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Old Jan 31, 2019, 10:44 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: davie355
Tips are not expected in Polaris lounges, but employees are allowed to accept them.

Originally Posted by legalalien
Polaris employees are explicitly recruited to "non-tipping" positions
Originally Posted by Weatherboy
they were told not to expect any tips but be appreciative of what they do get and quickly pocket them; they don't want loose bills or a tip jar in sight to give the idea that tipping is expected.
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Tipping in Polaris lounge

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Old Dec 29, 2018, 10:21 am
  #121  
 
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Originally Posted by SJWarrior
I don’t disagree, but they do work a lot more hours.
Depends how you define "work". If you mean directly interfacing with the customers, then perhaps the PL lounge attendants "work" more. OTOH, if you're tracking sheer hours dedicated to the work, I'd argue the FAs "work" more than the PL people. They've got pre-flight briefings, pre-boardings, in-flight service (where the clock *actually* starts ticking) and post-flight activities. Sure the FAs get a hotel comp'd by the airline but that's not much given the sheer amount of travel they have to do and the fact that they're in virtually a different city every day. All that being said, FAs shouldn't be tipped, that is apparently considered a faux pas in etiquette. However, giving the FAs a small gift like chocolates is largely considered being considerate, especially after they managed to "find" an E+ seat for you to sit in on your BE fare

-James
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Old Dec 29, 2018, 7:51 pm
  #122  
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Originally Posted by j2simpso
Depends how you define "work". If you mean directly interfacing with the customers, then perhaps the PL lounge attendants "work" more. OTOH, if you're tracking sheer hours dedicated to the work, I'd argue the FAs "work" more than the PL people. They've got pre-flight briefings, pre-boardings, in-flight service (where the clock *actually* starts ticking) and post-flight activities. Sure the FAs get a hotel comp'd by the airline but that's not much given the sheer amount of travel they have to do and the fact that they're in virtually a different city every day. All that being said, FAs shouldn't be tipped, that is apparently considered a faux pas in etiquette. However, giving the FAs a small gift like chocolates is largely considered being considerate, especially after they managed to "find" an E+ seat for you to sit in on your BE fare

-James
my niece is an FA. She spends three at least weeks at a crack in her home in Belize. I am not saying she doesn’t work hard, but she has a ton of time off.


And yes she has gotten me in the habit of bringing sweets for the flight crew anytime I’m flying near any holiday.
Originally Posted by Repooc17
That's debatable considering the clock for FAs doesn't start until the door is closed.

Restroom attendants in the PL work even longer hours than bartender, and everyone uses the restroom (whereas not everyone drinks).
if I’m not drinking, why would I rip the bar tender? I don’t walk by the bar on my way to the restroom and fling a fin at the server.

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Dec 30, 2018 at 12:41 am Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
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Old Dec 29, 2018, 10:02 pm
  #123  
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Originally Posted by EWRMAN
I tip 1 or 2 dollars per drink. The reason why? I have yet to find a higher RoI.
You could have an undefined ROI by leaving $0, damn divide by zero errors, and still get most of the benefits

Just realized I forgot to tip the FA tonight flying F. Oh wait, he was perfectly personable anyway.
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Old Dec 29, 2018, 10:38 pm
  #124  
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Originally Posted by SJWarrior


if I’m not drinking, why would I rip the bar tender? I don’t walk by the bar on my way to the restroom and fling a fin at the server.
Thank you for making my point.

That said, my post is a followup to your earlier post:

Originally Posted by SJWarrior
you should tip service employees.
For example, restroom attendants are service employees. Most of this thread are about tipping bartenders and waiter at PL dining services, what's up with that?
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Old Dec 31, 2018, 2:25 pm
  #125  
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Originally Posted by Repooc17
Thank you for making my point.

