The flight was delayed but not enough to cause us any difficulty so my son and I were pretty receptive to the pleasant surprise that lay at the end of the bridge at the new gate. We and about 150 slightly inconvenienced fellow passengers were put on an A330 instead of the A320 we were supposed to be squeezed aboard for a flight to Toronto. We were on our way to AirVenture.
Flying economy in a half-empty widebody is pretty close to first class and we went to our assigned seats even though we could have had our choice of dozens. Unfortunately, not all our fellow passengers were as upbeat and polite and some arguments broke out as they tried to commandeer enough space to fully recline across multiple seats with the armrests raised. It seems to be true that air travel brings out the worst in people and the flight attendants did their best to mediate and, as necessary, enforce order.
My son, who was apparently raised better than me, took note of their calm but firm restoration of decorum. When we ordered a drink after the seatbelt light dinged off, he gave the flight attendant a $5 cash tip. I was appalled. I thought he was in for a sharp rebuke from the FA, whose inflight service role overshadows the many safety aspects of their job. Although it’s a team effort, I’ll wager more passenger lives have been directly saved by the actions of the cabin crew than by the flight crew and I suspect there are plenty of pilots who owe their lives to the people in the back.
Flight attendants play a crucial role in the safe conduct of any flight and I believed the tip would be viewed as an insult. Instead, she graciously thanked my empathetic boy and I have to say the service was fantastic for the rest of the flight.
In the intervening 10 years, I have often toyed with the notion of tipping the flight attendants but I haven’t done it and I’ve never seen anyone else do it.So, it was with interest I read a blog by TJ Genter, a contributor to The Points Guy website, that advises airline passengers how to squeeze the most value out of credit card rewards. The site has 1.8 million Facebook followers.
Genter has averaged 120 airline flights a year for the last three years. Think about that for a moment. He’s already flown more than 13,000 miles since Jan. 1. Yikes.His journeys have involved 51 airlines in that time and in late December led him to Frontier Airlines, which doesn’t often appear in travel blogs.
Despite his extensive experience (there are many other ways to describe it) he somehow forgot to hydrate. He squeezed into his seat (he was in a premium economy seat that Frontier calls Stretch) with a parched throat. When his much-needed ginger ale was delivered, he paid (nothing is free on Frontier and a can of soda is $2.99 even in the “expensive” seats) in the normal way with the FA swiping and typing on the wireless terminal. But she then handed him the tablet and it prompted him for a tip. As with most restaurant and bar terminals, he was given a range of percentages or a custom tip option.
It was the first time he’d encountered the tip request and given his, uh, passion, it would seem that Frontier is either alone or in extremely rare company in that regard.Genter was intrigued enough by the experience that he contacted the airline and discovered that tipping is part of the culture at Frontier. In fact, there’s a policy change that took effect in January. Instead of tips being pooled, individuals get to keep their tips. The Frontier spokesperson also stressed that the company doesn’t get a cut. One of the respondents to Genter’s blog said that quelled tension among the cabin crew, some of whom refused to accept tips. That annoyed the others who wanted the money in the pooled system.
What Genter didn’t mention is that Frontier flight attendants have voted to strike and in the next few weeks their strategic targeting of the airline’s scheduling jugular has the potential to wreak havoc. Whether the policy change is a result of that reality is, of course, a matter of conjecture.
So Genter tortured himself with the usual ethical and practical concerns that such societal change brings.
“I’m still undecided on whether or not I like this tipping aspect,” he wrote in part. “It feels a bit unprofessional for flight attendants to be seeking tips. However, especially with the changes coming in 2019, ideally this tipping process would actually lead to better service. Once flight attendants are getting to personally keep all of the tips themselves, they’ll be even more incentivized to get the cart going — and hopefully check back through the cabin during the flight for new orders.”
OK, let’s explore the expansion of this concept.
If the cockpit crew is doing a farewell meet and greet during deplaning, I usually compliment the flying pilot on a smooth landing. I wonder what the reaction would be if I slipped him or her a tenspot?How about flashing a Benjamin at the gate for an upgrade? Would taping a Lincoln to your checked bag ensure it met you at the other end?
Genter heard from retired and current Frontier flight attendants, none of whom liked the tipping plan and generally thought it unseemly. The Association of Flight Attendants also panned the policy, saying it was aimed at influencing contract negotiations.
I have to agree with them but not for those reasons. While the inflight service is one of the few things to look forward to on an airline flight, it’s a diversion that could be eliminated. The primary role of flight attendants is to ensure the safety of passengers and that can’t be subject to any suggestion of monetary influence. I trust the flight attendants to maintain that balance but based on the mad scramble to claim the empty middle row seats on that Toronto flight, I’m not convinced the passengers can.
While I enjoyed Genter’s examination of this topic, I’m left with a nagging question he didn’t address.Did he part with the 45 cents, 60 cents or 75 cents he was conveniently offered on the tablet to reward the FA or did he select “Custom Gratuity”? Or did he hit “I Prefer Not To Leave A Gratuity”?
Airline passengers all over the world are looking for guidance on this. And don’t be ashamed if you just said Thank You and slaked your thirst, TJ.
You’ve already paid dearly.
