orbitmic

Let's put it that way, in terms of sheer numbers, BA F pax + GGL will account for a significantly larger part of the Chelsea usage than AA Flagship F/BusinessPlus + CK on eligible itineraries. Based on existing trends, a majority of those BA pax will come from the European side of the pond and will intuitively feel that a lounge is a place where you enjoy the complimentary service that you get.

It does not mean that nobody will tip, nor that tip will not be gratefully appreciated when offered, they may well be, but I'd be very surprised if they were taken for granted let alone a pre-requisite for good service.

Airports are always, by nature, places where people with different cultures, languages, habits, and if you want to call it that way expectations mix together. In this particular case, a joint lounge adds a further layer of complexity in that people will come to use it who are normally used to AA lounges and BA lounges, which, let's face it, are quite different in many ways and not just in terms of how likely people are to tip there. That will take a bit of adaptation and discovery from any of the visitors as well as any of the staff,but my sense is that if anything is expected, it will be that behaviours will vary. I hope some of it gets regulated in due course (by which I specifically mean loud speakerphone conversations - yikes!), but for the rest, I think staff will quickly learn that some visitors tend to offer tips and others don't and both are fine, just like they will quickly learn that some visitors have their sole meuniere with a glass of Ultra Brut or chardonnay whilst others have it with Diet Coke and both are fine too.

I just think people should do as they feel - be it in terms of tipping (tip, don't tip, only tip if you feel someone is giving you "above and beyond" service), drinking, eating, or moving between Chelsea and Soho or sticking to the former. Let's put it that way, I am quite certain that staff are as puzzled as we are as to what should be expected from this unusual experiment, and have equally no doubt that as long as visitors are polite, respectful, pleasant, and basically not obnoxious or rude, staff will serve them well and aim to make their Chelsea visit a great experience and one they want to repeat.