Tipping Porters

[clo]

3 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

i am not physically able to take suitcases out of the trunk of a car. Therefore,I tip the person who does so.The same applies to putting the suitcases back into the trunk when it is my own car.

 

So how do you deal with it at either end when you've left your car there?  Do you leave your bags on the curb, go and get your car and then someone puts the bags in the car.  I'm not a worried traveler but I don't think I'd want to leave my bags alone.

[lenquixote66]

8 minutes ago, clo said:

So how do you deal with it at either end when you've left your car there?  Do you leave your bags on the curb, go and get your car and then someone puts the bags in the car.  I'm not a worried traveler but I don't think I'd want to leave my bags alone.

I have not been able to drive since 2003 due to disabilities. My wife can drive but cannot lift luggage.If we drive to a port we have someone put our luggage in the trunk and have a porter take it out of the trunk .We have a porter take our luggage from the cruise port to the parking area and put the suitcases in the trunk.

If we have someone take us to and from the port they take the luggage out and put it back in.

[clo]

2 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

I have not been able to drive since 2003 due to disabilities. My wife can drive but cannot lift luggage.If we drive to a port we have someone put our luggage in the trunk and have a porter take it out of the trunk .We have a porter take our luggage from the cruise port to the parking area and put the suitcases in the trunk.

If we have someone take us to and from the port they take the luggage out and put it back in.

Ah, so are you saying that you don't ever fly to a port city?  You may have already said this.

[lenquixote66]

11 minutes ago, clo said:

Ah, so are you saying that you don't ever fly to a port city?  You may have already said this.

Due to illness and disability I have not been able to fly since 2010.

[The Mikado]

35 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

I was on a cruise in 2017 .Many men wore shorts on formal nights including a famous actor who happened to be on the cruise traveling with his family.

Well, that settles it, then, because I so often look to "famous actors" for clothing trends and what to think, especially as regards politics or other subjects requiring thought.

Edited August 23, 2019 by The Mikado

[clo]

3 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Due to illness and disability I have not been able to fly since 2010.

Take care, sweetie.

[The Mikado]

36 minutes ago, clo said:

We go inside, get our baggage tags and then go to the counter.  So no.  But are those guys outside airline employees?  I have no idea.

PS:  I just did the math for, say, SF.  $35/hr x 40 hr/wk x 50 wks is $70k

The baggage guys outside the airport terminal who check your bags are almost never airline employees as most airlines contract that out. So, yes, they likely make min wage and they live on tips.

 

Increasingly, the airline counter folks inside are contract, as well, as airlines keep trying to cheap out as much as possible. 

 

I'm a retired airline Captain. It doesn't make me an expert but I probably know more than most people who just show up to fly out.

[lenquixote66]

6 minutes ago, The Mikado said:

Well, that settles it, then, because I so often look to "famous actors" for clothing trends and what to think, especially as regards politics or other subjects requiring thought.

My point is that cruise lines tend to let people dress as they desire.This was on a RCI ship.Aside from the actor there was also a retired NBA basketball player traveling with his young son.He wore a tee shirt and sweat pants that night.

Another person that I observed wore a tee shirt,shorts and had his lap top with him.

The only time I saw a passenger not allowed in the MDR on a formal night was a guy wearing a jacket and slacks but wearing sandles.

Edited August 23, 2019 by lenquixote66

[The Mikado]

41 minutes ago, clo said:

We go inside, get our baggage tags and then go to the counter.  So no.  But are those guys outside airline employees?  I have no idea.

PS:  I just did the math for, say, SF.  $35/hr x 40 hr/wk x 50 wks is $70k

Is that too much to make?

[The Mikado]

3 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

My point is that cruise lines tend to let people dress as they desire.This was on a RCI ship.Aside from the actor there was also a retired NBA basketball player traveling with his young son.He wore a tee shirt and sweat pants that night.

Another person that I observed wore a tee shirt,shorts and had his lap top with him.

The only time I saw a passenger not allowed in the MDR on a formal night was a guy wearing a jacket and slacks but wearing sandles.

