Alaska Airlines is really growing me on, all thanks to its lounge at Los Angeles International Airport. But one policy in particular truly impressed me (and took me by surprise).
LAX is my home airport and since Alaska introduced barista-made coffee, I make it a point to stop by the lounge before or after every flight.
I hate the concept of tipping in principle. I always have and always will. Workers should be paid a living wage and patrons should not be coerced to reward people for simply doing their job. But the tipping culture in the USA is what it is and rather than punish workers for the system they are locked in, I try to tip generously.
So after enjoying a nice cappuccino in the Alaska Lounge last week, I placed a dollar down on the bar.
As I turned to walk away the bartender said, “Sir. Hold up.”
My first thought was, really? Are you going to complain I did not tip you enough?
Quite the contrary, the bartender pointed to a no tipping sign I had failed to notice and said, “Thanks for the gesture, but it was my pleasure to serve you.”
What a great policy.
It’s no wonder the Alaska Lounge has such great bartenders.
CONCLUSION
Yesterday, I enjoyed a great breakfast of nonfat Greek yogurt, cinnamon scone, and a cappuccino. I do appreciate this lounge. And I do appreciate the lounge’s tipping policy. It makes me a more loyal patron.
No domestic lounge in the US is magical, so I find the Alaska lounges very comfortable, especially given that access is, unusually for a US carrier, included with paid first tickets.
But the real mindset changer for me occurred last year in Seattle. My flight was delayed, then cancelled, so my “quick breakfast” in the lounge turned into 6 hours of hanging out before my new flight time. The lounge staffer behind the bar, when I returned from the gate following the delay announcement, said “Well, let’s at least make sure you’re lubricated enough that you don’t hate your wait.” That attitude, paired with a well curated draft list made it a quick(ish) wait and I’ve been kind of an Alaska loyalist when I’m able to be. (Which isn’t often being Denver based.).
I dumped UA and been flying AS more and more. I think they are pretty good. The JetBlue of the west coast. I’ll still book UA if needed but I do prefer AS now. I credited the Cathay Pacific Vietnam error fare to AS and earned so many miles. It’s a great program.
Correction-jet Blue is the Alaska of the East Coast – with s better FF program. Like them both but edge to Alaska
I appreciate the policy, too, but are staff at the lounge really paid that well? Any staff at any airport probably have a long, expensive commute, and of course the commute time is compounded by the need to get through security on the way to showing up on time for a shift.
I want to believe these staff members really are being well paid, but I’m also still likely to tip the bartender at the lounge who spends most of her time serving people who are getting whatever’s free, or who have vouchers.
Minimum wage in SEATAC is $16.09/hr.
In our experience, with few exceptions, Alaska staff are overwhelmingly friendly and professional. From the phone agents who identify themselves by name and locale to the pilots and flight attendants on board, it’s a superior experience. Your story reinforces the belief that the company tries to do the right thing by paying employees a fair wage. An admirable corporate culture.
I’m surprised you didn’t know about this before. AFAIK, all Alaska Lounges have a “no tipping” policy. In my limited experience, they also have the friendliest lounge employees, as well.
If I lived and worked on the west coast, I’d be loyal to AS too. Really nice little airline that seems to care and to be reasonable to deal with. Unfortunately, they’re a non-factor here in the midwest and thus not worth getting involved with. Still, I cheer them on from afar…
A) how did you get into the Lounge? B) how is it since it’s been remodeled? I love AS (and especially the redemptions from flying AS and accumulating AS points), but have absolutely hated the LAX AS Lounge. It was (and I know that it’s been remodeled) as comfortable as a NYC subway station on a Friday afternoon in August.
I used Priority Pass. Check the link in the first paragraph above for pictures of the remodeled lounge.
Can you consistently get in with your Priority Pass, though? Seems like every time I pass through LAX, they have the sign up saying turning away PP due to capacity constraints. I’ve only gotten lucky once.
I get pretty luck with the T6 Alaska PP lounge, but I often fly Tu-Th midday. Love the lounge.
Tipping is not a city in China…
Thanks Flo.
Yes but their fares and miles redemptions are more expensive than Delta o southwest out of Seattle so I am going to change my loyalty away from Alaska
Alaska Airlines can be described in two words – CLASS ACT. My wife and I are MVP Gold 75K members and truly value the program since it is the last “distance-based” program left. We also value our membership in the Alaska Airlines lounge and always a consistently good experience.
I guess it’s a “class act” if your focus is on lounges (although I find almost all of their lounges to be mediocre and usually crowded), BUT if your focus is on obtaining and keeping top-tier status and using it to both multiply miles and use them, I’ve got news for you: unless you spend your week flying up and down the west coast (or SFO/LAX-NYC) you are VERY challenged to get to a top tier or stay there. This is because AS does not give out class-of-service bonuses that count toward status, and has a “penalty” of 10,000 miles on your use of partner airlines to obtain status. When you combine this with a limited footprint, I find that I have no tricks (like flying First or taking international vacations on partners) that would let me combine my substantial business travel with my equally-substantial personal flying and actually make it. I gave up after last year, despite managing to score two intercontinental partner trips for vacations and traveling twice a month to a variety of destinations for both business and pleasure— short by well over 10,000 from my goal, and after 70 hotel nights I just wasn’t about to book yet another international trip. On AA, I was EXP for 12 years running on a very similar schedule. Alaska is a fine airline, and being based at SFO, I thought it worthwhile to try a couple years away from AA/ua. But it just doesn’t work for me— back to AA, perhaps.
I don’t fly enough to have status but use Alaska for most of my domestic travel. Their customer service has been absolutely stellar. Maybe it’s because I’ve been in their program for almost a decade, or that I have several paid first class fares, but the strings they’ve pulled for me is above and beyond my expectations.
@SST
Hmmm..guess you haven’t really flown Alaska much, since you DO INDEED earn class of service bonuses that count toward elite status. (75% for FC, 50% for full Y)
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mileage-plan/how-to-earn-miles/earn-on-alaska?lid=mileageplan:how-to-earn:earn-on-alaska
I’m Honolulu-based and Alaska Air is my primary carrier. In my opinion, they’re quite a bit better than Hawaiian.
I am fairly certain that the tipping policy relates to the fact that the lounge staff (perhaps with the exception of the cleaning team) are all Alaska employees in career roles. They are great, and if you visit often enough you will see that employees do move around from serving at the bar to greeting guests, straigtening up, etc. They are not professional bartenders–one or two of the staff have been trained in the barista role as well.
In the old days of Delta’s Crown Room when the only offering was the complimentary (and well stocked) bar and pretzels the same was true at most locations. As they were your Delta “hosts”, tipping at that point would have been perceived similar to tipping a flight attendent every time they bring a drink.
I will concede that tipping EVERYWHERE is silly and cumbersome in the USA. However, you have no clue what you are talking about. The egalitarian idea that being paid a “living” wage is what most workers want in hospitality is silly and misinformed. $16/hr is probably close to half what a good bartender would make on their own merits at other places. Consider the fact that tipping allows prices to be lower and hard work rewarded. It’s not perfect and maybe be abused in the USA but your hate of the tipping system because of awkward obligation or petty cheapness is petulant at best.
I’m glad Alaska employees are happy and the lounge is nice. Good to know when I fly West coast.
If this is the case, then there should be no social obligation to tip.
I have just MVP status, their lowest status. I get upgraded regularly and their domestic first class is very impressive. The food actually tastes good. I like the lounges enough that I am considering buying a lounge membership.