Selling Broadway Tickets on Board.....

[kicked2curb]

We'll just have to wait and see what they come up with for a commission/ compensation. I doubt they are silly enough to think we would hawk baubles sans compensation, while working under a contract that has been gutted three times since 9/11.

Right? :blink:

No way will they come up with a commission, you know what you will be get for compensation? A $25.00 gift certificate of some sort and certificate of recognition. That's how I was recognized for achieving over a million dollars of ticket sales one quarter.

 

[UPNAWAY]

Bingo. And the "trinket" cart and the "broadway ticket" cart can sit next to the empty "meal carts" and empty "oven slots" until we are properly compensated.

You are properly compensated now.
If not FAs would be leaving in droves to other airlines or industries that pay more.
Now a case could be made for CSRs or Ramp, but not FAs. I understand all the seniority issues with moving in this industry but that is a huge factor in your wage supression.

 

[FlyUs]

You are properly compensated now.
If not FAs would be leaving in droves to other airlines or industries that pay more.
Now a case could be made for CSRs or Ramp, but not FAs. I understand all the seniority issues with moving in this industry but that is a huge factor in your wage supression.

Who are YOU to tell the flight attendants how properly compensated they are??!! That's why we have a union. YOU don't get to decide! I'll be the first one to walk off a CHAOS flight if it gets that far. That 40% compensation package that the company received from the flight attendants since 911?? That was just a loan!!

 

[USstew23]

I think you do what ever your company ask you to do, just like all other Americans.

I have yet to see an FA contract that states FAs are here only for safety and can do no other work. Might be great for you but that doesn't exist.
And what is the difference if you sell Broadway Tickets or Affinity Credit Cards or give free drinks or sell them. Why does any of that matter? Your in the tube for x amount of time might as well stay busy.

You are such a complete idiot!! I'm pretty sure you've never read any flight attendant contract nor could you even comprehend one. You have no credibility nor do you even know what you are talking about half of the time. People like you are why US has turned into an embarrassing laughing stock.

 

[Art at ISP]

I have to say I am shaking my head at this thread.

US Airways is an AIRLINE, not a MARKETING COMPANY. If they can't make money at their core competency (?), they don't deserve to be in business.

All this selling this, selling that, charging for this and that, are covers for the fact that they are no good at what they are supposed to do best.

WORK ON FIXING THE PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRLINE, then you can consider all these other side ventures.

First step--treat your employees right and encourage and empower them to take care of YOUR customers.

Oh...what's the use.....

 

[NoMoreKoolAid]

AFA is strongly against a commission system. We are not Perfume spritzers at Bloomindales! If we wanted to sell crap we would work in retail. They are using commission based sales as a way to get out of giving you a decent contract. The day I sell theater tickets or any of that other junk onboard; it just won't happen.

 

[missthe727]

AFA is strongly against a commission system. We are not Perfume spritzers at Bloomindales! If we wanted to sell crap we would work in retail. They are using commission based sales as a way to get out of giving you a decent contract. The day I sell theater tickets or any of that other junk onboard; it just won't happen.

AFA SHOULD be against any kind of commission because there will be those who are more aggressive who will shove others out of the way to make more money. Give us a fair contract first and then talk to me about selling stuff on board.

Look at the cash cow fiasco. Last year I caught the girl who volunteered to hand out the applications putting all of hers on the top of the pile and handing them out first. F/As have actually gotten into fights over the way cash cow is done. The company created a monster with that one---but it made them a TON of money so they just don't care. It will be the same with the Guestlogix deal---plus WHY should they get a percentage of the profit? Because they invented the hand held device???---give me a break.

All I can say is that I won't be pushing the trinket cart.....

 

[sharktooth]

I have to say I am shaking my head at this thread.

US Airways is an AIRLINE, not a MARKETING COMPANY. If they can't make money at their core competency (?), they don't deserve to be in business.

All this selling this, selling that, charging for this and that, are covers for the fact that they are no good at what they are supposed to do best.

WORK ON FIXING THE PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRLINE, then you can consider all these other side ventures.

First step--treat your employees right and encourage and empower them to take care of YOUR customers.

Oh...what's the use.....

I share your frustration.

It is like watching people getting robbed, yet making excuses for the thieves, like the American public getting fleeced by Cheney/Bush. Maybe it is an American trait, though I certainly hope not.

Should the employees realize how they have been mugged, what would be an appropriate manner for redress?

