Pax tipping for great service

[boardingpass]

I've noticed more and more pax are saying 'keep the change' or 'that's fine' during the bar service, which I'm not so accustomed to seeing here in Europe. Perhaps we're flying more American tourists now with the Dollar on the up. Normally we just buy stuff from the bar with these tips and share it amongst the crew, but I wonder if any companies have any standard practices with regard to tipping (especially if there are any American crews reading where I imagine this practice is more common).

As CC wages are being eroded further and further, is this a welcomed trend? Should we feel obliged to refuse tips? Should I put a tip jar on the trolley? And how do pax feel about tipping the crew? Any full service colleagues have any stories about getting tips for giving great service?

[vodkaholic]

I work for a charter airline and very very rarely get any pax say to me "Keep the change" and even if they do, we can't. At the beginning of the flight we have to confirm what personal money we have on us, so that if we get audited at the end of a flight they can see we haven't stolen any money. Therefore if we were to accept tips, this would be seen as stealing.
People in restuarants don't think twice about tipping waitresses, and although we are not waitresses, we do sooo much more for such little pay in some cases. I don't think it would be wrong for more pax to tip us!!

[tart1]

As vodkaholic says, in some airlines it is impossible to accept cash as that would risk you being accused of stealing at the end of a flight.

I suppose all you could do if a passenger gives a tip is to put it into the charity collection and tell them they have made a donation. :D

[A Comfy Chair]

For years Cabin Crew have justified their position based on their SAFETY role.

If you start accepting tips, you will diminish your standing in the aviation community. Wages WILL go down commensurate, as you will be seen completely as a waiter/waitress.

Maybe I am old school, but it is completely unacceptable to accept a tip. Allow the passenger to make a donation to the onboard charity (if you have one) in its place.

[Anagard]

Standard Company policy in the US is that it is unacceptable to accept any gifts/tips from PAX. The logic behind the policy is that you are already paid to provide the service, therefor it is inappropriate to receive additional payment unsactioned by the company/airline. I've had passengers during Christmas time give the crews ipods and gift cards. Tipping is a big deal in the states - they tip for everything! Haircuts, taxis, waiters, doormen, curb-side checkin agents etc...

[boardingpass]

A comfy chair, here's some news, wages already have gone down - most pax and many airline marketing departments do see us as primarily for comfort/service, no matter how many times we tell them it's for their safety.

In my airline, we only have on-board charity collections during the summer months, so for the rest of the year, what's so wrong with tips going to my Fiat 500 fund?

As for those of you working in airlines where you have to say how much cash you've got on you at the start of the day, I can't believe their nerve! They trust us to evacuate an aircraft (i.e. not be the first one off after opening the door), but can't trust us with the till? Checkout chicks don't even receive this amount of employer bullying.

[A Comfy Chair]

When the industry thinks its acceptable to take tips, then it just shows how bad things have got. I'm shocked that this occurs.

Boardingpass, the difference is the company can say you are for service (and lets be honest, that is 95% of the job... the safety part is important, and makes you more skilled than a waitress, but service is still very important) but when you start to accept tips that shows that you are accepting it.

Is this standard across all the Lo Co's in Europe? Or just one? I'd like to not support an airline that thinks this is acceptable practice.

No offence to individuals... if you accept them because that is what is done, then thats your decision. But I am still very much against the practice as a whole.

[dutch flyer]

Dear vodkaholic, by what right or law does your airline threaten you and demands you to tell how much personal money you've got on you?

[OzzieO]

If someone offered me a tip I would smile, say thank you and go spend the moulah.

[PENKO]

Guys, as long as you share the tips with flightdeck, then I see no problem what so ever :ok:


We all know the stories of corporate flyers being handed thousand dollars in cash by happy oil sheiks down route. No one would say no to that, no one!! So as long as your company has no specific guidance, enjoy (and share).

