https://www.perdiem101.com/articles/MIE

Wrong. Again. Although not surprised. You should know after filling taxes for the last few years that your per diem is M&IE. To make it easy for you, since I know you don't like reading things that prove you're wrong, I'll just include the quote on the bottom.

"M&IE Per Diem is designed to cover daily cost of food and other incidental expenses. "Incidentals" are described in Federal Travel Regulations, Chapter 3, Part 003 (Per Diem Allowance) as "Fees and tips given to porters, baggage carriers, hotel staff, and staff on ships.""

 

I know seriously you can’t even eat on what the per diem is. No wait a minute you should eat chips and top ramen for every meal so you can tip the van driver. Come on guys keep sacrificing for this industry. It’s totally worth it.

 

When I made 16 an hour at great lakes I tipped the driver. Still don't agree with this dumb social norm but I still did it.

 

^^^^^^This. I made $16,000 a year as a B1900 FO and $32,000 a year with a family as a 727 FO and still tipped the driver. I hate the convention but that driver has to live too.

 

Oh, I judge.

The way you treat people who serve you says a LOT about your character.

I remember hearing some High level manager say he always takes potential hires to a business lunch before offering a job.

The purpose of the lunch was to watch how that person treats the server. If they can’t be polite and say “please” and “thank you” (and at least offer to leave a *******ed tip) in a situation like that, that person will not play will with future co workers-and he wouldn’t hire them. That lunch was a deal breaker.

Exactly the same applies to van tips. I have never flown with a non-tipper I liked.

It’s not about money, it’s about character.

If you can’t come off a few bucks a day for some guy who slings bags all day long, you simply have a lack of character. Another way to say it would be that you are a self centered POS.

 

You can eat on 40-50$ a day? You're doing it wrong. Not including booze that should be easy.

 

It's just for food? News to me, care to find where it says that? Agree that it is not enough, but that is a pretty flimsy excuse to be a cheapskate.

 

It's not right or wrong. You're choosing to do it a certain way that involves making sacrifices to have an airline career. You feel that it's worth it. I don't. We just have a difference of opinion. These forums are for everyone, not just people who think the airlines are the cats meow.

 

Exactly. Flew with a guy that used to count the number of crew members in the van, and if more than 4, he said the van driver was making too much money and refused to tip.. Guy was an absolute psycho in the cockpit.

 

Who cares? If I have a dollar in my wallet, I’ll tip. If not, I don’t feel bad about it and couldn’t care less if anyone else in my crew tipped or not.

Van drivers are not a charity.