Rough times at United

[Sonny Crockett]

- The company requires me to take a van to the hotel
- they company require me to stay at this hotel
- the company makes the arrangements with the hotels (for the cheapest deals probably)
- the company demands what times I have to rest/sleep
- the company arranges for transportation
- I agreed with my company to my employment terms which do NOT include
tipping the van drivers 8 -10 times pr week (assuming 4-5 overnights).

- the van driver is employed by the hotel or some other transportation service
- the van driver agreed to his employment terms
- like the previous post said. It should not be the flight crew but the company that should make sure the van driver is paid properly and not
put that extra "requirement" on the crew.

Ok - I'm open for attacks now......

Ya know what? YOU MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.

40% paycut, I should cut back on 40% of the tips!

 

[SellingDirt]

Tipping is out of control. Obviously I always tip the van drivers and usually tip most servers generously (i.e. 20-30%) but I don't agree with it. All service and taxes should be reflected in the cost of everything. This is how it is in many countries

Why should anyone have to pay a van driver to take them to a hotel. The hotel should pay the van driver a normal wage, and this cost should be reflected in the hotel rates. Why should these costs be passed on to the airline employees. It is a cost of doing business that we should not be paying for.

Part of me admires anyone who refuses to tip. I hate feeling pressure to tip for everything I buy.

I completely agree, but how do you stop this "tradition". If you don't tip your name ends up on a message board or your crew thinks your the anti-christ. What gives?

 

[slaquer5]

Tipping is out of control. Obviously I always tip the van drivers and usually tip most servers generously (i.e. 20-30%) but I don't agree with it. All service and taxes should be reflected in the cost of everything. This is how it is in many countries

Why should anyone have to pay a van driver to take them to a hotel. The hotel should pay the van driver a normal wage, and this cost should be reflected in the hotel rates. Why should these costs be passed on to the airline employees. It is a cost of doing business that we should not be paying for.

Part of me admires anyone who refuses to tip. I hate feeling pressure to tip for everything I buy.

RedTailSwingerBurg

 

[rjcap]

My understanding is that per diem was supposed to cover a "resaonable" expense of meals and tips etc. The reality of per diem is that it covers a mere fraction of trip expenses.

I had a senior union rep tell me they fought hard for perdiem increases and that the pilots had a responsibility to tip the drivers. I told him that I appreciated his effort however per diem doesn't begin to cover the real costs of meals tips etc while on trips.

This is just another example of why the compensation in this industry is a joke.

 

[jhill]

Tipping is out of control. Obviously I always tip the van drivers and usually tip most servers generously (i.e. 20-30%) but I don't agree with it. All service and taxes should be reflected in the cost of everything. This is how it is in many countries

Why should anyone have to pay a van driver to take them to a hotel. The hotel should pay the van driver a normal wage, and this cost should be reflected in the hotel rates. Why should these costs be passed on to the airline employees. It is a cost of doing business that we should not be paying for.

Part of me admires anyone who refuses to tip. I hate feeling pressure to tip for everything I buy.

Tipping the van driver is supposed to encourage/motivate them to be on time and handle our baggage. Don't tip if you get crappy service but don't be a cheapskate.

 

[xjhawk]

Some factors involved in tipping

To Insure Prompt Servie (TIPS)
Politeness
Promptness
Load my bags
unload my bags
Holding the door when appropriate
And the last and most important, can I afford it? (I.E can I pay my car payment my house payment) On my FO sALARY of under 30 grand a year at 4 years at XJ. I am not bitter, nor mean spirited, just realistic. I have the same thoughts of someone getting a buck for a 5 dollar beer when all they do is pull a lever, give me head (head! lol), and by the way, my college roommate made over 50 grand a year working 4-5 nights a week at a bar.....who exactly should be getting tips?

 

[BoilerUP]

My understanding is that per diem was supposed to cover a "resaonable" expense of meals and tips etc. The reality of per diem is that it covers a mere fraction of trip expenses.

I had a senior union rep tell me they fought hard for perdiem increases and that the pilots had a responsibility to tip the drivers. I told him that I appreciated his effort however per diem doesn't begin to cover the real costs of meals tips etc while on trips.

How much do you make in perdiem, and WTF are you spending it on?

Even with overpriced food on the road its not too difficult to spend two bucks on tips each day and get 2-3 meals and a couple beers for $30 or less. If you make three trips to Starbucks each day and/or belly up to the hotel bar at night while eating $20 dinners at the hotel, that's your fault...

 

[Occam's Razor]

Tipping the van driver is supposed to encourage/motivate them to be on time and handle our baggage. Don't tip if you get crappy service but don't be a cheapskate.

I took a huge paycut, but still tip the van drivers the regular amount (a buck). Just because my management is a gang of heartless dorks doesn't make me one. I try to treat other working stiffs the way I would like to be treated. In the same fashion I try to leave my layover room neat, without trash strewn-about. The maids that clean those rooms are at the bottom of the economic food chain, and don't deserve to have me making their job more difficult.

That said, I have stiffed a few van drivers when they've done a lousy job, but in each case I looked them in the eye and told them why: "You left us curbside for 20-minutes while you took a group to the mall. I can't tip for that." When they do something above-and-beyond I mention that too...and have doubled the tip.

 

[1678]

As long as I am on Company time and do my job according to their schedule - no tip....

If I ask the van driver for a ride to the mall, restaurant or any other place....
then I will tipp and then usually generous. Because this is at my request and this is nothing a van driver
has to do.

It is in the hotel/transportation company's contract with your employer that they have to be there promptly and according to set times. Crews should not be responsible for tipping the van drivers for them to do their job according to their employment agreement.

 

[Huck]

RedTailSwingerBurg

That there's funny, I don't care who you are....