Airport Tipping Question (Curbside check in/SkyCap)

[gothmommie]

Ok, I'm sure one of you out there will have the answer to this....

We've never used curb-side check in OR sky caps before. This trip, however, I'll be recovering from a broken toe and can't help as much as I normally do so we'll be looking to do curb-side check in.

My question - do you tip the people that check your bags at curbside? Or is that only when you use a skycap's services to trot your bags here and there.

We're totally clueless!

 

[jiminy14]

I always tip the skycaps that check my bags at curbside. I tip $1.50 per bag unless they are extremely heavy or I am provided with exceptional service. If that occurs, then I usually add another $2-3 dollars to the total tip. Just keep in mind that these are the individuals that are responsible for printing out and attaching the routing tags to your luggage. There was a very funny Seinfeld episode where Jerry and Elaine argued over tipping the skycap. Jerry tipped and his bags got on his flight. Elaine did not tip and hers ended up going to Hawaii or some other far away destination.

 

[gothmommie]

Thanks that helped. We were planning on tipping but weren't completely sure if you did that when you just used curbside but managed all your carryon stuff yourself.

Thank you!

 

[DMRick]

We give $1 a bag. I know the skycaps work only for tips, but the guys behind the counter are wearing Southwest uniforms, and appear to be SW employees. Do they work just for tips also?

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

The Las Vegas standard is $2.00 - $5.00 per bag. Anyone working outside of the airport doing curb side service should be tipped for the convience they provide you.

 

[DMRick]

$2.00 - $5.00
**********

Whew..I'd walk the extra 30 feet before I would give up that much money. They must make an awful lot an hour if each person gives them up to $5.00 a bag. I'm still curious if the guys we give our bags to are regular SW employees (they are wearing SW uniforms). Not the sky caps..when we use them we give more, since they only work for tips.

 

[Mad4Dizne]

We've always tipped $12-$15 for three bags...in Hartford. Never ever (knock on wood) had a problem with any luggage issue. Many times they printout all our tickets right there and make it extremely convenient for us. They are great!!!!

 

[Lori-n-NY]

I used Jetblues curbside last Sept coming out of MCO...running from JEANNE...and I tipped $5 for two bags. The Jetblue rep did print out our tickets and then I watched as he hand carried the bags into the screening area. It was not that much further away, I could of done it BUT the line inside to check in was HUGE>>>>so another reason to use curbside checkin. I have also used curbside leaving from home once and tiped a $5 for two bags. I like to hang on to my ones for soda machines in the airport.

So yes, tip a little for the services they provide but you do not have to feed them for the day.

Lori

 

[Chicago526]

I've often used curbside to check bags when the line inside is HUGE! To me, I'd rather spend $5 in tips than wait in line for 45 minutes!

I did curb side with United/Ted at Orlando on the way home last time. We walked inside, took one look at the line (wraped up and down the terminal!) and walked right back out to the sky cap. He had us check-ind with passes and claim checks in about 30 seconds. I think we tiped $1 per bag, plus another $2, I think it came out to $5 total for three bags (one was really heavy though!).

My personal rule of thumb is $1 per bag plus $1 added to the total. So one bag is $2 and 5 bags is $6, again I tip more if the bags are really heavy!

 

[HookedOnDiz]

We usually tip $10 for two or three suitcases. Our bags are almost always over weight and we have found that if we tip the skycap right off the bat he will make sure that we don't pay the over weight fee for our bags. Several times the ticket agent has asked the skycap if the bags "feel" heavy and they just smile and say they are fine.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Yes as they do work for tips--I had been rudely informed by one about 6 years ago...well he wasn't so much rude as just forward and to the point to mention that they work for tips. I hadn't been aware of it before.

That is why they are asking if you want any help or anything like that....

 

[beattyfamily]

Yes, you should tip the curbside check in guys.

They are saving me lots of time and handling my luggage so I tip them well. I tip $1 - $2 a bag with the minimum tip being $5. I want to be sure my luggage is handled well and taken care of and I think a good tip helps ensure that.