And my point is that "formal night" used to be something of an honored tradition. People took pride in their appearance for the one or two nights when formal attire was required. However, that has drifted away along with everything else that used to have standards attached to it like school grades. And just as I don't look to "famous actors" for tips on what to wear while having my rear kissed by everyone around me, I especially don't look to NBA "stars"... for anything, ever.

 

Have some pride. Raise the standard.

[clo]

18 minutes ago, The Mikado said:

the airline counter folks inside

They have airline uniforms on.  Does that make a difference?  But have you ever seen a 'tip jar' there/

[The Mikado]

6 minutes ago, clo said:

They have airline uniforms on.  Does that make a difference?  But have you ever seen a 'tip jar' there/

I'm retired from Continental, now merged with United. A great many of the counter folks do not work for United, especially at out-stations served by commuter partners. Our home airport, SBP, is a Skywest station and everyone there works for Skywest but wear United uniforms. In Houston, at Intercontinental, I've noticed a few United people supervising a lot of non-United people especially in the baggage check-in function.

 

Traditionally, the inside folk were employed by the airline and the outside SkyCaps were contract. Long, long ago, the SkyCaps worked for the airline, too.

 

Nope, never saw a tip jar at the check-in counter but that may be due to long-standing tradition when the airline employees made decent wages.

 

Don't forget that the SkyCaps (outside baggage check people) not only check your bags in but take them inside for you so you don't have to drag them through the check-in line. To me, it's worth $5 or $10 for me not to stand in line inside and snake my way through the nylon maze.

[clo]

3 minutes ago, The Mikado said:

I'm retired from Continental, now merged with United. A great many of the counter folks do not work for United, especially at out-stations served by commuter partners. Our home airport, SBP, is a Skywest station and everyone there works for Skywest but wear United uniforms. In Houston, at Intercontinental, I've noticed a few United people supervising a lot of non-United people especially in the baggage check-in function.

 

Traditionally, the inside folk were employed by the airline and the outside SkyCaps were contract. Long, long ago, the SkyCaps worked for the airline, too.

 

Nope, never saw a tip jar at the check-in counter but that may be due to long-standing tradition when the airline employees made decent wages.

 

Don't forget that the SkyCaps (outside baggage check people) not only check your bags in but take them inside for you so you don't have to drag them through the check-in line. To me, it's worth $5 or $10 for me not to stand in line inside and snake my way through the nylon maze.

Thanks for your reply.  We LOVED Continental and also really like United.  At least so far we're able to roll our bags to the UA or whatever counter.  If we can't then, sure,we'll ask for help and 'tip.'  

[The Mikado]

15 minutes ago, clo said:

Thanks for your reply.  We LOVED Continental and also really like United.  At least so far we're able to roll our bags to the UA or whatever counter.  If we can't then, sure,we'll ask for help and 'tip.'  

The Continental I left 10 years ago was just starting to slip after the departure of CEO Gordon Bethune in favor of the bean-counter's bean-counter, Larry Kellner. Once Continental rescued the foundering and near-defunct United via the merger, the United people managed to take over every single facet of the airline and forced virtually all the old CAL people (the "Ex-Cons") out. So now it's completely United's show... and it shows, sadly.

 

I, fortunately, fly very little and I don't use my retiree passes; UAL has an employee/retiree discount program so I pay for my tickets the very few times I need to go somewhere and get treated like a real passenger.

 

Thank you for your loyalty to Continental. I wonder if you were ever on one of my aircraft.

[clo]

1 minute ago, The Mikado said:

I wonder if you were ever on one of my aircraft.

Did you ever fly IAH/GIG?  I remember multiple FAs on those flights.  xoc

[SRF]

1 hour ago, The Mikado said:

Increasingly, the airline counter folks inside are contract, as well, as airlines keep trying to cheap out as much as possible. 

 

I'm a retired airline Captain. It doesn't make me an expert but I probably know more than most people who just show up to fly out.

 

So how many times as an airline pilot did you check in at the counter?  😄

 

But yes, some airports, many or most of the check in people are contracted through the airport.  There will be one or more airline employees to deal with questions or issues.

