Airkorps68

Why do we take turns tipping the bus driver at layovers? At other airlines, it's every man/flight attendent for themselves. I've noticed when it's the other guys turn to tip, I get the stink eye from the driver. Do crews with RFOs do the alternating thing, or is that just domestically? Just curious.

AK68

Jetjok

In Memphis, they alternate tipping. In Anchorage, it's every man (an woman) for himself. What difference does it make? I don't know. Just try to fit in and not be as cheap as the captain you're flying with. It will set a good example, one that I'm sure he won't pay attention to anyway.

sunburn

Flying with this MEM captain at cruise he goes off about having to tip any driver at all and how we are super stupid as a crew force to do it. Says he's going to be cheap on the layover tip because he wants to make a point.
At the hotel he grabs his bag starts to walk away then hands me a buck and says "give him the tip for me"..... Next day expects me to cover the tip also.
True story

Packer Backer

Actually, the Captain should tip for the entire crew.

Huck

Did he swap out the lightbulbs in his room too?

skidmark

I am a cheap sob. I think of my wife kids and morgage. If you want to tip go ahead it is not required. And yes I do tip if the driver is on time. That is assuming I have a dollar in my wallet!

Albief15

I make about $700 bucks flying a 6 hour trip. I work hard at times, but geez, I get to fly an airplane for a living. I will stand up to my company and fight for good wages, but I'm not about to explain to a guy driving a van at 0500 why I shouldn't give him a "buck".

Do any of us still feel blessed by God to be doing something we love? If you get bumped or revised off ONE day of work this year you probably just covered enough tip money to get you through a whole year without being cheap.

And no--I don't leave a tip or tip big to make THAT person feel good (but sometimes it happens). I do it because it makes ME feel good.

My rule:

If the guy does a great job--leave a good tip.

If the guy doesn't do a great job--maybe he's having a bad day. Tip him anyway. Maybe that will enourage him to try to do a bit more next time. Maybe I am getting poor treatment because some cheap screw stiffed him yesterday. I'll make sure I don't do the same thing.

If the guy is having a bad day--I'll remind myself that I'm flying a 727, have a lovely wife and 3 great kids, an airplane, some horses, and grew up with a family that loved me. This poor guy probably doesn't have any of that. So I tip the guy anyway--hoping maybe his day will get better later and glad I am not having to do his job.

If the guy is openly hostile and agressive to me--"I hate you airline pilots" then I probably talk nicely to him and ask what is up. Only happened a few times--and I offered a tip anyway with the "hope your day gets better--I know at times its tough..."

Cost to me? Geez....12 trips month x 3 bucks/trip 9(my share) = 36 bucks month? Double that to 72 for incidental tips along the way--suppose the captain NEVER tipped. $864 bucks for a year. Can I sweat that? We'll--FJ bumped me off a trip a few months back--probably worth that much right there. Certainly--not enough money to even worry about.

I want to be generous, and I also want folks to appreciate us when we come back. Its not a hard game...

USMCFDX

Contract in Indy includes a tip for the driver.

Airkorps68

Good responses all, but I was specifically addressing the alternating thing. For instance, we shared a bus with a SWA crew, and all five of them handed the driver a tip. When we got out, just the Cap'n tipped. I looked like a cheap-@ss. What's up with that?

Busboy

I think that along with raising the new-hire training pay...We should also negotiate the tips into the contract.

Delta used to do that. I think. Of course, that may have been why they went bankrupt.