Insure? I think the acronym you are looking for is TEP

Wait, you don’t carry a promptness policy? Man, brave new world for you young whipper snappers.

Our FAs and maybe some FOs probably make less than you. Dont have cash on me. Van was late.
i tip if you get my bag and show up within 15 min. However id rather toss my own bag in the back and be on my way.

I'd say near 100% of guys ive flown with tip.

Because it's a societal norm to tip hotel van drivers who handle your bags. Watch what other non-crew passengers do, typically $1 per/bag or just an even fiver.

If you don't tip on principal you're going to look dooshy and there's just no way around it. That's why you get per diem...

By that logic you shouldn't tip waiters if you eat out on the road... it's not your fault you're on a trip and couldn't eat at home right?

Personally I'd rather handle my own bag but it is what it is.

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.

Last time I checked, van drivers aren’t making 2.13 per hr or below min wage per hour. I don’t know if you realize, most wait staff in the restaurant industry (this is a US thing only apparently) rely on tips for majority of their compensation unlike normal jobs out there. I know because I’ve done the job.

We get per diem because our job requires us to be on the road. Being on the road comes with additional living expenses. Most jobs that have you on the road pay you per diem for that expenses or reimburse you. We don’t get per diem just to tip van drivers.

Do not twist facts in order to make yourself feel great about tipping van drivers....

I expect them to be able to make change, I don't carry around rolls of $1 bills.

That's some pretty convoluted rationalization.

I don't feel great about it, just feel obligated to do it.

If you don't, people will notice. The FA's will roll their eyes that a pilot "can't" afford it when they can.

Everybody else tips, and most of them don't even get per diem.

The good news is there's no law that says you have to. The bad news is that it will reflect on you. Whether you care is up to you. However... if you interview with AA, I would tip the van driver while you're in Dallas.

I almost never carry cash. When I do if I have singles I’ll tip.

As with all wage discussion ... below vs at vs above minimum wage is only part of the story.

We should all know this from how our ‘hourly wage’ does not reflect duty time.

The assumption that van drivers are full time employees is one I’d ask them about before making rationalizations as to why they might not need the tip as much as a restaurant service industry employee.