tipping private jet pilot?
 

What do FTers think? I have the same pilot take me all over. I pay for his hotel and whatnot, if ge leaves the plane at the airport. But what about a tip?

Does he own the plane?

In general pilots are hired to do a job and not tipped I would think. I don't tip the pilot when I fly commercial. If the guy is contracted on a regular basis I would think maybe a once a year tip at Christmas to thank him for his annual service would be a good suggestion.

Yes, he owns the plane and my compant paid for 55 hours on the plane plus 10 personal hours.

calculate the hourly rate for 65 hours total and tip him 10%-15%

I wouldn't tip. He's a professional. Maybe you can do the once a year holiday appreciation bit.

^

Buying dinner, lodging, etc., is a nice extra as well, so you are already going the extra mile there.

Not really, that is normal for a part 135 contract, especially if the pilot cannot make the return trip the same day, as would be the case if a hotel is required.

I also don't think tipping is appropriate. The pilot is a professional and I don't think you would normally be expected to tip your OBY/GYN, GP, nurse dentist or lawyer. Having said that though, most corporate pilots earn a pittance, truly a disgraceful salary given the level of liability and training, both initial and ongoing.

Please do not tip. I have done some corporate flying and definitely would take offense - pilots like this are professionals. A nice business gift when the contract is up would be more appropriate.

Thanks, I haven't tipped him and didn't know if he was expecting a tip or not. I have mainly used this aircraft for small trips (45 minutes approximately). Most of the time, the pilot leaves the plane there and rents a car so he can drive home. Othertimes, he spends the night which I will cover.

He is a really nice guy but maybe a Christmas gift is more appropriate.

If you go through life like Jimmy Conway (Goodfellas) at a private gambling club tipping everyone, then sure.

Otherwise, no way.

I agree with the majority above - no tip. If you were on a two-hour helicopter or water plane charter, then yes, you may want to consider tipping the pilot. However, as this is a contracted professional, I think of it like hiring a consultant, lawyer, or general contractor.

+! ^

If he lets you fly the plane, tip him.

If my trips with the same pilot were frequent and regular, he would go on my "Christmas List", with a gift commensurate to the level of service and personal relationship. Certainly one of those "hard to shop for" situations, but a gift certificate, often a bad choice, would serve well in this case.

Sort of begs the question: what if you use the same driver often in a given city? I had a guy in Chicago...just got assigned him randomly one day, liked him, got his business card, and rarely used anyone else from that day onward.

Of course, it was still transactional - not an annual contract. Maybe that's the distinction? I suspect that the driver owned the vehicle and was not a W-2 employee of the limo company, but I'm not 100% certain.