Something about this viral “holiday gift” aboard American Airlines and unexpected upgrade to first class felt a little too perfectly timed to be genuine…but maybe I’m just too jaded?
When “Holiday Cheer” On An American Flight Looks More Like Content Than Kindness
A recent video going viral on Instagram shows an American Airlines passenger handing out AirPods Max to flight attendants and pilots, ostensibly as a holiday thank-you gesture, while boarding an Airbus A321neo.
If you watch the video below, it appears that another passenger overheard what happened and was so moved by the man’s kindness that he gave up his first class seat (the gifting man was seated in the very last row of the aircraft). Talk about a seat swap…
On its face, it seems like a generous act…a nice holiday flourish at 35,000 feet with a cool twist. But I’m not buying it.
Call me cynical, but I see it as performative engagement-farming and I’m just not impressed.
First, this was clearly orchestrated for content. The gifts are expensive, the recording is typical “influencer” style, and the “upgrade” just happened to follow immediately after the gifts were handed out. It checks many of the boxes for what people now expect when they record a “random act of kindness.” It would not surprise me if the first class passenger was in on this, though it would not change my analysis one way or the other.
Second, airlines, including American have gift-value policies. While small and perishable items (candy, fruit, etc.) are sometimes acceptable, high-value gifts like electronics generally violate corporate rules. Accepting expensive gifts is risky behavior for a crew. What happens when a passenger expects preferential treatment in return? That blur between generosity and expectation can cross an ethical line.
As View From The Wing noted, some commenters are framing the event as “flirting because the flight attendants are attractive” and that the flight attendants are benefiting from “pretty privilege.” That’s malarkey: he bought and brought the gifts without knowing who his crewmembers would be. I’ll give him that, at least.
Third, even if no rules were explicitly broken, I just don’t understand it. Flight attendants and especially pilots are well-paid for what they do and are just doing their jobs. Our tipping culture has tipped into craziness, as far as I am concerned.
That said, I’m not blind to the power of a genuine thank-you. A handwritten note, a small gift card, or a kind word are very nice gestures. But there’s a difference between small, heartfelt gratitude and handing out premium headphones so you can film the event at 37,000 feet. I’m just not impressed…
CONCLUSION
Yes, it’s nice to think people still appreciate flight crews, especially in busy holiday travel. But this sort of stunt screams out digital-era showmanship rather than genuine thanksgiving. True gratitude doesn’t need cameras…I’m just not into broadcasting my own acts of charity or goodwill toward others.
But maybe I’m just being Ebenezer Scrooge today?
Agreed. What I find crews to react well to is to treat them with courtesy during the flight and then when the service is good, tell them with a genuine thank you before landing.
Bribes.
True generosity doesn’t require a camera or accept a reward. I see none of this in this ” story ” .
Amen. If I ever do that, I won’t accept any reward. The reward is seeing the joy on the flight attendants’ faces when they receive the gift. Sometimes giving can be a reward in itself.
You are so correct.
This is absolute content farming. giving out generous gifts is not enough to make it go viral, you need the upgrade angle to put it over the top.
For reasons that are beyond me, people seem to think that everything they see online is real. Great for grifters and scam-artists but bad for society as a whole
And the whole plane applauded. BTW, if this did happen and the empty seat next to me was given to the OP, I’d complain to the airline.
When a Lufthansa ticketing agent went above-and-beyond to help my wife, she quietly gave him $40 in thanks and forced him to take it. This was ONLY after he had done it and he did nothing that wouldn’t have been done, legally, for another passenger. Just amazing service.
That said, there’s lots of cringe suggestions online to give FA’s gift cards and other goodies in the hopes of an upgrade and reasonably, that should be discouraged or even forbidding because it lowers overall standards such as in the restaurant industry where we are expected to tip lavishly (3X what was a “good” tip before) for AVERAGE or even BELOW average service. The same can happen with hotels if we’re not careful (although they’re trying to push in that direction) but it’s tougher and here’s why: Unlike a restaurant where the waiter, er, “server”, sees your face, your hotel experience with the maid is entirely anonymous. It’s like tipping a busboy.
I’ve given FA’s some books I’ve decided to empty from my bookshelf and they appreciated it. I didn’t expect anything, just happy to give anyone a joy of reading.
Flight attendants are not well paid for what they do. What is your source for that claim?
As a former UAL F/A, I noticed that wrong comment as well!
UA FAs are certainly not well-paid at the moment and long overdue for a new contract. AA FAs…different story.
Creepy slime-ball. Typical “content creator” (in other words, a whore).
Social media is a cancer on society.
Hey, no need to disparage or conflate ‘whores’ with these so-called ‘influencers’…like, there are decent, hard-working sluts out there, who deserve dignity and respect, unlike these online-clout-peddlers, sheesh.
Calling it an upgrade the way you did in the title is a bit misleading as it can suggest the FAs upgraded him as a thank you.
But yeah, filming it is less about charity and more self-serving than anything else.
Only the weak follow an “influencer” IMHO. Are you so “weak” that you can’t research, explore. and think critically to make the best decisions for yourself and your wellbeing? And, from what I’ve seen, these “influencer’s “ are so arrogant and full of themselves that I wouldn’t trust anything they’re peddling. As to the gift giver in this post, it appears to me that the gift wasn’t given in sincerity but rather for the gift givers benefit and expectation of something in return.
I agree with your impressions and I too suspect that while this is certainly over the top kind….it appears a bit staged. The other issue, and it is an issue, is that airlines (and many other companies) have policies about accepting high value gifts. And these certainly are high value gifts.
In my flight attendant days had I accepted a gift like this and management found out I would be in serious trouble. Given that the entire crew was gifted….who knows.