do people tip the conductor to get good seats in coach?

[SandraW]

do people tip the conductor to get good seats in coach? does it work?

I always tip the hotel front desk. (usually $10 or $20, depending on the property)

The tip usually gets me an upgrade to a better room. "usually" = 7 out of 10

Speaking of tips on Amtrak...

I've only been on Amtrak sleeping cars a couple of times. I only tipped $15

a day, since I was the only one in the room. The attendant almost gave me

a dirty look... was $15 too little?

 

[chrsjrcj]

I've never tipped the conductor or coach attendant.

As far as tipping to get good seats, it ain't gonna happen. Unfortunately, you're going to get what you're assigned. Normally, people traveling alone will be assigned with another person traveling alone, so that people traveling in groups can sit relatively close together.

 

[Ryan]

No.

Tipping the conductor is like tipping the pilot, you just don't do it.

Unlike a pilot though, the conductor changes every 10 hours or so.

What you tip the room attendant is up to you. $15 is probably about the average that folks admit to around here. Whether that's the overall average or not is a topic of heated debate.

 

[pennyk]

I think $15 a day is fairly high (in my opinion) for one person in a sleeper. I rarely tip that much and I think I am fairly good tipper.

 

[user 1215]

NO - Never tip the conductor. S/He'll likely refuse it. They are not a "tipped" position and will get some gruff looks if not greivances filed against him by the tipped crew of the train. Just don't do it.

You tip the coach attendant.

 

[TVRM610]

The Coach attendant is who will assign the seats. If you really wanted a good seat, I would imagine a tip could help, but I wouldn't expect it automatically. Since all the seats are the same as far as pitch and leg room, I'm not sure how much you would gain, but it's worth a try. I like getting a window seat with a full (not half) window... But if I don't get it I just turn into a lounge lizard.. I'm fine with that. Ha.

When you are boarding... Early boarding with red caps can help get a preferred seat as well... Tipping the Amtrak Red Cap would probably be a better option for a scoring that good seat. That is if you are boarding from a terminal with red caps.

 

[BCL]

My wife tried to get me to slip a $20 to the hotel clerk when we checked into our hotel in Manhattan. We reserved a single queen bed (king was maybe $40/night more), but she was hoping maybe we get bumped to a king or maybe a suite. I feel awkward and have never tipped a hotel clerk before. So I go up, don't actually tip the clerk, and she says she's upgrading us to a king bed anyways.

It's not that I'm cheap, but I tend to feel "dirty" trying tip someone to influence that person to do something differently. I have no issue with tipping for good service, but tipping a hotel clerk just feels like trying to cheat the system.

 

[henryj]

I guess I am 'cheap', I tip the sleeping car attendant 5 bucks and he was happy to get it. I leave a couple of bucks in the diner so I don't get poisoned next time I eat there. Other than that........forget it. I don't have to tip anyone when I fly. At hotels and motels I tip no one.

 

[the_traveler]

I think I am fairly good tipper.

And a good "cow tipper" too! :giggle:

 

[Train Rider]

If you get a dirty look for the size of the tip, then demand it back.

 

[zephyr17]

The Coach attendant is who will assign the seats. If you really wanted a good seat, I would imagine a tip could help, but I wouldn't expect it automatically. Since all the seats are the same as far as pitch and leg room, I'm not sure how much you would gain, but it's worth a try. I like getting a window seat with a full (not half) window... But if I don't get it I just turn into a lounge lizard.. I'm fine with that. Ha. When you are boarding... Early boarding with red caps can help get a preferred seat as well... Tipping the Amtrak Red Cap would probably be a better option for a scoring that good seat. That is if you are boarding from a terminal with red caps.

It depends on the train, the station and even the specifc crew who will assign the seats if they are assigned at all.

In Seattle, for instance, the conductor/assistant conductor will check in all coach passengers prior to boarding and assign seats.

At intermediate stations, like Everett, the coach attendant MAY assign seats, or may not, or just direct you to a section of the car ("you're a single, any empty seat in the back half ofthe car"). If he assigns seats, he will have already worked it out from advance from the manifest. The operating crew (conductor) may direct you to board a certain car, depending on destination, though.

You NEVER tip the operating crew (conductor or assitant conductor). It is appropriate to tip the service crew (coach and sleeper attendants, waitstaff, LSA's) according to your own practice and the level of service.

I don't think $15 a day is inappropriate. For average service, I tip $10/day myself.

 

[SarahZ]

I've never tipped the coach attendant, but I don't tip hotel clerks either. The whole process just seems awkward to me. Not that it's wrong. I'd just feel weird doing that. I only tip people in "tipped" positions.

Anyway, it never hurts to ask if you can have a window seat or a seat near the middle of the car. When I rode in coach, I always asked, politely, if I could have a window seat. If they said, "Sorry, all booked up," I'd just smile and say, "Okay, thanks!" and take my seat assignment without complaint. Sometimes they'd say, "Yeah, sure..." and scan their manifest/card for a second to find something for me.

 

[Trainmans daughter]

The first time I rode in coach, I didn't even know there WAS an attendant. There was some gal in uniform that sat in the back of the coach and read a book the entire day, but she sure didn't do any "attending". On our next coach trip, we had Roman as our attendant. He was the total opposite. He was highly visible, helpful, and ran a tight, clean, and orderly ship. He had clearly worked out seating from the manifest for the entire route. So when two middle-aged couples got on in Santa Barbara and immediately started giving him grief about their seats, I reallly felt sorry for him. He handled it with courtesy, common sense, and a bit of humor. Our seats were just in front of these rude people, so when he passed by me, I stopped him and gave him a $20 tip, telling him he was the most efficient and appreciated car attendant I had ever seen. I said it loud enough for the rude people to hear me. Later, he made sure we had dinner reservations, and before going off duty that night he showed me where 2 empty seats were where I could sleep. That was a good $20 investment!