 

[Rpsemont]

We've always tipped $12-$15 for three bags...in Hartford. Never ever (knock on wood) had a problem with any luggage issue.

WOW! We usually tip $10-$12 for 4-5 bags. (also Hartford)

Our bags are almost always over weight and we have found that if we tip the skycap right off the bat he will make sure that we don't pay the over weight fee for our bags.

I might have to add a little more into the tip with SWA new weight policy. LOL!

 

[DMRick]

Yes as they do work for tips--QUOTE]


Which ones work just for tips? We have what we call skycaps..they take your bags as soon as you get out of your car, and have a cart (and will take your bags when you get back home and wheel them to the curb while you get your car)..and we have the guys wearing the SW uniforms, who print out your tickets (although we have our boarding passes already, they still print out our luggage tags). The ones with the SW uniforms who take our luggage and print out our baggage tags don't get paid either ..like the skycaps? I guess my $1 a bag is paltry LOL..I'll just go inside and wait the 10 minutes to give up my bags. I was thinking that if they handled 60 bags a minute, they would make $60 an hour. I thought that was pretty good. And they took less than a minute to handle all of our bags.

 

[DMRick]

I might have to add a little more into the tip with SWA new weight policy. LOL!

Where are people seeing the new weight policy? On their site, it still says:

Weight and Size Allowance: Maximum weight is 70 pounds and maximum size is 62 inches (length + width + height) per checked piece of luggage. Overweight items from 71 to 100 pounds and oversized items (i.e., surfboards, bicycles, vaulting poles) will be accepted for a charge of $50.00 per item. Any item weighing more than 100 pounds must be shipped as Air Cargo. However, Customers cannot use SWA Cargo unless classified as a Known Shipper as defined by the FAA or FAA approved Indirect Air Carriers (IAC). For all Cargo inquires please call the Cargo Sales and Service Center at 1-800-533-1222.

 

[beattyfamily]

We give $1 a bag. I know the skycaps work only for tips, but the guys behind the counter are wearing Southwest uniforms, and appear to be SW employees. Do they work just for tips also?

IMHO, the skycaps are different from the curbside guys. The skycaps who use those carts and cart your luggage around I'm sure rely heavily on their tips and they can be quite pushy.

The curbside guys on the other hand, work for the airline they are checking you in for. I think they don't rely quite as much on tips, but I can tell they are certainly appreciated. I have seen some not tip them but I wouldn't risk it.

I pay (the tip) for the convenience and the quickness of curbside and I couldn't imagine going inside to check-in anymore. I tip well so my luggage is well taken care of.

 

[NMW]

Yes we tip the curbside people who tag our bags. I guess it works out to $4 a bag. I have never seen anyone not tips these guys.

 

[DMRick]

The curbside guys on the other hand, work for the airline they are checking you in for. I think they don't rely quite as much on tips,
************

Thank you. Those are the guys we have used in the past..not the skycaps. As long as they are also getting a paycheck, I'll stick with my $1 a bag then...and continue to use the outside when convenient.

 

[CarolA]

Most curbside guys are the same as skycaps and do NOT work for the airlines. As is the case in most of these cases they are not paid a living wage and depend on tips. If you want your luggage to arrrive where you do, when you do TIP!

If at your airport the curbside guys are wearing the SW uniform then the rules are different. I have never seen this and would dare say that 90% of the curbside guys are NOT airline employees. I know that in both Nashville and Orlando for example they are not airline employees. Most of them worked thier way up from the guys trotting around to these better jobs.

 

[gothmommie]

Most curbside guys are the same as skycaps and do NOT work for the airlines. As is the case in most of these cases they are not paid a living wage and depend on tips. If you want your luggage to arrrive where you do, when you do TIP!

And there you have the basic premise of my question. Having never done curbside check in, I didn't know if these guys were airline employees and this was just their assignment (you wouldn't tip the folks at the counter for taking your bags) or if they were, like skycaps, dependant upon tips. Now that I know the rules I can play.

Already have my tip money set aside with my plane tix.

Thanks!