Ten years ago an airline ran a television ad showing weary business travelers, asking the question: “Why do they do it?” Eventually one of the travelers looks up and says: “For the miles!”
At the time, I was part of the bleary-eyed crowd of travelers. I racked up tons of miles, mostly on American Airlines, hopping from one speaking engagement to another, along with conferences and general business meetings.
I remember the first time I saw that ad. I thought: “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.” The last thing I wanted after years of flying was… more flying!
I must admit, I enjoyed bumping up to first class on almost every flight. I liked the pre-flight pageantry of offering drinks and warmed, mixed nuts to those of us seated up front, and the chance to nab any overhead space I wanted. But I would’ve gladly traded all of it for less time away from home, fewer dashes to the airport, reduced rental-car travel in unfamiliar cities, and fewer hotel stays.
And yet, offering cheaper travel on future flights is exactly what airlines hold out as the ultimate gift.
Why not give us what we really want – cash!
Beyond the deluge of airline offers that arrive daily in the mail, I was reminded of the TV ad when I read about Volkswagen’s offer to diesel car owners.
The automaker, now famous for systematically defeating pollution tests on its diesel-powered cars, will give every owner of these vehicles a gift card worth $500. It’s a typical pre-loaded debit card, so the money is essentially cash.
But that’s not all. In addition to the gift card, Volkswagen is generously giving each polluting-diesel owner a $500 voucher, good for three years. The catch is that the voucher can only be used on a new Volkswagen.
Someone must have calculated that it will take three years for the current owners to get over the car company lying, cheating, and leaving them with a car marked with a scarlet letter.
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