Its not actually overselling them at all
I am an Internation FA with Air NZ and know a few of the CSA (Customer Service Agents - Ground Agents) Team Leaders that applied. Great people, awesome personalities and fantastic experience/job knowledge trhat were turned down.
Anyone that wants to apply - good for them. I would rather not. There are at present no well defined models of what the role demands. There are no Duty Time limitations and the rest provisions for crew do not apply to this role.
It has been suggested by the airline that they will be required to be there to assist not just the high yield but all pax, at check in phase. How long before take-off will that be. Then they will be in lounge (shmoozing ?) and escort the pax to the aircraft. Then once onboard will be required to assist in passenger service as may be required. All the time completing their duties as a Concierge. Doing what ??? And if any delays at destination, after a 13 hour flight (and by this time about 16 hours of duty) they may still be required to stay working on ground, rebooking pax on onward travel and making hotel bookings etc before they may go to hotel. Then up again next day to head back home and do it all over again. But out to Airport two hours before crew to do more of the ground role before boarding.
The news brief mentioned being a booking and destination specialist. Also said they might be conducting inflight wine tasting for example.... Really..... So guessing they are going to load a hell of a lot more wine as am sure the Revenue pax in Bus Class will not be too happy to learn they cant have another Pinot as the pax in Economy have the last bottles for a wine tasting. And where exactly might the wine tasting be occuring.
I cant think of any crew that suggested to management that a position like this was either necessary or a good idea. But it has been labeled as a crew initiative. Call me cynical but maybe as somewhere to lay the blame if this turns out to be a lame duck.
I am all for change and great new ideas but surely if they had focused in simply putting more crew on board as suggested they would have a much better outcome.
Be careful what you wish for. The airline had the great idea to change the old onboard manager role and introduced the new FSM position. They are now struggling to not only fill the vacancies they have in that role, but retain the FSM's they currently have. Many are wanting to demote themselves but are unable as there is no-one to take their place. If this is such a great role why does no-one that knows anything about it want it, and why do so many that have it want out.