That said, my post is a followup to your earlier post:



For example, restroom attendants are service employees. Most of this thread are about tipping bartenders and waiter at PL dining services, what's up with that?
most people don’t like to tip period. And yes I tip the attendant. In Rome is was pretty much mandatory in a couple places
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Old Dec 31, 2018, 2:42 pm
  #126  
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Originally Posted by zitsky
Can you explain how it was mandatory in Rome? I am going there in 2019.
May I suggest the Italy forum? such as How Much Do I Tip in Italy?

Just one on the threads there and there are many other threads you may find useful in your trip planning.

And here we can stay focused on the PL and UA in this thread.
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Old Jan 8, 2019, 12:37 pm
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It's an airport lounge & not a typical hospitality place like a restaurant...but if I receive great service, I'm gonna tip regardless! It's my way of saying TYVM for going out of your way or being helpful--paying it forward.

Who you tip and who you don't seems arbitrary. I mean, we shouldn't tip FA's right?

I believe at any lounge you should just tip if YOU feel like it, and if you don't, that's YOUR right too!
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Old Jan 8, 2019, 2:02 pm
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Originally Posted by MrGood
I believe at any lounge you should just tip if YOU feel like it, and if you don't, that's YOUR right too!
Would you tip bartender at LH FRA FC Lounge after a great service?
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Old Jan 8, 2019, 2:04 pm
  #129  
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Originally Posted by MrGood
It's an airport lounge & not a typical hospitality place like a restaurant...but if I receive great service, I'm gonna tip regardless! It's my way of saying TYVM for going out of your way or being helpful--paying it forward.
It's an upscale airport lounge ... I expect great service. But I want to know how an employee doing his/her job is going out of their way? If we were not there to be served they wouldn't have a job.
Who you tip and who you don't seems arbitrary. I mean, we shouldn't tip FA's right?

I believe at any lounge you should just tip if YOU feel like it, and if you don't, that's YOUR right too!
Abslutely!
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Old Jan 9, 2019, 8:46 am
  #130  
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Originally Posted by CIT85
Would you tip bartender at LH FRA FC Lounge after a great service?
Thats just beyond tacky. Sorry, I can sort of understand a United Club in the US. But a foreign first class lounge....
Reminds me of the fool I saw leave a tip at the noodle bar in the ANA lounge in NRT.

Do you people tip the people behind the lounge desk who rebook you in IRROPS? After all, that could be "above and beyond"?
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Old Jan 9, 2019, 4:49 pm
  #131  
 
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Apparently Frontier Airlines (have never flown them!) now has a tip line on the FA's ipads that are shown to the passengers when a passenger buys a meal or drink -- the passenger has the option of selecting a tip at various levels for the FAs....
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Old Jan 9, 2019, 11:54 pm
  #132  
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Topic Check

This thread is about tipping at the Polaris Lounge.
Discussion of other situations we encounter in life is not the topic of a thread in the UA forum
The various societal norms around the world is not the topic of a thread in the UA forum
Making personal comments about choices others make is not allowed by FT rules.
And discussion needs to to be civil and collegial -- we don't need to agree but all entitled to express their personal choices without ridicule from others.

To try to get this thread back on a discussion for the UA forum, a number of posts have been removed.
Let's return to the title topic and a discussion within the rules of FT.

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UA coModerator
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 6:31 am
  #133  
 
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I'm in the EWR Polaris lounge now and somebody left 20$ to the server. But he was the only one who did this. All other people left without any tip. To me, the service was quite slow for leaving anything...nice servers but SLOW.
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 6:37 am
  #134  
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Originally Posted by chebert999
I'm in the EWR Polaris lounge now and somebody left 20$ to the server. But he was the only one who did this. All other people left without any tip. To me, the service was quite slow for leaving anything...nice servers but SLOW.
Did you see someone leave a tip, or was the $20 placed there by the server to encourage/shame people into tipping?
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 7:13 am
  #135  
 
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I saw the guy give it directly to the server. He was sitting at the table next to me.
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