Tipping now more important than ever

[Toofarfromthesea]

4 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

The last few times i went through Heathrow i found that there were no bank ATM's - they were all those proprietary ones which ignored my bank's arrangements for "going rate" withdrawals without fees.  Seems apparent that someone may have paid off the airport authority one way or an other.

 

As bad or worse are the currency exchange storefronts with a Western Union logo.  They were a total rip-off in both France and Poland.

[KBs mum]

6 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

The last few times i went through Heathrow i found that there were no bank ATM's - they were all those proprietary ones which ignored my bank's arrangements for "going rate" withdrawals without fees.  Seems apparent that someone may have paid off the airport authority one way or an other.

The machine operators share the upfront fee with the airport. They are unconnected to the banks, they charge the amount to the card as a credit or debit transaction, not a withdrawal.

I challenge you to find anything at Heathrow not overpriced😕

[KBs mum]

6 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

The last few times i went through Heathrow i found that there were no bank ATM's - they were all those proprietary ones which ignored my bank's arrangements for "going rate" withdrawals without fees.  Seems apparent that someone may have paid off the airport authority one way or an other.

The machine operators share the upfront fee with the airport. They are unconnected to the banks, they charge the amount to the card as a credit or debit transaction, not a withdrawal.

I challenge you to find anything at Heathrow not overpriced😕

[Peter Lanky]

1 hour ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

I would suggest that when you are having dinner with friends and acquaintances, all of whom too at the end of a meal, then that mini-culture is a tipping culture.

 

I think this is clutching at straws a little.

 

1 hour ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Yes, tipping and dancing naked on the table are exactly the same.

 

I have already mentioned that people ought not to take analogies too literally.

 

1 hour ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

I've still yet to see any evidence that crew prefer working on non-tipping lines rather than tipping lines.

 

We've been here before. What the customer wants is far more important than what the crew thinks. The crew is there to do a job for the customer on behalf of the cruise line.

 

1 hour ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

As bad or worse are the currency exchange storefronts with a Western Union logo.  They were a total rip-off in both France and Poland.

 

I've never used a Western Union service, but whenever I see the words in a shop window, my immediate thought is 'scam'.

[Peter Lanky]

3 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

The machine operators share the upfront fee with the airport. They are unconnected to the banks, they charge the amount to the card as a credit or debit transaction, not a withdrawal.

I challenge you to find anything at Heathrow not overpriced😕

 

I am forever grateful that I never need to use LHR for this and many other reasons.

[KBs mum]

Just now, Peter Lanky said:

 

I am forever grateful that I never need to use LHR for this and many other reasons.

Yes, not the best, it's nearest to us and has direct flights to most places so we put up with it. I've noticed that the older terminals seem more passenger friendly than the new. Particularly the dreaded terminal 5 if circumstances mean BA is the only sensible option

[Peter Lanky]

37 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

Yes, not the best, it's nearest to us and has direct flights to most places so we put up with it. I've noticed that the older terminals seem more passenger friendly than the new. Particularly the dreaded terminal 5 if circumstances mean BA is the only sensible option

The last time I had the misfortune to use LHR was an unplanned stop back in 1991 when the Gulf War caused our flight from Singapore to Manchester to be rerouted from Istanbul to LHR. We were briefly allowed off the plane for a comfort stop, and what a dump it was at this gate that seemed to be the back end of nowhere. If this was to be the first impression of England for some people, then it was a very bad one. Thankfully after take off, my faith was restored when the airline managed to give a half full 747 another full meal on the 45 minute flight to Manchester.

[wowzz]

To base a criticism on a 30 year old visit is hardly fair! Plus, for security reasons you were obviously offloaded at a distant gate.

LHR has its problems,  but there are airports in the UK and the rest of the world that are far worse.

As a example,  the hell hole that is Luton. 

Edited March 9, 2022 by wowzz

[KBs mum]

47 minutes ago, wowzz said:

To base a criticism on a 30 year old visit is hardly fair! Plus, for security reasons you were obviously offloaded at a distant gate.

LHR has its problems,  but there are airports in the UK and the rest of the world that are far worse.

As a example,  the hell hole that is Luton. 

I'd give the hell hole prize to Gatwick

[Peter Lanky]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

To base a criticism on a 30 year old visit is hardly fair! Plus, for security reasons you were obviously offloaded at a distant gate.

LHR has its problems,  but there are airports in the UK and the rest of the world that are far worse.

As a example,  the hell hole that is Luton. 

That was just an anecdote, though there were no security issues. The main reason for avoiding it is that it's too distant for me and not very accessible, and I also like to avoid BA, which for some reason people still think of as a 'flag carrier' despite it's foreign ownership and reputation from people I know who use it, who report that it is one step up from Ryanair.

