Pilots Place Tip Jars On Regional Flights

In an effort to help professional airline pilots earn a living wage, many regional carriers are now allowing pilots to place tip jars outside the cabin doors of the aircraft, this in hope that passengers will fairly compensate them for protecting their lives while flying at 500 mph through the atmosphere in a metal tube with seats, oxygen, snacks and movies.

While the pilot’s union has yet to weigh in on the move, pilots themselves are pleased with the opportunity to supplement their income, with some pilots even collecting enough tips to rise above poverty level. Although unlikely, many regional pilots are hoping the additional income may chip away at the monumental student debt carried by a majority of pilots new to the industry.

First Officer Caleb Mills, who flies for a New York-based regional carrier, is relieved by the opportunity to pick up spare cash. “I went to college for aviation and have flown over 6000 hours yet I am usually the lowest paid person on most airplanes that I pilot. The tip jars give us regional pilots the opportunity to pick up extra money for groceries, utility bills and gas. It’s a nice change not to have to use your EBT card for everything you buy. And my landlord — well, mine and my 17 pilot roommates — usually doesn’t mind if we pay the rent with nickels and dimes.”

Passengers on regional flights have mixed reactions about the tip jars — some see the need for them and others view them as a nuisance. Thomas J. Welton IV, an executive with a national advertising agency, believes the tip jars are unnecessary. “Everyone knows that pilots make big bucks, so I never leave anything in the jars. I fly five to six times a week and I can tell from my first class seat that these pilots are nothing but beggars. I mean, would you tip a bus driver?” Mary Delgado, who flies only occasionally, supports the tips jars and gives as she is able. “The way I see it, these guys have the lives of the passengers in their hands…one false move and this bird takes a dive into the ground. So, yeah, I usually drop some spare change in the jar as I pass my the cabin door.”

First Officer Caleb Mills adds that he does have one reservation about the tip jars. “I don’t like wrangling with the captain over who gets to keep the bills and who has to settle for the coins. But, in the larger scheme of things, sometimes a pocket full of pennies will protect your place on the seniority roster.”

Although still in its experimental stage, the concept of tip jars outside of the food and beverage industry is gaining traction. Should the regional airline pilot test succeed, fire fighters, law enforcement, teachers and members of the military also will likely consider tip jars as a means of lifting them above the poverty line and compensating them for their jobs which society also finds unworthy of paying a living wage.