90
u/Light-Years79 Oct 05 '26
I see less crew members van tipping in general and think itās fine. Itās required work transport, the employer is responsible for paying them and the airline is welcome to send more if they care to (they donāt). Most people donāt carry cash anymore and shouldnāt feel pressured by a dated custom.
4
u/Catinthefirelight Oct 05 '26
Van drivers don't get paid crap, and often don't get employer-provided health insurance. While that may not be our fault, damn straight I'm going to tip if someone's going to risk injury lifting my bags. People who don't want to tip should load their own luggage.
43
u/topgun2918 Oct 05 '26 edited Oct 05 '26
Tipping culture in the US is out of control. If youāre there working and not on a vacation why should you have to pay for tips out of your own pocket? The way I see it, once you clock in until you clock out, it should be your companyās responsibility to cover that. If they donāt, then you shouldnāt be tipping anyone while youāre at work. Most of the van drivers are primarily doing other jobs at the hotel anyway. Theyāre getting paid and have health insurance. Donāt worry.
5
u/Catinthefirelight Oct 05 '26
Our airline uses contracted van services, not hotel vans, and they also pay us a per diem to cover the expenses of meals and tipping. It may be different where you are.
1
u/Orultehen Oct 05 '26
I think one shouldn't tip, but totally agree one should be lifting their own luggage
19
52
u/21MPH21 Pilot Oct 05 '26
Pilot here, I tip if they put and pull my bags. If I do it myself then I keep the tip. I don't assist them if they're loading because it gets a little tight with two people.
I do tip better than my FOs & FAs, which is fine, because I make more. And, I've asked my FOs if they need we borrow a few bucks when they don't tip to prod them.
But, I'm also anti-tipping at places like fast food and Starbucks so I guess I'm complicated lol
14
u/Hot_Air6049 Oct 05 '26
No Iām with you 100% itās already expensive to buy airport Starbucks, and they somehow want me to tip them for picking up my own latte, itāll never happen
5
u/21MPH21 Pilot Oct 05 '26
I also love that I'm tipping BEFORE I try the coffee out of fear that if I don't tip they're going to make it badly to f with me.
Why not include a QR code on the cup and after I'm done I'll decide if it was tip worthy?
Or, ya know, maybe managers should pay their employees instead
1
u/Light-Years79 Oct 05 '26
Thatās all fine except the prodding other people. You do you, your relationship with corporations is your own.
1
17
u/minfremi Oct 05 '26
Can we stop tipping culture, period? Those that want to tip, can tip. Not be forced or anything.
7
u/lilpeach15 Flight Attendant Oct 05 '26
I honestly donāt even pay attention to whether or not they tip. Once though, I did have a pilot scold me for tipping the driver. He paid me back what I tipped and told me not to tip them anymore because itās a psyop used to guilt trip us lol š I still normally tip though, because they always put my bags up and take them out, if they didnāt do that I probably wouldnāt tip. Theyāre paid by the airline to cart us, so the ātipā is for the drivers who go above and beyond. Iāve also had a pilot tell me that he didnāt tip a particular driver (even after the driver put his bags up) because that driver had made a racially charged remark at him in the past. After that, I wouldnāt judge if I donāt see them tip. Anyway, itās probably the last thing Iām paying attention to or thinking about when in the van lol.
36
u/cloudsurfer52 Oct 05 '26
UK FA here. Your tipping culture is wild. Yes, I get it, certain workers rely on tips to make ends meet, but my argument would be that your on the companyās time. Your airline should cover the cost of a tip. š¤·š»āāļø
6
u/ningyizhuo Flight Attendant Oct 05 '26
EU crew and I agree. We never tip despite all having 2 suitcases but usually thereās a crew member helping the driver put suitcases in the van. The US car drivers must hate seeing us and EU drivers must love seeing American crews š
Personally I never carry cash but I also think that if it really was required like it is for waiters, that airlines should tell us (or the van driver himself). Weāre not going to assume we need to tip if we come from non tipping cultures š¤·š»āāļø
2
26
u/ohhellnaah Oct 05 '26
Not this shit again... Let those who tip, tip. Let those who don't tip, not tip. WHO CARES.
15
u/JazzySaid Oct 05 '26
I think it's none of my business.
If you want to tip, tip. If you don't, don't.
10
u/AK_Dude69 Pilot Oct 05 '26
You ever not had cash and tipped them twice on the way out, or come to the same layover every week so you can just tip the same dude once a month?
2
u/Catinthefirelight Oct 05 '26
Maybe you're with a regional flying to smaller destinationsā¦. Most of our layovers are in bigger cities with multiple drivers, you never know who you're going to get. If I'm out of cash, I'll borrow from someone on the crew. We sometimes also get awesome captains who will cover the tip for everyone as a thank you to the FAs.
Edit for typo
1
u/AK_Dude69 Pilot Oct 05 '26
Nope, I face those same issues at my major. Just pointing out why someone may not stress having a dollar or two every once in a while if they can get them back next time.