 

Normally the contract people are from the company that runs the airport services.  SwissPort, FRAPort, etc.

[SRF]

9 minutes ago, The Mikado said:

The Continental I left 10 years ago was just starting to slip after the departure of CEO Gordon Bethune in favor of the bean-counter's bean-counter, Larry Kellner. Once Continental rescued the foundering and near-defunct United via the merger, the United people managed to take over every single facet of the airline and forced virtually all the old CAL people (the "Ex-Cons") out. So now it's completely United's show... and it shows, sadly.

 

Funny, I am a Million Miler on United.  And used to fly Continental a lot, but racked up my miles on them to my Delta or United account.

 

But the former United people I talk to, talk about how much Continental took over things. 🙂

 

I was a fan of both airlines.  Both treated customers, especially Elite ones, well.  But, like every airline "merger", two great airlines get together and become idiots. 😞

 

I was hoping the US Air/American one would take two bad airlines and make a good one, but nope, they just stayed bad.  Maybe worse.  I met an AA FA recently, and she will not even fly her own airline, except to work

[The Mikado]

7 minutes ago, clo said:

Did you ever fly IAH/GIG?  I remember multiple FAs on those flights.  xoc

I flew Rio a few times in the 2007-2008 time frame but they moved my airplane off IAH-GIG in favor of the 777 (I was a 767 Captain). 

 

My last 3 years, I was based in EWR and flew mostly transcons, HNL and a lot of ANC in the summer months.

 

Great career, glad it ended 10 years ago.

[clo]

10 minutes ago, clo said:

Did you ever fly IAH/GIG?  I remember multiple FAs on those flights.  xoc

LOL.  I just read that you were a captain 🙂

[SRF]

I may or may not tip the porters.

 

They are union longshoremen and make as much or more money that I do.  Some people don't believe this, and are free to tip.  But it has been verified by Cheng75, who has worked cruise ships as a Chief Engineer.

 

To be clear, I am talking about those that take your bags and put them on the carts when you arrive.  And they move the carts to the security screening, then onto the ship. 

 

Once on the ship, the crew distributes the bags to the cabins, NOT the porters.

 

The porters who will take you bags from the luggage area when you disembark are different.  They are porters and should be tipped.

Edited August 23, 2019 by SRF

[clo]

2 minutes ago, The Mikado said:

I flew Rio a few times in the 2007-2008 time frame but they moved my airplane off IAH-GIG in favor of the 777 (I was a 767 Captain). 

 

My last 3 years, I was based in EWR and flew mostly transcons, HNL and a lot of ANC in the summer months.

 

Great career, glad it ended 10 years ago.

Maybe you took care of us.  Thanks.  We're flying UA to GIG for an Oceania cruise from Rio to Buenos Aires and then EZE to IAH to SFO on the return.   Waitlisted with points and $$$ for business.  Keeping our fingers crossed 🙂  Nice connecting with you.

[The Mikado]

5 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

So how many times as an airline pilot did you check in at the counter?  😄

 

But yes, some airports, many or most of the check in people are contracted through the airport.  There will be one or more airline employees to deal with questions or issues.

 

Normally the contract people are from the company that runs the airport services.  SwissPort, FRAPort, etc.

I checked in at the counter as little as possible. Usually never as working flight crew.

 

But I commuted virtually all of my career so I saw things from the passenger side quite a bit.

[The Mikado]

10 minutes ago, clo said:

LOL.  I just read that you were a captain 🙂

Haha! Some would probably dispute it.

[The Mikado]

10 minutes ago, clo said:

Maybe you took care of us.  Thanks.  We're flying UA to GIG for an Oceania cruise from Rio to Buenos Aires and then EZE to IAH to SFO on the return.   Waitlisted with points and $$$ for business.  Keeping our fingers crossed 🙂  Nice connecting with you.

I pray the MileagePlus gods smile upon you.

 

Nice connecting with you, as well.

[clo]

6 minutes ago, The Mikado said:

Haha! Some would probably dispute it.

LOL.  Is there any way on this site to private message?  I'd like to connect with you.