Surprising number of Aussie passengers think we should tip flight attendants
Australia doesn't have a tipping culture, so when the topic of leaving a tip arises, debates tend to get pretty heated.
Sure, if you've received excellent service from a waiter, maybe they deserve a small tip as a thank you.
But should that courtesy extend to the skies?
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Would you tip a flight attendant? Getty
Recently, a traveller was shocked when they were prompted to tip a flight attendant after buying snacks on board a plane.
Granted, this was on a domestic flight in the US, where tipping is much more common practice than here in Australia.
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But with more and more Australian cafes, restaurants, and bars asking customers to tip, perhaps it's only a matter of time before airlines do as well.
In an exclusive Nine reader survey*, we asked: "Would you consider tipping a flight attendant for good service?," and unsurprisingly, most people voted no.
Most of our readers wouldn't tip airline staff. Nine
A huge 88 per cent of our readers say they would not ever tip airline staff.
"I don't believe in tipping in Australia," one person wrote. "People get paid their wage and should provide great service, no matter whether being tipped or not."
Another said they rarely tip service workers, only when they've had exceptional service. "Hard to see that happening on a crowded aircraft," they added.
One reader pointed out that flight attendants tend to get paid well, making tipping pointless. Meanwhile, waitstaff often rely on tips to help earn a living wage.
Some US airlines prompt passengers to tip cabin crew. Getty
However, 12 per cent of respondents to our poll said they would tip - a pretty high number considering that tipping isn't really a thing in Australia.
"I think tipping for great service should be mandatory," one reader commented.
"It is a gesture of goodwill, and a thank you for service," they said, adding that they have benefited from this attitude.
Instead of monetary tips, some travellers say that they like to give flight attendants gifts, like chocolates, as a thank you for their hard work - and a way to hopefully receive better service.
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Some passengers say they've been given free drinks after giving flight attendants a little gift. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Travellers on Reddit say they've gifted fun-size chocolate bars or $10 coffee vouchers to cabin crew. In return, they've been given a free beer or extra snacks.
Don't expect to get an upgrade to first class just because you've slipped a flight attendant a snack - but it's nice to acknowledge their hard work.
*The nine.com.au poll, which runs once a fortnight, canvases the views of the Nine audience on 9Nation, which is an online community of our readers and Nine viewers.
