When it comes to U.S. airlines, we have seen added fees being added left and right whether it be checked bag fees, carry-on bag fees, preferred seat fees etc. However this latest fee is one that isn’t going to the airline, but rather the flight attendants.

Frontier Airlines is adding tipping functionality for their flight attendants when it comes to their onboard sales. Additionally, the flight attendants will not be pooling tips, rather whichever one charged for the item and received the tip will receive it.

When it comes to other airlines following, currently no other U.S. airlines plan to add this for flight attendants. You can see our post on Should You Tip Flight Attendants.

Per the Los Angeles Times,

At the Denver-based, low-cost carrier, passengers who order food and drinks from a digital tablet on the plane have the option of giving the flight attendant a tip.

Since the digital tablets were introduced three years ago, flight attendants have had to share the tips from the sales with their fellow flight attendants on the plane. But as of Jan. 1, flight attendants can keep the tips they make from those sales.

The change was made at the request of flight attendants, Frontier spokesman Jonathan Freed said.

But the Assn. of Flight Attendants International, representing 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines, including Frontier, opposes tipping, saying flight attendants are responsible for safety and security on the plane and their service shouldn’t be based on how much a passenger tips them.

What are your thoughts on whether flight attendant tipping should be allowed? Is it something that you support or is this one industry where tipping shouldn’t become the norm. Feel free to share in the comments below. 

Hat Tip: Live and Let’s Fly