On a recent Alaska Airlines flight, passengers were told to remain buckled and seated for the last 30 minutes before landing at Reagan National Airport. It was a standard security measure for flights heading into restricted airspace over Washington.

It also turned a planeful of passengers into captive customers who were then pitched a Bank of America Visa card -- with little chance of tuning it out. Over the intercom, a flight attendant encouraged passengers to sign up for the Bank of America credit card. Then other flight attendants went down the aisle handing out applications.

...Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Amanda Tobin said passengers had expressed an interest in learning more about applying for Visa credit cards and that the airline's flight attendants share "basic" information.

Alaska isn't the only airline to push products. Since last August, Bank of America Corp. has paid US Airways employees $50 for each new applicant they get to sign up for a Visa card. The US Airways employees who nab 15 new applicants receive $750, plus a $75 bonus. The payments extend not only to flight attendants, but also to US Airways customer service and reservation agents...