Tips to Getting Tips

[Kzanol]

I've heard a few ways that can help you get a tip from your generous passengers. If you spot a Moose and give the passengers a circle around it can help... or If you help carry all their gear up to the camp. Any other suggestions out there?

[ontheslide]

I found doing things to get tips just made me resentful to the pax when I didn't get them. Then I'd be surprised and get a nice tip unexpected.

However--I did find that sitting the American's 10yr old kid up front on the way into the fishing lodge and then letting him take the yoke for a couple minutes was usually quite lucrative

[Bushav8er]

You are already getting a pay cheque. Tips are a 'thank-you' for good service - so do something that deserves 'extra consideration'. Tips go up when attitude goes down.

[B-rad]

.

[Bushav8er]

I would hope that as a pilot you would display a little more courtesy and professionalism than the average cab driver and as such wouldn't stoop to tacky methods for tips.

I am generous with tips when so deserved, otherwise not. If people keep getting tips 'just because' then service will continue to degrade.

[Ref Plus 10]

Case and point, Australia. Not so say service over there is bad, it's definitely not, but tips are not part of the culture, they're included in the bill. Probably why people in the service industry here in Canada don't like Aussies so much.

I agree, it's as people here keep saying, tips are a thank you for service "above and beyond". Just doing your job doesn't qualify in my opinion, it's making your clients feel welcome, going that extra mile to make their trip the best possible.

So for all you new guys out there seeking tips, don't expect people to just hand you money for cheap gimmicks or work that is normally expected. Go that extra mile and make their trip memorable. It'll probably make it more memorable for you too!

Cheers, happy flying!

Ref Plus 10

[Doc]

So, you guys are just like the waitress at the local diner? Hovering over the customer for tips? Sad.

[Ref Plus 10]

Did that invoke an image of a beaver driver hopping out at the dock, and standing at the bottom of the steps with his hand out and apron on? No? Okay, just me.

[Rudder Bug]

Here's a trick that works: When they ask for that darn extra circling around the camp, and they will, ask them if they want the 20 or the 50 bucks tour. Many times I was checking my lake and they thought I was doing it for them and they tipped.

But hey, don't work for the tip, you are well paid for what you do and if you aren't, don't make it show cause you might look like a fuckin loser!

[999]

Trying to get a tip takes all the fun out of it.You get your old guys,fancy shoes and expensive watches, do a bunch of extra stuff they ask for, answer all their stupid questions and get squat. Then you get your farmers who are dressed worse than you, dont expect anything, and you get 50 bucks. You can never figure it out, just do your job as required and see what happens.

[Rowdy]

I got tipped on pretty much all the flights with tourists. Joke around with them. Make sure they enjoy the trip. Make fun of them. Seriously.. I don't try to get tips.. I was always paid adequatly.. but the more I made fun of those american fishin guys the bigger the tips got! Go figure.

Drunk fat american - "so how laaang ya'll had yer liiiiicence?"

Me - "Licence?!?! You don't need a licence to fly americans!!"

Worked everytime

But seriously.. we are not waitresses.. Don't expect a tip!

*edit* 999 is right.. the guys that appreciate the help the most are the actual hard workers who appreciate it.. not the rich doofuses who got rich by being cheap.

[Dr. Mcillicuddy]

so maybe you could tell them. Wait till you see the piller of shit on the dock and then anti up!

[Kzanol]

Maybe I should rename this thread to "tips to being a more pleasent and respectful pilot".... just for the guys who don't get tips don't get pissed off.

[AntiNakedMan]

I got $120 tip for a flight I did a while back, the guys were very very happy to get out of there. But when they pulled out the USD, I almost asked them for Canadian

Most of the flying I do is for employees of another company, so a tip is a rarity. But I make enough that it isn't an issue.

[iflyforpie]

A pleasant smooth flight with lots of interesting things to see (and positioning the plane perfectly for photos) followed by a smooth landing are good prerequisites.

The most important thing is to read your passengers. Many are only using an aircraft as a means to an end; so fly smoothly and safely. But some young 'uns are up for the joyride; so let the right seat passenger take control, do some zero-g or a steep turn, etc.

But I've never found a rhyme or reason for tips in most cases. Many of my tips have been during the worst flights in the worst weather with plenty of full sic-sacs. Maybe they just appreciated getting back on the ground. I've taken plenty of people obviously dripping with cash on what I would call a perfect flight and never got a tip. I've also taken some of the local blue collar bar scene up and got large tips.


No I don't expect tips but I sure appreciate them.

[Spinner]

or you could always do like an Otter pilot friend of mine and hang a sign up on the bulkhead saying

"if you didn't like the flight don't tip the pilot"

worked for him!

[Rowdy]

There was a sign in one of the beavs that said "Tip your pilot well so he remembers where he left you"

Classic.

[Invertago]

There was a sign in one of the beavs that said "Tip your pilot well so he remembers where he left you"

Classic.

[twotter]

The best tip I ever got was on a picnic trip from Vancouver to Chatterbox falls. It was a couples 50th anniversary and I gave them the grand tour, we did the coastal run low level up the sunshine coast and then Sechelt and Jervis inlets on the way up there, I set them up for a great picnic, poured their wine, left them alone to enjoy the scenery for a while, gave them a little tour of the trails and on the way back gave them the best glacier tour you can imagine. I did it because I thought they deserved it for the special day, and for no other reason. When we landed at CXH, the old boy would not take "no" for an answer, and believe me I tried. I just did it because I felt they deserved the best for a special time like that.

In the end, I was very well rewarded but still felt a little guilty about taking the money. It meant more to me to show these nice people something very special that not many get to experience.

Be yourself and treat others how you would like to be treated and you will be pleasantly surprised..

[wabano]

Yep, ten times a day, load their ton of stuff in the Otter, fly over,
then unload it, get the boats in the water, run up the engines,
check they have plenty of
propane, lotsa fuel for the boats,
that the water pump work,
lotsa firewood, the fridge is cold
and the crapper flush...then nearly fall overboard the rickety dock
when you get that fifty bucks tip...(yes, it's that unusual!!!),
but you sure deserve your five grands a month!

[Cat Driver]

If physical work is not your thing you can always find another industry to earn a pay cheque.

But if you want a low physical work job in aviation now is not the time to quit the job you already have.

[wabano]

What does not kill you make you stronger...

When you retire, instead, go back fly the Otter, it'll turn your
clock back thirty years!

[Cat Driver]

When you retire, instead, go back fly the Otter, it'll turn your
clock back thirty years!

Otters are for pussies, especially the twin otter, a real man rolls his full 45 gallon drums up the floor of a DC3 all by himself and does ten trips a day.

[Hornblower]

a real man rolls his full 45 gallon drums up the floor of a DC3 all by himself and does ten trips a day.

... and he does it in Ontario, Québec or the Territories

[cplanedriver]

Done both Cat, in the last 30 days....personally, Ill take the three and I'm kinda inherently lazy,,,LOL (FO and crewman to help, didn,t notice them in the otter) My back is SORE...

FLY SAFE...