Tip the van drivers...its what we do
 

Just a quick topic.....

We of course have our special cases that won't part with a buck to save their lives, all airlines have them....

However I have noticed, as have some people I have spoke to, a growing number of new hires who don't tip the van drivers.

So a note to new guys, we tip our drivers here. Those who are tipping a buck, thank you. Those that don't, find a buck a day. If you can't afford a $1, ask the Captain to spot you a buck or cover you, so that we don't stiff the van drivers.

I know the popular excuses, God knows they have been beat to death on these forums:

-They make more than I do
-This is work, I'm not on vacation
-I can't remember to take cash
-Im on first year pay and it sucks

But in the end, even our first year FAs tip the drivers the majority of the time and they are at what, $20 an hour.

Sure, you will have an occasional late pickup, rude driver, unsafe, etc....but the overwhelming amount of drivers are on time, (even when we are late) grab the bags and don't crash us into a wall because we sit and complain every car ride about our pay, company, management, contract etc...

As the saying goes, we tip the driver not for that ride, but for the next ride.

First year pay sucks, we get it, we all did it. We also all knew the pay when we signed on the dotted line. Hopefully soon enough $38.50 will be a nightmare of the past...

...until then, tip a buck. It has remained a buck for over a decade, some tip more, but find a buck a ride...it is really not that hard.

Thats it...one and done on these forums, just wanted to put that out there.

Don't forget housekeeping. Those girls work harder than just about anyone else we interact with out on the road.

Agreed...van and housekeeping both get tips.

Good god, don't pull that crap. Don't tip housekeeping for doing their job. BTW I tip but we are in the transportation industry too, why do we get a tip?


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There is absolutely no chance of this turning into a socio-economic political argument.....and we're gonna have an industry leading contract by the end of the summer.

Not a Spirit pilot--second year regional FO making what a first year Spirit FO makes (guess which one), but $1/$2 per day per four-day trip over the course of one year adds up to a lot of income that I would rather spend on more important stuff.... And yeah, that van driver is making more than I or a first year Spirit FO. Just saying, it's not because we are pricks.... We really are broke. And then housekeeping, too? Give us a break, man.

In the last 3 years I have maybe seen 2 people not tip the driver. That said, I don't tip the maid yet. I agree with giving tips but it gets a little out of hand when you tip the driver, the maid, the waitress and even tip for coffee it become a little much.IMO it's not the responsibility of successful people to make sure those who aren't are compensated.It's that of the company who employs them to do the right thing, and that won't ever happen.

So, just so we're clear, don't tip housekeeping for doing her job, but do tip the van driver for... doing his job?

I tip the van driver $2, and more if it is longer limo ride. I also tip for my FO if he is on first year. But WTF, why is it my responsibility to compensate all the people on crappy pay. Would it not be better if everyone made a living wage and nice people didn't have to compensate for all the cheap asses out there? BTW with this logic I should go through the cabin for tips because I am the lowest paid pilot out there...

But where does it stop? I pay the hotel for a clean room, they pay the housekeeper for a clean room. I would love to end tipping everywhere EXCEPT for service above and beyond expected.

Also don't forget to tip the front desk at the hotel for checking you into your room, the gate agents for letting you down to your airplane, and TSA for giving you a good old fashion pat down. ( FYI I do tip the van drivers).:)

This is the way I see it, I don't tip the driver for driving me between the airport and hotel. I tip them because they put my bag in the van and take it out. If they pull up and sit in the van or just stand there then I don't tip (which happens about once a year)

Not a Spirit pilot; United. I tip the van driver $2 and the maid $2/night. When times were tighter for me, it was $1 for the van driver and $1/night for the maid. It's standard etiquette to tip both the drivers and maids. It's not standard to tip the front desk clerks and I've only tipped desk clerks on personal travels when given awesome suite upgrades.

In the last year or so, I started buying $10 Starbucks cards that I occasionally give to gate agents and FAs when jumpseating. Not necessary, not expected, but appreciated by them. They don't make much money.

I don't know how many singles I go through a month. I stop by a casino almost every trip and get $20 in singles. I look at it as just a normal job expense.

Captains should cover the tips for the first year FO's. These guys are barely getting by and making ends meet. While you're at it, buy em a meal at least once during the trip and a few beers for their sorrows.

I tip van drivers, as long as they load/unload my bags. (most do.)

I don't tip housekeepers.

I tip van drivers. The only exception is erratic driving.

Ridiculous. If you can't afford 6 bucks a 4 day then you have a serious problem. It's just a cost of doing business. I have no problem picking up a meal or a couple rounds regardless of how many years you have been here, but if you can't tip the driver you had better not be at the bar.

For those that tip he housekeepers, how do you know who actually cleaned your room? Do you track them down or do you just tip the visible ones in the hallway?


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I've always wondered that myself. More and more hotels are leaving envelopes for the person who cleaned your room on the desks. I use those. Otherwise you might be tipping someone who will clean your room after you leave and do a terrible job.

