Tipping for disability assistance

[Andrew Bichard]

When I arrive at Orlando, I will need assistance getting off the aircraft. I have an electric powered wheelchair, so I won't need assisance once I am in my chair which is always brought to the aircraft door for me. I will however need help from the ground crew to get me from my aircraft seat to the aircraft door.

Are the guys who lift me out of my seat and into the 'aisle' wheelchair and then help me into my own chair considered to be a 'tipped' service.

I know that when I was using a manual chair a skycap was assigned to push me through immigration, baggage reclaim and out to curbside, that was considered a 'tipped' service. I also tipped the skycap who pushed me from check-in to the gate on my return trip.

But what about assistance getting on/off the aircraft from seat to gate?

Andrew

 

[Cheshire Figment]

These people are actual employees of the airlines and not considered "tip positions" as the skycaps. There is, to my knowledge, no prohibition concerning tipping them. If one is offerred they may say something to the effect of: "we are not permitted to accept tips", or they might accept the tip. I think offering is a judgement call on your part, but if you do the tip would be less than for a person in a tip position.

Just my opinion.

Mike

 

[SueM in MN]

These people are actual employees of the airlines and not considered "tip positions" as the skycaps. There is, to my knowledge, no prohibition concerning tipping them. If one is offerred they may say something to the effect of: "we are not permitted to accept tips", or they might accept the tip. I think offering is a judgement call on your part, but if you do the tip would be less than for a person in a tip position.

Just my opinion.

Mike

I agree

 

[faeflora]

My personal experience is that my parents tipped the gentlemen who carried my very heavy power chair up the steps to the door of the plane for me. They were just amazing. I recently flew to Florida, and had to bring my books for college and my violin (gotta practice) so I had me in a chair, violin and book bag on the plane together. I really nice guy carried the violin and book bag to the baggage claim for me. We tried to tip but he would not accept it. Great service though.

 

[Talking Hands]

Faeflora,
I am impressed. You are deaf and play the violin. Wow! That is not easy as it is easy to be off key and you need fairly good hearing to hear that. One of the reasons I no longer sign in the choir is I can no longer match pitch but instead as the interpreter I sign the music the choir is singing.

 

[faeflora]

Yeah, my doctor is impressed also. My hearing loss is wierd, I can hear the violin but not the drums. My hearing loss is in all of the bass ranges. Also, if any sound in the bass is amplified I loose complete understanding of what is being said or music. So if I am in the music room with my teacher I am good, violin close to ear, higher pitches. I loose the clarity when I play with others or if there is noise in the space from other instruments. So, I play for myself a lot.
Funny thing is my violin teacher is hard of hearing also, so we have to stop playing to look at eachother to communicate.
Fun with disabilities!


Edit To Add:
My hearing loss fluctuates daily between 35 to 40, and because I can not control the pressure in my ears thanks to malfunctioning tubes I get a lot of feedback sound (not the correct term...but I hear something then I hear it again and then I am not sure if I am hearing it correctly, very weird) add to that the primary disability cause profound fatigue so lipreading does not work that is why I love Sign.