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Frontier Airlines, one of the cheapest airline companies in the U.S., which offers mostly domestic flights, is updating its tipping policy. Fliers can now tip any flight attendant and these, the attendants, can keep the money at the end of the shift.
Frontier introduced gratuities about 3 years ago, but all tips were pooled and the money divided between all cabin crew. As of January 1, flight attendants will keep whatever money they make from tips at the end of their shift, The Independent reports. Just like it happens in other customer-oriented industries.
Cabin crew get to choose whom they ask for tips when they list the payment for drinks and food, and fliers are also free to offer none if they don’t wish to, Frontier says.
“We appreciate the great work of our flight attendants and know that our customers do as well, so [the payment tablet] gives passengers the option to tip,” Frontier spokesman Jonathan Freed says. “It’s entirely at the customer’s discretion, and many do it.”
According to the airline company, since the tipping policy has been introduced 3 years ago, staff earned millions of dollars in tips alone. Tipping also allows the company to keep flight ticket prices down in a competitive market and to keep its 2,200+-strong staff happy.
The Association of Flight Attendants, of which Frontier staff are members, is opposed to individual tipping, calling it a move to shift staff expenses from employers towards passengers. “Management moved forward with a tipping option for passengers in hopes it would dissuade flight attendants from standing together for a fair contract – and in an effort to shift additional costs to passengers,” AFA president Sara Nelson says in a statement.
However, Frontier insists the move was the flight attendants’ idea, since they believed individual tipping would lead to more transparency.
Cabin crew get to choose whom they ask for tips when they list the payment for drinks and food, and fliers are also free to offer none if they don’t wish to, Frontier says.
“We appreciate the great work of our flight attendants and know that our customers do as well, so [the payment tablet] gives passengers the option to tip,” Frontier spokesman Jonathan Freed says. “It’s entirely at the customer’s discretion, and many do it.”
According to the airline company, since the tipping policy has been introduced 3 years ago, staff earned millions of dollars in tips alone. Tipping also allows the company to keep flight ticket prices down in a competitive market and to keep its 2,200+-strong staff happy.
The Association of Flight Attendants, of which Frontier staff are members, is opposed to individual tipping, calling it a move to shift staff expenses from employers towards passengers. “Management moved forward with a tipping option for passengers in hopes it would dissuade flight attendants from standing together for a fair contract – and in an effort to shift additional costs to passengers,” AFA president Sara Nelson says in a statement.
However, Frontier insists the move was the flight attendants’ idea, since they believed individual tipping would lead to more transparency.
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