Is tipping a flight attendant acceptable?
This article is full of supposed "secrets" that most everyone knows about flying. But one thing it mentions is:
14. Tipping could go a long way.
My girlfriend is a flight attendant. NO ONE tips flight attendants. If you give your FA a fiver with your first drink you’ll probably drink for free the rest of the flight.
Is tipping a flight attendant acceptable? Is it even permitted? (I know many businesses won't accept tips in the US, for instance, to avoid the legal obligation to report tip income to the IRS.)
Best Answer
Please don't do this in India. Unlike in most advanced countries where the glamor of air travel has completely worn out, in India air travel is very glamorous and flight crew are treated like celebrities. So much so many of the cabin crew are from well-to-do families and would take serious offense if you were to tip them (out of goodness of your heart, of course).
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Are flight attendants allowed to accept gifts from passengers?
Flight attendants are allowed to receive small gifts from passengers, and there are no hard and fast rules to doing so, other than not to put you both in an uncomfortable situation: Cash bribe attempts at an upgrade, for example, simply won't fly (pun intended).What should you not say to a flight attendant?
So, please, just don't.\u201d Here are 22 things your flight attendant won't tell you.- Lighthouse Films/Getty Images. Any kind of joke about having or carrying the coronavirus. ...
- Surachet Jo/Shutterstock. \u201cIt fit on my last flight\u2026\u201d ...
- ViewStock/Getty Images. Don't ask them to babysit.
Can you bribe a flight attendant?
Airline crew are prohibited from accepting gifts as bribes. Small tokens like candy or snacks are good; anything more expensive is probably a bad idea.10 Flight Attendant Secrets You Don’t Know About
More answers regarding is tipping a flight attendant acceptable?
Answer 2
I often have some goodies in the carry-on. If the crew is really nice I leave a bag in the rear galley. Factory-sealed, individually wrapped yummies go over quite well (fresh donuts are not too practical). More than once I've had an FA come by my seat and say something, the best comment being "We're going back on Wednesday" - implying they want me to join them.
Another way to get on the crew's good side is tell other passengers what they can't. My neighbors were demanding a free meal on short-haul, the FA wasn't getting anywhere, I jumped in with some rather pointed comments which made seats J and K stop their whining and got me free coffee + snacks with a smile.
Answer 3
It wasn't exactly tipping, but I did this on one trip. It was the holidays (I think Christmas eve and New Years eve), on 4 RJ flights in the US. I handed the FA Starbucks cards on my way off the plane, enough for the entire flight crew. It seemed to be well received. Its not something I do regularly, and not something I've seen anyone else do. Employees at the Regional's are not (in my understanding) well paid.
Answer 4
I have flown many dozens of times, I'm guessing 75 percent domestic, 25 percent international. I've tipped maybe 8 to 12 times, so not "usually". OTOH, I tip when I see a FA working hard and enjoying their job. I have never seen an FA even hesitate about accepting a tip. They have all accepted graciously which tells me it should happen more often.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Maciej Cisowski, Jeffry Surianto, Saliha, Fariborz MP