Happened on a recent flight with me. Company told us luggage was still on the origin airport, someone had an air tag and vehemently asked them to do a double check, and they miraculously found where it was supposed to be in the first place…
On a recent trip we just went up to the youngest looking baggage worker, showed them, asked very nicely, and they walked back and found it. Tipped em 20 bucks for 5 minutes of effort. They were super nice.
The airline was less than helpful, actively saying the bag was lost.
The employee was an airport employee, not a specific airline employee.
I was under no obligation to tip, I didn’t mention money until he hustled, was very nice, and accomplished the task. I invented the idea of giving him money for his help, I was never prompted.
A fee is not a tip. A fee is mandatory, and issued prior to service, a tip is optional.
This guy saved a day of my vacation and I decided that fortunate exchange with him was worth 20 dollars at least, and he was thankful for the exchange.
For the cost of my ticket, I expect my bag to get there when I do, no further changes required.
We all acknowledge the industry is being shitty by not managing this problem.
My anecdote regarding the utility of an air tag, and the nice exchange I had with a non affiliated airport employee highlights the issue, and doesn’t condone it.
My choice to tip the employee was because he was very nice to me, and even technically subverted airport policy to specifically retrieve my bag. I appreciated him going out of his way, and possibly even carrying some risk for my benefit, not because I feel the value I tipped should be normally included for the service.
Any point you are trying to make about the “system” the industry or me being a rube for giving money away doesn’t hold water.
I’m capable of two thoughts at once:
The industry is fucked up, and providing bad service to the customer.
I found someone in the industry who isn’t benefiting from the corporate policy and practices in any way, they’re just a shift worker. I valued his attempt to provide good service, and I made my opinion and thanks known materially. This doesn’t mean I condone the industry habits.
For the cost of my ticket, I expect my bag to get there when I do, no further changes required.
No. That was the previous deal, the deal has been altered. You now have to pay an extra fee to ensure the bag gets to its destination, otherwise you roll the dice.
This doesn’t mean I condone the industry habits.
You enabled industry habits. Its the same reason why tipping in restaurants still exists, because people pay it. If the majority of people decided not to, then the culture of tipping would die out.
technically subverted airport policy to specifically retrieve my bag. I appreciated him going out of his way, and possibly even carrying some risk for my benefit,
This is enabling. Nothing has fundamentally changed with the current system, and there has been no feedback to the industry. So it will remain as it is.
I don’t come from somewhere with a tipping culture, but if someone came to me with an airtag tracker and said hey can you get my bag, and my job is to get your bags, I would happily just do my job instead of thinking “fuck you” and start to fight.
Shit I would even apologise for having lost it in the first place.
It would not even occur to me that someone would tip, or I would be getting one.
Happened on a recent flight with me. Company told us luggage was still on the origin airport, someone had an air tag and vehemently asked them to do a double check, and they miraculously found where it was supposed to be in the first place…
On a recent trip we just went up to the youngest looking baggage worker, showed them, asked very nicely, and they walked back and found it. Tipped em 20 bucks for 5 minutes of effort. They were super nice.
The airline was less than helpful, actively saying the bag was lost.
Take photos of your luggage before checking them. That way you can show the employees exactly what they’re looking for.
Luckily our bag was a very distinctive color with a large brand logo but yep
Ugly luggage unite!!
So we’re paying an extra baggage fee now?
The young baggage worker is the airline. They are a representative of the company.
The employee was an airport employee, not a specific airline employee.
I was under no obligation to tip, I didn’t mention money until he hustled, was very nice, and accomplished the task. I invented the idea of giving him money for his help, I was never prompted.
A fee is not a tip. A fee is mandatory, and issued prior to service, a tip is optional.
This guy saved a day of my vacation and I decided that fortunate exchange with him was worth 20 dollars at least, and he was thankful for the exchange.
You have no clue what you are talking about.
Would you be willing to pay $20 to make sure your bag made it to your destination?
Let’s cut to the chase:
For the cost of my ticket, I expect my bag to get there when I do, no further changes required.
We all acknowledge the industry is being shitty by not managing this problem.
My anecdote regarding the utility of an air tag, and the nice exchange I had with a non affiliated airport employee highlights the issue, and doesn’t condone it.
My choice to tip the employee was because he was very nice to me, and even technically subverted airport policy to specifically retrieve my bag. I appreciated him going out of his way, and possibly even carrying some risk for my benefit, not because I feel the value I tipped should be normally included for the service.
Any point you are trying to make about the “system” the industry or me being a rube for giving money away doesn’t hold water.
I’m capable of two thoughts at once:
The industry is fucked up, and providing bad service to the customer.
I found someone in the industry who isn’t benefiting from the corporate policy and practices in any way, they’re just a shift worker. I valued his attempt to provide good service, and I made my opinion and thanks known materially. This doesn’t mean I condone the industry habits.
No. That was the previous deal, the deal has been altered. You now have to pay an extra fee to ensure the bag gets to its destination, otherwise you roll the dice.
You enabled industry habits. Its the same reason why tipping in restaurants still exists, because people pay it. If the majority of people decided not to, then the culture of tipping would die out.
This is enabling. Nothing has fundamentally changed with the current system, and there has been no feedback to the industry. So it will remain as it is.
Unfortunately this is like feeding a dog from the table to get them to go away. You’re essentially rewarding bad behavior.
Unless there is ever an incentive to not lose your luggage or a punishment if they do the airlines will continually do this.
We’re suppose to tip airline workers now?
They tipped because they got an individual baggage handler to go find their specific bag for them…
That wasn’t their job, they did it out of kindness. Kindness can deserve a tip. There was no obligation
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How you doin’?
We tipped under no obligation, the guy specially went out of his way for me, and I thought that was special.
The guy literally salvaged a whole day of vacation for me
And that is exactly the point of tipping, at least for me. It’s like a reward for extraordinary service
I don’t come from somewhere with a tipping culture, but if someone came to me with an airtag tracker and said hey can you get my bag, and my job is to get your bags, I would happily just do my job instead of thinking “fuck you” and start to fight.
Shit I would even apologise for having lost it in the first place.
It would not even occur to me that someone would tip, or I would be getting one.
Happened to me on a recent trip to a country well known for crime.
Your luggage is lost sir, you’ll have to fill in a form.
My luggage is about 15m away behind that wall. Here, see this map. Go get it.
10 min later: Oh your luggage is here sir. Terribly sorry.
Not sure if incompetence or shenanigans but I got my luggage back.