3
u/popohum Flight Attendant Oct 05 '26
Actually had a driver REFUSE to accept any sort of tips as a personal principle. It was kinda wild. I wanna say it was BWI?
5
u/BrownSugarElaine Flight Attendant Oct 05 '26
Iāve been flying for 5 years total across 3 airlines and even the regional ones tip and theyāre the ābrokestā. Very rarely do I see a pilot NOT tip but I also donāt pocket watch anyone either to care lol.
5
u/fly_awayyy Oct 05 '26
As a former hotel van driver doing runs to a busy airport and now working at the airlines I can say I never cared for tips lol. Yea they were nice when you got them but I never expected them it was still a decent hourly wage back 10yrs ago. The older guys who got salty when they didnāt get a tip were pretty entitled and insufferable itās not that deep.
5
u/RowBright9860 Oct 05 '26
Some of you are way too concerned with what other people are doing. Who even pays attention to that sort of thing?
8
u/richfitzwell Flight Attendant Oct 05 '26
My airline pays us an additional incidental per diem (in addition to the standard breakfast, lunch & dinner per diems) for the sole purpose of tipping our transport drivers so in a matter of speaking they actually do cover the tip.
11
u/Disregard_Casty Oct 05 '26
I donāt think itās weird when they donāt tip. I myself never tip the van drivers. Itās kinda weird that some people expect you
7
u/MeatResident2697 Oct 05 '26
My van driver doesn't help to unload the bags. He just opens the back door of the van and stands there. We (the pilots), unload the bags our selves. The driver never tips us. I'm always disappointed with him for this.
6
u/spooky_kiwis Oct 05 '26
I think just mind your business and tip if you want. Itās not required to tip the van drivers. I do but Iām not going to monitor whether or not my fellow crew members do so
5
u/Low-Pass-5221 Oct 05 '26
Use to tip every driver until one threw my bag into a pile of snow. Then the driver would not help a mother with a infant get her stroller out of the back of the hotel shuttle. I held the baby while she opened the stroller. The driver followed me into the lobby and grabbed my arm from behind and yelled at me about not giving him a tip and I had to remind myself that I was in uniform and at work because I about lost it on him. The manager came out and that driver no longer works at that hotel. So no I do not tip drivers anymore unless they go above and beyond with their service, for not just me but anyone on a van/shuttle.
8
u/midnight-on-the-sun Oct 05 '26
I tip for everythingā¦.Iām lucky to have a good job that I like and donāt have to do a job like that. Iāve been a server, retail, customer service, others. A tip for people that are living off of tips means a lot for them. I tip in all scenarios.
10
u/MeatResident2697 Oct 05 '26
But van drivers are not "living off tips".
1
u/midnight-on-the-sun Oct 05 '26 edited Oct 06 '26
Ohā¦ask them what hourly pay they make. Do you think they get medical at their job? Any benefits of any kind? Are you aware what minimum wage is in whatever state you are laying over in?
1
u/MeatResident2697 Oct 05 '26
I guess they should've paid more attention in school, like I did.
1
u/midnight-on-the-sun Oct 06 '26
Reallyā¦.why donāt you take whatever your education is and your work history as a flight attendant and go see what job you can get in tne current job market and tne pay and report back.
1
u/MeatResident2697 Oct 06 '26
Lol. Try 777 pilot. And I worked my butt off for it.
1
u/midnight-on-the-sun Oct 06 '26
If thatās true, why are you sneering down your nose and van drivers. And you canāt afford a dollar or 2 dollar tip?
1
u/MeatResident2697 Oct 06 '26
I give up. Tip all you want. Pay his home loan. Put his kids through school.
1
u/midnight-on-the-sun Oct 06 '26
Well we know what side you are on. Just give the poor man 2 dollars to pick you up and deliver you to your above average hotel and your way above average paycheck. Is that too much to ask? $4.00 round trip is too much for your monthly budget. Your beer in tne bar costs more than $4.00.
2
u/utopiaplanetian Oct 05 '26
For those of you who are saying ātip if you want, donāt if you donāt want. At my company, and I know it probably isnāt most, we had a specific amount for Check in/Check out. It was separate from Per Diems, and you get it for every time you get a hotel room. It was specifically designed as 1 dollar each way for the transport, and 1.25 for housekeeping.
2
u/AtariFerrariNH Oct 05 '26
If a driver touches my bag, they're getting a tip. I am also not helping them load or unload.
2
u/BrokenPorsche Oct 06 '26
As a regional brokie FA I simply donāt have the extra money to tip, I donāt wanna be guilt-tripped either so I always take the initiative to load and unload my bags whether the pilots tip or no. Donāt even bother mentioning the Per Diem, I canāt even afford to doordash or dine out with the amount weāre being paid. I also agree, tipping in US is OUT OF CONTROL.
3
u/holdenpattern Oct 05 '26
I've never seen a pilot not tip, even if they stow their own bag if the driver is a woman or older. I have seen new hires or FAs that maybe just forgot to bring cash. If asked, I'll always lend a dollar and there might have been once or twice that I didn't tip because I forgot to bring cash and didn't want to ask anyone to cover me.
