# Airports and wheelchairs. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 13, 2019, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462 "2019-02-13T14:10:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/1 "2019-02-13T14:10:32Z")
Is it customary to give someone that pushes your wheelchair a tip? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/2 "2019-02-13T15:14:02Z")
Don’t know if it’s customary but seems like the decent thing to do. Will await further comments from those with experience. IMHO as always; YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/3 "2019-02-13T15:17:03Z")
Here’s what the [AARP says:](https://www.aarp.org/travel/travel-tips/budget/info-03-2011/travel-tipping-tips.html) > [@](#): > > Wheelchair attendants: This really depends on the level of service. If the attendant is transporting the passenger from the check-in to the gate, $5 to $10 is the standard, especially if the attendant assists in helping the passenger from a car. If the attendant is also wrangling bags and with the passenger for a longer period of time, a $10 to $20 tip is appropriate, depending on the number of bags. But [cheapflights.com](http://cheapflights.com) says: > [@](#): > > Wheelchair captains who whisk travelers from point A to point B should be tipped at least $2. If the wheelchair captain takes you to the restroom or goes out of their way to perform additional service en route, then the tip should increase up to $5. So the answer is probably yes, tip them, but you won’t find consensus on how much. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/4 "2019-02-13T15:51:48Z")
For the past few years, my parents have needed wheelchairs to get around airports and they have tipped these people. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/5 "2019-02-13T16:23:28Z")
My parents always tip the wheelchair attendant. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/6 "2019-02-13T16:28:16Z")
I always tip $5, $10 if they help with a carryon… or one guy even checked us in at the gate! ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/7 "2019-02-13T17:19:35Z")
I assist handicapped people at my job and I don’t expect a tip. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/8 "2019-02-13T18:17:34Z")
You’d better - lest they tip you not so gently out of the wheelchair. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/9 "2019-02-13T19:02:03Z")
Simple. Any time you’re wondering if you should tip, you should. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/10 "2019-02-13T20:42:08Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Simple. Any time you’re wondering if you should tip, you should. Should I tip the cashier at Walmart for bagging my groceries? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/11 "2019-02-13T23:07:53Z")
Yes. Always. As much as you can afford. I worked at a company that designed software for folks who push wheelchairs in airports. Most of the companies that provide that service hire the cheapest people they can find, pay them peanuts, and treat them like shit. it was one of the worst work scenarios I’ve ever seen up close; the owners barely acknowledged the people who worked for them were human. In reality, they were usually low-skilled folks who not only wanted but badly needed a job. Folks were docked for things beyond their control - things like, for example, the person in the wheelchair wanting to use the bathroom, taking a looooong time to do it, and almost missing their flight. The pushers were not allowed to say anything to the client or try to hurry them along, but it counted as not doing their job correctly regardless. So yeah, please tip your wheelchair pusher. Chances are they’re being badly treated at their job and (in general) just want to help. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/12 "2019-02-13T23:10:53Z")
There’s software for the people who push the wheelchairs in airports? What does it do? Is it for scheduling them against the flight schedule? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/13 "2019-02-13T23:26:59Z")
Nm ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/14 "2019-02-14T02:57:45Z")
Thank you for the replies. Probably wheelchair assistant would have been a better choice of words. I now know they do more than just push a chair. ---
**Author:** ![svd678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@svd678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/svd678)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/15 "2019-02-14T04:28:43Z")
Wouldn’t have caught the connecting flight if not for the pushers. And at arrival they quickly found our luggage when it wasn’t on the lazy susan. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/16 "2019-02-14T12:46:43Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > There’s software for the people who push the wheelchairs in airports? What does it do? Is it for scheduling them against the flight schedule? It was for management to schedule folks. There was also a smartphone component that allowed them to track their employees in the airport and communicate back and forth if necessary. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/17 "2019-02-18T15:18:03Z")
I had two wheelchair assistance people. One at the departing airport and the other at my destination. Both let me know they didn’t work for the airline. And that they weren’t well paid. Due to their knowledge of the airport and ease of getting through security, customs, etc. I was happy to tip them. They earned it. Thank you for your input, folks. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/18 "2019-02-18T16:33:30Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Both let me know they didn’t work for the airline. And that they weren’t well paid. Did you ask or did they volunteer this information? Because if they volunteered it, it’s pretty blatantly asking for tips. ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/19 "2019-02-18T16:46:01Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Did you ask or did they volunteer this information? Because if they volunteered it, it’s pretty blatantly asking for tips. I would happily tip any wheelchair assistant like those mentioned in this thread if I was in a position to need one, but I agree that this would make me feel obligated, then awkward, and probably after all was said & done, finally a little bit resentful… Tipping Culture really is fucked, and all but impossible to completely get away from, and I write that from a country where tipping is, for locals at least, incredibly uncommon and unneeeded, yet even here still occassionally rears its ugly head. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airports-and-wheelchairs/829462/20 "2019-02-18T16:56:12Z")
As I said, my parents tipped the wheelchair attendants, but the etiquette is that they’re not supposed to _ask_ for it. Essentially, the pretense is that the fact that they’re getting a tip is a surprise to them. Weird as that may be.