[ontheweb]

7 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

I need to keep being reminded.  Back in the not so long ago old days, we would avoid using the card for smaller purchases.  These days it is true we use the card for smaller purchases.  There might still be some mom & pop places that require a $20 minimum for a card purchase, but I sure haven't run into one in a while.  

 

Some places around here actually had coin shortages during COVID and asked that cards be used to avoid problems with correct change.  

There are still places here that say due to national coin shortage either pay by card or use exact change. I generally pay by credit card, but I have noticed them giving change to others despite their signage.

[ontheweb]

11 minutes ago, Peter Lanky said:

That was just an anecdote, though there were no security issues. The main reason for avoiding it is that it's too distant for me and not very accessible, and I also like to avoid BA, which for some reason people still think of as a 'flag carrier' despite it's foreign ownership and reputation from people I know who use it, who report that it is one step up from Ryanair.

Shhh. Please do not let my DW know this as when in doubt, she always prefers British Airways. Her late father who had been an RAF flyer during WWII went to work for them (actually still BOAC then) after emigrating to the US, and worked his way up to head of their computer operations before his retirement.

[ilikeanswers]

4 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

Yeah, I didn't realize how horrible the banks are there.  In the states it is easy peasy to get foreign currency in whatever denominations you choose with no fees and decent market exchange rates.

 

I think it is more of a population thing than banks just being mean. We don't have a big population therefore even less who want foreign currency so banks here aren't ordering as much foreign currency as American banks do and their overheads can't be fully absorbed unless the customer chips in. 

[KBs mum]

1 hour ago, Peter Lanky said:

 I also like to avoid BA, which for some reason people still think of as a 'flag carrier' despite it's foreign ownership and reputation from people I know who use it, who report that it is one step up from Ryanair.

It's our airline of last resort. Their first isn't even a good business class. (no, didn't pay extra for it, TA found cheap flights last time we went to DC) 

[ldubs]

On 3/7/2022 at 2:31 PM, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Do I get a lollipop or something for having post 1000?

 

I think you should get a free cruise -- non tipping of course.  

[ldubs]

On 3/8/2022 at 1:54 AM, lissie said:

I used to travel in London cabs quite regularly - it was a perk of working late hours in the city. Never tipped - never occurred to me to do so - no driver ever mentioned it. 

 

Agree - I've never tipped a London cab.  

[ldubs]

On 3/8/2022 at 3:10 AM, ilikeanswers said:

 

I can definitely say for Australia it is not normal to tip taxi drivers unless they go beyond their remit and from what my AirBnB hosts me told me in Spain it was not the norm there either. While we didn't end up getting a taxi in France I was advised only in Paris is tipping normal for taxi drivers and it is only one or two Euros. I haven't been Thailand myself but I have a Thai friend who visits family regularly and they don't tip tuk tuk drivers or taxi drivers though they do say tourists tend to tip😂. It seems you are tipping according to what you think is normal not following what the locals are doing. 

 

Australia no.  Spain no.  I agree about Paris taxi's.  I can' t remember tipping anyone in Thailand.   

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, KBs mum said:

It's our airline of last resort. Their first isn't even a good business class. (no, didn't pay extra for it, TA found cheap flights last time we went to DC) 

Ever flown Garuda, or Aeroflot back in the 70s ?

Even now there are worse airlines out there than BA, although, admittedly, not many ! 

[CPT Trips]

17 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Ever flown Garuda, or Aeroflot back in the 70s ?

Even now there are worse airlines out there than BA, although, admittedly, not many ! 

AA makes that list.

[wowzz]

5 minutes ago, CPT Trips said:

AA makes that list.

And United, although admittedly that was 15 or so years ago.

[KBs mum]

36 minutes ago, wowzz said:

And United, although admittedly that was 15 or so years ago.

American is thought to be a match for BA now. Flew United about 7 years ago, short transatlantic, their customer service was better than BAs. Cabin wise, wasn't at all bad, considering they were considerably cheaper than BA. KBs dad drank all the Heineken they had on board, cabin crew had to raid the economy class trolleys for more when he drank the two small tins business had! (he probably only had about 4 pints total) 

[wowzz]

13 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

American is thought to be a match for BA now. Flew United about 7 years ago, short transatlantic, their customer service was better than BAs. Cabin wise, wasn't at all bad, considering they were considerably cheaper than BA. KBs dad drank all the Heineken they had on board, cabin crew had to raid the economy class trolleys for more when he drank the two small tins business had! (he probably only had about 4 pints total) 

Over the last 20 years the American carriers have definitely improved,  whilst BA has declined, notably under the late unlamented Cruz.

We normally travel PE, which until recently excluded most US carriers,  and have therefore normally chosen VS, with BA the fall back option for destinations such as TPA,  where there is no choice.  

[KBs mum]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

We normally travel PE

With you on the rest of what you said, but what is this short for?  Abbreviation new to us