Tipping for airport curbside check-in?
#91
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: AAdvantage Executive Platinum, Delta Silver Medallion, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador
Posts: 14,131
I avoid any situation where a tip can only be paid in cash because while my employer will reimburse tips according to local customs, they cannot reimburse anything without a receipt and getting petty cash in a foreign currency is accompanied by a nuclear reactor level of red tape.
It's silly to say "if you can afford travel you can afford tips"; travel is not only for leisure. Just because my job has me spending thousands of my employer's dollars on travel every month does not mean I can afford to give a commensurate amount in cash tips out of my own pocket.
I do whatever I can to not utilise any service that normally expects a cash tip but sometimes it cannot be avoided (e.g. taking a taxi using a voucher from a hotel or airline).
It's silly to say "if you can afford travel you can afford tips"; travel is not only for leisure. Just because my job has me spending thousands of my employer's dollars on travel every month does not mean I can afford to give a commensurate amount in cash tips out of my own pocket.
I do whatever I can to not utilise any service that normally expects a cash tip but sometimes it cannot be avoided (e.g. taking a taxi using a voucher from a hotel or airline).
#92
Join Date: May 2015
Location: South Florida
Programs: DL Skymiles KE Skypass
Posts: 2,365
I avoid any situation where a tip can only be paid in cash because while my employer will reimburse tips according to local customs, they cannot reimburse anything without a receipt and getting petty cash in a foreign currency is accompanied by a nuclear reactor level of red tape.
It's silly to say "if you can afford travel you can afford tips"; travel is not only for leisure. Just because my job has me spending thousands of my employer's dollars on travel every month does not mean I can afford to give a commensurate amount in cash tips out of my own pocket.
I do whatever I can to not utilise any service that normally expects a cash tip but sometimes it cannot be avoided (e.g. taking a taxi using a voucher from a hotel or airline).
It's silly to say "if you can afford travel you can afford tips"; travel is not only for leisure. Just because my job has me spending thousands of my employer's dollars on travel every month does not mean I can afford to give a commensurate amount in cash tips out of my own pocket.
I do whatever I can to not utilise any service that normally expects a cash tip but sometimes it cannot be avoided (e.g. taking a taxi using a voucher from a hotel or airline).
#93
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Boston, USA
Programs: AA EXP, TK Elite, HH Gold, SPG/Marriott Gold
Posts: 939
Does everything have to be reimbursed? If it makes my life a little bit easier to check my bag curbside, a few dollars of my own money is worth it. I just don't understand why people are so "cheap" that everything they spend needs to be reimbursed on a business trip.
number. Sometimes the bags you carry are company equipment and you pay
to airport porters and hotel porters. Week in- Week out....That is not cheap !
So please keep your judging to yourself !!!
#94
Join Date: May 2015
Location: South Florida
Programs: DL Skymiles KE Skypass
Posts: 2,365
It depends on how much you travel. All these little things add up to a large
number. Sometimes the bags you carry are company equipment and you pay
to airport porters and hotel porters. Week in- Week out....That is not cheap !
So please keep your judging to yourself !!!
number. Sometimes the bags you carry are company equipment and you pay
to airport porters and hotel porters. Week in- Week out....That is not cheap !
So please keep your judging to yourself !!!
Everyone has opinions, it's what we are made of.
#95
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: YVR
Programs: UA Premier Platinum
Posts: 3,759
Does everything have to be reimbursed? If it makes my life a little bit easier to check my bag curbside, a few dollars of my own money is worth it. I just don't understand why people are so "cheap" that everything they spend needs to be reimbursed on a business trip.
#96
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 600
It depends on how much you travel. All these little things add up to a large
number. Sometimes the bags you carry are company equipment and you pay
to airport porters and hotel porters. Week in- Week out....That is not cheap !
So please keep your judging to yourself !!!
number. Sometimes the bags you carry are company equipment and you pay
to airport porters and hotel porters. Week in- Week out....That is not cheap !
So please keep your judging to yourself !!!
Sure, I could have waited in the bag drop line or hauled up my own luggage, but life is too short and it's totally worth a couple of bucks for me to save time out of an already long trip to avoid those hassles.
While it is work versus leisure travel, the way I look at it is that I was lucky enough to have my employer pay business class fares and put me up in four star hotels in cities that I would have never visited on my own and the least I can do is suck up a few extra dollars of tips coming out of my own pocket.
#97
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Boston, USA
Programs: AA EXP, TK Elite, HH Gold, SPG/Marriott Gold
Posts: 939
I used to travel a ton (200k + miles a year) and never expected my employer to cover all of my tips, particularly the personal ones that saved me a ton of time and aggravation (i.e., curbside check in, porters taking my luggage).
