American Airlines misplaced 41,194 bags last June according to the Transportation Department. Add American Eagle, and you’re talking 56,814 lost bags, the most of any airline. That’s bad news for American, but good news for the courier services that reunite passengers with their luggage.
Very good news, actually.
It seems the courier services have taken a page from the airline playbook. Now that carriers like American are charging passengers for the first checked bag, they figure: why shouldn’t we get in on the action?
When American misplaced Greg Nieberding’s luggage after he flew from San Jose, Calif., to Dallas, he filed a claim and waited.
I got a phone call at 9:30 a.m. from Baggage Express, the outsource vendor American uses here in Dallas to deliver lost bags.
Less than 30 seconds after the first call letting us know our bags were within a block I received a second call from the Baggage Express driver.
I will quote his next statement to me: “You’re going to have a tip ready for me when I deliver the bags, right?”
Take a moment to let that sink in. An airline loses your bags, and now it essentially wants a “tip” to fix it.
Does that not make you roll out of your chair? A TIP to deliver my lost bags. I called [my contact] at American and she nearly lost it.
She said Baggage Express is their delivery service. Sounds like they need a new one.
There’s been a lot of recent speculation about where airlines will add new fees. A “mandatory tip” for lost luggage sounds almost reasonable.
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
This is always a tough area for me. While you shouldn’t need Baggage Express’ service, they are still providing you a service. It’s not the driver’s fault that American lost your bags, so I can see a justification for tipping him (although blatantly asking for one is never acceptable).
Had a similar situation last week while staying in Atlantic City. For some reason housekeeping didn’t service our room one day (although we were gone from 11:15AM to 5:30PM and 6:00PM to 2:00AM, so there was plenty of time for them to do so). We called the front desk and they sent housekeepers up at 2AM to change the sheets and towels. I chose to tip them because the housekeepers working at 2AM are certainly not the ones that skipped our room and they were providing a service to us at an odd hour.
If service is worthy of a tip, I think it can still justify a tip even if that service shouldn’t have been necessary to begin with — it’s not that person’s fault that someone else screwed up.
@Michael
I agree with you that it isn’t the delivery driver’s fault that the airline lost the luggage, but you will never convince me that I should incur an out-of-pocket expense when an airline loses my luggage.
American Airlines should have tipped the driver.
That is crazy. When I first arrived in Ireland to study there, the cab driver who drove my friend and I from the airport to our apartment unpacked our bags, told us the fare and then added very loudly – that’s excluding tip! We learned from our Irish friends later that you don’t tip in Ireland.
Would you tip the FedEx or UPS driver who brings an envelope or package to your door? Probably not (or I wouldn’t, anyway), so why tip the Baggage Express driver? I’m with Chris Elliott on this one and also find it pretty nervy on the driver’s — and it’s good that your American Airlines contact had the grace to become unglued. I wonder whether Baggage Express knows about this, or whether the driver was just freelancing.
Michael – When you write, “housekeeping did not service our room,” do you mean that the bed was not made and the trash was not emptied, or that housekeeping did not change your sheets and towels? If the latter, is it possible that the hotel has an optional daily linen service policy, and that you put the little card in the wrong spot (on the pillow when it should have been off or vice versa)? Beyond that, I am amazed that anyone would demand housekeeping at 2:00 a.m. for a linen change. Do you change your sheets and towels at home every single day? In our home, we sure don’t, and in fact, I/we always opt for linen resuse in hotels.
Claire @ http://travel-babel.blogspot.com
@Claire – Housekeeping never even came into the room. We actually only requested fresh towels when we called (as we had left them on the bathroom floor as requested if we wanted them changed), but the desk sent us housekeepers. They wanted to provide complete service (vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom, etc.) even at 2AM but we told them it was unnecessary.
I do see your point about not tipping a UPS driver. Tipping the Baggage Express person is not necessary, but I would not consider it unreasonable to tip them. However, as I said before, directly soliciting tips is completely unacceptable.
The two times my luggage was lost and delivered by an outside courier service it was made very clear that I was expected to tip the guy when he arrived with the bag. And this was five and ten years ago! It’s not the airline’s policy but the courier service.
It was probably the individual driver’s idea to specifically request a tip, rather than Baggage Express policy. But as tacky as it is to flat-out request a tip, it’s even worse to do so over the telephone prior to arriving with the bag. That implies that proper service won’t be provided if the customer’s answer isn’t in the affirmative. What if you had said “Wrong, I will not have a tip ready for you. See you in five.” Would he spit on your bags, or drop by the bar on the way?
