Stumbled upon a travel blog this morning while looking for something else and it suggested bringing chocolates from the duty free shop or some other small gift for your F/A. The idea was that you might get special treatment and maybe even a meal from business class.
Does that actually work? I'm all for nice gestures, but I just don't see this as being the ticket to getting above par service - might even come off as a little creepy in the wrong circumstances?
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Re: Gifts for FA / Crew
I am doing that freuqnetly when flying before Easter or Christmas during boarding. I do not expect something, but besides having a very surprised and grateful crew, I have sometimes received wine and chcocolate in return when deplaning. In the case of wine they were even asking in advance if I have a connection.
Last Christmas I was flying AF FRA-CDG-FRA. FRA-CSG was operated by WX, they were just surprised. Before boarding I have recieved an upgrade, I guess I was the only one travelling on an full-flex Y ticket. The return was operated by AF and when I handed over the chocolate to the crew, the pruser asked me about my seat, this time in Y, and he told me to sit town in 1A instead in C. I was more than surprised, this has never happened on all my other flights during public holidays (usually LH short haul). Besides this crew was again very grateful.
Last Christmas I was flying AF FRA-CDG-FRA. FRA-CSG was operated by WX, they were just surprised. Before boarding I have recieved an upgrade, I guess I was the only one travelling on an full-flex Y ticket. The return was operated by AF and when I handed over the chocolate to the crew, the pruser asked me about my seat, this time in Y, and he told me to sit town in 1A instead in C. I was more than surprised, this has never happened on all my other flights during public holidays (usually LH short haul). Besides this crew was again very grateful.
Re: Gifts for FA / Crew
Yeah, doing this as a nice gesture is lovely but doing it in expectation of special treatment is an easy way to set yourself up for disappointment.
Creepiness is indeed also something to avoid - anything not factory-sealed, for example.
Creepiness is indeed also something to avoid - anything not factory-sealed, for example.
Re: Gifts for FA / Crew
Yes, around Christmas/New Year, but not regularly at other times of the year. Quite often I hand over the little gift during disembarkation - which is of course the opposite of handing it over in the expectation of better service 
Seems like the guy on this travel blog is out to get something for himself. If you're doing it out of reasons of selfishness, don't bother.
Seems like the guy on this travel blog is out to get something for himself. If you're doing it out of reasons of selfishness, don't bother.
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- airportugal310
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Re: Gifts for FA / Crew
Non-revs routinely do this, and there's nothing creepy about it. Weird that people think that way...
Re: Gifts for FA / Crew
airportugal310 wrote:Non-revs routinely do this, and there's nothing creepy about it. Weird that people think that way...
Well, I guess I should elaborate. I'm sure in most normal circumstances gifts are well received and appreciated. My main concern was in how the blogger was phrasing his tips on how to get better service basically. So, as others noted above, he was purely doing this in the context of expecting something in return. In such a circumstance I could see an awkwardness developing as people's behavior is different when they expect certain things rather than simply giving a gift for being nice.
Glad to see here that those who have given gifts were not expecting things in return.
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- B747forever
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Re: Gifts for FA / Crew
I am flying UA LAX-NRT on 12/25, what would be a good gift for the crew? A box of chocolates? When is the best time to give this (boarding, after takeoff)?
Re: Gifts for FA / Crew
I do it all the time traveling on major holidays. I get a tiny box of chocolates (factory sealed) that costs about US$1.50 for each person. Usually I'm on a 737 or A320 so 5 or 6 is enough for everyone. I don't expect anything.
A couple of times an announcement was made thanking me. Once on Southwest they offered me a full can of Diet Coke instead of the normal cup. I don't want it because I'd need to use the lav shortly thereafter. Once on NZ (in a country where tipping is not normal) the pilot insisted that I get a photo sitting in his seat after the flight. I was in a hurry to meet someone in the airport but I couldn't turn down his polite offer. I got my photo, thanked him, and ran out. The last time I was on a really big plane on a holiday was before I started giving gifts. I Don't know how I'd handle 15 or 20 crew members!
