You are a passenger aboard an airplane, regardless of which cabin in which you are seated. On a long flight — perhaps during a transoceanic journey — you receive good service from members of the flight crew. The airplane has landed safely; and the conclusion of the flight occurs once the airplane is at the gate and the boarding door has opened for passengers to leave.
Would You Give Chocolates to Members of the Flight Crew as a Gift?
Would you give chocolates — or, perhaps, another sort of gift — to members of the flight crew? If so, for what reasons would you do so?
A debate has been occurring in this discussion on FlyerTalk — and the consensus has generally been divided. Some members of FlyerTalk think nothing of treating members of the flight crew to a sweet treat of chocolates; while others opined that the gesture is tacky and creepy at best.
Some members of FlyerTalk believe that certain people give chocolates or other gifts to members of the flight crew with hopes of receiving some sort of preferential treatment in return — perhaps better service, a few more drinks or snacks, or even an upgrade to a better seat aboard the airplane. Could members of the flight crew view such a token of appreciation as suspicious — and, perhaps, even misconstrue it as a form of bribery?
Could giving chocolates or some other form of gift be taken as a gratuity of sorts, which is not usually given to members of the flight crew?
Might members of the flight crew be in danger by accepting — and consuming — a gift from a passenger whom they do not know? FlyerTalk member kabroui wrote, “Even if the box was sealed, a crazy with a hypo needle could do something really nasty so if I were an FA, I’d never eat anything given to me by a stranger, even in a sealed box.”
This topic is not a new one on FlyerTalk, as evidenced by the following discussions:
Final Boarding Call
If I were a passenger on the same flight every week which was serviced by the same members of the flight crew — and therefore, we were able to get to know each other a little better as a result — then I would consider occasionally giving them chocolates or some other gift.
I can even understand if a member of the flight crew went out of his or her way to go significantly beyond what is expected of his or her service and the passengers feel that a gift of sorts is warranted in appreciation.
Otherwise, I treat every member of the flight crew aboard every airplane on which I am a passenger with courtesy, politeness, and respect — I always say “please” and “thank you” to them — something which some passengers do not do but should do. I do not believe a gift is warranted to anyone who simply serves within the scope of his or her job for which he or she gets paid.
Please post your thoughts and experiences on this topic in the Comments section below.
Photograph ©2022 by Brian Cohen.
