Tipping the flight attendant?

So, I'm listening to my favorite Saturday morning radio show this morning, Whad'ya Know on public radio. They have a quiz and one of the questions was what percentage of people tip the flight attendant?

Me zero, I have never even given it a thought, but the answer was 27%. What about you? You tip them?

I hope Theshaw chimes in here since he is a FA.

 

Fasten your safety belt folks... it's another tipping thread! Yea!!! I've never occurred to me either, but also read something recently that wasn't necessarily advocating it, but made some points.

 

I've only done it twice. And that was for outstanding service. They earned it those times. Otherwise never.

 

I tried to tip one once and she said they were not allowed to accept tips. I don't remember which airline it was though.

 

depends on how cute she is.

 

I tip them when I order cocktails and they deliver...can't get in the sky fast enough

 

That happened to me too. I think it was on US Airways.

 

That makes two of us.

 

I've tried 3 times I think. I know one was on United and 1 was Southwest, not sure if there were anymore.

I don't think about it normally, but there have been times where they have come back to me regularly and asked me if I wanted more. Considering this rarely happens to be on airlines outside of southwest, the fact that someone came back and asked to me was very good service. Being that I like drinking on an airline going to a vacation, I want to encourage such behavior.

 

That answer is a bunch of crap. I'll bet a flight attendant produced that answer to compel more people to tip.

No chance 27% tip FA's

*OP- not doubting you, just doubting the answer.

 

I fly a lot, business and pleasure, and have never seen anyone tip on a plane, nor have I ever thought about it before to be honest.

 

If we're including alcoholic drinks that you have to pay for, that number actually sounds pretty low to me.

If we aren't including booze, then yeah, that's a comically high number (and would still be high at a tenth that amount).

 

I've never even seen one tipped, let alone done it myself. I'm mot buying the story.

 

With Westjet from Canada you have to use a credit card to pay for food/booze so I think you can add a tip that way.

 

I have had the same experience as you.

 

I've definitely tried to tip flight attendants before. I wouldn't normally consider tipping in this situation, but I consistently get free/extra drinks on planes -- it's a pretty helpful superpower that I have, and when a flight attendant gives me three vodkas but only charges me for one, or comes by later with a couple extras "just because", I'd be completely happy giving him or her a few dollars.

They've always turned it down.

 

$1 per flight and not a dime more!!!

 

LOL!!! Classic!!!

 

Former Flight Attendant here.. worked for a Charter Airline.. prior to the Credit Card machines when we only accepted Cash I received tips - Normally on the flights to Vegas.. and once in a while on flights to Mexico. The standard reply is "we don't accept tips" but if someone insisted, we did take them. On a flight with 180 passengers, I would get about $20 in tips. Not everyone was drinking, and most did not tip. Please know that flight attendants are not paid an hourly rate until the Flight Doors are closed and only until Doors are open.. otherwise they are getting paid a per diem (8 years ago it was $1.80 an hour).. so while you are getting in your seats, getting help with luggage, etc.. they are making roughly 2 bucks. If there is a flight delay and you are sitting on the ground with the door open.. they are not getting paid. I am not saying this to sway you to tip... I am just providing a perspective from the flight attendant side. In my case.. we would be on the ground in Las Vegas for an hour, while the plane was cleaned. We might go into the airport to grab a bite to eat.. but more often than not we would eat a lunch or dinner we brought ourselves. The airline did provide crew meals.. but think of them as lean cuisine type meals. You can only eat those so many times.. and you get tired of them. It was a nice perk. I personally didn't treat anyone differently if they tipped or did not tip.

 

I have tried to tip the flight attendants many times to no avail! They are just too sturdy on their feet.

(Same as my cow-tipping experience)