Tipping etiquette when traveling can be a complicated and controversial subject. The more you travel, the more confusing it all is. I recently had a reader ask me about tipping etiquette when dining in American Airlines Flagship First Dining, so I figured I’d answer that question more broadly.
Should you tip in airport lounges, and if so, under what circumstances is it appropriate and/or expected?
In this post:
Tipping in airport lounges is never expected
Let me state upfront that tipping is never expected in an airport lounge anywhere in the world. In other words, it’s not like dining in a restaurant in the United States, where you’re a jerk if you (knowingly) don’t tip, as servers often aren’t even being paid minimum wage before tips.
As you might expect, though, the custom of tipping in airport lounges is very different depending on where in the world you are. So while no one tips in airport lounges in Japan, a lot of people do tip in airport lounges in the United States.
While tipping is never expected in airport lounges in the United States:
- It certainly is appreciated for some kinds of services
- People working in airport lounges are at least paid minimum wage (unlike restaurant servers), but of course minimum wage and a livable wage aren’t the same thing
- For many airport lounge employees, tipping does make a significant difference to their bottom line and ability to provide for themselves and their family
- You might think it’s mostly Americans tipping, but that’s not my understanding; based on what I’ve been told, it’s just as much foreigners, partly because they might not be familiar with US customs (other than knowing that you’re supposed to constantly tip), and also since they may have some leftover currency and might be leaving the country
Never feel like you have to tip, but also realize that tipping is appreciated under many circumstances, and it is a common practice.
Under what circumstances should you tip in airport lounges?
Generally speaking, under what circumstances are tips common in airport lounges? I’d say there are a few different situations, so let’s go over those. I’m just sharing my take and observations, though again, I’m not claiming there’s a right or wrong answer.
When you are served a drink
In many airport lounges drinks are served by bartenders, so if you want a glass of wine or a cocktail, they’ll have to serve you. It’s not unusual to see people tip $1-3 per drink, with the lower end being common for pouring a glass of wine, and the higher end being common for a custom cocktail.
I know that some people who choose to sit at the bar in an airport lounge may just tip $20 upfront, and then they get amazing service the entire time. I’m not saying people should do that, but it is a common practice.
I’d say a similar tipping etiquette applies for the custom avocado toast station in the Admirals Club, especially if you don’t want them to be stingy with toppings. 😉
When you have a sit-down meal
In the past several years we’ve seen an increase of airlines offering a la carte dining in lounges, whether we’re talking about American Flagship First Dining or United Polaris Lounges. This is a lovely experience, and in many cases offers restaurant-quality food, drinks, and service.
Assuming service is friendly and attentive, I’ll generally tip $10-20, depending on how much I eat and drink. Usually I try to tip around 20% of what I think a meal like that would cost in a restaurant outside an airport. I consider it to be a small price to pay for a great experience.
While we’re at it, there are many Priority Pass restaurants nowadays, where select Priority Pass memberships offer a certain dollar credit toward a meal. In those situations you absolutely should tip in the United States, since the credit is just another form of payment.
When you get a spa treatment
Some airport lounges do offer complimentary spa treatments, which is always a treat. Tipping is appreciated here, and I’ll usually tip $5-10 for a mini-treatment. I try to think of how much a similar treatment would cost if paying cash, and then use the same 20% tipping rule.
When you get exceptional service
Even without a la carte dining or spa treatments, sometimes you have lounge employees who simply go above and beyond. They’ll constantly check on you, see if you want anything to drink, clear plates constantly, etc. Rumana at the Capital One Lounge DFW is the perfect example of this.
In these situations I think tipping as a sign of gratitude is a nice gesture, though also certainly not expected. Most of the people who are this friendly do so because they genuinely want to make other people happy, and not because they’re hoping to get a tip.
What about lounge tipping outside the United States?
As mentioned above, the above guidelines are mostly for lounges in the United States, since we have a culture of tipping. What about outside the United States? Obviously I wouldn’t tip in a place like Japan for any services, as it would be considered rude.
What about aside from that, though? I typically don’t tip in airport lounges outside the United States, with the exception of when getting spa treatments. I personally feel good about tipping in those situations, though I also think it’s totally reasonable to not tip.
