Allow more then 2 hrs at MCO

[ncligs]

Originally posted by DebbieB
I fly USAirways almost exclusively (living in Pittsburgh there's not much choice) and have never got a boarding pass curbside. What city did you get it in? I've been using the e-ticket kiosk on my last few trips.

Debbie,
Don't know about the boarding pass curbside(we only do carry on's ) but you can print your boarding pass at home on a PC.I think you can do it no earlier than 12 hours before your flight only.

 

[cindala]

We always tip the skycap, as a matter of fact, as soon as we get to the counter, before we even state our name. We usually have about 5 bags to check, and DH always gives a $20 bill. In NYC this amount is no big deal I guess,( because the skycaps don't really react, unless that is just our NJ/NY area way!) but at MCO, the skycaps are really happy to receive that much.

Skycaps are definitely the way to go, and certainly save time. WE usually fly Saturday to Sunday, but this year we are scheduled to fly Thursday to Friday. Hopefully the lines won't be too long as we also have morning flights.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by tlens
I don't mean to sound stupid but what is skycap? Are you talking about the guys who come to help you unload luggage? Is this different than curbside check-in at a particular airline (eg: US Air)? I don't tip the US Airway curbside guy.

Yes, we are talking about the "curbside guy".. They are not there to help you, they are there to make money. They survive on tips.

 

[tlens]

OK. I understand.

 

[tlens]

Debbie B: Buffalo.

 

[peg2001]

Originally posted by tlens
I don't mean to sound stupid but what is skycap? Are you talking about the guys who come to help you unload luggage? Is this different than curbside check-in at a particular airline (eg: US Air)? I don't tip the US Airway curbside guy.

I know there are some people who don't tip the skycaps because they are too cheap, but I honestly believe that most people are like TLENS, here. They just don't know that a tip is appropriate and appreciated. I think the airline uniforms confuse most people who don't travel extensively. I don't usually like "tip jars" but maybe a tasteful sign that lets people know that tips are appropriate.

Peggy

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Peggy,
I would like to think that also, but I do often wonder how someone can be behing you (actually almost on top of you) watching you execute the transaction, see you hand the person money, have that person thank you, and not get it.
TLENS, is probably one that did not know, but, it does make you wonder.
Yes, perhaps a tasteful sign would be useful. They do perfom a very valuable service and with airlines cracking down on carry ons (cannot wait till they are totally banned, except for purses, laptops, etc) they will become busier and busier.

 

[tlens]

Yes. I honestly thought those in US AIR uniforms standing behind the US AIR curbside counter and giving out boarding passes were employees of the airline, (no different that those inside). I asked around my office and most everyone here thought the same thing (and no, we are not all weekly travellers).

(most of the time I don't watch what the person in front of me is doing. I'm too busy getting everthing together for my turn to be interested in what others are doing)

I knew perfectly well that the men who run to your car and stand around the luggage carousels are doing the service for tips. If I use them, I tip them. I did not know about the others. Lesson learned. Thank you.

 

[hrhkyleconway]

On our first trip to Florida in November 2000, we had no idea that we were supposed to tip the skycap. We were 7 people and lots of baggages. The shuttle dropped us off at the curbside check-in so, assuming this was the correct spot, we got in line and started a nice conversation with a Skycap. After noticing that we were Canadian, he politely informed us that Skycaps in the US relied only on tip contrary to Skycaps in Canada who also receive a salary. (We do not travel very often so we did not know any of this!)
We started scrambling to find US cash as quickly as we could. We ended up giving him a few dollars(all the US money we had left!). Unless he had told us, we would have had no idea that we were supposed to tip him. We are very infrequent air travellers and, due to the uniform..., thought he was an employee of the airline.
We always laugh when we think of this encounter!
Kyle

 

[CarolA]

I was flying out of Midway one time on SW and they were making announcements that you could go to the skycap and skip the line, but you needed to tip the skycap. (The line was long, it was snowing and flights were being cancelled. Of course mine was cancelled so I had to stand in line!)