United's Policy on Tipping FAs?
Oct 30, 2016, 6:07 pm
#1
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United's Policy on Tipping FAs?
So I've seen this attempted now a few times on international long haul with one time the FA taking the money.
Is this something new? It's kind of weird but I guess if you tip taxi drivers, hair dressers and other service style workers why not FAs?
Is this something new? It's kind of weird but I guess if you tip taxi drivers, hair dressers and other service style workers why not FAs?
Oct 30, 2016, 6:10 pm
#2
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"Flight attendants are there for your safety." Do people tip police and firefighters?
Oct 30, 2016, 6:18 pm
#3
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Because taxi drivers and hairdressers are customarily tipped. Flight attendants are not customarily tipped. That's all there is to it; social customs can be arbitrary.
Oct 30, 2016, 6:41 pm
#4
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Believe United (and other airlines) has a written policy forbidding staff from accepting tips.
Some folks provide a small token gift, candy/chocolate are probably the most common.
[Moderator hat on]
This topic has gone badly before. There are strong opinions on the act of tipping or not. A general discussion of tipping is NOT appropriate for the UA forum. The OP asked a specific question on " United's Policy on Tipping FAs? " . Speak to that or find a discussion elsewhere on FT on tipping to make non-UA related comments.
WineCountryUA
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Some folks provide a small token gift, candy/chocolate are probably the most common.
[Moderator hat on]
This topic has gone badly before. There are strong opinions on the act of tipping or not. A general discussion of tipping is NOT appropriate for the UA forum. The OP asked a specific question on " United's Policy on Tipping FAs? " . Speak to that or find a discussion elsewhere on FT on tipping to make non-UA related comments.
WineCountryUA
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Oct 30, 2016, 8:07 pm
#5
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I think I recall that all three US legacies have written employee policies prohibiting categories of employees, notably cabin crew, from accepting tips.
I also recall from my parents that at the relative dawn of international commercial air travel, despite the fact that stewardesses, as they were then known, were RN's, the tradition of tipping cabin stewards & stewards on transoceanic surface voyages briefly carried over to air travel and then fell off relatively immediately.
I also recall from my parents that at the relative dawn of international commercial air travel, despite the fact that stewardesses, as they were then known, were RN's, the tradition of tipping cabin stewards & stewards on transoceanic surface voyages briefly carried over to air travel and then fell off relatively immediately.
Oct 30, 2016, 8:29 pm
#7
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First off, I don't condone tipping FA's. Now that I have that out of the way, when would you tip? At the end of the flight? When you board? The people who tend to bring candy give it when they board. If tipping was done the same I could see a FA giving that person excellent service and blowing off anyone who did not tip. That is not good. I really don't feel people should be giving them gifts either as in a way it is bribing them to give them better service than the other passengers.
Oct 30, 2016, 8:31 pm
#8
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If everybody does it, then it becomes expected, good service or not.
Oct 30, 2016, 9:05 pm
#10
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First off, I don't condone tipping FA's. Now that I have that out of the way, when would you tip? At the end of the flight? When you board? The people who tend to bring candy give it when they board. If tipping was done the same I could see a FA giving that person excellent service and blowing off anyone who did not tip. That is not good. I really don't feel people should be giving them gifts either as in a way it is bribing them to give them better service than the other passengers.
I'd compare this to restaurants that use a ticket system. You pay in advance for your ticket, and the tip is included in that ticket price. No need to even have cash or a credit card at the restaurant.
I think the gift giving would be acceptable if someone has a regular route and knows the crew members. But I'm guessing that's not very common, so I agree it's just a little awkward.
Oct 30, 2016, 9:58 pm
#11
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Believe United (and other airlines) has a written policy forbidding staff from accepting tips.
Some folks provide a small token gift, candy/chocolate are probably the most common.
[Moderator hat on]
This topic has gone badly before. There are strong opinions on the act of tipping or not. A general discussion of tipping is NOT appropriate for the UA forum. The OP asked a specific question on " United's Policy on Tipping FAs? " . Speak to that or find a discussion elsewhere on FT on tipping to make non-UA related comments.
WineCountryUA
UA coModerator
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Some folks provide a small token gift, candy/chocolate are probably the most common.
[Moderator hat on]
This topic has gone badly before. There are strong opinions on the act of tipping or not. A general discussion of tipping is NOT appropriate for the UA forum. The OP asked a specific question on " United's Policy on Tipping FAs? " . Speak to that or find a discussion elsewhere on FT on tipping to make non-UA related comments.
WineCountryUA
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So perhaps United *does* have a policy against it since I've probably taken 200+ flights with them and only seen it a handful of times (far less than 27%).
Oct 30, 2016, 10:22 pm
#12
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I've never tipped a FA nor seen one tipped, however, I have bought the duty free chocolate on occasion and given it to the cabin crew on long international flights. Of course one Flyertalker is pretty famous for distributing tootsie pops! :-)
Oct 30, 2016, 11:25 pm
#13
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In the days of cash transactions on board, I have seen passengers telling the FAs to keep the change. Now, it is a little harder to do this.
On Friday, I had a MX and this guy was tipping the GA and the GA refused saying she was just doing her job ^
On Friday, I had a MX and this guy was tipping the GA and the GA refused saying she was just doing her job ^
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Oct 31, 2016 at 12:40 am Reason: OT content removed
Oct 31, 2016, 12:43 am
#14
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My problem with tipping is similar what was mentioned above: Once it becomes a normal thing, it's expected and if you don't do it, you're a cheapskate.
Keeping this UA related, when you tip a server at a restaurant, tips are the bulk of their salary. While I don't know how much a UA FA makes per year, their salary is definitely not designed with them collecting tips as a supplemental source if income. They receive a good salary and don't need tips to survive. (Please leave the argument as to whether they receive enough for what they do or not for another time).
Keeping this UA related, when you tip a server at a restaurant, tips are the bulk of their salary. While I don't know how much a UA FA makes per year, their salary is definitely not designed with them collecting tips as a supplemental source if income. They receive a good salary and don't need tips to survive. (Please leave the argument as to whether they receive enough for what they do or not for another time).
Oct 31, 2016, 3:07 am
#15
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