We Americans tend to tip every waiter at the restaurant, bartenders, our hair stylist and the list goes on and on. It is not customary to tip a flight attendant. Some may even get wide eyes at just the suggestion of it. Should you tip a flight attendant during a flight?
There are testimonials of those who tipped flight attendants who provided an excellent service during a long flight. On the other hand there are stories of flight attendants who accepted tips at the insistence of the passenger and threw in few extra drinks or other free goodies.
Here’s where it gets complicated. Typically you tip after an excellent service, let’s say in a restaurant. But when you are flying, many thinks tipping should be done at the begging of the flight with anticipation for good service. That is to some morally unethical amounting to a bribe. That may be why some airlines ban tipping altogether. However, tipping at the end of a flight for going the extra mile to make your flight much more enjoyable should be appropriate. Some surveys indicate that about 25 to 30 percent of flying public tip flight attendants. This is a hard one. You will be the judge.