[vodkaholic]

The airline I currently work for is the only airline I have worked for, so it has never seemed that strange to me. The company says that since bringing in this procedure, the amount of money the company makes has gone up!! (Feel free to correct me if anyone knows this comment to be purely galley fm lol!!)
I have never really considered the legality's of this issue, as I assume it must be ok as it must have gone through the union etc when it was brought in...
They also have the rights to randomly search us after a flight...and when I say search, I mean search every little last nook and cranny of your crewbag, handbag and you are asked to remove your work jacket, coat and shoes!! LOL

To the person who mentioned flight attendants in the US aren't allowed to accept tips, this really shocks me as like you mentioned I thought you had to tip EVERYONE in the US!! lol And if you are already paid for the service you are offering, then so are taxi drivers, waiters, porters etc.

[VS-Toga]

Totally unrelated but I thought I'd relate it (!) anyway....

Many moons ago, I took my late Grandmother out to dinner at (what I then thought) was quite a posh resturant.

At the time she had two new hips and was failing (85) although still as bright as a button upstairs.

She was also slightly hard of hearing which meant she shouted everything at you.

Anyway, after a nice meal, I paid by credit card. I then rummaged around my pockets for some change- didn't have any.

So I said "Nan, do you have a couple of pound coins"

Rather loudly she said, "POUND COINS? WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM FOR?"

"To give the waiter a tip" I replied" (quite sotto voce as the waiter was nearby)

"TIP?" she bellowed "I'LL GIVE HIM THE TIP OF MY UMBRELLA UP HIS ARSE IF HE'S NOT CAREFUL"


Absolutely true and I almost died of embarrassment.

:\

[Snoopy]

:)

I guess all Nans must be the same. I took my Mum and Nan out for lunch. The meal was super and so was the service. I left a couple of pounds on the table. When we got to the car my Nan put two pound pieces in my hand and said "Here, you left these on the table". I was absolutely mortified and rushed back to give the waitress the tip...hand to hand!

But back on topic, I know many passengers in the US will give deserving crew (probably most of you :) ) a loaded Starbucks card. Would that kind of thing be acceptable? After all, it's not cash is it?

[nicolai]

Recently I bought a tub of icecream from a vending machine in the terminal just before boarding started for my flight, so I carried it on board and waited until after takeoff before I ate it. I was sitting directly opposite the crew at the front of the cabin and got some very envious (good-natured) comments ("You should bring some to share..." "We don't get luxuries like that here..."). Oops!
This did make me think about the feasibility of bringing some for the crew next time, but I'd need some way to keep it frozen (the crew aren't going to be able to stop to eat that until sometime later in the flight) and it seems like it would require a lot of forward planning. The crews on that particular orange airline are always nice to customers so I'd like to be nice to them. Where do I get a bag of ice airside in a terminal... ?
The same thing happened to me some years ago in the USA, chocolate icecream seems to bring out the envy in cabin crew. Can crew accept gifts if they can eat the evidence? :)

[6chimes]

As much as your gesture would be greatly appreciated I would have to refuse your offer of food. Purely on the grounds of security .... poisoning.

Sorry times we live in.

Back to the thread: At my airline we don't have to 'prove' how much money we have brought to work. We try to trust that we are all adults. Can't say we have had many problems with theft etc.... And I would not allow anyone to rummage through my belongings after a flight without a warrant. Customs aside of course.

I have been given the odd tip over the years, I bought something for the crew to share, later on down route in the hotel.

6

[boardingpass]

Sorry Nicolai, despite your good intentions, if a pax I didn't know brought a 'gift' for crew, I would be suspicious. Commuting crew however often bring yummy treats from the local port to share amongst the crew.

I suggest you buy them something on board if you really want to!

[VS-LHRCSA]

You'll probably find that, contractually, most UK airlines forbit accepting tips and/or gifts. Occaisionally, I've had pax buy chocolates from the duty free for the crew, which I think is fair enough to accept as it would cause offence not to accept it and it's shared among the crew. Anything more than that and you can be putting your job at risk, especially if the pax has been upgraded, or received some other kind of special treatment.