And yes, I wrote Amtrak a letter praising Roman.

 

[chakk]

I have tipped coach attendants -- and told them why I was doing so -- when they "allowed" me to take an empty seat in back by the coach attendant's own "reserved" seat, rather than have to double-up with another single rider. AND, the attendant made sure to NOT sit another single rider further down the line next to me. I think he recognized that I was a "well-behaved" passenger -- unlike some of the others in the car he was having to deal with -- and liked having that "buffer" between him and the shenanigans going on further forward.

 

[NW cannonball]

All good advice --

BUT - to say it again - you don't want to try and tip the conductor . Or the Assistant Conductor.

It's a distinction you won't meet in the same form on cruise ships, or buses.

The conductor - who is the person with the conductor hat on the long-distance trains - or the name badge that reads "conductor" or "assistant conductor" - is actually the boss of the train - with some subsidiary duties like checking revenue (tickets) and resolving disputes over seating. The conductor is not part of the service crew. The conductor may personally check tickets, and assign seats - . But if the conductor decides the train doesn't need a particular paying passenger - off they go. If the conductor decides that the driver (engineer) needs to stop -- the train stops. The conductor knows the whole route - all the tracks, all the switches, all the slow orders and special orders. (And if the conductor needs to walk the whole train to check every brake valve if there is any question about the brakes, the conductor will do that too. Unless there's an Assistant Conductor to delegate to))

On North American trains -- the conductor is responsible for the safe passage of the train (and its revenue).

You never, ever offer to tip the conductor. Maybe kinda like offering a lousy 5 dollar tip to local law enforcement.

Oh, also, the conductor has the railroad's dispatcher available at any time. The conductor is the one who can call local law on any passenger anywhere the train is.

 

[BCL]

All good advice --
BUT - to say it again - you don't want to try and tip the conductor . Or the Assistant Conductor.

It's a distinction you won't meet in the same form on cruise ships, or buses.

The conductor - who is the person with the conductor hat on the long-distance trains - or the name badge that reads "conductor" or "assistant conductor" - is actually the boss of the train - with some subsidiary duties like checking revenue (tickets) and resolving disputes over seating. The conductor is not part of the service crew. The conductor may personally check tickets, and assign seats - . But if the conductor decides the train doesn't need a particular paying passenger - off they go. If the conductor decides that the driver (engineer) needs to stop -- the train stops. (And if the conductor needs to walk the whole train to check every brake valve if there is any question about the brakes, the conductor will do that too. Unless there's an Assistant Conductor to delegate to))

On North American trains -- the conductor is responsible for the safe passage of the train (and its revenue).

You never, ever offer to tip the conductor. Kinda like offering to tip your local law enforcement.

And if there's a suicide on the tracks, it's the conductor who has to go out and examine the scene. I've hinted at this to a conductor, and she just looked at me with a severe look of dread (i.e. it's the worst possible thing that could happen on the job).

 

[rrdude]

Tipping the coach attendent, EARLY IN THE TRIP, with the hint tht there "more to come" at end of trip, is a VERY WISE move. If however, they seem like they will never lift a finger, don't waste ur money. Judgement call, pretty EZ to figure out after afew stops.....

 

[zephyr17]

On North American trains -- the conductor is responsible for the safe passage of the train (and its revenue).

Make that US trains, not "North America". On Via Rail Canada, they no longer have conductors and haven't for awhile. The only operating crew are engineers, and the Chief of Onboard Services is in charge of the passengers. He can and does radio the engineer, but he's not a conductor and is not part of the operating crew..

 

[DET63]

A "good seat" on a railroad car is any that is not close to or over the wheels. I think most service attendants (if they want to make a good impression) will help you find a good seat away from the wheels, if that is possible. Still, there's a great deal of variability among equipment, service attendants, and impressions that passengers make on them--as well as how many people are already in the car. No two travelers' experiences are likely to be the same.

Of course, if one if them is the_traveler ...

 

[zepherdude]

I would never consider tipping a conductor. He does nothing for me but collect tickets. He provides no service. Most I have seen have a gruff attitude and not friendly. There is little interaction with them. They run the train same as an hotel manager, ships captain, airline pilot or bus driver and one would not tip them.

 

[roomette]

Seems most people here don't tip the Hotel Room Attendant but will tip the Sleeping Car Attendant.

The tipping topic never fails to bring conflicting points of view.

I embrace the diversity!

 

[user 1215]

Some people expect to get tipped holding the door open for someone and hailing them a cab.

 

[SP&S]

Tipping the coach attendent, EARLY IN THE TRIP, with the hint tht there "more to come" at end of trip, is a VERY WISE move. If however, they seem like they will never lift a finger, don't waste ur money. Judgement call, pretty EZ to figure out after afew stops.....

That's not a tip then, it's a bribe. :angry2: I'll tip well for service, but I just can't do it in advance.

 

[roomette]

Too few people see the relationship between tipping and bribing and even fewer understand the difference. Consider this: Research has shown that in places where people tip heavily, bribes are more likely to exchange hands as well. In addition, Countries with higher rates of tipping behavior also tended to have higher rates of corruption.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Too few people see the relationship between tipping and bribing and even fewer understand the difference. Consider this: Research has shown that in places where people tip heavily, bribes are more likely to exchange hands as well. In addition, Countries with higher rates of tipping behavior also tended to have higher rates of corruption.

Are you talking about New York City??? :giggle: