Tips

What would be an appropriate tip for wheelchair assistance with no luggage? I will be in Terminal 1 at ORD going from Gate B12 to C10.

I would think $5-10 would be sufficient.

We always gave $5-$10 when my father used this service.

Thanks for the peplies. I have no problem with tipping, I just needed an appropriate amount! :)

Coming home from Ireland one year, we had 3 people in our group in wheelchairs. When the guy was dropping us off, we all emptied our pockets of the Euro coins. He probably got about 10 euro / $13 from each of us (15 people). He kept saying it was too much but we all just wanted to be rid of the coins. :p

Some airlines forbid their staff from taking tips. All the airlines I work for did not allow it. You can try to offer, but if the member of staff declines and say he can't because it is against company policy, don't insist.

In the US, I don't believe any of the people pushing wheelchairs are airline employees.

In the US, I don't believe any of the people pushing wheelchairs are airline employees.

I didn't think they were either. I thought they were employed by the airport itself.

Some airlines forbid their staff from taking tips.

In America? Turning down a tip? :D

I remember taking a car service a few years ago from JFK into Manhattan, I tried to tip the guy but he said it was included in the (prepaid) service and he was forbidden to accept tips. From the city back to JFK I was travelling with my mother and used the same company, told my mother the driver wouldn't accept the tip which she didn't quite believe so she said how about we try it on. As he got our cases out of the trunk we dangled a couple of $20s and sure enough he takes them :D Oops!

I didn't think they were either. I thought they were employed by the airport itself.

BTW, my anti-Comic Sans app seems to be working just fine again.....;)

In America? Turning down a tip? :D

 

I remember taking a car service a few years ago from JFK into Manhattan, I tried to tip the guy but he said it was included in the (prepaid) service and he was forbidden to accept tips. From the city back to JFK I was travelling with my mother and used the same company, told my mother the driver wouldn't accept the tip which she didn't quite believe so she said how about we try it on. As he got our cases out of the trunk we dangled a couple of $20s and sure enough he takes them :D Oops!

Uber drivers are instructed to decline any tip twice, but accept after that. Users are told that it's all wrapped into the price.

Interesting, this was pre-Uber. I have had Uber drivers had no problem with accepting a small tip on first offering, naughty buggers!

BTW, my anti-Comic Sans app seems to be working just fine again.....;)

Sorry. To me, it's one of the easier fonts to read on line.

Viva la difference!

In some USA airports, they work for a contractor hired by the airport. In some, contractors hired by the specific airline. I would be surprised if any major airport has airline folk doing this work. Overseas, they may be airline employees or not.

Yep, correct. I can tell you I was a supervisor for major airlines and still had to push wheelchairs. Only at peak times, or if the passenger was a paraplegic, did we outsource to another company. The airline can save money if there is check-in or gate staff standing around doing nothing :rolleyes:

I would tip based on the service received. If they only push you one or two gates over then tip a smaller amount. I traveled with my Dad several years ago while transiting EWR. My Dad fell on the jet bridge in Germany and was pretty badly hurt but were traveling in a premium cabin. We requested wheelchair transport in EWR. They allowed us off before any economy passengers and the wheelchair pusher was AMAZING! He was on full speed and got us through immigration and customs in record time. He pushed him all the way to the very near club by the gate and got us there in record time. I was so glad to pass over a $20 for the prompt service!

There are three major contractors for this service in the US. Whether they contract the work from the airlines or the airport depends on location, but more and more it's an airport service.

The pushers only earn on average $4-5 an hour as they are considered a tipped position and it's assumed they will make up the difference in tips.

They aren't union, and many are only scheduled part-time, even after being hired full time. There are no benefits.

My nephew did this for a year before going to work in bell services at a resort. Better pay and hours, and although not everyone tips, most do.

PS--He stopped by the other day on the way home from work and was showing me one of his tips from the night before. A Brit had handed him $5 in those US $1 coins. You don't see them in the US much, and it was a bit of a head-scratcher wondering how a "just off the plane" Brit got their hands on what looks to be brand new coins. We doubt the currency exchange at the airport offers them, and it would seem odd that you'd be able to buy them at a bank in the UK. Of course my nephew appreciated the gesture. :) He's also been tipped in foreign currency from at least 15 countries. He thought the coins were British two pence until he got back to the luggage room and really looked at them.

Not all Brits are visiting the US for the first time so that could be an answer :)

I used to tip often in dollar coins wben you could buy them at face value with a credit card!

They could have come from Ecuador, where the US dollar is the official currency and SBA dollar coins are commonly used rather than paper bills.

A Brit had handed him $5 in those US $1 coins. You don't see them in the US much, and it was a bit of a head-scratcher wondering how a "just off the plane" Brit got their hands on what looks to be brand new coins. We doubt the currency exchange at the airport offers them, and it would seem odd that you'd be able to buy them at a bank in the UK.

Personal experience of US money sitting for years in an overseas bank. Relatives from Japan attended my Dad's funeral. It's Japanese custom to give paper money to the family....they got crisp US currency from their bank in Japan. When I went to BofA to deposit the money there was interest and scrutiny behind the counter and they called me to the branch manager's desk. The bills were uncirculated but dated back to the 70's, and the bank needed time to authenticate them.

They could have come from Ecuador, where the US dollar is the official currency and SBA dollar coins are commonly used rather than paper bills.

US post office vending machines give $1 coins as change, or at least they did the last time I set foot in a post office, LOL

They could have come from Ecuador, where the US dollar is the official currency and SBA dollar coins are commonly used rather than paper bills.

These were the Sacagawea's.

I suppose the guests could have come in from Ecuador, but he said they were definitely Brits.

Personal experience of US money sitting for years in an overseas bank. Relatives from Japan attended my Dad's funeral. It's Japanese custom to give paper money to the family....they got crisp US currency from their bank in Japan. When I went to BofA to deposit the money there was interest and scrutiny behind the counter and they called me to the branch manager's desk. The bills were uncirculated but dated back to the 70's, and the bank needed time to authenticate them.

Bills I would understand, but $1 coins? I found it odd that you'd be able to get them outside the US, and even here they just aren't that widely circulated.

I suppose maybe they special ordered them, just like some people order $2 bills to tip room service on a cruise. Personally I think service people would prefer "normal" currency. He said he tried to buy a Slurpee on the way home and the guy at 7-11 didn't want to take the Sacagawea as they had no idea what it was.

Personally I think service people would prefer "normal" currency. He said he tried to buy a Slurpee on the way home and the guy at 7-11 didn't want to take the Sacagawea as they had no idea what it was.

That just shows the intelligence of 7-11 employees more than anything else. I used them regularly for a couple of years and enjoyed the expressions and interest of cashiers and others when I used them. But I never had a person or business refuse to accept them.

just like some people order $2 bills to tip room service on a cruise.

:confused: People special order $2 bills when they go on a cruise? Why not just give two $1 bills? Bizarre...

These were the Sacagawea's.

I got some of the Sacagaweas and Presidential Dollar Coins too when that gig was going on. I tried to circulate quite a few of these, although I did hear about people taking pallets of the things to the bank to pay them straight back in!

It has been quite a few years since we have had paper $1.00 and $2.00 bills. In Canada, $2.00 bills were used quite often. I know they were not used very much in the US.

Our loonie is a gold coloured $1.00 coin, and our toonie, our $2.00 coin' has a gold center and silver outside. They are very heavy. We use US money on the cruise. If we tipped in Canadian money, our luggage would be very overweight.

Before we leave Canada, we go to the bank and buy American money. This is probably what the Brits did.

o