Hey fellow travelers. I was talking the other day to a friend that had no idea what a skycap was and then got into a conversation on tipping etiquette. So as a seasoned traveler and a skycap I thought I would drop this post.

There are 2 kinds of skycaps most people run into… curbside check-in service and baggage claim skycaps. Now most of the skycaps get paid half of what the min wage is in your state, generally about $2.13 or so an hour. These guys aren't paid to provide travelers with a service they are paid to be available to provide that service (and provide secondary service for the airline). As we all know airlines aren't able to get the full services like they did 25-30 years ago as with anything in this country. If people don't tip people then they are taking advantage of a service that is meant to make travel easier and it will be another service and option you won’t have in years to come.

Now for the actual tipping etiquette of skycaps. Most people know what is proper for a restaurant because they go fairly often through out their lives. Now most people only travel maybe one or twice a year and don't know what is proper, so here you go.

In general a $ 1 per checked bag tip is like a 10% tip in a restaurant the bare minimum for service rendered. Time spent must be taking into consideration when you’re tipping. If they guy only spent a few minutes with you they a dollar a bag is appropriate (except a curbside check in a dollar is always a bare min). If the guy waited around and got your bags of the caracal then took you to get a rent a car, waited in line and spent more then a half hour with you to take it to your car then you have to tip accordingly. The skycap could have simply taken you to the rent a car line and dropped you off.
A person wanting to use a skycap has to remember the time they spend with you is time they aren't making money with someone else. If they spend an hour with you then your tip is all they are going to make for that hour. If they had to take you a very long way (like many airports they might have to push a cart around a mile) after they leave you they still have to get back to the baggage area, which can take even more time up.
If you use a skycap at all even for 20 feet away $ 5 is a min! To use the machine push carts cost $ 3- $5 dollars, you can't give a person that pays their bill on what they are tipped less then you would to buy a cart you have to push yourself.

Just be considerate and take into account how much time they spent with you, how many bags (and how heavy) you have, how much they helped you, how much time they saved you, how far they had to go and then come back, and how much money they may have saved you. If you consider these things then you should know what to tip. To tell you a formula is hard without knowing the airport it’s self. The only airport I know well enough to give someone tipping advice for distance is Orlando because I live and work there.

Just remember guys they are paid $2 something an hour to be available to provide a service not to actually provide one its not free. If a skycap quotes you a price that is wrong. Unfortunately there are no prescribed minimum to protect these workers, but just remember in most religions and philosophies you might believe in what comes around goes around.

There are quite a few places in here that people have vented about tipping.

As an airline employee I have been asked many times by passengers if they are suppose to tip the skycap. I say yes.

Although tipping is a very nice way to say thank-you for the services provided, it is not "required".

Your post makes me feel uncomfortable. You can not demand people to tip you. There will always be people that have no idea they are suppose to tip skycaps.

If you choose to have a job that depends on tips, then you have to realise some people are not going to tip you.

I missed the earlier threads; 4thplz, do you know if it's true that if you don't tip, your bags are less likely to make it to the correct destination?

Every once in a while, there is a news story about skycaps making $100K+ per year. Regardless of the truthfulness of those stories, it tends to piss people off and make them feel tipping is unnecessary.

Yes the sad fact is that sky caps are not allowed the curtsey allow a minimum as I said before. This is ridiculous, you can't expect someone do something for free that the person as to pay 3 - 5 dollars for a cart to do.

While it may not be a requirement, it certainly is in a moral and human sense. "a tipping is a very nice way to say thank-you for the services provided" makes me uncomfortable and sad. If you don't tip and tip right you are taking advantage of another human being that works hard.

And thank you I realize people don't know to trip that is why I posted this thread

100000 a year? hey maybe, anything is possible that is the beauty of America, if you work hard sometimes things work out.

Regardless if a person makes that much, they had to work their ... off to do it and who are you to think you don't have to pay them. That’s simply justifying your cheapness.

Waiter and Waitress often have charge tips, which is required payment for services. In a restaurant you have to use a waiter in a airport you chose to use a skycap.

No, but they will sneak into the kitchen and spit in your food.

If you ever watch Seinfeld you know it's true . I think a vast majority of traveler's who use a Skycap know to tip them.

$1-2 a bag is a minimum tip. You must realize these are people working to get some money for their family. They are not all hot-shot consultants who get paid $1000 to tell some guy how to cross the street. () hehe. They are helping you and if they do it well they deserve a tip!

The Seindfeld episode is a classic and love watching that one! Anyway, I think tipping in America is becoming just way to common, esp. in big cities. I always hate going to New York or Chicago b/c basically everybody is looking for a tip. For skycaps, I think they should get a better wage by the airline (which we know probably won't happen) b/c their service really isn't all that valuable in my opinion. When I do use a skycap, which is rarely, I do tip them. I am fully capable of rolling my baggage and using the kiosk or check-in agent. Just my 2 cents again!

The Skycaps outside of terminal 2 in Oakland (Southwest gates) must have a gold mine. There is usually a line to use them -- sometimes it's about as long as the one inside for Southwest baggage check in.

I'd guess about 40 bags per hour, with an average tip of $1.25 per bag. I'm also guessing that not every one of those greenbacks is declared on their 1040s. They might take home more pay than some of the pilots.

That is not true.

With automated bag tags that would be difficult to do.

It would be silly for any skycap to hamper with your bag's destination, unless of course they want to be in the umemployment line.

Aren't most of those people doing curbside checkin and carrying on their bags? So no bag, no tip probably.

Also, in California Skycaps and waitstaff are paid FULL minimum wage, as it is illegal to pay less. (Some other states have voted to cut the minimum wage for service jobs where tips are expected in order to get more people employed.) Not that they'll get rich at $6 an hour, but they could get a job waving one of those arrow signs on a streetcorner for $8 and no tips.

I am in the process of writing a letter to NWA and TSA as I read this thread.

I always use curbside check-in and tip around $5 each time for 1 to 2 bags. Not to mention I travel enough that I don't need any extra help from them and always have everything out and ready for them.

Last time I flew I had a lady at curbside that I have had assist me many times...and she has always been great, as she was this past time. Well, when I arrived in Cincy and opened my bag I had a nice handwritten message on the back of my TSA "search slip" sarcastically letting me know that Skycaps work for tips.

This made me slightly angry considering I always tip $5 or so (as I had that time) and always try to make things easy for them.

I am interested to see what NWA has to say about this.

On a side note...

I have only not tipped a skycap once and I was late for a flight and simply forgot in the rush. I had even pulled money out ahead of time and put it in my jacket pocket...lol. I realized this once inside the terminal and through security as I was buying a drink after my plane was delayed.

Matt

I'm not even sure those Skycaps can issue a boarding pass. Even if they can, there are all sorts of kiosks one could use to print a boarding pass, not to mention the online print option. Few if any passengers would line up at these Skycaps just to get a boarding pass.

What was the exact wording of this message ?