Originally Posted by
Swakid8
I usually don’t tip because I don’t carry cash at all. So I try to make it a point to lift my own bags.
Originally Posted by
KckTrsLtFrs
Same here. In fact, I’d rather grab my own bags; not because they can’t do it or don’t do a good job, but rather because I’m capable and don’t need to be treated like something special. Just my 2 cents.
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Originally Posted by
IVVIB
I really don't understand why crews feel compelled to tip. Riding in the hotel van is a required part of my job. Sure, if a driver really helps us out with something I'd tip. I always tip for rides off duty (i.e. restaurants, or into town). But just mindlessly giving away hundreds of dollars a year for something I have to do for work never made sense to me.
Originally Posted by
Cyio
Yeah its just this, however I dont always have cash. If I have it, I will tip the drivers, if not I say thank you and load/unload my own stuff. If some crew member wants to make a character attack on me for that, so be it.
Originally Posted by
NovemberBravo
I almost never carry cash. When I do if I have singles I’ll tip.
Originally Posted by
Flyinguy
This^^
Where do you draw the line? Google hotel maids, they ‘should’ be tipped $1-5$ per night. Do y’all tip them?
Tipping is a terrible American social ‘norm’ for the restaurant industry who is too cheap to pay their employees properly and expect the customer to pay them. Let’s not let it spread to everything.
It hurts them way more than it helps them. They don’t have as much stability as an hourly wage employee. But you chose to go out to eat, you could order delivery, so as terrible as it is, I do tip wait staff when I go out.
But this is part of our job. Do we tip gate agents for being on time? Bag handelers don’t get $1 for every bag they handle, pilots don’t get $1 for every passenger.
It is an insult to tip in most countries. We are professionals who do our best, we don’t need a bribe/tip to do well.
It leads to scum in various other cities, where some guy jumps on your car and starts cleaning the window and expects money for it and he breaks your window.
Exactly. I treat the van driver like I would want to be treated. I thank them, tell them to have a good day. I let them load bags because they have a method, but I will gladly load or unload my own bag, in fact prefer it.
I assume most won’t turn down a tip, but don’t expect one either. I don’t think it ruins their day or they care if they get a tip.
At my former airline, probably 3/4 of the captains I flew with didn't tip. They would either shove themselves past the driver to move their bag or make an excuse about "I'll make up for it next time" even though the driver had seen them three times already that month. They also wondered why the van drivers were rarely if ever sitting there waiting for us or otherwise prompt to pick us up.
For those of you who say "if I happen to have cash" you should be ashamed of yourselves. If you don't care to tip, then don't... but don't make some excuse about how you don't have cash when you intentionally make sure not to.
For the rest of you looking for excuses, tips are expected and the drivers notice when certain airlines crews don't tip. When I started at my current airline on day one of indoc they made a point of saying that tipping van drivers is not considered optional and that if we want to say we are making some broader societal point about tipping to do it on our own time, not while representing the company, and more importantly when it isn't affecting how they look at our crews.
The only reason I carried cash when flying RJs was hotel van tips and I still do for the same reason. Yes the drivers notice when you don't tip, and if they see a pattern from a company yes it affects what kind of service you get. In the old days the van drivers were in many cases making more than RJ pilots (although that wasn't their fault), now they are almost assuredly making less than you.
Originally Posted by
Swakid8
This right here ^. Some of guys can knock folks for rationalization of not tipping.
You guys do y’all and tip. Let folks who don’t tip, do them.
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The thing is, people like you who don't tip affect everyone else... although the people who don't tip aren't likely to care about that.
Originally Posted by
backtoregionals
I personally think tipping van drivers is out of hand. Answer these questions...
1) Do flight crews get tips for leaving and arriving on time? No..it’s our job.
2) Do ramp crews get tipped for the hundreds of bags they load and unload daily? No..it’s their job.
3) Is a hotel van to/from the airport an “extra”? No..it’s the driver’s job.
Lets say the average crew remember is out 14 nights/month. If you trip $1 each way that’s 28/month. That’s $336/year on something you probably don’t get reimbursed for. If the van driver is willing to take us somewhere then absolutely I will tip them because that’s beyond the scope of our regular airport transportation requirements. I also prefer to load and unload my own bags unless the driver has a method for stacking them in the van.
Tips for things like your van driver are expected to be part of your per diem, which is why it is not taxed. So no, it's not something you don't get reimbursed for, you just get the money whether you tip or not.
You are all going to do your own thing anyway, but don't fool yourselves into thinking that anyone else sees you as anything other than cheap and stingy. Regardless of what broader points you think you are making that is how both the drivers and your fellow crew members see you.