Tipping for airport assistance in wheelchair or cart?
 

Can anyone tell me how much to tip if I need help with a wheelchair or motorized cart in the airport? US? Europe? Thanks.

There's tipping for this too? If it's a rude clerk whose job was to push an elderly passenger in a wheelchair, I would not tip him. This guy was at SFO and he was very rude to the passenger when she asked about getting her luggage. He kept telling her 'Stop telling me. I know already.' Also he had such a bad attitude that he was bumping the wheelchair at the back of my feet until I gave him a tongue lashing. I should have reported him.

For whatever it's worth.

My wife requires a wheelchair in airports. Her attendant has always been great and helpful with the baggage.
She gladly tips them

:-B

I require a wheelchair or cart in aiports and I've never tipped anyone.
They are airport employees, at least here in Spain, and they do have good salaries, they are not giving me any special treatment. And yes, some of them are not very kind.

Hello linawood,the one time I needed a wheelchair (due to a knee injury I got in Italy) was arriving back home to SFO. I had a wonderful and kind assistant. I consequently tipped him $10.00. I don't know what others do but I felt like tipping him and he seemed very appreciative.

Personally I would tip the attendant if the person was helpful and civil. But that guy was rude and verbally abusive not to mention physically abusive by using the wheelchair to bump into other people. He obviously had a bad attitude and it showed. I wouldn't tip a person like him just because of the service he is supposedly giving. It's the same for waitstaff, etc.

I tip $5 when I'm being pushed from check-in to the gate, $10 to $20 on return flights when I have to go through customs and the person assisting me also deals with the luggage. The $20 amount is for service above and beyond, obviously.

Hello underhill, well guess my $10.00 was a bit on the low side, but at least I tipped this wonderful gentleman. Hope you are doing well. I don't know about you but I am sure enjoying our cooler weather. Have a nice weekend.

I think any airport employee, anywhere, and whether their salary is "good" or not, who pushes someone around in a wheelchair, IS, in fcat, offering something "special."

This is NOT the "norm" and if it were we would all be pushed around in wheelchairs.

Of course, there is a rationalization for just about everything but if that were me being pushed around I would certainly offer the pusher a tip.

This is not related to aairports, but rather to people who require wheelchairs to be mobile, and need assistance.

I ride the 104 bus in NY, which is one of the routes used commonly by people in wheelchairs. At least here in NY, by law, when there is a rider in a wheelchair, the driver must stop, close the front doors, get out of the seat, go to the back of the bus after lowering the platform, and assist the rider to enter the bus and secure them in place and attached the proper straps, and return to the front of the bus to allow other passengers to board.

The same procedure is repeated at the rider's destination. If there are a couple of riders in wheelchairs, this takes a certain amount of time, while the other passengers wait for the bus to proceed.

Some passengers are more patient than others. To me, waiting is no problem since one of my parents was in a wheelchair for several years, and it helped me see and appreciate the world through his eyes.

On the bus, there is no tipping required or even implied, and it's a normal part of the driver's duties, since this law came into effect some years ago.
I think there must be a sinilar law in other cities as well, but I don't know.
I do think it's so nice to tip helpful airport employees!

Since the Disabilities Act was passed years ago, access by ramps, curb cut-outs and public transport have become the norm almost everywhere in the States. The buses who accept wheelcheer or otherwise disabled are in NYC and everywhere else in the States.

Back to wheelchair attendents at airports. Surprisingly, everyone in the States expects to be tipped and the attendents gladly take whatever you give. $5 is usual if no luggage is involved. Otherwise $10 if getting you thru immigration and claiming bags and out to a taxi or waiting vehicle. If no immigration, the same $10 (the luggage thing)... but less is fine. Attitude has a lot to do with this. Remember, in the States, these folks are minimum wage employees.

Outside the States, Americans often offer to tip and often find the tip refused. This was the case in Canada, where a friend regularly used a wheelchair... the attendent always refused the tip. That was until about four or five years ago when there was actually a sign on the chair itself indicating a "fee of CA$5" Things do change.

You tip if you wish for service provided.

intrepid1...they have a salary (to push wheelchairs is their job), I'm disabled and live on a little pension.
I spend on my flight 40 euros return...
do you think it is fair I give 10 euros to each one of the four people for the whole trip ? I cannot travel if I have to do that, and I hope they understand that they earn each month 4 times more money than I do.
I'm not talking about people that have to use this service occasionally.