Flight Attendant News

Bank of America Corp. is using flight attendants to promote its US Airways Visa Signature Card. The card is the type that lets the user earn frequent flyer miles from purchases. New customers get 25,000 bonus miles with their first purchase, plus 500 more if they apply during a flight.

According to an article about the promotion in the Myrtle Beach Sun News:

While airline miles cards have long been sold in airport terminals, the flight attendant pitches are harder to miss. After an onboard announcement, attendants walk the aisles, handing out brochures. Some push the cards more aggressively than others.

Bank of America spokeswoman Betsy Weinberger said the bank's research shows that the program is popular because the latest promotion is one of the best in the industry and it's convenient to sign up.

She would not disclose how many passengers have applied onboard for the card, which carries a $90 annual fee.

The program is optional for flight attendants, she noted. "If we were to get a complaint about a flight attendant, we would coach him or her or remove them from the program," she said.

Flight attendants have split views on the program, nicknamed "Cash Cow," said Mike Flores, the leader of US Airways' flight attendant union.

Some welcome the extra money after years of wage concessions, while others see it as a "degradation of the profession," he said.

"Some flight attendants see it as another example of the company wanting us to be sales people rather than flight attendants," he said.

US Airways spokesman Philip Gee compared the program to the sale of duty-free items on international flights.

Flight attendants are not required to participate and safety procedures are not compromised, he said.

The US Airways flight attendants earn a $50 commission on successful sales.

Source: Flight attendants serve new credit cards - Myrtle Beach Sun News

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