Should You Tip In Airport Lounges?

Traveling can be complicated and controversial when it comes to tipping. The more you travel, the more confused it is. I recently had a reader ask me about tipping when dining in American Airlines Flagship First Dining, so I figured I'd answer that question more broadly.

Should you tip in the airport lounges?

Tipping in airport lounges is never expected

tipping is not expected in an airport lounge anywhere in the world. It's not like dining in a restaurant in the US where you're a jerk if you don't tip, as server aren't paid minimum wage before tips.

As you might expect, though, the custom of tipping in airport lounges is very different depending on where in the world you are. So while no one tips in airport lounges in Japan, a lot of people do tip in airport lounges in the United States.

In the United States, tipping is not expected in airport lounges.

• It certainly is appreciated for some kinds of services
• People working in airport lounges are at least paid minimum wage (unlike restaurant servers), but of course minimum wage and a livable wage aren’t the same thing
• For many airport lounge employees, tipping does make a significant difference to their bottom line and ability to provide for themselves and their family
• You might think it’s mostly Americans tipping, but that’s not my understanding; based on what I’ve been told, it’s just as much foreigners, partly because they might not be familiar with US customs (other than knowing that you’re supposed to constantly tip), and also since they may have some leftover currency and might be leaving the country

It is a common practice to tip, even though you never feel like you have to.

Under what circumstances should you tip in airport lounges?

Under what circumstances are tips common in airport lounges? I would say there are a few different situations. I'm not claiming there's a right or wrong answer, but I am sharing my take and observations.

When you are served a drink

If you want a drink in the airport lounge, you'll have to pay for it. The lower end of the tip is usually used for pouring a glass of wine, and the higher end is used for a custom cocktail.

I know that some people who choose to sit at the bar in an airport lounge may just tip $20 upfront, and then they get amazing service the entire time. I'm not saying people should do that, but it's a common practice.

If you don't want the custom avocado toast station in the Admirals Club to be restricted to just one topping, you should tip the waiter or waitress.

When you have a sit-down meal

In the past several years we have seen an increase of airlines offering a la carte dining in lounges, whether we are talking about American Flagship First Dining or United Polaris Lounges. In many cases, this experience offers restaurant-quality food, drinks, and service.

If service is friendly and attentive, I will tip $10-20, depending on how much I eat and drink. I try to tip 20% of what I think a meal like that would cost in a restaurant outside an airport. It is a small price to pay for a great experience.

Priority Pass restaurants give you a dollar credit for every meal you eat, so if you join you will get a dollar credit for every meal you eat. Since the credit is just another form of payment, you should tip in the United States.

When you get a spa treatment

Since many airport lounge spas were closed during the Pandemic, these opportunities are limited. Some airport lounges have spas with complimentary treatments. I usually tip $5-10) for a mini-treatment here. I try to think of how much a similar treatment would cost if I paid with cash.

When you get exceptional service

Sometimes lounge employees go above and beyond without a la carte dining or spa treatments. Rumana at the Capital One Lounge DFW is a great example of this.

I think tipping as a sign of gratitude is a nice gesture, but also not expected. Most of the people who are friendly do so because they want to make other people happy, not because they want to get a tip.

What about lounge tipping outside the United States?

The guidelines are mostly for lounges in the US since we have a culture of tipping. What about outside the United States? I wouldn't tip in a place like Japan as it would be considered rude.

What about that other than that? I usually don't tip in airport lounges outside of the US, but I do tip when I get spa treatments. I think it's reasonable to not tip in those situations.

I don't usually tip for drinks and dining in the same way I would in the United States.

Tipping is not expected in airport lounges. Depending on where you are in the world, it's not unusual to do that. In the United States, it is common for people to tip a couple of dollars when a bartender pours a drink, or a bit more for a sit-down meal or a spa treatment.

Airport lounge employees are paid minimum wage and many airports have high minimum wages. A high minimum wage is not going to be a good wage in many places.

In some lounges, guests tipping makes a difference in how much people make, and helps airport lounges retain some good talent.

I'm also not 100% consistent even though I have my general system. I don't tip sometimes because I don't have small bills. I try to make up for it the next time.

How do you tip in airport lounges?