> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thecontrail.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # US Airlines Are Credit Card Companies That Happen to Fly Planes - URL: https://www.thecontrail.org/why-airlines-push-credit-cards/ - Published: 2026-10-17T16:14:42.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-17T16:14:42.000Z - Description: American's flight attendants say the airline wants to turn them into credit card salespeople. They're right to be annoyed, and the reason it's happening says a lot about what US airlines have become. - Author: Zach Benitez - Tags: Editorial, American If you've flown American Airlines lately, you've probably heard it. Somewhere between the drink cart and landing, a flight attendant gets on the PA to pitch a credit card with a bonus framed as a special onboard offer. Now American's flight attendants say the airline wants to make selling those cards part of the job. According to a Saturday report from Paddle Your Own Kanoo, crew members claim American is trying to "redefine" their roles by making credit card sales training mandatory. You can understand why they're annoyed. Flight attendants are on board for safety first and service second, and nobody signed up to hit sales targets at 35,000 feet. But the bigger story is why an airline would push this hard in the first place. The answer is that for the big US airlines, the credit card often matters more than the plane. Airlines · Credit Cards ### The Money Behind the Onboard Pitch Amex paid Delta $8.2 billion in 2025 Share of Delta revenue About 14% United's own value of its miles Nearly $22 billion (2020) Borrowed against miles Delta $9B, American $10B On the plane The pitch is built to feel urgent. Take a minute before you apply. Compare Check the bonus and annual fee on the airline's site or a points site first. Do the math A free checked bag on a few trips a year can cover the fee on its own. Only if You'd want the card on the ground too, not just for the bonus. Contrail --- ## Where the Money Really Comes From Airlines don't just sell miles to you. They sell them to banks, by the billion. Every time you swipe an airline credit card, the bank buys miles from the airline to put in your account, and those payments add up fast. Delta is the clearest example because it reports the number. American Express paid Delta $8.2 billion in 2025, up 11% from the year before, according to Delta's own earnings release. That's about 14% of Delta's adjusted revenue. Unlike a seat to Atlanta, it doesn't need fuel, pilots or a plane. The pandemic showed how much these programs are worth. With planes parked in 2020, United borrowed against its MileagePlus program, which it valued at nearly $22 billion. Delta raised $9 billion against SkyMiles that year, and American raised $10 billion against AAdvantage the following spring. Lenders were happy to bet on the miles even when the airlines weren't flying. --- ## Why the Pitch Got Louder American has extra reason to push. It moved all of its credit cards to Citi in 2026, ending a long split with Barclays, and it has openly tried to catch up with Delta's Amex machine. In August, aviation reporter JonNYC reported that American had started giving flight attendants performance scores, with credit card approvals counting as a boost. Crew were also reportedly being told how much they could earn from successful pitches. American hadn't publicly confirmed it at the time. Flight attendants already earn extra money on approvals, and the onboard pitch had been described as voluntary. Making the training mandatory is a step further, because it treats selling as part of the core job rather than an optional side hustle. That's what the crew are pushing back on, and they have a point. ![Several American Airlines jets parked at gates at Chicago O’Hare, with an Aer Lingus tail behind them](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ac/ed/acedfbb2-ff9c-499b-b431-eb36d7539be1/content/images/2026/10/IMG_8120.JPG) American Airlines planes at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. File photo. Credit: Zach Benitez / Contrail --- ## What It Means for You Southwest made the trend official this week. Starting January 1, every dollar spent on its Chase credit card will count toward elite status, and the airline is building its first airport lounges with Chase, with access through a new premium card. An airline famous for keeping things simple now wants your card in your wallet as much as your seat on its planes. It explains a lot about flying today. Airlines want you to earn miles on your card more than they want you to earn them in the air, which is why status is increasingly tied to spending rather than flying, and why miles keep buying less. It's also part of why carriers can afford to keep [spending on new business class seats](https://www.thecontrail.org/delta-one-changes-2026/). The people with the premium cards are the customers the whole system is built around. None of this means an airline card is a bad deal. For someone who flies one airline a few times a year, the free checked bag alone can cover the annual fee. Just treat the onboard pitch the way you'd treat any sales call. The offer on the plane is designed to sound urgent. Before you apply, compare the bonus and annual fee with what's on the airline's website or a points site. Then only sign up if you'd want the card on the ground too. The flight attendant pitching it is just doing what they've been asked to do. The real customer for that announcement is the bank.