Skycaps sue over lost tips
Skycaps claim to have lost a significant amount of tip income as a result of airlines charging bag-fees at curb-side check-in. Now, one group of skycaps is taking American Airlines to court over it. Skycaps, who make most of their pay through tips, say that many travelers are not willing to tip them on top of the $2 charge. “We are looking for fairness for the hardworking employees who every day help passengers — making travel a little bit easier,” said Shannon Liss-Riordan, an attorney who represents the skycaps who filed the lawsuit, in an Associated Press report. “Some of these guys have worked for 20, 30 or 40 years as skycaps. This is their profession. These guys’ lives were devastated by this.” United, US Airways and Northwest are among the airlines that also charge a baggage fee. The fee does not go to the skycaps. It is split between American and the contractor it hires to operate its curbside check-in service, the AP reports. In court papers, American Airlines responded, “The evidence will show that customers understood the fee was not a tip for the skycaps from day one. The evidence will further show that the plaintiffs cannot demonstrate any decrease in tip income resulting directly from American’s implementation of the fee-based program.” What do you think? Do you tip skycaps even when you pay a baggage fee?
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I SEE why people would be less inclined to tip with the new bag fees…..it just seems that we, the traveler, are getting nickled and dimed at every turn when we go to the airport. Fact is, this bad economy is effecting EVERYONE — even baggage handlers! They need to get in line with the rest of us who’s livlihoods have taken a beating. Perhaps if they came from behind those counters and actually HELPED us get our bags out of the car, on back onto the shuttle bus, they would actually DESERVE a cash tip!