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News and notes from around the interweb:
- Undercover investigation: Americans are being charged more in Paris restaurants than locals – and are being tricked into tipping “Hapless tourists in Paris are being charged as much as 50 per cent more than French customers” (HT: Joe R)
- American Airlines is bringing back pajamas and mattress pads to their longest business clsas flights. The pajamas roll out this weekend. Unfortunately this does not include transatlantic or deep South America – just Tokyo; Seoul; Shanghai; Delhia; Doha; Auckland; Sydney; and Brisbane.
The pajamas come in two sizes (“S/M” and “L/XL”) though on my last flight in first class they failed to board any of the larger size.
This was such a petty cut, but so good to see pajamas return even if the pajamas themselves don’t match the quality that American offered a decade ago (I still wear those on long haul flights that won’t be offering any; I try to stick with the correct airline’s pajamas or worst-case stay within the same alliance). A small investment, they help make passengers feel cared for – earning a revenue premium in business class means developing a brand preference, which may start with the seat but goes beyond that.
American needs to be a carrier that customers go out of their way to choose not only when they’re the only ones offering a non-stop flight or they’re the cheapest. And doing this like offering a more robust soft product, along with not waking passengers to collect noise cancelling headphones an hour before arrival, helps with that. And providing richer amenities gives flight attendants a product they can feel proud of, and even helps to encourage better onboard service.
- Passengers on a JetBlue flight from New York JFK to Sarasota, Florida were arrested after peforming sex acts in tow 25 in front of kids. It was oral at their seats. Okey dokey.
- Passenger kicked off Alaska Airlines over the neck pillow he brought onboard for a redeye flight
Guy removed from Alaska Red Eye flight for not complying
byu/sylvester1981 inAirRagers - Turkish Airlines passenger dies during flight to California — and now no one can explain where the body is
Where is “Delhia”? Is it near “tow 25”?
Woah, lotta freaky, disturbing stuff above. On a lighter note, the Nest PJs are nice; got some on DEL-JFK last year. I think Gary meant ‘class’ not ‘clsas,’ but we get the point regardless.
I experienced this in Paris. My wife and I were at a restaurant and when paying, the server asked us if we would like to add a tip. I said that service was included and he said something like “they don’t do that at their restaurant so that diners can add in what the feel is appropriate.” I wanted to push back, but I saw the look from my wife and relented. I joked with her later that they did that because she was wearing a beret and it has thus come to be known as the beret tax.
On Paris, specifically, and France, generally, but also, elsewhere, yeah, there are often unofficial (and sometimes official) price discrimination, like local pay-as-you wish at some NYC museums, for example; you’d just wish it wasn’t merely for political reasons, though this seems more economic than anything.
That said, Paris does have some of the best food in the world (outside Tokyo, New York, Italy), so, might be worth it; always attempt a reservation, because I recall that they’re super picky, and the Michelin app (yes, that Michelin, the tire company has great recommendations, even their more affordable Bib Gourmand distinction has never let me down.) Also, highly recommend the Park Hyatt Paris Vendrome’s restaurant Pur; super good.
@ Gary — Yet another reason to simply never tip. Tipping is a scam.
That restaurant picture just gave me PTSD. I’m guessing it was recommended to you as well by the concierge at the Park Hyatt?
In other news, new Wendover aviation video dropped on Youtube today: “How Airlines Decide What Plane to Use”, very interesting.
@L737 — Saw that! Hmm, should we take the CRJ or the 777 to… Australia? Hmm. I’m stumped. Let’s try the little guy… what’s the worst that could… oh..
@1990 — The little [37-seat turboprop] that could!
@Gene – Try being a regular at any higher-end restaurant with no auto-grat, particularly in a U.S. location with low minimum wage, and watch what happens. You will not get any kind of service, and if even you do, things will inevitably be really bad for you in any number of different ways.
The French have been trying to hustle extra money from Americans since the XYZ Affair. Not one red cent.
@jns — Wow, great historical reference; though, I’d say, the French were there for the USA when we needed them most, namely our war of Independence (just sightly before XYZ). Of course, we’ve bailed them out a few times in the last century. No one is perfect; I still generally like the French, and the visits I’ve had in their country (both in Europe and the South Pacific).
“On Paris, specifically, and France, generally, but also, elsewhere, yeah, there are often unofficial (and sometimes official) price discrimination,” Bah! I spend 89 days in France every year, but I’m never in Paris (other than CDG or changing trains). Nowhere in non-Parisian France does this occur. My food-ordering French is good, but my accent screams I’m a native English speaker. There is never pressure to tip. And, since I pay by card (like the vast majority of French), there is no option to tip (see below). I do leave a euro, which makes me more like old-school French diners who left a few coins when they paid in cash.
There are card machines that allow tipping, but they are extremely rare outside Paris. I was presented one twice by the same server in Bordeaux in May, but not by another server in two other visits. Since the first tip option is a round up (e.g., your €23.30 bill gets a €0.70 tip added) and I normally leave a euro coin, the “ambitious” server got less.
This is not just my experience. I know a dozen French citizens and British ex-pats. We were talking about this exact topic recently as many of them were arriving back from their July vacation. There experiences match mine. So, remember Paris and France are two different countries.
They deserve it.
The only people in Europe that tip are stupid Americans.
So can’t really blame the restaurant.
“The only people in Europe that tip are stupid Americans.
So can’t really blame the restaurant.” That is incorrect. The French, for example, traditionally left a few coins. If their meal was €24.30, they’d pay €25 and leave the change (or say “gardez la monnaie” when paying). If their bill was €22.45, they’d pocket the two euro coin and leave €0.55. It has become less common because of credit cards and young folks that never had that tradition. Still, restaurants often have tip jars (no pressure to tip). The point was never to compensate the server; you were just saying thanks. I speak of the tipping culture outside of Paris.
Went to a very fancy restaurant with an incredible view of the Eiffel Tower. The menu clearly said service was included. Once the check was presented, they insisted service was NOT included and embarrassed me into giving a tip. Great meal but we left feeling we had been screwed.
We should petition the US government to place 100% tariffs on any country that doesn’t charge American visitors the same a locals.