Aside from that, I don’t typically tip for dining and drinks in the same way I would in the United States.
Bottom line
Tipping is never expected in airport lounges. However, depending on where in the world you are, it’s also not necessarily unusual to do so. In the United States it’s common to see people tipping a couple of dollars when a bartender pours a drink, or tipping a bit more than that for a sit-down meal or a spa treatment in an airport lounge.
Airport lounge employees are consistently paid at least minimum wage (unlike most restaurant workers), and many airports even have high minimum wages. However, a high minimum wage still isn’t going to be a livable wage in many places.
I know that in some lounges, guests tipping makes a material difference in how much people make, and helps airport lounges retain some good talent.
And let me say that even though I have my general “system,” I’m also not 100% consistent. Sometimes I don’t have small bills (or any cash), so I won’t tip. But I try to make up for it the next time, in hopes of it all balancing out.
What’s your approach to tipping in airport lounges?
Tipping is such an insidious part of American culture and it has infiltrated other countries including Canada and other parts of the world to the dismay of everyone else.
People should be paid a reasonable hourly rate and should do a good job or not complain when robots replace them.
And I agree with the comments about having the right amount of foreign currency to do it.
I have encountered quite curious approach to tipping "opportunities" at various YVR lounges. There are separate departure wings for domestic, transborder (US-bound), and international flights. SkyTeam lounge in the international wing has all the alcoholic beverages served by an attendant, but I have never seen a tip jar on their counter. Premium Plaza's bar in the transborder wing is also manned, but I have noticed a tip glass quite prominently displayed there. I guess it's...
I have encountered quite curious approach to tipping "opportunities" at various YVR lounges. There are separate departure wings for domestic, transborder (US-bound), and international flights. SkyTeam lounge in the international wing has all the alcoholic beverages served by an attendant, but I have never seen a tip jar on their counter. Premium Plaza's bar in the transborder wing is also manned, but I have noticed a tip glass quite prominently displayed there. I guess it's to take advantage of the US travellers much more inclined to tipping habits.
I broached this topic with a chatty server at the excellent Qantas/OW First lounge at LAX TBIT a while back.
She assured me no staff there expected tips as they are paid well above the going rate in the US.
Just as well, as many of their customers are Australians flying Qantas, and would not dream of tipping in any airline lounge. (Tipping in Australia is regarded as some sort of nasty imported virus. Thankfully, as with Covid we are fully immunized against this.)
The fact that I lost the habit of ever having cash on me close to a decade ago, combined with the fact that at least Centurion doesn't provide any means of non-cash tipping, means that in practice I can't and don't ever tip, even for a cocktail. I feel a tiny bit bad about it, but it must be a tiny minority of people in 2024 who actually carry cash -- suggesting AmEx doesn't expect...
The fact that I lost the habit of ever having cash on me close to a decade ago, combined with the fact that at least Centurion doesn't provide any means of non-cash tipping, means that in practice I can't and don't ever tip, even for a cocktail. I feel a tiny bit bad about it, but it must be a tiny minority of people in 2024 who actually carry cash -- suggesting AmEx doesn't expect tipping and knows it would face a backlash if it brought in the terrible tip-through-ipad thing that every casual wait-in-line-for-salad-or-a-coffee establishment in the US now has.
Going to college in America taught me that Americans are, by and large, consumers of illict recreational drugs which they buy with cash. A tiny minority of people in 2024 don't carry cash.
Hey Biglaw V10 Troll. STFU for 30 minutes please. I’ll tip you 20% if you do.
Ben, Disagree a bit — Tipping is absolutely expected at the bar (in the U.S.)
Bar in general, yes.
Bar as in open bar at a corporate event or somebody's wedding, no.
Bar as in an airport bar not in a lounge, yes.
Bar as in an airport bar inside an airport lounge, lean toward no. Some people tip, but more people don't.
No.
Alaska lounges have a posted policy that tips are not accepted. And in my experience, they will not accept them even if you try.
As an unfailingly-polite brit who travels to the US frequently I have no idea what circumstances I should be tipping or not tipping, and the thought of committing a social faux-pas fills me with dread. This article doesn't give any definitive yes/no answers so isn't much help
Some of the scenarios I've not been sure about tipping:
- Curbside checkin at ATL; I was flying Delta F to NYC and thought it was just...