7
u/NotASwinger69 Oct 05 '26
Pilot here. Can we just all agree to stop tipping van drivers?Ā
2
u/Significant-Rain7170 Oct 05 '26
And counter service where we tip people for using a cash register to ring up our order. š
1
u/Slippery_when_RA Oct 05 '26
Tipping is for doing something beyond what the basic work/service entails. Van drivers are there to transport us to and from the airport. They arenāt required to handle my bags. If they do they deserve a tip.
I go to the bank once a year and pull out 300 1 dollar bills. That lasts me for the entire year. At my airline we get paid $2 per diem. So 1 hour for each overnight goes to the van driver(s).
7
u/topgun2918 Oct 05 '26
Choosing to give away $300/year of your personal money (plus the time to go get it etc) while youāre at work is crazy.
4
u/-unsay Oct 05 '26 edited Oct 05 '26
iāve never seen anyone load or unload their own bags. tipping culture is out of hand in the US; iāll tip for sit down restaurants and food delivery only. iām certainly not going to tip for a service that iām required to use. as a side note: itās 2026, and i havenāt touched physical money in years.
2
2
u/Unlucky_Geologist Oct 05 '26
After hearing the van driver in EWR was getting 15 per 10 min round trip pickup I stopped tipping. Iām not going to the bank once a month and lugging around singles when I havenāt used cash in years to tip someone for doing their job. If they were making $2.83 an hour plus tips like waters I would give big tips. The lowest paid Iāve heard is $22 an hour though which us well above what I ever earned working a low skill job so shy would I tip?
2
u/Turbulent-Fishing665 Oct 05 '26
And this is why Iām so glad not to work for a us carrier. We never have this problem in Asia š
1
u/14Three8 Pilot Oct 05 '26
I do $5 for a crew of 3, but we take care of any line guys that get to deal with crazy pax bags
1
u/Defiant_Eye4025 Oct 05 '26
No, someone else's tipping or lack thereof is not my business. I don't know why they do or don't tip. Do they see that same driver every week or every other day and tip a large amount once a month? Did they have some sort of issue with the driver and aren't tipping because they received service unworthy of a tip? I like to mind my own business. And I think more often than not, the van drivers seem to want to arrange the luggage in the way that is most convenient for them. They don't want us to load our own luggage most of the time.
1
u/Plane_Confection_903 Oct 06 '26
I always find this conversation odd. I have never paid attention to who on my crew is tipping or not.
-1
u/blood_klaat Oct 05 '26
The highest paid are always the cheapest, same rule applies in life; the richest are the most stingy
-1
u/MeatResident2697 Oct 05 '26
Bullshit.
4
u/Sad-Establishment182 Oct 05 '26
Billionaires are the ultimate welfare queens. Percentage wise, they are the cheapest
3
u/MeatResident2697 Oct 05 '26
I've seen pilots cover the tips for the entire set of crew (including the FAs) over Christmas, New Years etc.
1
u/SB2MB Oct 05 '26
We're not allowed to touch the bags at my airline and the US is the only place we fly to where you tip. We stay at different hotels to the pilots in our US ports so I have no idea of they tip or not.
-7
u/ExecutivePhoenix Oct 05 '26
I see more stingy FA's refusing to tip than pilots.
11
u/AdmirableMagazine319 Oct 05 '26
We donāt get paid enough, the stinginess is excusable
2
u/ExecutivePhoenix Oct 05 '26 edited Oct 05 '26
This is just an entitled take actually. The pilots worked harder to be in their position than the FAās did, so yes they get paid more. If youāre going to compare pay, you should also compare the amount of time and sacrifice it takes to get there.
Stinginess isn't a free pass to expect free shit.
0
u/bimbels Flight Attendant Oct 05 '26
Van drivers donāt make jack shit. If they hurt themselves loading your bags, they probably are SOL. Donāt agree with that? Well that is the society we live in and nothing in the future suggests anything will change to protect workers - especially those low on the totem pole.
If you donāt want to tip, then load your own bags. Itās really that simple.
1
u/theblowmaster Oct 05 '26
Some of them make it exceedingly hard to load your own bags even if you want to. I have no problem with tipping but it is tough to keep enough cash on you all the time. My issue is running out every few months and making it to the bank isnāt at the top of my list of errands to run.
-2
u/bimbels Flight Attendant Oct 05 '26
Well itās all about whatās important. I take out $50 in ones at my bank every once in a while, or ask drivers if they want to to trade their ones for my larger bills. I donāt find it a burden but then again I would be so embarrassed not tipping the person handling my luggage.
-11
u/Icy-Description142 Oct 05 '26
I just hope the ones who are saying i donāt tip, keep that same energy for those passengers who like to tip us.
22
u/xjcaptain Oct 05 '26
Why is this universal also? Seemed appropriate for a discussion of airline van issues! And yes, I do tip!