 

[safety stud]

Its a sad state of afairs when F/A's are whored out to sell... However, let's let reality stick in to the mix. If someone offers you a chance to make more money to your paycheck are you going to do it. The answer is yes... All-be-it, some won't. AFA doesn't have the authority to stop the company from emplementing policy. The only way it can, is if it causes harm, puts a F/A at risk, and the like.

It is actually a pretty good ploy on the companys part if you think about it. There are many out there that will do anything and I mean anything to make an extra buck. Who are we to stop that? Do you think the position of flight attendant is not a selling machine? We as F/A's spend the most time with passengers. We in a sense are selling the airline to them, so they will return again. Am I going to push this. No... Do I still do Cash Cow... Yes.... Do I do the buy on board... No... You see... We all have choices... What we do with them is entireley up to us...

Just my opinion...

 

[songbirdstew]

Why are you afraid to have a portion of your income decided on YOUR abilities. If you sell more you earn more it's that simple.

Whether or not it's appropriate to hawk trinkets as a marketing company instead of actually running an airline is yet another topic

C'mon Bob...there are some who have been here for many years who do not HAVE the ability to be sales people. If they did, they might have gone into sales years ago. It's not that simple---if the job was like this years ago and they are NOT sales people perhaps they would not have taken this employment opportunity.
Mgmt. has been changing the rules in the middle of the game for years but this is the crassest and tackiest yet. BTW---how are things over at CO????

 

[mrman]

I don't understand what the big deal is. A couple of thoughts:

Allegiant Air has been selling Vegas shows, trinkets etc for years and making a pretty good profit doing it. Its funny that they don't seem to have the issues that have been dreamed up with soldout shows etc. An employee is traditionally better off working for a profitable company.

International has been hocking crap for years and the FA status has not weakened, safety has not been compromised.

I agree hocking trinkets, credit cards etc hurts the brand. But that is not the issue here. US has choosen a different business model, but thats a different issue. I don't think it hurts the FA as a safety professional.

Those saying this is a safety issue because the FA should be watching, then every FA sitting in a jumpseat reading a book or rag or International sitting in an empty first seat must be compromising safety and should be reprimanded. I guess its a good thing they stopped serving meals as it allows more time standing in front of the plane monitoring the passengers

Quite frankly wouldn't you rather be doing something making the trip go faster.

Those with the "they should pay me attitude". Did they reduce pay when they reduce passenger customer service, meals etc. If US was smart they would add a commission. God knows you guys could use some extra bucks and knowing most here are hard workers wouldn't you like to get some credit (cash)for that had work.

I read where RyanAir predicts that they could end up not charging for flights by selling merchandise, its that lucrative.

In a best case scenerio, lets say its hugely succesfull. Lets hope its successful enough to require the need of an added FA on the flight like there was a need when there were meals in coach.

I have great respects for FA's but it seems to me that something does not pass the smell test and one must have a pretty low self esteem of themselves to find selling demeaning when they have been doing it for years tangibly through duty free and intangibly when selling their brand with outstanding customer service. What you guys are not getting is that you are more in the customer service business than the transportation business. If you don't think this is true, where are your FF lately.

I have no dog in this fight, but you guys have so many more important and critical issues than worrying rolling a cart down the aisle when you are doing it already selling water.

 

[UPNAWAY]

I have to say I am shaking my head at this thread.

US Airways is an AIRLINE, not a MARKETING COMPANY. If they can't make money at their core competency (?), they don't deserve to be in business.

Art you do realize if this were the standard, then you current Airline and America's most succesful SWA should not be in business either.

 

[sharktooth]

Art you do realize if this were the standard, then you current Airline and America's most succesful SWA should not be in business either.

You have no idea what Art is talking about, do you?

 

[InternationalShannon]

Selling is a skill! Thankfully it can be taught or else I'd be out of work.
Hey you folks aren't 23 year old college grads you have to teach how to dress for their jobs.

You should see me in my Wendy's smock!!!!!! RAWWRRRR!!!! It doesnt even get greasy, and I can upsell you into a Biggie size as if your quality of life would seriously drop if you don't do exactly that.

I can hawk Broadway tickets, let me at em!!

 

[JS]

I have to be brutally frank here. If I were to even open a copier dealership I'd actively recruit 40 something female F/A's, train them to sell the products and watch them make some pilot level income. F/A's in general possess some of the best people skills in the world, are customer oriented and not afraid to bust their arses.

You might want to reconsider that... you would have to set up a shift trading system, let them sit and read magazines for the first 30 minutes and last 15 minutes of each shift, set up a bidding system on shifts ranging from 45 minutes to 18 hours, give them the power to eject customers from the store on a whim, etc. It could get very complicated. 😉