Pax tipping Cabin Crew

[MinimumRest]

At the start of my flying career (when I was young and still enthusiastic!) a passenger tried to tip me a fiver at the end of the flight. I told my supervisor, who said I could not accept it as it was not company policy, but to take it off him anyway then put it in the charity envelope without him knowing. I explained this to the pax, who said he'd already given to the charity money, and if the cash wouldn't go in my pocket he would keep it himself.

Recently my hairdresser went on his hols, and him and a few mates were so impressed with the service that they put a tenner each together and offered it to the crew to split between them. It was refused because, again, it's against company policy. My hairdresser cannot understand this, as he is expected to tip in bars and resturaunts, but is not allowed to on the aircraft!

What do you all think - should we be allowed to accept tips? :confused:

[aluminum ovcst]

Are you out of your mind???!!!

[flapsforty]

MinimumRest I don't even know what our company policy is on this, and as my countrymen are not known for their free-spending ways, it's not a problem that often arises.

But sometimes it does. I tell the pax that I very much appreciate the gesture, thank them for their intended kindness and politely and with a big smile refuse to take any money or gift from the tax-free trolley.

Only exeption is for the elderly who at the end of the flight take my hand, utter something like "lovely flight my dear, thank you so much for looking after us so well" and then with an air of great secrecy put a coin in my hand.

I thank them profusely in a conspiratory whisper, and make a bit of a show of putting away the coin safely.

IMHO they stem from an era where offering a tip to staff was the most practical and welcome way to show appreciation for a job well done. They mean well, and in their value system it is perfectly polite and not demeaning at all.

To me, refusing a tip offered in that particular spirit would feel churlish.

Hope this helps.

.....Oh and aluminum...... in case you start wondering, last time someone checked I appeared to be of sound mind.........or was that simple? :eek:

[smile]

I like the idea of putting it towards charity. At least you know then that you haven't 'offended' the pax by refusing, but have only maybe bent company rules a little.

Perhaps ask them to name their favorite charity and offer to match their tip money and donate it in both names. :D

[ 01 September 2001: Message edited by: smile ]

[Self Loading Freight]

I always thought one of those Toblerone bars the size of a mountain range was traditional...

R

[wysiwyg]

And why is it that Americans seem to tip everybody EXCEPT cabin crew?

[MinimumRest]

That's what my hairdresser can't understand - anyone doing a job that involves serving people in any establishment get tipped, but not crew :confused:

[GAF4139]

I usually tip the captain as I would do with a taxi driver. I give about 10% of my drinks bill. Is this correct or do I commit a fauxpas here? :D :D :D


GAF4139

[brockenspectre]

Hmmmmm interesting issue. It has never occurred to me to offer a tip to cabin crew. Not sure why. Probably because I regard them as professionals paid appropriately to do their job and as I haven't caused them any concern (being a model SLF unit) there is the end to it.

Part of me regards the idea of tipping as totally out of date - in 2001 anyone working whether it is in a service or other industry should be expected to be paid appropriate salary. HOWEVER I know that servers in USA are paid on an expectation that they will receive X in tips. This is surely not the case with US cabin crew?

I have no intention now or in the future of offering a tip to cabin crew - I hope that all would uniformly accept that they ARE professional and in receipt of appropriate salary and would be as embarrassed to receive as I would be to offer a tip!

:D

[taba]

With a couple of the airlines I've worked for I've been offered gifts rather than cash!
I still have a watch one business class pax gave to me 12 years ago simply for getting him some ice cream from First Class!
More recently myself and 3 colleagues were given gold...necklaces for the gals and a pen/key chain and cufflinks for the blokes!

It is nice to be recognised for giving an excellent service and,personally,gifts mean more than cash.

Probably because I was given thousands of lire once and thought I was rich...well it was my first flying job!

Also I had £120 slipped in to my shirt pocket once by a F/C pax and he was mortified when I said "thanks,i'll split it with the crew"....He'd already given them £20 each...

We have just been told to use our discretion when accepting tips and gifts basically because many of our pax can easily be offended if you refuse!!

Cheers

Taba :p

[flyblue]

Apart of being against company rules, I wouldn't like being tipped at all. I don't consider myself a waiter, and I suppose that if people don't tip FA it is because they don't either.
In 11 years it only happened to me a couple of times with elderly people, and once with a pax whom I helped to get un upgrade (which he deserved, without getting into details). Especially with the last one, I think it would have been very unprofessional to accept a tip (it was like 50$), because in that situation it could have looked like a "payment" for my help to get the upgrade.
Of course you have to find a very polite and friendly way to refuse. In all cases I told them that it had been my duty and my pleasure to help them and make their time on board enjoyable.

[ 03 September 2001: Message edited by: flyblue ]

[Pointer]

HÉ brockenspectre checking out the cabin crew? jee the places you meet some people :D

Getting back to the toppic; brockenspectre has a point but....but even as a scipper (of a sub-nominale size a/c) a pax came upo to me an tipped me (for what ever for....i still don't know). I kept the money and spend it on drinks with the crew. (splitting it would demise the impact of the tip) so...smile...fold the money (if it is to much to fold at once then leave the folding for later when your "alone") and stuff it. if you think it is best to spread it around then do it in the bar.
:D :D :D

[Davaar]

I had a secretary who had been a hostess on Trans-Canada Airlines, as it then was. They were offered tips but usually managed to refuse with grace. Occasionally they accepted, as someone says, not to be churlish. The most touching was the newlywed husband on the milk-run (Viscount), Montreal-Quebec-Moncton-Fredericton (I think)-Halifax who was impressing his new bride by tipping the hostess on each segment.