My experience is that the breakfast privilege is usually extended to the second person - in all the time I've travelled with my partner we've never had to pay for a second breakfast.

And only in the Park Plaza London hotels have they ever restricted me to continental breakfast - and even then not all the time!

I don't understand the tipping thing is this an American thing? I mean whom would you tip, the person who brings you coffee?

I always bring my concierge card with me to breakfast because sometimes the benefit isn't added at check-in. Showing the card helps on the rare time that has happened to me.