Tipping the Van driver....

[propjockey]

deleted

 

[Tram]

This thread is a joke.. It's almost as rediculous as the "captain didn't use his cell phone to talk to dispatch thread.."

If you tip.. cool..
If you don't tip.. cool..

If the driver doesn't touch my bag, I don't touch my wallet.. He's getting paid - be it minimum wage or not - to drive me to my hotel/airport. That is his JOB. Do you tip the ticket agents, the ramp personel, the TSA folks after searching your bag? What about the cash register worker in the gas station or perhaps the lil' 16 year old girl behind the counter at Wal-Mart? The only people who DESERVE tips are people who work for tips.. waiters/waitresses, etc.. - they WORK FOR TIPS..

If you guys wanna jump on me about not tipping - do it.. but only do it AFTER you start tipping EVERYONE who provides you a service.. Do any of you tippers send the owners of this message board a "tip" to help pay for the server, etc?

 

[P-Dawg_QX]

OK I'll be the first give the van driver a tip when I travel afterall they make minimum wage.

However, tipping crew schedulers is uncalled for. Heck our crew scheduler make more than we do! There are two crew schedulers to one dispatcher. Who cares about the safety of the airline when you have crew schedulers right???

The crews are always bringing them cookies, cakes, krispy kremes, flowers, etc. It's a virtual buffet over there. <shakes head in disgust>

You've got to be kidding me. People are actually tipping our schedulers? "Hey Ryan, thanks for the abuse! Here's a 10-spot for your trouble. Keep it up, only next time use a bigger stick!"

 

[-9Capt]

If you guys wanna jump on me about not tipping - do it.. but only do it AFTER you start tipping EVERYONE who provides you a service.. Do any of you tippers send the owners of this message board a "tip" to help pay for the server, etc?

Certian service jobs in the USA are tip worthy (waiters, sky caps, door man, taxi/van driver) and others are not. I didn't invent the rules, I just follow them.

 

[Tram]

Certian service jobs in the USA are tip worthy (waiters, sky caps, door man, taxi/van driver) and others are not. I didn't invent the rules, I just follow them.

Yes your right, I was being facetious.. However, I feel tips are often expected these days rather than earned.. If the guy earns his tip, he gets one..

 

[Crizz]

You may see many people traveling leaving tips. Realize that many people traveling are doin so on business. Their tips come strait out of their expense account. Granted, a tip is a gesture of aknowledgement of personal service. However, I believe a large number of people traveling on business do not foot any of that bill on their their own shoulders. I know many people that travel on business... they are compensated very handsomly by their respective companies for their time traveling.

So for pilots - We are "on business." We are "at work." The only function of us being at the hotel is as an arm of the company. The van ride PERIOD is a byproduct of the JOB we are there doing.

I tip. I do not tip as custom, however. As mentioned, if the van driver is on time and goes out of their way to make it a pleasant experience (not only getting bags, but in a good demeanor and a positive) then I will give a dollar.

I know for fact, even the lowest van driver gets paid more than I do as a first year FO. I dont think tipping has anything to do with class. I am paid a wage that is almost impossible to live on. PERIOD. It has nothing to do with class if I cant just hand out "only $750" a year, Ty Webb. I'm sorry, Im lucky to spend $750 a year on groceries let alone cigars. For cryin out loud, you fail to make the distinction between you and someone just starting out. When I make 130, 150 or 200k a year, I will certainly be less judicious with my tipping. But for now I simply cant afford for the van driver to have the luxury.

Dont give me the excuse of "its covered in your perdiem." This is flawed on SO many fronts. I rely on my perdiem as an income source, just as you defend the driver's reliance on our tips as an income source. Perdiem is a monetary aknowledgement of the time you spend away from home. Do I spend more than $36 a day (my company's daily perdiem calculated at 1.50/hr) on food while away? Of course not. Is my time at home on my off day worth $36 to me, of course. Its worth far more!

To take this one more step... I have actually been scolded by a capatin I was flying with for leaving a tip. He tipped the guy, and was very surprised that I followed. He basically told me to save every penny I earn and that he knows how much I make.