Sure, I could have waited in the bag drop line or hauled up my own luggage, but life is too short and it's totally worth a couple of bucks for me to save time out of an already long trip to avoid those hassles.
While it is work versus leisure travel, the way I look at it is that I was lucky enough to have my employer pay business class fares and put me up in four star hotels in cities that I would have never visited on my own and the least I can do is suck up a few extra dollars of tips coming out of my own pocket.
Sure, I could have waited in the bag drop line or hauled up my own luggage, but life is too short and it's totally worth a couple of bucks for me to save time out of an already long trip to avoid those hassles.
While it is work versus leisure travel, the way I look at it is that I was lucky enough to have my employer pay business class fares and put me up in four star hotels in cities that I would have never visited on my own and the least I can do is suck up a few extra dollars of tips coming out of my own pocket.
everything to the business that does not make them "cheap" as some
poster claimed ! Traveling people depending on the corporate policies make
many sacrifices like traveling in Economy class, weekends, lack of meals
due to long back to back meetings etc. We do it because we gain something
out of it as well...So there is lot of non-reimbursable spending going
on that is never counted. People should keep their judgemental remarks
to themselves...
F.A.
#98
Suspended
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 9
There's absolutely zero parallel between the 2 above scenarios. It's not like the guy said "I'd hate to see these bags end up in Hawaii" or even "you know-- so no one takes anything out of 'em" etc., etc.
And, only extremely cheap people don't tip for a curbside check-in, it's expected and appropriate. Don't wanna tip? Take your bags inside.
And, only extremely cheap people don't tip for a curbside check-in, it's expected and appropriate. Don't wanna tip? Take your bags inside.
#99
Join Date: May 2015
Location: South Florida
Programs: DL Skymiles KE Skypass
Posts: 2,365
I am sorry if you felt hurt by my "judgmental" comment.
Again, we all have opinions, that is mine, and I will stick with it. This is a forum of opinions, and I am not attacking you directly by stating my opinion in a general sense. Sorry again that you felt "judged."
I used to travel as a trainer for new offices of a national staffing company. I never expensed every single thing because I would still have some of these expenses when I was in my home office as part of my daily routine.
Again, we all have opinions, that is mine, and I will stick with it. This is a forum of opinions, and I am not attacking you directly by stating my opinion in a general sense. Sorry again that you felt "judged."
I used to travel as a trainer for new offices of a national staffing company. I never expensed every single thing because I would still have some of these expenses when I was in my home office as part of my daily routine.
#100
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Boston, USA
Programs: AA EXP, TK Elite, HH Gold, SPG/Marriott Gold
Posts: 939
I am sorry if you felt hurt by my "judgmental" comment.
Again, we all have opinions, that is mine, and I will stick with it. This is a forum of opinions, and I am not attacking you directly by stating my opinion in a general sense. Sorry again that you felt "judged."
I used to travel as a trainer for new offices of a national staffing company. I never expensed every single thing because I would still have some of these expenses when I was in my home office as part of my daily routine.
Again, we all have opinions, that is mine, and I will stick with it. This is a forum of opinions, and I am not attacking you directly by stating my opinion in a general sense. Sorry again that you felt "judged."
I used to travel as a trainer for new offices of a national staffing company. I never expensed every single thing because I would still have some of these expenses when I was in my home office as part of my daily routine.
because of it
#101
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
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Posts: 52,583
Totally agree. That's not even the right question. The right question is whether the tipping model is truly the most efficient, effective, and transparent (to all stakeholders) way for this particular labor market to exist.
I would usually argue that it isn't. But in the case of skycaps, I suspect the counter-argument would be that without tips they'd simply go away. The airlines don't want to hire skycaps, so the tips are the only thing that keeps it going. Enough tippers deem it a necessary-enough service to keep them around.
I would usually argue that it isn't. But in the case of skycaps, I suspect the counter-argument would be that without tips they'd simply go away. The airlines don't want to hire skycaps, so the tips are the only thing that keeps it going. Enough tippers deem it a necessary-enough service to keep them around.
#102
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 1
It's not the same service. You are paying the skycap to carry the bags in for you. That's a different service, and honestly, if you need someone to carry your bag in for you, it's something that you should pay for (i.e., there's no reason for it to be an "included" service).
FWIW, it's also a service that I don't ever use, and that has become much less important now that everyone has rolling bags.
FWIW, it's also a service that I don't ever use, and that has become much less important now that everyone has rolling bags.