Originally Posted by
WorldLux
So, you want to extend the "tipping" scam in the US to airline staff too? If generalised that's just going to give airlines another reason to pay less wages and gate agents to treat you poorly until you coughed up a gift card. I don't mind you handing out gift cards, but that just treats the symptoms rather than the cause of the problem.
My advice
- To airlines: Treat your personnel like humans and have them treat customers like humans and you won't have angry customers.
- To customers: Let staff know if they did a great job. I had many very friendly F/As on US airlines and really appreciated their service. It won't cost you anything and may make someone else happy.
A bit hyperbolic to extrapolate, "scam" from a simple act of kindness. No, airlines will not take it as far as to reduce wage rates for these employees if they get a $5 gift certificate every few weeks from a passenger.
Besides, if you are affluent enough to afford traveling and think that a $5 gift, even as often once a week, is over your budget, then something must be off-balance.