Tipping will come with more discressionary income someday down the road, but for now I have to afford to put food on my table and pay my own rent. Im sure the van driver will be just fine.

 

[scangadah]

[/b]




Even AirTran flight attendents can afford to tip. . . . . If you can't cough up a buck for the van driver, you need to find a new job.

Hey Mr. Big...with that mouth, I hope you are tipping $5.00 a bag.

Some of the van drivers we see week in and week out. They are usually there on time and have water for us. Always grab the bags and have a smile on their faces. Hell, I think one married one of our F/A's. Those guys and gals get a tip. A tip is commiserate with service. A tip is not guaranteed, in ANY service position.

The ones that kill me are the large bus drivers in LAX or SFO. They take 20 people to the airport twice an hour. Think about it. Then give your FO some sh*t for not giving a tip. I think not!

 

[Crizz]

FAs shouldn't tip. They make less than FOs. Perhaps Capts should for them in Express/regional domestic flying.....

I've flown with many a flight attendant that make twice what I do.


I'm tired of all this nonsense about "why did you take the job if it pays so little." Where else do you start?!!? Where did YOU work for when you first started? How much did YOU work for?

-9Capt you talk about making $17 an hour back in '96. Newsflash, its almost 10 years later and first year FO pay hasnt hardly moved up from that.

I am surving on $21k a year. I do not feel I live out of my means. However, I am not going to sacrifice the small amount of discressionary income I have just to act "classy" in front of a hotel van driver. Give me a break.

As I said in my previous post - I am not at all opposed to tipping the van driver. I definately do so on a semi regular basis. But this notion that it is customary regardless of service level is absolute hogwash.

 

[Yank McCobb]

Do any of you tippers send the owners of this message board a "tip" to help pay for the server, etc?

Actually yes. Twice. It was a bit more than a "tip", by the way. How much did YOU send in to help pay for the server, etc?

 

[English]

Me too. I know LOTS of us did. We had a fundraising drive and the loyal members all contributed.

 

[Tram]

Actually yes. Twice. It was a bit more than a "tip", by the way. How much did YOU send in to help pay for the server, etc?

Well firstly, I'm not the one making the firm stand on tipping.. I asked the "you must tip" people this question.. I'm not a big tipper.. I'm not making a firm stand on "you must tip." I am quite happy to not tip - when the tippee doesn't earn it..

However, I have not sent any in to the website as of yet - right now, this website is better for a laugh than to glean any real HELPFUL knowledge of the aviation industry, too many worthless threads such as these to wade through. When and if this website becomes a productive tool for me, yeh, I would love to send some in.. I make $800 a month - so don't expect any tips from me anytime soon.. When/if I get to where I am able to just hand money out, I will do so..

 

[BoilerUP]

Even as a broke-ass college student & CFI, I contributed $10 to this board. I know it was a pittance compared to some, but I made my contribution nonetheless. It would have gone to beer or Starbucks probably anyway, and the contacts I have made and the help I have received has been well worth the investment.

I was stuck at ORD Monday trying to get into SDF standby on United, but weather delays had everything screwed up. I had gotten bumped off 2 flights, and it wasn't looking very good for the last two - and O'Hare had run out of rental cars! I asked a gate agent if he could put me on a flight into IND (closer and they at least had rental cars), and without any begging or pleading got me a seat assignment. I should have tipped him; he had been screamed at all day by pissed off pax and somehow found it in him to help me out. When I got into IND a friend offered to fly in and pick me up. I called Raytheon and they sent an employee over in a courtesy car to pick me up. I offered the driver a buck, and she told me she didn't want it as she "got paid either way". I told her I knew it wasn't much, but I was very appreciative for the ride and maybe she could get a coke or something with it. They treated me like a king at that place until my buddy arrived, going above the typical excellent IND Raytheon service.

In my limited experience i've found its often the gesture, not necessarily the amount, that really matters to someone. I don't tip by habit (except in restaurants) but I try to be generous to those that really help me out. I think if you *really* can't afford a tip its one thing, but its entirely another to refuse to tip because you are cheap. Everybody's situation is different...

