Tipping etiquette when traveling can be a complicated and controversial subject, especially given how expectations differ around the globe. 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…
Continue reading: Should You Tip In Airport Lounges? It’s Never Expected, But It Is Common
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I don't know how you can say it's never expected when literally every bartender at a Sky Club these days has an obnoxious QR code for tipping or an obnoxious tip jar prominently placed on the bar. It's standard operating procedure now. I'm sure it's the same at United and American lounges.
I tip at the bar minimally if anything more than just pouring from a can or tap is involved. Don't tip elsewhere unless there was some exceptional out of normal service like catering to a special request or providing helpful advice in choosing. Tipping shouldn't be a norm just because you sit down to eat.
Solving wage issues isn't my problem. It has become wage copay in US restaurants and really obscene in high priced places like in California. Not a tip for service anymore.
A related event is tipping in restrooms and use of shower rooms. Here the norms and expectations are the opposite between US (no continuous attendant cleaning in most places) and South or SouthEast Asia (where an attendant "maintaining" the place is the norm). I tip the latter but typically the amount is small converted to US dollars.
Helpers pushing wheelchairs require a decent payment . Baksheesh = everything else is a bribe.
Without getting into the merits of whether waiters are paid enough or not, I would like dispel the myth that they do not make at least minimum wage, since the law guarantees their pay+tips equal to federally- or state-mandated minimum wage at least.
Your heart is in the right place, but to me this feels nuts. It's not ok to be expected to tip for every little thing, especially in an airport lounge. American tipping culture is pure insanity – and like much of that country, borne from racism.
The more that well meaning people give in to it, the more it encroaches and gets worse for everybody else. Eventually we'll be expected to tip at every interaction possible with somebody working in a service culture. When you give into it, you're also allowing yourself to be exploited by business owners who don't pay their staff properly. The only people who win here are the rich executive class.
That’s right, the obnoxious tipping jars are on every bar counter in Admirals Clubs and wherever they do they avocado toasts. So you pay hundreds of dollars membership fee then you pay again for a complimentary glass of wine. That said, never seen this nonsense in American’s Flagship lounges. It’s a start.
This is such nonsense. Please stop propagating this insane tipping culture. I say this as an American who used to accept tipping but it is out of control. Waiters and waitresses dont want a living wage because tipping allows them to make more than teachers, health care assistants, cooks, administrative assistants, etc.
How about if you leave a tiny tip for every tiny thing ? (eg., a nickel for a glass of wine ; a penny for a parking meter ? )
DONT TIP IN LOUNGES.
It's not common. It's not expected. And it should not be.
Only exception is the bar tender.
The worst softpower from America :tipoing. Other than this: evangelical and mormons around thr world
The Alaska lounges explicitly put out a sign that tips are not expected or taken by the staff.
Please keep it in the US/NA and don't bring this culture to the rest of the world.
It absolutely isn't common, and it should be even less common than it currently is.
" as servers often aren’t even being paid minimum wage before tips." In places like NYC servers are guaranteed minimum wage which is currently $17 an hour and increases each year.
Don't tip in the lounges. Most of us are already PAYING to access the lounges. These are not tipped employees. Last thing you want to do is give the companies that own the lounges the idea that they can start paying their employees less because they get tips. Really wish people would get paid at proper rates and tipping was abolished. Its really sad the idea that you have to 'bribe' servers with tips to do their job well.
An American point of view. I really do not care what happens in the US as I do not plan to visit. The title was generic; lounges, which I interpreted to mean world wide as it is a travel blog. Please stop referring to laws that are only applicable to a subset of the world. Neither the US legal system nor its culture are travelling well these days.
yea the people who want to keep the tipping culture are the servers, because of the individuals who think it makes them a big shot to over tip. All those people are doing is undermining the argument that people should be paid a living wage by their employer.
Not wanting to sound rude, but Americans that tip in lounges are jerks. Pleas estop destroying service culture outside your own yountry.
I don't comment much here but I do want to say this: Please stop advertising or promoting tipping. Lounges are not restaurants and they are paid a fair wage. Tipping itself is a propaganda to put customers as the employees enemy while it should be the owner that pays them a fair wage. The waiters (barbers or therapists) knows they won't get as much by taking just the wages and prefer to guilt trip customers by having tipping as part of the salary structure. It's getting out of control in the U.S. What is enough? To tip supermarket workers as well? We will simply stop dining out or asking for a drink at the bar if it becomes a norm. You can continue to tip as you like but please don't put your culture as the standard.
Tipping for lounge avocado toast? Good grief! I didn't know avocado toast is still a "thing."
For Absolute Fs Sake!!! This is not a FING question in any way shape or form. The employer should pay a fair wage. If you really, and I mean really really like the person serving you then perhaps a buck or two if in the US.
