If you thought the sky was one place that you didn’t have to worry about tipping, think again. Frontier Airlines has a system that gives passengers the option to leave tips for individual flight attendants.
The low cost carrier has actually had the tipping system in place for a couple of years, but just this month they have changed the rules.
Originally contributions were evenly distributed between in-flight crew up until the New Year when they decided each attendant who scored the tip got to keep the tip.
Customers ordering food and beverages can now click to leave an automatic 15, 20 or 25 percent tip on the digital payment tablets.
Tips are encouraged through a message which reads: ‘Gratuities Are Appreciated’.
In a statement about the tipping system, Frontier said they encouraged tipping because they appreciated the great work of their flight attendants and knew their customers did as well.
“It’s entirely at the customer’s discretion, and many do it.”
Frontier Airlines spokesperson
One can’t help but wonder if this need for passenger tips means that the cabin crew aren’t being paid fairly.
In fact, it turns out that the Association of Flight Attendants International is actually against in-flight tipping.
President Sara Nelson told the Los Angeles Times that the union was opposed to it on the basis that attendants are responsible for for much more than simply serving passengers a snack and beverage.
“Regardless of the tip issue, Frontier Airlines needs to step up and pay aviation’s first responders a wage that recognises their critical safety role onboard,” she said.