 

[turbodriver]

All of you need to go to a place like Australia and see how they tip people down under. We need to adopt those rules here in the US.

 

[superrav]

approach down to min's in a snow covered runway...where's our tip??

 

[Ty Webb]

I know for fact, even the lowest van driver gets paid more than I do as a first year FO. I dont think tipping has anything to do with class. I am paid a wage that is almost impossible to live on. PERIOD.

Well, buddy, that is your decision. I could start a whole new string about your decision to work for less than a hotel van driver (and what that does to our industry) but that has been done before . . . . I did not go to a regional for exactly that reason. I guess we all make our choices.

You guys can justify it any way you want, but a tip is customary, and if you guys can't even cough up a buck, you probably need to find another job. Have some self-respect, for crying out loud.

It's pretty clear that trying to explain this to some of you is like trying to teach a pig to sing, so we'll just have to leave it at that.

Oink, Oink, anyone?

 

[DetoXJ]

Lets face it, There are certain workers where it is customary to leave a tip and a Shuttle Driver who throws your bags and gives you a ride is one of them. The people who lack class and are too cheap to leave them a buck are the same people who stiff the Pizza Delivery Man, the attendant who Valet parks their car and the Barber who cuts their hair. They are the same people who will never tip above and beyond 15% for an outstanding waiter/waitress. The cheap and classless individuals can try to justify it all they want but it simply boils down to the fact that they lack class and are cheap.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

You may see many people traveling leaving tips. Realize that many people traveling are doin so on business. Their tips come strait out of their expense account. Granted, a tip is a gesture of aknowledgement of personal service. However, I believe a large number of people traveling on business do not foot any of that bill on their their own shoulders. I know many people that travel on business... they are compensated very handsomly by their respective companies for their time traveling.

So for pilots - We are "on business." We are "at work." The only function of us being at the hotel is as an arm of the company. The van ride PERIOD is a byproduct of the JOB we are there doing.

I tip. I do not tip as custom, however. As mentioned, if the van driver is on time and goes out of their way to make it a pleasant experience (not only getting bags, but in a good demeanor and a positive) then I will give a dollar.

I know for fact, even the lowest van driver gets paid more than I do as a first year FO. I dont think tipping has anything to do with class. I am paid a wage that is almost impossible to live on. PERIOD. It has nothing to do with class if I cant just hand out "only $750" a year, Ty Webb. I'm sorry, Im lucky to spend $750 a year on groceries let alone cigars. For cryin out loud, you fail to make the distinction between you and someone just starting out. When I make 130, 150 or 200k a year, I will certainly be less judicious with my tipping. But for now I simply cant afford for the van driver to have the luxury.

Dont give me the excuse of "its covered in your perdiem." This is flawed on SO many fronts. I rely on my perdiem as an income source, just as you defend the driver's reliance on our tips as an income source. Perdiem is a monetary aknowledgement of the time you spend away from home. Do I spend more than $36 a day (my company's daily perdiem calculated at 1.50/hr) on food while away? Of course not. Is my time at home on my off day worth $36 to me, of course. Its worth far more!

To take this one more step... I have actually been scolded by a capatin I was flying with for leaving a tip. He tipped the guy, and was very surprised that I followed. He basically told me to save every penny I earn and that he knows how much I make.


Tipping will come with more discressionary income someday down the road, but for now I have to afford to put food on my table and pay my own rent. Im sure the van driver will be just fine.

If the van driver goes out of the way to make it a great experience you give
"a dollar"...

mighty nice of ya there pal...

what a loser.

 

[Icelandair]

I was told during IOE that the Captain tips on behalf of the entire crew. Which is fine with me. Then when I'm captain I'll gladly tip on behalf of my crew.

 

[gnx99]

If I was on a vacation I would tip them. But.... I don't feel I need to be paying people to go to work. The company should pay the tip.

 

[scangadah]

I was told during IOE that the Captain tips on behalf of the entire crew. Which is fine with me. Then when I'm captain I'll gladly tip on behalf of my crew.

If you think that a regional level capt. is going to tip $144.00 a month(min) for him/her and the crew to a van driver......I'll take two of what ever you are drinking.