The context here relates only to travel on Southwest Airlines. Perhaps it works differently if traveling on other airlines. Also, I am not a frequent traveler, so I don't know most rules/customs.


One Sunday evening, I was flying Southwest (as we always do) and we decided to use curbside check-in as there was no lines anywhere--inside or outside. As I hoisted by bags onto the scale, I noticed a few bills underneath a paperweight atop the agent's counter--a tacit encouragement for me to tip without him asking for one.

As I pulled out my wallet to drop a buck, my wife shot me a look as if to say, "you're not seriously going to tip him, are you?" I put my wallet back and reflected on this for a moment as he printed the tags and the boarding passes--exactly what would have happened if we went inside.

(Sidebar: I've since learned curbside check-in agent is *not* necessarily the same thing as a SkyCap, though the words seem to be used interchangeably.)

The outside check-in experience was exactly the same as the inside experience: hoist your bags onto the scale, show your ID, and get your boarding pass.

I think if someone was running up to my car, grabbed my bags, whisked them to the counter and checked me in, that's definitely tipping territory. But it was self-service the entire time up to him strapping a bag tag on the luggage and printing my tickets--something I would expect an airline to do for a customer. That's part of their process.

So my question is: why would I tip in this situation, given I received no service other than a boarding pass and luggage tags, both of which are just part of the normal process of air travel?

Confusing me even more: on a separate occasion (again, Southwest Airlines), I've been in a situation where there was a really long line in the airport, but hardly anyone was utilizing the curbside check-in for whatever reason. The desk agents announced that if you wanted to, you could migrate outdoors to curbside for faster check-in. Again, no additional service there--just a different line to stand in. Admittedly, a shorter line--but only because nobody chose to stand in it for whatever reason. I didn't tip that time either.

Something I've been wondering but never asked: Are Southwest's curbside check-in agents employees of Southwest Airlines, or are they just contractors like others have mentioned?

Does anybody really tip curbside check-in agents for doing the same job as the agents inside?