As an unfailingly-polite brit who travels to the US frequently I have no idea what circumstances I should be tipping or not tipping, and the thought of committing a social faux-pas fills me with dread. This article doesn't give any definitive yes/no answers so isn't much help
Some of the scenarios I've not been sure about tipping:
- Curbside checkin at ATL; I was flying Delta F to NYC and thought it was just a complimentary service to avoid queues, turns out they expect to be tipped (whereas the staff inside don't?)
- IAD First lounge dining (BA)- I didn't know tipping was expected until I later saw the (rather good) waiter with a handful of bills, but at that point I was leaving and didn't have any cash on me.
- Delta sky club bar with 'complimentary' and 'extra' drinks; I only ever had the former so wasn't sure whether I needed to tip (especially not for simply pouring a glass of wine).
If someone could just put up a sign or something to tell us whether tipping is actually expected, that would be a great help!
Don't worry about it, when it comes to airport things I just don't tip. Even for me (an American) my stance is that the US is diverse enough to the point where you can be from anywhere but at the airport you still look like a foreigner and airport workers understand foreigners aren't familiar with tipping. You are actually a foreigner so don't worry about it (in airports)
Only the Americans most attuned to high-end etiquette know all the rules. At the end of the day, tipping is optional, and there is no person, even the most terrific restaurant server, who is tipped by 100% of their clientele.
In your situations, only curbside check-in was a really "must tip." But nobody's livelihood was dependent on your tip. It's purely a social gesture.
For the record, Biglaw V10 Partner is a troll. In comments to recent articles, he has offered inconsistent facts about himself. I'll guess this person is one particular adolescent poop-disturber resurfacing. Ignore this person's comments. Don't respond to this person's comments.
We know. It's the same person who strangely resorts to insulting someone's testicles, in a confrontation. He changes his screen-name every five minutes or so, but his consistent grammatical oddities (and the previously mentioned quirk) give him away every time.
How can I insult something you don’t have, ImmortalSynn?
"Usually I try to tip around 20% of what I think a meal like that would cost"
This is the biggest issue of tipping aside of tipping itself.
Why do I need to tip more if I order a glass of Dom instead of Korbel.
Do they deserve to get paid more because it's a 12oz Kobe beef instead of a 12oz beef from Costco?
You're trying to apply logic to an illogical cultural practice.
Restaurant servers are tipped 20% of listed menu prices (before discounts) and that's that.
Yes at least in the US for wait staff and staff for example that prepares a shower room for you. These people don't make much money, and I do, so naturally I should be willing to tip them. Seems the people that scream the loudest about tipping are the social justice warrior types.
Should you engagement farm on blogs?
Another article about tipping, where all the author really wants to tell us is how generous they are.
"It's common to tip $20 upfront when sitting at an airport bar"
WHAT? That sentence alone shows how out of touch this article is. No, that is not common. No, you shouldn't tip at an airport lounge (beyond a maybe a buck for the bartender for each drink).
I don't know if it's "common" or not, but I've definitely done it. If you're going to have a few drinks, $20 is way less than you'd pay for them if you were actually paying for them, nice to give someone a hefty tip, and you might as well do it in order to get good attention (which can sometimes be at a premium in a big or busy lounge).
@DiogenesTheCynic
Here is a breakdown of what's wrong
"If you're going to have a few drinks, $20 is way less than you'd pay for them if you were actually paying for them,"
I assume you're thinking in the context of airport lounge.
Just because I didn't pay $20 upfront, doesn't mean my access cost me nothing.
Would you Venmo Tim Dunn a few hundred next time you get upgraded to First as...
@DiogenesTheCynic
Here is a breakdown of what's wrong
"If you're going to have a few drinks, $20 is way less than you'd pay for them if you were actually paying for them,"
I assume you're thinking in the context of airport lounge.
Just because I didn't pay $20 upfront, doesn't mean my access cost me nothing.
Would you Venmo Tim Dunn a few hundred next time you get upgraded to First as a Diamond Medallion?
"nice to give someone a hefty tip,"
Sure, it's nice to give people more money. Somehow unions have to go to war just to get a pay raise. Why not ask HR isn't it nice.
