Tipping wheel chair person
 

What is the average tip for the person who pushes the wheel chairs at the airport??

Jim, I have no idea what the average tip is, but one time coming home from an international trip when I had fallen one day before my flight home I needed a wheelchair according to the airlines when I landed in SFO.

I tipped the person who helped me $10.00 and he seemed very pleased.

But to this day I have no idea if this was to much or not enough.

Hopefully someone else with more experience will respond to your question.

When I read your subject line I was afraid the post was about someone who tips over wheelchairs...I though "How rude..."

About a year ago, I had to use a wheelchair between several flights. I think I tipped each one $5.

On several of the trips, my kids and or husband were along and would have been happy to push, but the airlines said the chair comes with the pusher.

I did give $20 to the employee in LAX who called for a tram and let me and the kids all ride.

Lucy

My old roomate broke her ankle a week before we were supposed to go to Disney.

We got a wheelchair for her in Disney which enabled us to enjoy the trip.

One afternoon when we were at Universal while I was pushing her, it started pouring raining. I started running while pushing the wheelchair.

Front left wheel of wheelchair hit curb. Launched roomate out of wheelchair. Old roomate was airborne.

I dropped to my knees in the middle of the fake road and howled I was laughing so hard. Turned around and noticed people were horrified that I was laughing at throwing someone out of a wheelchair.

Old roomate wouldn't speak to me for hours.

Jim...if you receive such service as GoTravel provided her friend, no tip is required :)

My elderly parents travelled for years before their deaths in the late '90's and always made plans in advance with the airlines for wheelchairs/in terminal transportation.
Everyone took it for granted that it was part of the "ticket cost".
M

I tip $5 for someone who doesn't do more than push me in a wheelchair through the terminal to my gate. However, if the person makes a special effort, such as escorting me and my husband through Customs after an international flight and taking care of our luggage, I tip more--up to $20.

OK, maybe I'm having a bad day. Am I the only one who read this and thought, "why would somebody want to tip over a person in a wheel chair?"

sorry, og, I missed your post. Whew. I was afraid it was just me.

Patrick, I didn't want....to tip her out of the wheelchair. It was an accident.

Uh-oh, communication gap. I wasn't referring to your story, Go Travel. I was just referring to the title of this post when I first saw it.

patrick--yes--i thought the same thing when i read the title!! Reminds me of an Alabama prank called "cow-tipping"!!

I also thought it was a "cow tipping" type of thread when I read the title.

Go Travel - you certainly gave me a great laugh - I could just see this happening!

In all seriousness, I was crouching in the middle of the fake road in the NYC section of Universal Studios laughing so hard tears were streaming down my face and I though I was going to pee my pants!

People had no idea that she only had a broken ankle and was capable of walking. They just saw my laughing at someone I had thrown out of a wheelchair.

Looking at people's horrified faces and trying to stop laughing made me laugh harder. It was like that inappropriate out of control glggling fit you that hits you at the most in opportune times (funeral anyone?).

We usually tip $3-5, but like Underhill, international wheelchair pushers often get more, depending. This is for the extra service of getting through the security points or customs first and getting from point A to point B--usually pretty far between flights--extra fast.

GoTravel, yes I too have had a case of trying to stop the laughter at the worst times. Your story was great (well maybe not for your dear friend) but really a funny story!

And I too when I first saw the title of this thread thought about the thread regarding tipping the pilot.

Guess from what I have read the $10.00 tip I gave the person who got me through immigration and customs was OK.
Always did wonder about this. First experience in a wheelchair (due to a fall in Italy) so sure didn't know what was appropriate. My knee was swollen and could hardly walk so KLM had set this up and it was unexpected. Another reason I like to have "cash" for whatever country I am in.

Happy safe travels to all of you in 2005 ((*)).