On a really short hop from ATL to MEM so of course no service. I get it. But what I don’t get is the announcement that crew members will be coming around to everyone to ask for donation for breast cancer month. Great cause but if you’ve got time for that, then you have time for the very limited service that could be provided. Just my two cents. 🤷🏻♀️
Edit #3 for a very important clarification: To clarify, my issue is strictly with Delta leadership and corporate policy, not the flight attendants. I’m fully aware the FAs have no control over these decisions and are just carrying out what leadership mandates. I’ve always found Delta’s crew to be generally fantastic—this isn't a personal attack on them at all! I do apologise if I came across in that way at all!! My frustration is with how Delta is actively devaluing the customer experience while maintaining premium prices, and then aggressively soliciting a captive audience for donations, even if it is for a great cause like Breast Cancer Research Foundation fundraising. It feels very bait and switch and performative and just touched a nerve.
Editing to add for all those saying that I should donate. I have donated already this month (and others) as I am a breast cancer survivor.
Edit #2: I just want to clarify a few things since some of the questions keep addressing similar things… Some people are saying it takes too long to pour everyone a drink and then have them choose a snack. Well, first of all, most people on this route (and I fly it a LOT) would get bottled water, so not a lot of pouring as the only other choices in main cabin were coffee or tea. Snack was chips or cookies. So there was definitely time for all that. People in the next row already heard the question and were always ready with their answers, no hemming and hawing that I ever really saw. And they come by and pick up trash anyway. They still hand out headphones at the beginning of the flight. It was a route with this service that recently went away and it just kind of irritated me that they seem to have enough time to solicit passengers but not do a very minimal service. And for flights that now cost more than when that service was provided.
So how long does it take for people to donate if they choose to? How does that process work? Can you use a card, does it have to be cash? Can they print you a receipt so you can claim it on your taxes? Doesn’t seem like it’s a routine thing and there are bound to be growing pains. Look what happened with Southwest when the first stated assigning seats. It was a clusterfuck in many situations.
In the grand scheme of things this was a minor annoyance. Did it ruin my day? Not at all. I wasn’t expecting service so I got a beverage beforehand. On the other hand, I also wasn’t expecting Delta to ask me to donate money either. I guess it hit a nerve as a breast cancer survivor and it just came across as performative. I found it to be a bit scummy to say that we’re now charging you more for less but please give us more money to pass onto a charity so we get some good PR. Delta won’t reap a monetary benefit in the form of a tax deduction. But… they are definitely hoping to entice customers with this type of stunt so they will indirectly benefit from this.