Outside the USA, we'll in Europe definitely, just don't! Staff here have a minimum wage which is generally liveable on, and tips as much as they are appreciated are not necessary in airports. Just stop being complete and utter knobheads, and get your franchisees to pay proper wages! Tipping culture is one of the reasons Europeans are reducing travel to the USA, not necessarily the maniac in the White House.
What a trash article. Please for the love of god, do not promote any tipping culture / behavior. Anywhere.
No waitstaff in USA are grifting for tips because “they don’t make minimum wage”, they do it because an extra 2 grand a month is bloody great!
Respectfully, this statement in the blog post is categorically not true:
"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."
The thing is, these are NOT tipped wage employees like a waiter in a restaurant.
This article is precisely why I avoid the US like the plague. There are other places in the would to go on holiday without worrying that you won’t get proper service (the $20 tip to the barman is testament to the nonsense) if you don’t tip. Sort out your labour laws. I’m not paying bribes to get proper service. If workers need that then they are in the wrong job. Stop promoting your awful tipping culture.
The Brasserie in DeltaOne at JFK is one of the few places where it seemed like they really expect you to tip, but, even then, you do not have to. As for elsewhere in US, a mere dollar to a bar tender in a SkyClub, UnitedClub, or Admirals Club shouldn’t be that big a deal. (But, if you aren’t into it, that’s fine, too, I guess… that’ll show ‘em!) Never seen much tipping at overseas airports.
Well, workers at an airport lounge are provided an appropriate wage by their employer; thus, they should have no reasonable expectation of being tipped. Therefore, I am sure that all the folks receiving said tips are declaring them fully on their income taxes, as the change to tax law only makes tips exempt for those workers who work in professions where tips are customarily received.
Or you can stop the insanity altogether by not tipping airport lounge workers, every one of whom receives an appropriate wage from their employer. Sheesh and not baksheesh!
In Asia we have a saying “don’t spoil market” when someone starts to tip then all service staff expect tipping and those who don’t then get branded a bad customer’s
You say tipping $20 then suddenly service becomes great. Isn’t that bribery ??? Good service should be the norm not the exception.
What happen to the good old sentiments when good service is offered people will continue to support and when more support is offered the business makes more money and can reward the staff for this good service. Ours standards are so warped now
More useless articles. More repetitious articles. Writing for the sake of it. Well said Peter K
In my youthful days, I once traveled to Japan. When I got up from table, after dinner, and paying, I left a tip, in cash. I barely made it out the door, when the waitress caught up with me. She handed me the change, saying I must have forgotten it. Only then did I realize my mistake.
I tip for any personalized service. Drinks at the bar, preparation and clean up of showers.
Well said. So the customer has to compensate the employee because the employer are not willing to pay a living wage. And tipping in lounges? Does not make sense at all
i generally don't tip for beverages that are just poured, but i try to tip for anything stirred or shaken (as well as any sit down dining experience)
No. The person serving drinks is a standard employee, not someone in a tipped role.
Last week I witnessed someone force the person behind the SEA N lounge bar to accept a $20 bill. Very awkward.
"So the customer has to compensate the employee because the employer are not willing to pay a living wage."
Has to? Nope. I stopped tipping altogether. I'm a customer, not a payroll department. An employee's wage is an agreement between them and their employer--only.
Ben:
"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."
Learn the laws before parroting propaganda. All servers must earn full minimum wage. Electing to remove oneself from the tipping racket doesn't make one a jerk.
"but of course minimum wage and a livable wage aren’t the same thing"
Not an issue that customers should remediate, as we aren't party to wage negotiations.
"tipping does make a significant difference to their bottom line and ability to provide for themselves and their family"
See above.
"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."
Yeah, so? These are regular lounge employees who occupy many roles and are paid appropriately. The lounge bartender isn't a tipped role.
How about a dentist appointment? Personalised service at a department store or a shoe store?
Why would people tip the person driving the hotel shuttle bus but not the bus driver in the city they are going to?
"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"
Not sure I'd say this applies to any lounges I've frequented in the US - there's not dedicated waitstaff that handle specific customers, and no way to direct your tip to the ones that helped you (vs tip pooling). I'd say the table service area is where you would NOT tip, the bartender (or spa attendant) are the only folks in a US lounge that I would suggest tipping.
The other aspect is carrying small bills for the purpose, which frankly is harder and harder to do (unless you do a lot of cash transactions)... you'd need to plan ahead and get small bills from your bank or something.
Yup - unlike most lounges in the U.S. (and maybe elsewhere), they are actually Alaska employees, rather than working for a catering contractor.
What a dumb comment. Are Admirals Clubs luxurious? No. But when I'm traveling almost weekly, the snacks and beer and, most importantly, good service in the case of IRROPS make the Admirals Club more than worth paying for.