Dear Friends,

The other day I've witnessed for the first time a passenger giving a box of local delicatessen biscuits to the Purser of a flight, so that he could distribute these to all crew members for everybody to have a nice sweet bite during the flight. The Purser was clearly taken aback by the surprise and appeared to be very grateful, and said he would put the box in one of the galleys.
Later during the flight I could see several crew members stopping by his seat and making small talk with the very kind individual who had had such a gentle thought for the people who would be working his flight. I could be totally wrong, but I feel that to some extent this small gesture put the crew in a very nice mood... they seemed particularly kind and proactive throughout the flight...
Have any of you ever witnessed this?
I thought it was such a nice, kind small gesture, and I might actually think about doing this on my next long haul. Human kindness goes a long way sometimes it seems....
Your thoughts?

Danny

It happens regularly - those of us in the industry who are getting to/from our destination, frequently thank the crew for the ride.

I always bring something when I ride - it's the right thing to do.

This does happen occasionally, mostly in the last 5-10 years. When travelling on other airlines on standby tickets I have occasionally given the crew a box of chocolates. Just a friendly gesture.

Isn't this a safety issue? The chocolates could very well be poisoned, and having all the crew eat it could cause some problems...

Aren't the pilots supposed to eat different food for the same reason?

rg787 wrote:

Isn't this a safety issue? The chocolates could very well be poisoned, and having all the crew eat it could cause some problems...

Aren't the pilots supposed to eat different food for the same reason?

It is a sad reflection of the world we live in that you bring this up.

But I'm not criticising you because that was my immediate thought too.

I've given gifts to crews on long haul flights when I've been in J or F, usually chocolate or cookies. For one thing, it's a nice thing to do, but for another, it tends to bribe me some service that might go the extra mile. It's usually seemed to work. It's even gotten me some nice bottles of champagne to take home as reciprocal gifts. It also makes for a more pleasant experience for everyone when the crew is in a good mood.

rg787 wrote:

Isn't this a safety issue? The chocolates could very well be poisoned, and having all the crew eat it could cause some problems...

Aren't the pilots supposed to eat different food for the same reason?

There is a bullet proof door which prevents gifts from coming forward, at least that seems to be the excuse the cabin crew use.

I often do this, especially during the festive/ easter period. The crew appreciate it , they often try and give a gift back but i never take it. i give to show appreciation, not get a bottle of wine in return.
AN767

It's probably better to give a nice pen or something else other than food. You may look sweet, but lord knows that you may have just returned from terrorist training camp. So maybe they politely accept then bin the food gifts, or test them on a fellow crew member they don't like first before distribution.

Wow...this post went downhill fast. The general rule on giving crew gifts is that the gift is of a sealed nature. If it’s a box of chocolates, then make sure it’s sealed in its original packaging. It’s an extremely common gesture and one that has never really had any negative complications with it. Please, no homebaked foods though. Trust me, it’s something your crew will definitely appreciate, especially around the holidays.

I see it quite often, mostly standby passengers that are also in the industry

I recently flew to Beijing from Montreal and gave the Air China crew a bag of maple (in the shape of maple leaves) candy. They seemed quite surprised.

There's a passenger who travels regularly on a particular route that I operate on, who always gives us a bag of candy when he boards. We are always appreciative, and I always make sure they get a few extra snacks when doing the service

Am I the only person who gets bothered by this "bribery" culture? I know where I work, and in many other places, that such a thing is against ethics as it is considered a "bribe" for services. Do you also get a gift for the check-in counter? The hotel clerk? The cashier at the store?

cloudboy wrote:

Am I the only person who gets bothered by this "bribery" culture? I know where I work, and in many other places, that such a thing is against ethics as it is considered a "bribe" for services. Do you also get a gift for the check-in counter? The hotel clerk? The cashier at the store?

Do you never tip?

Bribery? Poisoned? Is this really the world we live in? Whatever happened to just being nice?