Of course, my head gets dizzy thinking about all the people one should or shouldn’t tip. For example, I have no problem tipping curbside check-in guys at the airport, because the service is such a time-saver, but I do find it annoying when the surly dudes at LaGuardia go out of their way to remind you that you *should* tip. Half the time they don’t help you with the bags at all. In those situations, it should be referred to as a fee rather than a tip, because a tip implies an extra reward for good service.
Travelers should make an effort to know who they should tip (there are many articles that cover this topic) but service providers should not be the ones to “educate” their customers. If a delivery guy gets stiffed by a customer who is simply ignorant of convention, that’s just tough luck. And if this sad fact of life is too frustrating to deal with, find a different line of work.
Just curious: I always tip the driver of the rental car shuttle bus a couple of bucks, especially if he helps with the bags. Anybody else do this?
Why should we tip the person who is delivering a bag lost by an airline?
– Wait, don’t answer that question just yet, let’s talk about a couple of things before.
1) I tip my server at the restaurant because it is customary and because he’s providing an extra service than what she is expected. Serving food is expected of her, having to put up with my needy requests is that extra and the reason she gets a tip, the better she is about my jerky attitude, the better the tip.
2) Last time I checked, I do not tip UPS, FedEx, the courier service which delivers my mail precisely to my desk before I get there everyday for work, the Postal Service…
3) I am sure the employee for Baggage Express is getting adequate compensation for the services he provides for the company. If he is not, maybe he should get a new job. Don’t have the skills? Training and education should help.
4) Federal laws allow for restaurants to pay lower salaries to servers to allow for tips. Yes, that means they can get paid a little more than $2/hour in order for tips to even it out. Do those baggage express service report tips?
If you wish to tip the baggage express person, by all means, it’s your money you can do with it whatever you want (flush it down the toilet while you are at it). Should you be expected to tip them? Absolutely not. Should they call you beforehand and request you tip them? That is just outrageous and I would call the company and AA, and may be IRS to see if they report tips.
@Victor:
I had similar happen when I was checking bags in curbside at the New Orleans airport. I had my money out to tip, but apparently the value was too low as the handler said “You treat us well and we’ll treat you well.” Great, so now I’m in a position where if I don’t shell out more money (I was intending around $2 per bag), I may never see my bags again! Talk about a shakedown.
To ask for a tip upfront is completely outrageous. American should be apologizing profuselyt to the customer, and making sure that it lays down the law to its vendors as to what they should and should not be saying. The average customer could care less which concessionaire is making the delivery…to them, the person at the door is a representative of the airline, and just like Gerry Arpey on Capitol Hill, he is standing with his sweaty palm open hoping to pickpocket you.
I would have said “sure, I’ll have a tip for you”…then when Mr. Greedy Balls shows up, grab my bag, and say “here’s the tip….get your resume ready for the new job you’ll need after I report you”. An IRS tip, as mentioned, is also in order….as is perhaps a tip to your state’s transportation department to make sure that those Baggage Express trucks are roadworthy…what a shame when an inspector has to pull them off for a thorough look to make sure they are up to snuff.
It seems to me that a tip is inappropriate in this situation. Since AA screwed up they should be responsible for all reasonable charges incurred as a result. For example, I received some breakfast coupons as compensation for a hotel’s screw-up. These coupons noted that the tip was already included. That was very different from the coupons I get for being an elite member in a loyalty program. Similarly, once when AA re-routed me to Orange County because my flight to LA was canceled, they gave me a taxi coupon which included the gratuity.
Fortunately, I always have the bags delivered to the concierge (whom should be tipped) which takes car of the tip issue.
OK, so the courier driver would have received only a verbal tip if he so boldly tried that one on me. I hope he was fired for trying to extort cash from innocent parties.
I probably would have flatly told the driver that after he delivered my bag, he could contact AA for a tip. And if he had an issue with that, or did anything he shouldn’t be doing to my bags, I’d be on the phone with AA.
It is outrageous to demand a tip! Does not matter what the circumstances are. When it is demanded I consider it a fee not a tip. That said here are my standard tips:
1. Fedex and UPS. I do tip them on occassion. Once when the UPS guy had a large package to deliver and only my wife (then pregnant) was at home. He brought it nside the house and asked her where she wanted it. We tipped him 5 bucks. We also routinely tip for Christmas.