"and you might as well do it in order to get good attention (which can sometimes be at a premium in a big or busy lounge)."
That is called a bribe not a tip.
As a European I never tip in US lounges besides of at showers for the cleaners.
$3 tip for pouring af beer after being waiting 1/2H in line to get in to the lounge, because everybody and their neighbour have access dueto credit cards. Nahh
Americans doesn't give tips in airline lounges in Europe, because it is free pour.
The answer is just NO - no matter where you are.
Why o why do we have to even consider this. It is not a restaurant, maybe for those entering on other means outside of having status or flying in an eligible class, it is just a lounge.
Cheers!
Executive summary: no
The only time I've ever tipped in an airport lounge was in Doha, Qatar, and it was quite spontaneous. I'd recently read a story about the poor treatment and living conditions of foreign workers in Qatar, and I went to the washroom in the Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge. The attendant there was obviously very eager to please, I had some spare cash in my pocket and, rightly or wrongly, I simply felt sorry for him.
I broached this topic with a chatty server at the excellent Qantas/OW First lounge at LAX TBIT a while back.
She assured me no staff there expected tips as they are paid well above the going rate in the US.
Just as well, as many of their customers are Australians flying Qantas, and would not dream of tipping in any airline lounge. (Tipping in Australia is regarded as some sort of nasty imported virus. Thankfully, as with Covid we are fully immunized against this.)
You are right about the treatment of employees of the Qatar lounges in Qatar; they are all from the poorest of countries, on contracts which can be terminated for the most spurious of reasons.
The washroom/showers attendants are anxious to please and are really deserving of a gratuity, but I was told by a management type on casual enquiry that any form of tipping in the airport was frowned upon, and anyone accepting same would be reprimanded, or worse.
Never, with the exception of a spa treatment.
American tipping culture is borne of people like me who are grossly overpaid. (2023 AGI: $8,575,275.)
When you make the income I do, you don’t give tips a second thought. Did you take my McDonald’s order? Here’s an extra $20.
Sucks for Americans who are paid a standard wage and have to keep up with tipping.
oh this old chestnut again!! outside of the US they see you Americans coming a mile away what with all your excessive tipping , well carry on is what I say infact tip more, your more than covering the tip expectation for all of us who wont be sucked into the need.
How would you rank these practices in order of stupidity?
Tipping
DEI
The Newark Terminal A Airtrain being a 15 minute walk from Terminal A
Voting Republican
Physician assistants seeing patients on their own
Healthcare being a for-profit industry
The long term capital gains tax rate being so low
Top of the ranking would be
(Self proclaimed) Law firm partner who seems to have plenty of time to read travel blogs.
Because umm, the rest of list can be fixed by a competent lawyer with common sense?
(Eskimo, he’s not a law firm partner. He’s doesn’t even have a JD. He’s just a random twat in his mom’s basement.)
If the bartender has been helpful and efficient, then I tend to leave him/her a few bucks as one generally would sitting at any other bar in the States. I just spent a few thousands on my flight, not going to worry about a few dollars for the bartender.
This seems a very US-centric view of tipping culture in the rest of the world. I agree with the other post- this tipping culture is getting crazy. Employers (or better still governments) should pay a fair wage, rather than burdening consumers with topping up wages.
Outside the US, tipping in lounges doesn't seem to be a thing and thankfully doesn't seem to be expected. I really hope US tipping culture doesn't become the norm in...
This seems a very US-centric view of tipping culture in the rest of the world. I agree with the other post- this tipping culture is getting crazy. Employers (or better still governments) should pay a fair wage, rather than burdening consumers with topping up wages.
Outside the US, tipping in lounges doesn't seem to be a thing and thankfully doesn't seem to be expected. I really hope US tipping culture doesn't become the norm in the rest of the world- it renders all service as purely transactional and cheapens the experience. Plus, as most people move away from cash, it's a pain to alway have small denominations of cash for tips.
Where does the crazy US-style tipping culture stop?!? Why not tip the check-in staff? Why not tip the air stewards (surely the logic is the same with lounge staff)? Why not the air crew too (you tip a taxi driver)? Hell, why not tip the person sitting next to you on the plane for getting up to allow you to go to the toilet!?!?