Where does the envelope go? Stay in the room or the front desk? My only major issue is there's no guarantee it goes the right person, therefore, while I applaud those willing to go to these lengths, I wouldn't do this without absolute confirmation my money is taken care of.


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Few things make me lose faith in humanity faster than a bunch of (mostly) six-figure earners squabbling over leaving a buck for a overworked, under paid and grossly unappreciated hotel worker.

Just leave a damn dollar on the table knowing that you've just made her day. Pay it forward.

For Christ's sake, you can even write it off on your taxes.

I leave a couple of bucks out on the desk or some other counter/spot in the room before I check out. I've sometimes left the clearly visible on the bed I slept in.

I go to pretty much the same hotels since United has long term contracts with their hotels in each city and hotel staff pretty much knows if someone tips (they talk to each other).

If I'm staying in the same hotel for training, I leave a couple of bucks a day in a spot where it's an obvious tip IF there's no envelope.


I can remember one time in Italy, doing govt contractor work, where we found out that a manager was going through our rooms before the maid got there and taking tips. So we put our tips under the pillow/similar spot with a note for the maid. That's the only time I've heard of someone other than the maid getting tips left behind.

If I can afford a beer in the bar, I can afford to leave a tip for the maid. I've made sure that my kids know proper tipping etiquette while travelling and where to read how much of a tip is appropriate in each country. I wouldn't leave zero tip in a restaurant; I don't leave zero tip for van drivers and maids. YMMV.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...Etiquette.html

I guarantee you any pilot -- first year or otherwise -- is making a hell of a lot more and has a hell of an easier job than the person who cleans the toilet in your hotel room

I find it ironic that the same FO who is on first year pay, who I buy a dinner for and a few beers, as well as cover their van tip if I notice they didn't dig into their pocket, has a brand new IPhone 7 and an Apple Watch, can't afford a $1 for a van tip.
Comes down to personal choices.

I think it's pretty standard to tip van drivers a buck per ride to and from the airport. The exception is if they're very rude, reckless, or don't help with bags. As said that's pretty rare, but it happens. give them $2 per ride if they take you somewhere other than the airport, especially if it's outside the hotel's shuttle zone. This ensures personal trips in the future!

FWIW, if you think about van driver tips, say a busy brand name hotel that houses a lot of crews in a large city. If they do 4 airport runs per hour, with lets say 6 people each way, that's $48/hr in addition to local minimum wage. So they aren't exactly suffering. If you or your fellow crew member is too cheap or poor to shell out a buck, whatever, but don't feel like you're starving their kids.

As for hotel maids, it's standard to tip $5 or less per night FOR STAYS LONGER THAN ONE NIGHT. I don't tip for one night stays, and neither do most business travelers in other industries. But if you want to, no one is stopping you. Guilting people who don't isn't necessary. You do you and I'll do me.

That's funny. It's common practice for all FedEx Captains to cover the tips for first year guys and these fellas tip $5 at a time. You've got no sympathy for a guy making less than $40k, while you're easily over $100k?

If the guy I'm flying with doesn't tip I go out of my way to open my wallet back up and give the van driver another dollar. That typically takes care of them not tipping anymore.

Recently started tipping van drivers $2 and you'd think I gave them a winning lottery ticket. They really appreciate it.

People who should certainly be tipped are people in the service industry who work for tips (i.e. Waitresses making $2.13/hr from the restaurant since their tips count towards the minimum wage). People making at least minimum wage or better aren't technically "working for tips"...tips are a nice bonus based on the quality of service they provide. Auto-tipping people who don't use tips to meet wage requirements defeats the purpose of a tip for quality service. Do you tip a McDonald's employee who takes your order? If not, why not? Do you tip the person who waits on you in Dillard's when you buy a shirt? If not, why not.

I tip the van driver because it has become industry standard for flight crews. I'm generous when tipping in restaurants as many restaurant employees pool tips. Expecting people to tip everyone they come into contact with, though does get a bit excessive.

When I was making 25k at a regional I didn't tip the van driver, however I also made sure to load and unload my own bags. I did usually tip if I used them to go anywhere besides to or from the airport.

Well sir, you suck. When I worked at Great Lakes making $16,000 as an FO I tipped the van drivers every time. No if, ands, or buts.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V4sbYy0WdGQ

dude get your house in order and cough up a few bucks a trip. It's a tax write off at the end of the year anyway. The drivers don't remember the guys who tip but they sure remember the guys who don't.

How I tip.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1qoqkl1L1A8

Why does it matter if he'll be remembered? You think it's going to elevate past a dirty look?

Interesting. I work for FedEx and tip the van drivers $5, but never the housekeepers. I didn't realize that people did that. It's generally a higher than minimum wage job, didn't realize that there was an expectation to be tipped.

It's only a tax write off if you have deductions exceeding the standard deduction...unlikely for a low-wage FO. Deductions and tax loop holes are generally designed to favor the wealthy...not the poor.

George Costanza...

https://youtu.be/svWjtDhGQFg

*off topic*

If you own a home, 99% of the time you have exceeded that standard deduction just from interest and property taxes.