Flight Attendant Asks for Gift Cards for Upgrades

Image: Travel gift cards (photo by Eric Bowman)
Image: Travel gift cards (photo by Eric Bowman)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 12:50 PM ET, Sun September 17, 2023

Is this an example of quid pro quo? Or rather, quid pro gift card? 

A flight attendant who makes provocative videos for YouTube, including talking about joining the Mile High Club and hookups with pilots, said she will try to give passengers an upgrade if they bring her a gift card.

Insert your own joke about the Latin translation of the phrase meaning roughly ‘something for something.’ 

You can really insert your own joke when you find out that the flight attendant goes by the name of Cierra Mistt. 

Flight attendants are notoriously underpaid, but upgrades aren’t supposed to be traded or just handed out, only purchased. But Mistt says her tactic works “every time.” 

She said it was a secret that airlines don’t want you to know. But the truth of the matter is, that the secret is that most first-class seats are already taken, leaving precious little opportunity to upgrade a passenger. 

Most airlines ban the practice of flight attendants accepting tips, but many passengers still bring Starbucks gift cards or chocolates. 

It is unknown if Mistt still utilizes her social media account. 


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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