[oldflyboy]

Tips?, how times have changed! I well remember when I first started flying in the late 1960's at Heathrow for BEA; a senior steward I regularly flew with use to load a couple of the silver sugar bowls we used with small silver and place one in each toilet on the Trident. He never failed to go home loaded with loot, although I remember his anger once when a passenger nicked the lot, including the sugar bowl! Different days when flying was a joy! :)

Must stop tapping now, Matron's coming round with my hot milk! :ok:

[goatface]

Dutch

Many UK companies whose staff are involved in cash handling ask staff to declare what personal money they have prior to the commencement of work. Some, including ASDA (Wallmart), insist that checkout/till operators do not have any cash on their person at all during working hours and their have been instances of staff being dismissed for disregarding the rule.
I'm not sure there's any law to support it, but if it's company policy then it's part of you contract of employment and in most cases it's common sense purely because it makes life a lot easier if there is any discrepency.

Back to tipping cabin crew.

If I get above average levels of service I will not hesitate to say thank you to the individual and ensure that at least the Cabin Crew Manager is aware, I will also forward the same information to the airline concerned.
Equally I've no objection to change from goods purchased on board going to the airlines nominated charity.

There are some service sectors where tipping is acceptable, but the airline industry is not one of them.
Despite what you may think the average cabin crew salary is significantly more than most waiters, hotel and kitchen staff, all of whom work significantly harder and longer hours than most of you.
Your primary job is ensuring the safety and comfort of the passengers, that's what you are paid for, cabin service is a secondary function and, just as I do my job to the best of my ability for the salary I've negotiated and nothing else, I expect the same from you when I fly as a passenger and I don't see any reason to tip you for it.

[The Real Slim Shady]

I gave a spectacular Virgin FA a "tip": she had been so lovely to my very old(now deceased ) mother that I wanted her to have a drink on me.

It wasn't a "tip": the lady was delightful, went above and beyond the normal cabin service looking after my mum.

The least I could do, without being pervy, was buy her a drink.

[Essex International]

Recently while disembarking a lady passenger with a small child held my hand and smiled and said "have you ever heard of random acts of kindness?" and disappeared down the steps. I was left holding a £20 note. I split this with my fellow crew, it certainly does not happen every day (month or year). :)

I thought that this was a nice gesture, although she paid the company for her ticket she seemed to want to reward and thank us personally for her time with us!

If in the US tips are given without a second thought then maybe they would not mean as much to the tipper or the recipient? It may be seen as rude to decline something small if someone does something unexpected out of genuine kindness and appreciation?

It bought me a drink on my days off and I suppose I'll always remember the passengers smile and appreciation, that's gotta be a good thing in this day and age. Although I wouldn't want every pax tipping me as a genuine "Thank you" does enough for me!!! ;)

[iain8867]

I think I may work at the same airline as Vodkaholic and yes we can't accept tips just as was stated, If offered one i will normally ask if it is OK for it to go into the Charity collection as we can't accept it.

Me on the other hand when I fly, if I have had a wonderful flight Out bound then I normally ask if the crew are night stopping, if they are I ask if I can purchase a bottle for them to have a drink while down route and have done so a few times, if it's on the inbound I normally buy something from on board and give it to them normally chocolate, well they may have to drive!!!!! If I have had a gond flight I always ask for a comment card, or how I can commend them to the airline and follow it up, But I would suggest that you never offer the crew a tip, it makes us feel really appreciated but unfortunately most of us can't accept it

[Arrows2100]

When I was working for TCX, we had an asian family heading off for a week in the sun.

The father of the family asked for some hot water. Being crew, I was obliged to bring him it. It was for one of the cheap, fake Pot Noodles you get in ethnic supermarkets.

Not kidding, but his hand luggage (which was larger than it should have been) was PACKED with these noodles. He offered us all one when we had a chit-chat about the volume of noodles he had to take with him.

Sure enough, 3 of the 6 crew accepted the offer, and chowed down on what were better than expected noodles.

Thankfully we were still concious in the following hours, but the rewards outweighed those risks for sure.. such a pleasant change to the "beef cobbler"

[Winch-control]

I always try and give the cabin crew a tip or two before leaving. Usually along the lines....Don't plant your Strawberries just before Christmas, or, Time to review your make up...:)
Seriously though I always thank the CC on leaving the aircraft. You guys and gals are Terriffic. Many thanks to you all.:ok: