News and notes from around the interweb:
- History of tipping it was actually a practice imported to the U.S. from Europe. Seven states banned the practice. William Howard Taft was elected President after declaring his opposition to it. It was the U.S. anti-tipping movement that actually spread to Europe… (HT: @crucker)
- Former American Airlines Chairman Doug Parker joins Qantas board which can’t be good news for Qantas. (HT: Nick B) Here’s his legacy.
- Sounds of the International Airport Restrooms (HT: Jim H)
- When you don’t want to be filmed, you literally know you’re being filmed, so why do this on film?
@AmericanAir I was physically assaulted by your supervisor and denied access to fly with my registered service animal. pic.twitter.com/KK2reLkPxl
— KanayoUbesieJr (@jr_kanayo) May 22, 2023
- Another airport allows non-travelers to clear security. I just wish we didn’t have to use regular screeninglines instad of CLEAR and PreCheck when doing so.
Exciting news from TUL, we've launched the new TUL Visitor Pass Program!
For more info and to apply- https://t.co/AGDeKaRGNM pic.twitter.com/SZIqbOftrD
— Tulsa Airport (@tulsaairports) May 22, 2023
- United’s Denver expansion they’ve announced 35 new flights including 6 new destinations, though honestly with 12 new gates it seems like there should be more. There’s a new United Club and two refurbishments as well, plus in a couple of years there will be a Polaris lounge.
@Gary,
The “when you don’t want to be filmed” Tweet has been deleted.
I have yet to have an European waiter refuse my American tip.
Parker should just stay retired. He turn American Airlines from one of the best airlines to the industries worst. Robert Isom (AA CEO) has his work cut out to turn things around after the disaster Parker left. Good luck to Quantas!
Why do people think Doug Parker ruined American Airlines? How ?
I grabbed a salad and bottle of water at a newsstand in T8 JFK yesterday for $23 and was asked to sign a credit card receipt with a tip section. Comical .
@D3kingg
When presented with one of those receipts for tips in self service, I just write in “Buy low, Sell high” and mosey on.
In Europe you “round up” as a tip for a full service meal that includes multiple food and beverage trips to the table. Round up is usually to the nearest euro or equivalent. After living in Prague 4 months a year for several years it averages 7-8%. With no taxes added it’s pretty simple to square up after dinner/drinks. Wait staff no not expect tips as they are paid a fair salary WITH FULL Benefits.
Tipping in the US is more of a tax dodge that really hurts wait staff when they apply for unemployment or collect social security that is based on the under reported wages. This was a huge problem during covid. The US business answer was to request even more in tips to attract staff. Pay servers a fair wage with benefits for their work. They are not charity cases. Businesses can/already have raise/d prices. Customers will vote with their feet if the restaurant is overpriced.
I was just in Miami and the restaurants I ate at automatically added an 18% service charge. Here in Minnesota there’s a “living wage” addition of roughly the same amount. But in both cases the bills also have tip lines. Where does this stop?
John,
Learn to spell Qantas before you start bashing people.
The 18% tip on the glass of wine I bought last night in an upmarket hotel in LA was more than the price of a glass of wine of similar quality in the local bars I visited in Madrid and a Lisbon / Estoril last week. Now the challenge is to work out how the hotel apportions the daily credit – strictly by the day or accumulatively….hmmm….
The recording of an HNL restroom took a very quick unexpected left turn. Wow. LOL I won’t describe it here to save the surprise.
@drrichard – many South Florida restaurants do this because of the large number of South Americans and Europeans who assume that no tip is expected, as in their home countries. There is usually a comment on the receipt explaining this and welcoming the customer to adjust as they deem appropriate.
For perspective, If you check the list of QF board members outside the exec team there is only one current with a background in aviation (Anthony Tyler from CX).
One wonders how the chairman can keep across anything other than a superficial grasp of the business given his list of board appointments.
A surge in share price on top of the record profit expectation may well deliver outgoing CEO Joyce a spectacular bonus given assumptions that the bonus package is share price related.
Ironic that the value of his bonuses would have paid the salaries of all of the call centre staff that he sacked pre pandemic leaving customers facing ridiculous wait times.
The overseas phone agent don’t have a clue what they are doing.
QF have created an enormous self inflicted image problem despite advertising guru Todd Sampson being on the board.
The billions of taxpayers cash heaped onto the airline thanks to the incompetent right wing Morrison government policy during COVID sours the record profit for some of not many,
That QF sacked workers illegally does not help its brand integrity.
Who knows what new board member and CEO might bring but I’m not holding my breath for positive change.
Hello “TheJetsFan”, maybe Europe assume that no tip is expected. But in South America the tip is 10% and is almost always already added to the bill. At least in Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Peru.
Fwiw in fall 2020 Parker himself called out the American Airlines board – that he had assembled – for its lack of airline experience https://viewfromthewing.com/doug-parker-explains-why-american-airlines-added-northwests-ceo-to-its-board/
“Across the pond, however, according to Jayaraman, the early 1900s anti-tipping movement did accomplish one thing: It spread anti-tipping sentiment to Europe and is among the reasons tipping is much less common there nowadays.”
Tipping is NOT the norm in EU countries BECAUSE waitstaff are paid a decent wage, and they receive a full benefits package that includes: vacations, medical and retirement. Not exactly like in the States. Many people here may “round up” to nearest Euro to indicate good service.
I for one am most appreciative of this because I retired to Malta. I can’t fail to notice articles in many newspapers around the country discussing tipping in the U.S. From what I read, two thinks are at play here, employers are slime buckets passing on compensation to customer, as opposed to a living wage. And second, expanding tipping into virtually all sectors is just another way to blackmail customers. To all this bullshit, I say: grow a set of balls and stop having anxiety attacks. You are not responsible for paying an employee. And the owners are pocketing much of this extraneous tipping on card purchases.
My mom was a waitress in the 1940’s and ’50’s. At one place she worked she made more in tips than she did in salary. She didn’t have to list any tips on her taxes. I use to be a poor tipper. I didn’t have much money for myself and not much to give away. I had one waitress chase me out the door asking about her tip. I’ve become a better tipper now. I worked in cafeterias. When I would get infrequent tips I always enjoyed and appreciated them. It doesn’t surprise me that tips originated in Europe and we brought them over here with us. That applies to quite a few things. I think you should give good service. I don’t think you should slack off and still expect a good tip.
I try avoid tipping anywhere. Not my fault they live in a shithole like the USA .
@Nicholas. I don’t consider my home a sh*thole. That you do is a pity. We are not perfect in the U.S.A. but neither is any other country in the world. With the imperfections there is still beauty in my country. There is still goodness and graciousness. I take pride in the good and am hopeful the rest can be changed. All workers deserve a good salary and good benefits. And for good service ( if a person can spare it) a good tip doesn’t hurt either.