while I like the idea of tipping for a good service rendered, I think that ship sailed before it was even built.

The better idea, how do we change the perception of what we really are? Not a real question, but just something to make you think.

Here is a experiment idea. Someone who is flying with a good crew, maybe just hang a friendly note the cockpit door and see if there is any takers.

 

I really do not think that matters in the grand scheme of things. There are going to be times that you have to plant one on. And you going to make some of the folks mad, but **** on it, you can please everyone all the time. If everyone knew how to critique our landings everyday on every flight and knew what they were talking about, then it seem there would be alot of pilots and they would know what is going on, and we know that is not the case. I have also seen a fair amount of business travelers out there that know some, and they know good weather from bad, and good landings from bad. and for those of us that are flying 50 seaters and less, there is not too many people at any one time to make mad or happy, I but of the course of 4 days it would be a wash. Plus with us flying turboprop schedules with a jet, plenty of time to make cash.

Long story short, just a bunch of what if's

 

They are also considered White Collar workers, sadly airline management view us as Over Paid blue collar workers sorta like bus drivers, also in the professions you mention their is a progression that is usually followed, a Doc typically gets a Degree then goes to Med School then does a few years of residency then maybe a fellowship or 2.. that can take years then once all this if finished you have to pass boards some way along the way..

Now comes the FAST TRACK to flying a Jet doing .70 mach at FL 360 all you need is several thousand dollars and you too can fly a jet in 9 months.

ok rant over time to continue watching 24 reruns

 

Skipper, I totally understand your point. And a good one it is. I look at it this way. When it comes to the flying public and their perception of us being all high and mighty (the opposite of a cab driver, limo driver, bus driver) we are to blame for giving them that picture of us being stuck up paid too much to work too little pilots. I suppose not "you and me" but the guys of the past that did have that attitude and really fed that image to everyone. We are not those guys and may never be again. But it doesn't matter because that's they way they see us. The same reason they hold high expectations on a wrapped up technical app to landing that ended up perfect from our point of view and too rough by theirs.

Management knows who we are and their decision to pay us what we are worth or not has nothing to do with how we present ourselves. They know damn well how much work and dedication went into achieving a career as a pilot. Our self perception (ie. not in the same boat or level as a hotel van driver) obviously plays no role in how well we are compensated as we have been trying and trying to prove we are worth more. Go ahead, carry a bag down the stairs for some old lady. She sure isn't going to waste the tip on you. She's saving it for the hotel van driver since he could use it more to pay back all of the training it took to get to be that van driver. And next time he hands you your bag and you go ahead and throw em a buck for all the effort, remember it's your self image that's ultimately holding you back from that real comfortable living that we are all looking for. I know 300 bucks isn't much but hey it's a start. I know if I was shorted 300 bucks I'd feel it. JMO..........

 

Afterburn,

I won't sit here and presume to know about your financial situation, but please, think about the long term. This is a slippery slope if I've ever seen one. Pilots may not be as high and mighty as those of yesterday, but we are not that low either. Management does everything to put pilots down, and we don't help by arguing amongst ourselves. Why should we help them push us further down? What if management says they'll pay less now that this tip system is in place?

As a pilot, you are a highly skilled professional. You do not get tips.

 

Ditto, you have to see it from the point that we are professionals. It has nothing to do with how much we earn in comparison to other professionals (e.g. surgeons, dentists, etc). It's more about doing the job and having pride in doing it well.

While the idea naturally sounds pleasing to think about having an extra $200/wk in our pockets, it's not worth the degrading of image.

We don't tip surgeons for saving lives. It's considered an obligation for every professional to do a good job with high standards. Taxi drivers, waiters, etc, while they SHOULD provide good service because, in the end, that IS the job they signed up for, don't have any obligation to please you but more like meeting the requirements of the business who they work for. The tip is only an incentive for them to cater to you, the individual.

 

Do the math and figure out how much each passenger is paying you. Say you do a 1.5 block flight and your pay comes out to 40/hour for that flight, that means you made 60 for that flight. 70 seat RJ = 70 pax, each person paid you 85 cents. What a nice tip! Increase their fares by 85 cents and double my paycheck, why dont ya.

You're already getting "tipped." It's called your paycheck.

 

You want me to tip a whole dollar? Why should I have to tip like 25% of what I paid on priceline for my ticket?

 

SS Minow,

I was thinking of attaching last years w-2 to the tip jar so I could help change the perception.

I could also put a brochure out describing crash pads, or life as a commuter. The only prestige we have in the false belief of the public, which is why when pilots want to have a work action, the people are never going to be behind us.

I can't even get paid for a full day's work. work a flight to this airport, sit for 4 hours, than 2 more legs. duty day.....12.5 hours.....pay....4

I would also pass the tip jar around for on time departure, and arrival.

But in all seriousness, my wife told a co-worker how abismal my first year pay was....said co-worker thought she was lying.

 

Its sad for us as professional airline pilots to have to even consider this as a means to get fair compensation. All that hard work we put into training, sacrificing time away from our families and trying to do it right 100% of the time and we can't even get paid a liveable wage??? What a mess the profession has become with low wages, furloughs and mistreatment by management. I'm going to go finish my cardboard sign "will fly for food"...