Tipping Airline Crew on Frontier Airlines

In the era of low-cost, no-frills airlines, travelers have become accustomed to forking over extra cash for extra services such as checked bags, seat selection and in-flight meals, but one service they probably didn’t anticipate paying even more for is, well, service. Having to pay for in-flight food and drinks isn’t incredibly novel, but tacking on an extra payment for the previously complimentary service is a curious new development from Frontier Airlines (https://www.flyfrontier.com/).

As of January, the U.S.-based budget airline announced passengers would be given the opportunity to tip flight attendants when they pay for drinks or snacks. When paying by credit card, passengers will notice a new screen that prompts them to leave a 15, 20 or 25 percent tip, or to leave no tip at all. They can also leave a custom gratuity amount if they feel their service deserved below or above the standard tip amounts.

At the end of the flight, the total from the tips is dispersed equally among flight staff and is not funneled to the airline in any way. Flight attendants can count on this extra perk as supplementary income in addition to their normal salaries.