Despite all those meaningful moments, she emphasizes, “I promise you that no flight attendant is ever expecting a tip or gift.” Kathleen echoes Sarah’s sentiment that even a $5 Starbucks card is so appreciated as an unexpected gesture.
Airlines often have special instructions for how crew members should handle receiving tips, according to Kathleen, with some carriers saying crew should reject gratuity on first try, but can accept in subsequent insistence. She did ultimately accept the gratuities because, she says, even on a full-time schedule, she qualified for food stamps during her tenure.
Tipping flight attendants with cash can be extra hazy, especially when it comes to international travel since so many other countries don’t have a tipping culture. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to acknowledge the service of the crew—and it doesn’t always have to require much. “We love it when people just look up from their phone and say hello from one human to another when boarding the plane,” says Sara Nelson, president of theAssociation of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents 50,000 flight attendants at 19 airlines.
There are also larger implications that come with tipping flight crew that passengers might not have considered. “Tipping undermines our role,” says Nelson.While some of the passenger-facing duties of flight attendants do seemingly cross over with many service professions, the most essential duty is actually one we hope to not witness on our flights: emergency response. “Flight attendants are certified for our safety, health, and security,” she says.
Passengers shouldn't have the option of expecting preferential treatment, according to Nelson, especially when it comes to safety situations. “Should we give a person a better seat for survival in an emergency because they tipped ‘big enough?’ Should we act with more urgency to get the medical kit, oxygen, or a defibrillator in a medical emergency because a patient or their loved one gives us a wad of cash?” she asks. “We’re safety professionals. Our job is to keep you safe and secure. Tipping has no place in our work.”
Nelson says she appreciates the sentiment of the question, but says tips just aren't the way to go if you want to acknowledge your cabin crew. “Our jobs are harder than ever,” she says. “If you'd like to thank your flight attendants, bring a smile or some chocolate. Then sit back, listen to crew safety instructions, and fly safe.”
While their safety roles differentiate them from service workers and other professions we routinely tip, when it comes to acknowledging flight attendants, other tokens of appreciation—or even just a few kind words around the holidays—will likely be enthusiastically received.
