Are you guys kidding?? It HAS to be a at least a dollar if not a buck a bag...doesn't it?? Unless of course they F-up their side of the deal...c'mon, it's usually a 53 yr old guy down on his luck drivin' a shuttle (at all hours of the night in my case) just tryin' to make a livin'...I figure, "yeah, it's a buck, but c'mon, he's kissin' my a$$ for no good reason (except the tip) and he's down on his luck...throw him the dollar.

Don't be a cheap-ass airline pilot - tip your van driver.

A buck is less than an hour of your per-diem while you're sleeping. For a whole 4 day trip, it adds up to 6 bucks...or 2 beers at your RON, where you probably never think twice about tipping a bartender.

I tip unless service is really poor. I've not tipped twice in the past 23 years so I'm not real picky.

At least $1.00 per bag, and I'm not picky about whether they load/unload it or I do. I agree that tips must be earned- to an extent as I have only not tipped twice in the last 9 years. I expect them to drive safely to and from as well as make an effort to help somewhat, but I don't expect them to be my personal servant.

THink about it, A busy airport hotel and a dollar a person. The driver could stand to make over $20 and hour. I don't tip those guys, but the old guy that makes one trip an hour or less to the airport, I tip.

So what if he makes $50/hr, should he still not be tipped? It's not up to me to decide what his top pay should or shouldn't be. If the service is good, and the majority of the time it is, I tip them and tip them well.

..........

I generally tip. But not if they are 20 minutes late getting to the airport. Or if they have 'tude.

Both of these are common.

If they are late but apologetic and work hard to make up for it, they'll get tipped.

Also, if the van is a total POS, no tip. Even if that's the hotel's van, they can help keep it clean.

The van in PWM for a while had a door that wouldn't really close properly. And it was filthy. And they'd come late. From a mile away. 20 minutes to go 1 mile? "He's on his way" and 20 minutes later still no van?

No tip under those circumstances.

At some level it's still got to be earned.

Let me play devil's advocate here. How is this any different than a lot of the service offered by a lot of regionals?? Late getting to destination, 'tude, and dirty airplanes. :D

We don't ask for tips.

Otherwise no different. You're absolutely right. The airlines' service is equally miserable!