A couple of times an announcement was made thanking me. Once on Southwest they offered me a full can of Diet Coke instead of the normal cup. I don't want it because I'd need to use the lav shortly thereafter. Once on NZ (in a country where tipping is not normal) the pilot insisted that I get a photo sitting in his seat after the flight. I was in a hurry to meet someone in the airport but I couldn't turn down his polite offer. I got my photo, thanked him, and ran out. The last time I was on a really big plane on a holiday was before I started giving gifts. I Don't know how I'd handle 15 or 20 crew members!
Re: Gifts for FA / Crew
B747forever wrote:I am flying UA LAX-NRT on 12/25, what would be a good gift for the crew? A box of chocolates? When is the best time to give this (boarding, after takeoff)?
Yes, anything edible will be appreciated by the crew, from a box of chocolates to individual candy bars, fancy cookies, etc. My mom said one time a sales rep from Hershey's or Mars just gave them a huge Ziploc bag full of bite sized candies. The key, as has been noted, is ALWAYS factory sealed, never homemade or in any sort of packaging that isn't tamper evident.
When I travel on the holidays, I usually give it to the FA greetings folks at the door as I'm boarding and say something like "Thank you for working on the holiday and being away from your family so we can be with ours."
Reaction has ranged from an excited "thank you" (and nothing more) to a bottle of wine as I leave the plane to an upgrade to business class. Again, be subtle about it and pleasantly surprised if your gesture is acknowledged in kind but don't think that giving a $20 box of Godivas is automatically going to get you an upgrade to Polaris.
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- DocLightning
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Re: Gifts for FA / Crew
Anything you give them food-wise should be commercially sealed. Either individually-wrapped or in the original shrink-wrapped packaging.
When my husband and I flew to Thailand, we brought boxes of See's Candies for the crew on our flights. They were really appreciative and many of them stopped by our seats to personally thank us.
We didn't expect any extra-special service (we were in J, anyway), and nor should you. But at the very least, they'll know who you are and you'll be "the passenger who brought us chocolate."
BTW, chocolate is pretty much never the wrong answer to any question.
When my husband and I flew to Thailand, we brought boxes of See's Candies for the crew on our flights. They were really appreciative and many of them stopped by our seats to personally thank us.
We didn't expect any extra-special service (we were in J, anyway), and nor should you. But at the very least, they'll know who you are and you'll be "the passenger who brought us chocolate."
BTW, chocolate is pretty much never the wrong answer to any question.
Re: Gifts for FA / Crew
In 2011 I flew from DFW to FLL during Thanksgiving and gave the AA crew a nice box of chocolates upon boarding as thanks for them working over the holidays. Their surprise and appreciation was priceless.
Re: Gifts for FA / Crew
airportugal310 wrote:Non-revs routinely do this, and there's nothing creepy about it. Weird that people think that way...
We non-rev all the time but the airline my wife works for has now asked not to bring anything for the crew and be as inconspicuous as possible. Reason is that paying pax think the crew is doing us favors.
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- B747forever
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Re: Gifts for FA / Crew
Thanks for the replies. Not expecting anything back, just trying to be nice and show appreciation.
Re: Gifts for FA / Crew
I definitely love getting a bag of haribos from pax or chocolates, they always get water and drinks after that 
But it works both ways, last time I flew Austrian I brought them chocolates and introduced myself as a colleague from x and I got given a business class meal on the cute triangle plate from the senior and crew coffee. A couple of weeks ago a colleague from EasyJet was on our flight and we gave them a meal, drinks and some goodies.
I guess it never hurts to try! you might be surprised
But it works both ways, last time I flew Austrian I brought them chocolates and introduced myself as a colleague from x and I got given a business class meal on the cute triangle plate from the senior and crew coffee. A couple of weeks ago a colleague from EasyJet was on our flight and we gave them a meal, drinks and some goodies.
I guess it never hurts to try! you might be surprised
Re: Gifts for FA / Crew
Many years back, I was flying JFK-IST on DL on Y and the couple sitting in front of me bought a pair of earrings from the Duty Free Cart and gave it as a present to the FA.