Must US Airways practice its hard-sell pitches on a captive audience?

10-22-2006

	Insider tips    Randy Petersen, editor and publisher of Inside Flyer, offers some tips for getting free seats for frequent-flier miles.    "Looking online is easy, but it's not always the best way. Understand that 'no' doesn't mean 'no.' "    He suggests calling the Dividend Miles number directly. "Speaking to an agent can greatly improve your chances. They can check inventory on an airline's partner carriers or spot other routes or travel dates that may be available.    "Also, be flexible. Everyone wants free tickets for flights that depart on Friday or return on Sunday, but midweek trips will be much easier to find."

Is it really necessary for US Airways to huckster credit cards on its flights?

On all four legs of a round-trip journey I took last weekend to the Bahamas, extended, hard-sell pitches were made for the Dividend Miles credit card through recorded messages and readings by flight attendants. After each spiel, a smiling attendant strolled down the aisle offering each row an application.

On the last flight, the attendant stopped and asked the young woman who was seated next to me how old she was.

"Twenty-three."

The attendant said that was good. "You have such a baby face, you might be 15, in which case I shouldn't be offering you credit."

Call me cranky, but this practice seems to me to be a significant step backward, both in terms of passenger respect and the air travel experience.

I have no problem with ads for credit cards in in-flight magazines or promotions at sales kiosks set up in the airport concourse. In those situations, uninterested passengers can simply turn the page or walk on by.

But forcing every member of a captive audience to an involuntary, aggressive sales pitch seems to be crossing a line, especially when airline personnel are actively enlisted in the effort.

Airline passengers these days are expected to put up with plenty of inconveniences, from being asked to check in ever earlier for flights to adapting to new regulations for carry-ons and (truth be said) demeaning security procedures, to being herded onto planes and packed into narrow seats with scant leg room and little in the way of in-flight entertainment or amenities. Now we're asked to sit through multiple sales pitches for credit cards!

Coffee, tea or credit?

In fact, on the two shorter flight legs I took, attendants offered only cold beverages and tiny bags of pretzels. When I asked for a cup of coffee, I was informed the trip was too short to brew hot beverages. There was no time for coffee or tea, but plenty for the cabin staff to huckster credit cards offering bonus mileage and free trips.

Randy Petersen, editor and publisher of Inside Flyer, shares my annoyance with these aggressive credit card sales.

"I was on a flight [on U.S. Airways] to the West Coast recently and got the same thing. It's a tactic other airlines have tried in the past and dropped, either because of passenger protest or lack of success."

Another irony is that this is happening at a time when it's become harder and harder to cash in accumulated mileage credit for free flights.

"Availability of free seats has been a particular issue for US Airways since its merger [with America West Airlines]," Mr Petersen said. "The two systems haven't been fully integrated. East Coasters are looking for flights to the West Coast, and West Coasters want to fly east. That's put a crunch on their inventory, especially for the companion tickets, which can be the toughest seat to land."

Regarding the credit card push, we also wonder what this sales effort accomplishes. Considering the flood of credit card offers the average American already receives, how many passengers don't already have a wallet full of plastic? Does the potential income from a few new credit customers justify the effort, not to mention the annoyance of all the other passengers in the cabin? And is it really necessary for an airline to de-professionalize its flight staff by turning them into sales people?

"That's ironic," Mr. Petersen noted. "For years, flight attendants have been working to establish themselves as being there for passenger safety and comfort. Selling product for a bonus certainly undermines that effort."

In full disclosure, since I already have a Dividend Miles credit card, I felt even less responsive to the sales pitch. But this raised another issue I found puzzling. Exactly what credit card is US Airways offering us?

The plastic in my wallet is a MasterCard issued by Juniper Bank, which Barclays Group has now purchased. I've had that card for about a year, but the card being pushed in-flight is a Visa Signature Card from Bank of America.

Curious, I checked www.usairways.com. On my first visit, the banner ad in the lower left corner exhorted me to "Earn More Miles" with the New US Airways Dividend MasterCard. Several minutes later I refreshed the page. This time, the banner ad in the same place advised that I could, "Get there sooner with 25,000 bonus dividend miles," with US Airways Visa Signature.

Somehow, it seemed odd for the airline simultaneously to be promoting two different credit card programs. Although the programs are generally similar, there are differences in annual fees -- MasterCard's is $79, with the first year free; Visa's $90 -- as well as interest rates, bonus miles and other benefits. For a side-by-side comparison, check the option box under Dividend Miles on its Web site and decide for yourself.

Choice is good, but rather than making the selection contingent on a seemingly random draw, shouldn't potential customers be advised of the existence of both programs? Mr. Petersen explained that the existence of the two programs is also a result of the merger. The Bank of America had a long-standing relationship with US Airways, but Barclays provided substantial funding for the airline to emerge from bankruptcy and wanted the credit card business. He said Bank of America is resorting to these aggressive sales tactics to sign up as many customers as possible before its affinity contract expires at the end of 2007.

This information was confirmed by a US Airways representative, who also explained that the in-flight pitches by flight attendants are a voluntary incentive program established by Bank of America. She noted that staff who choose to participate earn an incentive bonus for each application that is approved. Reportedly, the program has been successful for Bank of America and is gaining popularity among US Airways staff who can supplement their income with the incentive payments. They get no income from either the annual fees or interest payments.

Admittedly, these are relatively minor matters, but guerrilla marketing and sales practices offer little evidence of a carrier that has much respect for its clients' sense and sensibilities.

And that is another issue entirely.

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