As crew, I'll always offer something to the cabin crew when I travel as a passenger, even on other airlines. Aviation is a fairly close-knit community, and good will goes a long way to improving the atmosphere onboard. It's also useful for the cabin crew to know who to go to if they need any assistance in an emergency.

cloudboy wrote:

Am I the only person who gets bothered by this "bribery" culture? I know where I work, and in many other places, that such a thing is against ethics as it is considered a "bribe" for services. Do you also get a gift for the check-in counter? The hotel clerk? The cashier at the store?

Seriously ?

I was travelling HKG BOM on 9W in J and it was my sons birthday.
i politely asked what was the crew count and bought that many chocolate boxes and gave them on board.

The Captain (and i was shocked) cam on the speaker at cruise and wished my son a happy Birthday and they all signed and gave him a commemorative birthday card.
Not only crew even other passengers were in a good mood.

So there is goodness out there..let it spread..god knows we need it
Regards
Dr Gaurav Pai

It's common practice for airline staff, especially crew, to bring small tokens of appreciation to the flight crew. A box or bag of chocolates...something shareable among them. I've seen Starbucks cards if it's a small crew. Even had a passenger wrap a dollar bill around a chocolate bar for each person to cover their layover driver tip on arrival at their destination. All are very sweet gestures and I make a point to make sure everyone says thank you.

I do that when I'm flying on a holiday. I will usually grab a bunch of $5 starbucks gift cards for the crew. I've worked enough holidays as an airline employee myself and it's a small token for people being away from their family so I can see mine.

Oh geez. A simple expression of goodwill and being nice. The practice may be more amongst airline employees or frequent flyers, but a gesture of kindness or friendship is appreciated by anyone.
Poisoned? Terrorists? Geez again. I buy sealed bags of individually wrapped chocolates or cookies so no "fingers in the pie" as crew take one and no concern for hygiene. Average about $5 a bag purchased at Target, Wal-Mart or drugstores.
I usually say something like "enjoy these on your break" or "at some point you can sit down have a bite."
You do get an immediate reaction and acknowledgment during the flight. I've been repaid for the favor with a free drink or goodies from the galley, but I do it simply as a gesture of being nice.. I feel I am re-paying the many kindnesses I received working 32 years in the industry.
I do acknowledge good or exceptional service in many forms, and recently went out of my way to buy flowers for a hospital receptionist who went above and beyond with a paperwork issue at my appointment. I left after the doctor visit, and returned with a bouquet of flowers I bought at a street corner vendor for $7. She was overwhelmed and broke down crying because up to my interaction she'd had a miserable day dealing with issues.
She hugged me goodbye and said "we're rarely given even a thank you. You made my day and I'll tease my husband another man bought me flowers."
I repaid her kindness and effort to help me with a "priceless" bouquet of flowers.
Try it sometime. It may change your outlook and add a smile to your face. And make someone's day.

cloudboy wrote:

Am I the only person who gets bothered by this "bribery" culture? I know where I work, and in many other places, that such a thing is against ethics as it is considered a "bribe" for services. Do you also get a gift for the check-in counter? The hotel clerk? The cashier at the store?

Yes, you are. This has been going on among nonrev passengers forever. It’s not bribery. It’s a “thank you.”

Thanks for all the replies. Very informative. Very nice to see so many lovely people regularly practicing a little act of human kindness towards those who work in the industry. Nice!

On a side note & on the "other hand" : it's always rather shocking to see so much suspicion, mistrust and venom spat at others on this forum - even between supposedly fellow aviation enthusiasts. This platform really is a motley crew of randomly assorted miserable beings me thinks..... Oh well.

I think it all boils down to intention.

If you purposefully buy the crews gifts expecting a favor in return, then that could be viewed as mildly unethical or just simply problematic because you're intentionally doing something just for the sake of quid pro quo.

