Uniform, will this be the new design?
Over 700 emails to date have been sent by flight attendants and frequent flyers (see below), protesting yet another inflight marketing scheme that is demeaning and degrading to the flight attendant profession. Our primary job is to be on board as safety professionals and yet even after hundreds of email protests, US Airways management still doesn't get it.
Here is what Frequent Flyers are saying:
Dear Mr. Bular,
As a frequent flyer on America West, the last thing I want is more advertising. We already have to hear the blare of the video advertising and even see advertising on our seat trays. Now we are going to be subjected to flight attendants hawking ice cream. When will it end? Maybe the Pilot announcements can include a message for Dominos Pizza!
Let flight attendants focus on their real job and do not distract them with schemes such as this.
Sincerely,
Joe B
Dear Mr. Bular,
As a flyer on your airline I guess this is just another piece of trash for the attendants to dispose of at the end of the flights. Do you really think your passengers appreciate things like this? If you do think again.During the week most passengers are traveling for the jobs and a majority are even doing work on the planes they don't want to be bothered with this stuff. And passengers who are traveling with kids its just the thing to get the kids screaming I want ice cream and not when we land but NOW. And thats such a nice thing for the other passenger to have to listen to on a whole flight. And those coming from a vacation where there goal was to relax don't want to be bothered with this either. Is it to much to ask to have a relaxing and peaceful flight?
Sincerely
Donna
When does the corporate greed stop, and at who’s expense? Usually it is just employees that get miffed about corporations making huge profits and not passing it along to fellow co workers. Now US Airways is passing that frustration along to its customers. Making millions of dollars in profits each quarter and not making the flying experience more enjoyable; and this is at the expense of it’s customers. The barrage of advertising threw out the flight, seats that are so close together it is painful when a passenger in front of you reclines, and now hearing that they are shrinking their first class cabins to squeeze more seats in an already crowded airplane. As a frequent flier I am angry anytime I spend a lot of money to fly and am force fed advertising,.... .
Rob1963 (AZ Republic Biz Blog)
Dear Mr.Bular:
As a Chairman's Preferred customer, I am opposed to yet another US Airways marketing scheme that forces me to endure yet another assault on my time and senses. As a business traveler, often the only "quiet time" I have (had) is in the cabin of the aircraft. But since the merger between US Airways and America West, that serenity has constantly been eroded.
From Sky Mall videos to credit card announcements, air sick bag advertisements to table tray promotions, and the perpetual hawking of credit cards in the terminals, the US Airways travel experience has become a battle zone of competing outside advertising interests.
I urge you to reconsider this and all other marketing plans. If you want to provide Cold-Stone creamery coupons, stuff them in the ticket jackets at the check-in desk. If US Airways is intent on doing business this way, then may I suggest you might want to launch a marketing campaign with Bose...because your actions certainly are driving people to purchase their headsets in a desperate attempt to block out the non-stop assault you are hurling at them.
Sincerely,
Mark L.
Print out a copy of the above letters and hand deliver it to a Cold Stone Creamery franchise nearest to you. Let the franchise owner know how the US Airways and Cold Stone Creamery corporate marketing campaign is being received by their potential customers. To find the nearest store visit www.coldstonecreamery.com
Your continued efforts in objecting to these types of onboard marketing schemes is essential and needed. If you have not taken action by sending a letter to the management of US Airways and Cold Stone Creamery, do so now. If you have participated, please forward this action alert to your friends and coworkers. Take Action: Cold Stone Onboard Coupon-Chilly Reception By Flight Attendants
The word is spreading. Newspapers across the country are picking up the story with articles being written in the Chicago Tribune, Huston Chronicle, St. Louis Dispatch, and the East Valley Tribune.
US Airway workers say Cold Stone promotion is additional work | EastValleyTribune.com
US Airways attendants angry over coupon-distribution duties | Chicago Tribune
You can participate in Arizona Republic Columnist Dawn Gilbertson's US Airways business web blog by clicking on to the link here: US Airway-stone cold reception
In Solidarity,
Gary Richardson
jimcfs
Veteran
Maybe this will help our US friends, Bob? BOGO at ColdStone
I wonder if you can combine this with the $1 coupons?
Travelpro72
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These coldstone coupons are to be given out during the beverage service correct? Well we got them in CLT today for our RDU turn which is a "Request" flight. As for the cashcow being possibly cancelled along with other promotions..... cashcow will be cancelled because of the flight attendants out there that look so damn desperate at times doing their "tasteful" announcement. Just like one of the wackjobs on here who said Rain or shine, Delay or mechanical.....cashcow all the way. I can't believe it. Sometimes you need to know when tasteful is TASTELESS. That goes for the company and the f/a's that are HORRIBLE at their new found sales job.
Prince of PAWOBs
Veteran
My point was that merchandising is not what F/A's are hired to do. Whether or not there is any effect to safety due to handing out a coupon is irrelevant (as an aside, I doubt there is any danger besides paper cuts or possible ice cream headache much later).
I don't think anyone ever suggested that making a BofA announcement or handing out coupons was a safety issue anyway. F/A's already have job duties related to the flights they work, with passenger safety being paramount. Frankly, they just don't get paid enough to be spokepeople or coupon canvasers in addition to what they are trained to do.