2. Curbside check in. Ranges from $5 to $10 per bag depending on the service provided.
3. Hotels. I consider this to be on the upper side. Typically $10 per day for housekeeping. $5 per instance for room service. $40 – $60 per stay for concierge if stay exceeds more than two days. Otherwise $5 – $10 per instance.
4. Lost baggage. Did not have that issue so far. My carriers have been very good about it.
When a delayed bag was delivered to my hotel, the front desk called to inform me it had arrived. Several minutes later they called to tell me the delivery person was still there and needed a signature. Balony. Bags and packages have been left with the front desk before. If I was out he would have had to leave it. Because he was pressing for a tip and made me come down to the lobby before I was ready, I didn’t tip him. Delivery people are paid a wage and this was his job, and in the above case, it is more than outragious, it is indeed extortion. A verbal tip of some sort would have been appropriate.
And I’m considered a good tipper.
As for curb side service, the few times I use it, I tip them apx. $5.00 a bag because this is a huge time saving service and it’s worth it to avoid check in lines. And yes, I take care of them so they will take care of me. Greasing the wheel helps. But to extort you for money with an implied threat of bad service is wrong and should be reported.
As far as rental car and hotel shuttles, I always tip but only if the driver helps with the bags.
Michael, I agree with you that if service is worthy of a tip even if it wasn’t that person’s fault, you should do it. Glad you tipped the 2:00am staff. But the delivery person that blatantly pushes for it. No Way
Tipping is meant for good service. A tip should never be expected but rather earned. I don’t care what profession the person works in, whether its a waiter or Baggage Express good service will get a tip and bad service will not. In the case of waiters I am more lenient because of their low wages but if one were to ever request a certain amount for a tip I would certainly give them nothing.
I have never been cheap with tipping and will often give 20% for good service, but a person must earn it.
I would have given him $1 per bag – just like the skycap. And then told him that he would have gotten more if he hadn’t asked. It is not like you are EVER gonna see this guy again – the turnover in the bag service companies is faster than in a fast food joint.
Hey Baggage Express Driver – Here’s a tip for you.
Seabiscuit in the 3rd race at Pimlico next Saturday.
Now, gimme my bag. You done been tipped.
Be happy they delivered it! I just flew Delta/KLM to Djibouti. On arrival in Addis Ababa, I discovered my luggage didn’t. 7 days later, I received a phone call that my bag was in the airport and I could pick it up. $50.00 in cab fare later, I had my bag complete with a broken wheel and a tear across the front. I guess the good news is since it was a Briggs & Riley bag, I can get it repaired for free.
I like Robert Smith’s tip the best.
Of course a lost bag is a situation that doesn’t require a tip (if anything, the airline should automatically include $20 for the inconvenience). Given the tone of the driver, it’s okay in this case to mumble something like “um, sure”, then when the bag is delivered ask to examine it, sign the papers, then walk away with an “oops, don’t have any cash; check with the airline.”
I tip (well) when I *choose* a service that customarily calls for tipping (hotel housekeeper, restaurant, cab in some countries, etc), but I didn’t choose to have my bag delayed and delivered later; I was perfectly willing to pick it up when I landed and take it myself, but the airline didn’t do on it’s part.
“You’re going to have a tip ready for me when I deliver the bags, right?”
Yes, but since you asked such a boorish question, it will only be half of what I usually tip. Want to keep talking and cut it in half again?
Oh, the nerve of that delivery driver – coming right out and ASKING in advance for a tip…!! I think both Robert Smith’s and Kevin Brady’s suggestions are excellent ones – a tip shouldn’t be “mandatory”, only when the person being tipped has done their job well. In my case, I would have made it sound like I would then hand them a nice shiny penny.
American Airlines lost over 40 peoples bags today after canceling flights due to weather issues. It’s 5 days before Christmas. None of us received an apology and I practically had to force the information out of the rep who assisted me. She was not able to locate my bag, and gave me some bogus excuse that because of the snow delays it caused baggage issues???!!! She even put the wrong address on the locater card, when I wrote it down for her. Where do they find these employees for this airline? They are some of the most incompetent fools I have ever encountered. Allegedly, they located my bag and will be delivering it to my house at 3am Monday. As far as I’m concerned, I leave this bag courier the same as I leave UPS, Fedex, and my mailman…NOTHING. That’s your job; and you expect me to pay you for something that shouldn’t have occurred in the first place?! Here’s a tip…don’t lose people’s stuff in the first place and you wouldn’t have to deliver things.
Tinsley M–
I completely understand your anger. It was, however, the airline–not the baggage delivery guy–who lost your luggage.