How much do you tip at an airport bar?

I'm just curious what percentage others tip at an airport bar. No food, just drinks. My wife thinks I overtip and should only be giving a buck a drink, just like we do in downtown Vegas, even if the drinks are waaay overpriced.

So, if we each have two drinks a piece and the bill is $54, she says $4. That just doesn't seem like enough, especially if they are friendly and chat a little. Now, we just had the most unfriendly, inattentive bartender in the Seattle airport and on a $40 bill, I did just leave $4 and thinking back, i should have stiffed her, but I have a hard time doing that. I'm a generous tipper especially if we are dining and the service is good.

Back home, if we just stop for a couple of drinks at a local bar, then I'll easily leave a 20% tip. Or at MSS, I'm a bigger tipper then $1 a drink.

But at an airport bar, what do you think?

 

I tip less because the drinks prices are obnoxious and they aren't working any harder to give you your drink

Something like $1 a drink is fine. I drink beer and that's about what I would tip at a bar for a bottle or pint.

 

I think many tip a buck a drink and as we've seen in many of these tip threads, unless the bartender pours your drinks, rubs your feet and waxes your car... they're not gettin' a nickel more. I always tip $2/drink. I don't know why, I just do. On a tab, with a group, I tip 20%. In your situation, I wouldda tipped $8, but like I said, I know plenty who feel a buck a drink is just fine.

 

I would have left 3 Andy's on the check.

 

Yeah, maybe $4 or $5. Unless I'm trying to queue up some good karma, then a bit more.

 

Depends on the drink. If it's an easy pour (glass of wine, beer, scotch neat, etc.) and they just have to slide it across the counter, I'm fine with a buck fifty or two a drink AT THE BAR.

If a waitress has to schlep the drink over to me, and possibly split with the bartender, then I'm tipping more, even for cruddy service.

If I'm getting a pain-in-the-butt drink (Mohito, specialty martini, etc) the buck or two no longer applies, I'm just doing a standard 20%.

If it's a few drink where they also do the work of chatting with you, I'm probably at 20%...or just a little under if drink prices are crazy.

But, if you and your wife sat down and had a $40 tab for two glasses of wine at the bar, I'm probably not tipping 20%, and I like to tip.

But, if you're going to err on one side or the other, I think it's always better to overtip than under tip!

 

My long-standing "rule" at bars has been: $1 per serve or 10% of the total - whichever is higher.
This still works well for the bartenders, as I do most of my bar drinking during 'happy hours', drinking $2 or $2.50 pints.

If I get food at the bar, then I go with a standard 20% or $5 - whichever is higher.

 

I tip 10% at the airport BAR
I'll round up if they were nice...round down if service was crap.

 

Here's a quick tipping guide from an article in today's San Francisco Chronicle that includes a section about tipping at bars:

http://www.sfchronicle.com/restaurants/article/A-guide-to-tipping-etiquette-in-the-modern-Bay-11289704.php

Now I know after reading this forum for years that a good portion of you saw the words "San Francisco" and have immediately rebelled, locked your doors and windows, pulled down the shades and erected your defense mechanisms, but it's just a suggested guide... personal freedom dictates that you do what feels right for you, of course!

 

Ended up paying 18% tip at Newark on our way home last night.
Not through any generousity I may add,just the fact I couldn't work the stupid i-pad things they have at the the bars.

Nice pint of Brooklyn ale tbf.

 

Airport bars have happy hours? I've never run into that, just would you like to add a shot for $xxx more.

 

Airport drinks are usually so expensive that I forego consuming them. Consequently, I don't leave a tip.

 

I've never visited an airport bar.
Flying Spirit I hang out at the gate so I can get news of the cancellation quickly and then sprint down to ticketing to rebook.

RICHARD

 

Arriving at the airport 2 hrs ahead of flight time and then going to the bar is all part of our travel experience on each trip. It is just less stressful to me. No worries if the TSA lines are long etc.

 

No...I was simply referring to bars-in-general... but I apply the same 'rule' to airport bars - $1 per-serve or 10%, whichever is higher.

 

I spent over thirty years in the F%B biz so I'm a little prejudiced. Early on I worked at SeaTac Int'l and heard plenty about prices and the resulting tip. I always tip well unless the service is bad. If so I still leave about 20%, but always try to let the MOD know why. You should always do this when leaving a low amount due to service or especially if you stiff the server. In that case, if you don't you just leave the joint being labeled a stiff!
I totally agree with Joe about the travel experience. $10-15 for a drink in the scheme of total vacation dollars doesn't amount to much. Personally, I think it's worth the price of a drink to avoid waiting with the "unwashed masses" on the concourse.

Good Luck!
Ric at Joes

 

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