V21, I routinely give out gifts (trinkets really) in my line of work so I’m very familiar with your concerns. 2 Many Miles has a good point, if you just start giving stuff out it will become natural and pretty soon you won’t be even slightly concerned about the possible negative implications.

Here are some of my experiences both innocent and with a agenda;

I give out the Starbucks gift books (cost $15) to gate agents and to AC staff (and to Island once ). I give them after I have been ticketed so that it doesn’t appear to be a bribe, which it isn’t. I have sometimes found myself with a FC ticket after boarding begins because of this.

Once I wanted to be UG’d and I didn’t have any stickers so I did in fact mean the gift as a bribe and this is how it went at the gate; “Hello, I on flt 1234 to ABC, how full is the flt?” “Oh, very full Mr. Dudemon.” “Well if you need to UG anyone please let it be me (handing Starbucks gift book)” Here I received a strange but not unwelcome look. She took the gift, looked at it and said she couldn’t accept it. I say “Please share them with the people you work with if you cannot accept them for yourself, everyone loves to get a treat at work.” She kept them, and UG’d me but I felt sour about the whole thing and I’m sure she did too. That’s why I give them out unconditionally after I have been ticketed now. I feel good about it and so do they. I still get UG’d but with no dirty feeling.

If a gate agent is very pleasant or out of the ordinary in a way that makes the terminal a happier place I always reward them and let them know exactly why I wish to do it. They are always very happy and have never turned down the gift. A UA gate agent once didn’t charge me the $100 change fee and I asked if there was a place to get a coffee nearby. He said the little place right down the terminal is where he goes so I went there asked the girls if they knew what he liked to drink. They did, so I brought him back his favorite coffee and a couple of those big cookies. He was very happy and we both felt good about the exchange. (I was perfectly willing to pay the $100 change fee but he didn’t think it was right since my ticket BOI-SEA was only $66)

For work I use my trinkets and gifts as full on bribes to the gate keepers – admin staff who guard the execs I call on and I don’t feel bad about it one bit. It’s almost expected.