I didn't bother reading all the responses cuz I'm not interested in the debate over tipping.

OP asked for comments on his ideas n I'm not sure if anyone responded.. Good for the most part, but it still has some minor problems:

1) airport shuttle may need tipping. Depends on what kind of "airport shuttle" he means. In general, that's a good idea tho. If the driver helps you with bags, a tip can be expected but not always. Just grab your own bag to make the issue moot.
2) Holiday Inn Express - I'm unaware of any hotel where housekeeping wouldn't expect a tip. That's just like eating out in a dine in restaurant in the US. As an alternative, maybe a hostel wouldn't require tipping. I've never stayed in one so I'm unfamiliar with hostels (plus there aren't that many in the US).
3) European airline lounge - this might need more investigating. I can't imagine this is like a foreign embassy. It's still US soil and if US employees, they'd be paid US wages and likely would expect tips like at any other US based airline's lounge. However, I can see an European airline paying higher wages with a rule against tips.

Simply brilliant.

Airline lounges :eek:

You're the guest of the airline. If the staff want paid, they should talk to your host.

That's the same argument against tipping for all the other industries that might have tipping and gets right back into whether tipping is wrong or right.

Ah, this is interesting. It has never even occurred to me to tip in an airline lounge — not, I hasten to add, out of a spirit of meanness (even though I don't like the tipping "culture", I do try to fit in when I'm in a tipping country, as noted in an earlier post), but simply because I would never have thought that people would tip in that setting. Is tipping normal in an airline lounge?

I suppose 10% of nothing is a tip.

The guy pouring you a diet coke at any UA RCC (or insert North American lounge of your choice) certain thinks he deserves a dollar for this service rendered ! :rolleyes:

Pretty much.

I did not say I tipped in Japan. I respect and try to adapt to the customs wherever I am, including there. Though tipping is not a requirement here, NOT tipping in the U.S. could be considered an insult.

The UK, Spain, France - Doesn't seem to matter where I am - The service in general just doesn't seem to be as good in cultures where tipping isn't the norm.

No one comes back to ask if I want anything else, no one comes to take our order and when you try to get the server's attention he treats you as if coming your way is the greatest favour he's ever given anyone.

Now I'm not asking for the customer-centric insanity you find at a TGI Fridays in the US Midwest, but at least a little attentiveness would be good :)

In London, one can EASILY pay as much as half the bill in service fees and tips and barely notice it, something which is disgusting in many of the "finer" establishment in whch it occurs. How? Let's look at a hypthetical 200 GBP bill. Cost of actual food and drinks 100 GBP. Couvert charge added "on top" 20 GBP (four people, 5 GBP pp - running total 120 GBP), VAT @ 17.5% including the "couvert" (running total: 141 GBP), service charge of 15% calculated on ENTIRE bill including couvert AND VAT : 163.15 GBP and then a tip line on the bill where many unsuspecting dners, especially Americans throw another 10-20% on top............180 - 197 GBP................Insane.........

Err...

VAT is neither a service charge nor a tip. It's tax. And it's included in the price on the menu. Never come across this couvert charge. Service charge (which I dislike) would be 10% usually, sometimes 12.5% and only very occasionally the 15% you are quoting (some places don't charge one at all). And if you add a tip on that, then more fool you.

Thus, a menu cost of £100 will cost you £110 - £115 (or £100 if it doesn't add on a service charge).

I can tell you Chicago is even worse, even I live in Chicago, I avoid cabbies as much as I can. If they know you are a visitor, some may drive a longer way for a short distance in order to get more money from you. Some drives very slow, claiming there is a speed limit on the road. If there is speed limit on the road, how can the public bus drives pass my cab ? Some are so nasty they claim your luggage is heavy, so they refuse to assist your luggage. For those reasons, why should I tip ?

I never thought not tipping in US is an insult. For restaruant I will tip no matter what unless really bad service. I could still remember one time I went to a restaurant with a friend, the waitress not busy at all just keep talking to other waiters. We ordered appetizer and entree, while we were already eating entree, then we asked about where is our appetizer, she said she didn't put it for the order. So we decided not to tip at all, who knows the manager follow us out of the restaurant when we leave and ask for the tip. We told him our server did a poor job, it is an insult to me and my friend.

There was also another occasion, and it happened in Westin New York, for breakfast in the restaurant. There were about 5 tables of people. Sit down, menus take forever to come, then take forever for someone to come to ask for my choice, note there were actually 6 waiter in total. Every one of them try to ignore all tables, try to pretend to be busy. I saw a lady on another table ask for a glass of water, it took her to ask for 3 times finally get her water for more than 10 minutes. The restaurant is also rather tiny also.

So with those incidences, why should someone still tip ?

For all other business, good service with tip, standard service no tip.

This is why I will never stay at another American-dominated AI resort. Or at least if I do, it will be one that has a strict policy of firing employees that accept tips.

AI resorts pretty much always say something along the lines of 'all food, select drink, non-motorised watersports, gratuities are included'. Some visitors appear not to understand this concept. Oh yeah, let's go to Cuba, or some other low-income, low-cost country, and tip the waitstaff as if they were living in New York or San Francisco. What a great plan.