Oh, to deal with the disappearance of cash, they all have machines.
Which makes it feel inappropriately formal, and it takes much longer even to get out a card and press it against a machine than to drop a coin in a box.
Being accosted by a busker's collection agent in London recently with a machine I found deeply unpleasant - I walked off to miss the rest of the performance.
But I do like your extension to absurdity :-)
If anybody really wants to get their blood boiling, search the AskNYC subreddit for questions about tipping. I’m serious.
“My doorman said hi to my dog. How much should I tip?”
“I hired movers for my 100sqft studio apartment. Is $100 a person a good enough tip?”
“How much should I tip my USPS delivery person, even though the government forbids them from accepting tips?”
Seriously. And the answers are always to tip your life...
If anybody really wants to get their blood boiling, search the AskNYC subreddit for questions about tipping. I’m serious.
“My doorman said hi to my dog. How much should I tip?”
“I hired movers for my 100sqft studio apartment. Is $100 a person a good enough tip?”
“How much should I tip my USPS delivery person, even though the government forbids them from accepting tips?”
Seriously. And the answers are always to tip your life savings. The moderator of the subreddit is a cunt, which is an entirely separate discussion.
I love living in Australia, no tipping, just a solid hourly wage and it's perfectly fine to add a few dollars to your bill as a tip at a higher end establishment if you want to but is in no way an expectation. I cannot imagine tipping in a lounge, airlines should be taking care of their staff properly. With the advance to cashless societies this will be come a problem (think porters / concierge)...
I love living in Australia, no tipping, just a solid hourly wage and it's perfectly fine to add a few dollars to your bill as a tip at a higher end establishment if you want to but is in no way an expectation. I cannot imagine tipping in a lounge, airlines should be taking care of their staff properly. With the advance to cashless societies this will be come a problem (think porters / concierge) where a service is provided but no cash is otherwise exchanged. Will they have the machine handy just for the purpose of a tip? We have to pay workers a decent wage by the hour vs expecting generous gratuities.
I hate living in NYC because every d-bag has their hand out in the form of a Venmo link. The most infuriating practice is at barber shops. They take credit cards for the listed price, but take cash only for tips. These uneducated idiots have the gall to dictate in what form they will shake you down for extra money.
Japanese people have no idea what you’re talking about.
Japanese people would be flustered if you tried to tip and it would just be an awkward situation. Just pay people properly!
STOP pretending you know Japanese culture as a whitey. Seriously it’s patronizing and reveals your gullibility. You don’t know Japan. Japanese people are too polite to tell you what they really think.
I lived in Japan from 2000-2006, the first two of those years with a Japanese family. Handing a Japanese person cash as a tip will make for a very awkward encounter and they absolutely would refuse the money.
Ah.... Arrogant and Racist.
The US tipping cult is insane. Seriously. Tips are for people providing proactive, exceptional services, not for Ashley and Kenneth who pressed a button on a coffee machine and still have the audacity to “expect”/demand a $5 tip
Tipping is a tax on nice people. That’s all it is.
Completely agree. Up to American business to pay their staff a decent wage, not for consumers to make up the difference. Tipping in the US is out of control and there is a serious backlash against it. No tips in airline lounges. Sorry. If a staff member goes out of their way and above and beyond, then sure, otherwise, no. It's their job. No one forced them to take it.
Tipping is always appreciated and never rude. Come on. You’re giving somebody free money. The only way they wouldn’t accept it is if they were culturally conditioned not to accept it. It’s not an offense like calling their kid ugly.
I’m not concerned with whether somebody will appreciate free money. I’m concerned with whether it’s customary and prudent in any given circumstance.
I have always tipped in US airport lounges for bar or sit-down restaurant...
Tipping is always appreciated and never rude. Come on. You’re giving somebody free money. The only way they wouldn’t accept it is if they were culturally conditioned not to accept it. It’s not an offense like calling their kid ugly.
I’m not concerned with whether somebody will appreciate free money. I’m concerned with whether it’s customary and prudent in any given circumstance.
I have always tipped in US airport lounges for bar or sit-down restaurant service, but it never occurred to me to tip the avocado toast station.
No