However, if you simply mean it as a gesture of goodwill or appreciation, then I see nothing wrong with it. In fact, I am pleased with the level of positive responses on this thread, which leads me to believe that this is due to the fact that most/all of us are AvGeeks here who love flying and being in-flight, but are also sensitive/emotionally aware that being a cabin crew member is not an easy job. Long hours, multiple time zones, delays, needy pax....it can become very thankless (but also be very rewarding). So, as long as you're buying a gift under the cognition that its an appreciation tact, then I say, all for it.

cbphoto wrote:

Wow...this post went downhill fast. The general rule on giving crew gifts is that the gift is of a sealed nature. If it’s a box of chocolates, then make sure it’s sealed in its original packaging. It’s an extremely common gesture and one that has never really had any negative complications with it. Please, no homebaked foods though. Trust me, it’s something your crew will definitely appreciate, especially around the holidays.

The general rule where?

cloudboy wrote:

Am I the only person who gets bothered by this "bribery" culture?

In short, yes. You are the only person.

Is it expected? Not at all. Is it a nice surprise? Very much so! I don't misconstrue this act of kindness as an act of bribery. Air travel is hectic, stressful and sometimes unforgiving but to know someone through all of that takes time to think about me and my crew, it's heart warming and much appreciated.

A few years ago I flew from DFW to FLL on Thanksgiving Day on AA and I gave the crew a sealed box of chocolates as an appreciation of their working during a holiday. They loved the gesture and it made me feel good that I was able to brighten up their workday. I did not do this to gain an "angle" but my wife and I were better served than anybody else in coach.

NameOmitted wrote:

cloudboy wrote:

Am I the only person who gets bothered by this "bribery" culture? I know where I work, and in many other places, that such a thing is against ethics as it is considered a "bribe" for services. Do you also get a gift for the check-in counter? The hotel clerk? The cashier at the store?

Do you never tip?

Restaurants. That's about it. Tipping culture in America is beyond stupid. Local doughnut / coffee place down the street for me started putting a tip page on their checkout iPads. What am I tipping for? Grabbing doughnut and putting it in a bag?

I could see "tipping" or "gifting" if a crew member goes above and beyond. But on many of the flights (including international) I've been on, rarely does the crew do anything worthy of tipping.

I do it when travelling on a holiday. I did it last week flying RNO LAX on southwest on thanksgiving day. I knew it was a 737-700 so I bought 5 small boxes (sealed) of chocolates. Total cost about $10.

I’ll be flying Christmas Day in New Zealand. The crew will get something I find at the Warehouse.
I did it once on Christmas Day on NZ and the crew was really surprised. I don’t think it ever happened to them. The captain insisted on my having a photo taken in the pilot seat. I was actually in a hurry to get going but I could hardly refuse.

I really don’t expect anything in return. Last week I got thanked on the PA during the flight. I was nearly hiding in my seat.

Once got a packet (sealed naturally) of Alaskan smoked salmon jerky strips from an American couple flying south for their holiday... definitely made for a nice change! And they were mighty delicious (consumed on the ground well after the working day came to an end, for those preparing to press their caps lock key). Googled the make later to see if they deliver to Europe and was shocked to discover that a packet of two strips costs USD 35!

Happens all the time on my airline, mostly from crew travelling on staff tickets, always something sealed from the duty free shop - chocolate, biscuits, candy etc - always appreciated by everyone, and yes - the pilots get it too and they happily munch away.

Reply 16 by planesarecool is a very good answer - thumbs up

I’ve only had a gift from a passenger make it to the cockpit once – stroopwafels flying home from AMS were just great!

As others have mentioned, it’s pretty standard at least at my airline for jumpseat passengers to bring a little something for the crew as a small thank-you.

I have seen people give stuff to the gate agents or Check in agents, most time if it something like the check in agent/gate agent did something that was the extra mile, or maybe just something they couldn't take with them. Or just extra baggage they couldn't stuff. I have also seen frequent travelers fly certain routes encounter upon same agents, give gifts, as a nice gesture.