I would have bought the FA the dinner, and then later said "pass it on..." if she tried to repay me. If I thought she was scamming me I'd avoid eating with her again...but otherwise...keep the big picture.

One trip "bumped for training" takes care of more than a year of "little $hit" that comes with the job. The LS stuff includes van driver tips, buying dinner for a new hire FE, or whatever other little incidentals come from living on the road. 18 years of combat splits with fighter pilots have taught me the only way to lose the game is to whine or worry about nickels and dimes when you are making dollars. Sometimes you just have to let it go...

Two stories...

--Story A is stuck in Reno as a new hire. Trip was a 24 hour layover (yeah!) changed by scheduling into a 48 hour layover (wahoo!) followed by a mechanical which bought one more night in the Silver City. Captain was about 5 from bottom of seniority list and union volunteer...former Tomcat driver. Guy humble me by buying dinner and booze first night (for new hire), then (despite my protests) continued that for next 2 nights. (Both extra days were at time and half...). I said again and again that while I appreciated the hospitality it wasn't required, but he was adamant. Seems he was well taken care of by some former Tigers and some good Purple guys when he was a newbie and insisted on doing the same and passing it on...

B--another captain--new--and a former fighter guy boasts my good buddy who's also an F/O that "...he doesn't like to spend more than $5 a meal on average...so if he skips one he can go $10 for dinner..."

Nobody is wrong. Its your life, and your money. However--I'm trying to be the guy in the A example instead of the B. I've bought more than a few dinners and beers for new hires when I've been on a trip with a B-type vice an A-type captain, but I think after all that was done for me as a new hire I'm still behind in my pay-backs.

Flaky flight attendant? Go figure. I'd rather eat with her than another cheap captain.