My father's mobility issues have recently gotten serious enough that he now needs a wheelchair to negotiate through airports when flying. Does anyone know what tipping protocol is for this? And does it change depending upon whether they actually push him from start to destination, or they just provide the chair and one of us does the pushing? We really appreciate the service and want to make sure we're tipping adequately (but don't want to go way overboard, either.)

Del, my mom has been using airport wheel chairs for a few years now. Most airlines won't let you push their wheelchairs.

If someone meets her at the gate and pushes her to the next, she usually hands him about $5. She's on a fixed income so that's a pretty good trip from her considering.

Now if she's just picked up in one of those glorified golf carts and motored with a few other people to their gates, then she doesn't tip.

Bottom line, there's no set tip amount that I know of. Mom tips for good service, like a smile, not just the pushing.

I thougth this was going to be a joke...sort of like cow tipping

Dip, that was my thought, too!

(Sorry, I can't help with the actual question)

Me three... sorry...

Well, I hadn't intended it, but I have enough of a sense of humor to see the joke! (This will give me a great visual at the airport this afternoon!)

I usually tip to the left.

I thought it was a joke as well, but I contacted a buddy who works for the airlines, and he said that this is a service that all airlines offer for free. If you feel the need to tip, it is along the lines of what you would tip a bellman for bringing your bags to your room in a hotel (does anyone even do that anymore?).

Thanks for the feedback! I found that they really do want their person to be pushing the chair, not to just turn the chair over to you. She got Dad through a special door straight into the security area, which was good, and then stayed with him for quite some time until he got through security and then got him settled in to the waiting area by the gate, so she really took quite a bit more time than the average bellman probably would to just deliver bags, so a larger tip seems in order to me. On the arrival end of the trip, the porter didn't have to spend nearly as much time, so the bellman analogy seems pretty reasonable.

DEL,

Which airline was this? Sounds like good customer service and I like to promote good customer service, as well as enjoy it myself.

United. It's what they fly to visit me and they have had good luck with the wheelchairs in the short time they've needed htem.