Hi all,

Firstly, I am not a big fan of tipping. I personally think it should be rewarded for exceptional service, rather than expected for providing any service.

However, tipping has pervaded the travelling experience (in some parts of the world, more than others) where you tip tour guides, taxi drivers, luggage porters, chambermaids, room service staff etc etc.

Why has this custom not taken hold in the world of aviation? I have had some very attentive service from cabin crew that beats the average restaurant experience. In particular since I am told cabin crew are there for my comfort, but primarily my safety, surely they should deserve more of a tip than a surly waiter/waitress?

Are there regulations preventing this sort of thing or is it just something that never caught on?

Sean (who has emailed customer services before saying how pleased he has been with service)

Tipping is not done and usually is against the airline's rules. Don't even think of getting it started!

I have a friend who is also a frequent traveler who insists that tipping FAs is a good idea. He tips them every time he gets a drink, especially in first class.

My opinion is that it is a little insulting to tip the FAs. They are trained safety / aviation professionals who also help make us comfortable during our flights. To me, tipping them almost says we feel they are bartenders and seems demeaning.

My friend insists that they are happy to take the tips and that they give him much better service. I just don't think its the right thing to do, though, and it feels uncomfortable, so I choose not to. However, if I am in coach, and I order a snack box that costs less than $5 along with a drink, I'll give the $10 and say I don't need change. That always brings a big smile, but I think its more because its a pain for them to have to get change than the fact that they think its a tip.

So anyway, no, I don't feel comfortable tipping FAs outright on flights.

Monetary tipping can lead to some unpleasant experiences, such as an FA being more attentive to a good tipper as apposed to a poor or non tipper.

Nevertheless, I am of the opinion that when I recieve exceptionally good service, I like to give the FA's and crew a little box of chocolates, which I will purchase from duty free (obviously on an international flight), or if that's not possibile, then I certainly express my appreciation by singularly thanking those that provided such service.

United provides a form to its elite members called "Going The Extra Mile" (GTEM), which has this purpose in mind. Fill out the little form with your comments for the exceptional service recieved and hand it to the person intended. It goes a long way in thanking a good FA for their service.

During the holidays I have seen people tip the flight crew in food items. The crew accepts the item, but I don't think even candy is a good idea.

Indeed, I could not have put it better myself spd

I have never had such appalling service anywhere other than where I am now, New York, and they see a tip as almost mandatory. You'll be chased out of a restaurant should you decide no tip is appropriate.

That's true in most of the U.S., not just New York.

you would not only be chased out but i'm sure you would come to physical harm .... so do not even try to leave less than 15 percent in the big apple...
they will track you down the street .... just add it mentally to your bill and for good service the "tip" would be 5 percent or so above that. and you will remain safe and sound.

If we look at how the FAs spend their work hours, I think it would be more accurate to say they help make passengers more comforatable on the flight, they help get passengers & carry-on bags on and off the plane efficiently and they are also trained in safety. On occassion, that safety training proves vital.

I travel to New York extensively, and unless there is a mandatory tip on the bill, I consider it up to my discretion how well (or poorly) to tip. It is directly proportional to how well (or poorly) the service is. Should I receive average to good service, I will give 15%. If the service is poor, I will leave between 7-10%, if it is unspeakable I will leave no tip. If it is excellent I will leave 20%. Never more than 20%. And should I be chased out of the restaurant for not giving a good tip, I will have a nice word with the owner/manager about how the service was unacceptable and that its a good thing they chased me out, because I won't be returning anyways.

And yes, I am hard to please. I have been known to send food back to the kitchen if I don't find it satisfactorily edible for the price I'm paying (I won't obviously send back a $10 dish, but if it costs $50-100 I expect it to be good).

Tipping and "tip cups/jars" (placed next to the cash register) has multiplied in the USA over the past 10-15 years. It seems any sort of take-out, self-service, fast food, or coffee vendors now have those receptacles for spare change and dollar bills where you pay. It has become more accepted now to perhaps tip the front desk clerk at a hotel when they "find" that better room for you, so why not flight attendants?

I'm against any such movement to make in-flight tipping usual and customary. I have rewarded excellent in-flight service with letters and nowadays e-mails to the airline to praise the excellence of my flight's crew, and am glad AA brought back those "applause" certificates to hand out while in flight. In fact, last month I handed one to my first class f/a, others noticed, and pulled theirs out of their bags and she utlimately received 4 such citations in one fell swoop, for excellent service!

Cash tips are another story. If tipping became the norm, my guess is that business flyers in premium cabins would tend to be more generous, and such tips could easily be paid via their expense accounts. Would that mean pax without such means be treated with less attention and service? Perhaps.

Would "tip cups/jars" be on the front of drink trolleys going down the aisle? How about a "gratuity video" being shown before landing? If you handed the f/a a $5 bill, could he or she then "find" a spare blanket after everyone was told there were none? Oh, and if tipping became the norm in the USA, would international crews avoid flying routes to countries where their citizens don't customarily tip the flight crew, which subsequently means less "tip income"?

I suspect a number of flight attendants would support a movement to solicit tips in flight, especially new hires and those with less seniority, as I know their salaries are a pittance in comparison to those with many years of service. Nonetheless, I hope this never happens!

Unless the crew knows you or you are another crewmember that food usually ends up right in the trash.

LOL, I was thinking the same thing. I would never eat anything some stranger gave me.

I just think tipping the airline crews would be way over the top. Hundreds of people per day, each leaving a dollar for each crew member will add up to more than most of the passengers make themselves.

My personal opinion is: employees expecting tipping as the norm is sign of exploitation (employer does not adequately pay them, maybe even below the minimal wage, expecting the employees to make up the difference in donations from customers).

I hope the specialists trained in aviation safety aboard the planes will not fall into this category.

HTB.

It only pervades in PART of the world. In other parts of the world it seems only to occur where ignorant people think they are being clever by exporting it there too.

The only time I saw an attempt to tip an FA was where a north American chap tried to give US$20 to a Vietnamese cabin attendant between Taipei and Saigon. He wouldn't take no for an answer. "You need it more than me" and plenty of other patronising stuff. She was very professional, pointing out that she wasn't allowed to take it though she "appreciated" the thought.

If she'd been less professional she would have told him what a patronising twat he was for making assumptions about her personal situation. Sorry sir, this poor oriental girl is not so cheap.

Believe me, some would tip the street lighting if they could...