Skycaps Losing Big Time As Airlines Charge Baggage Fees
July 9, 2008 · Print This Article
Tracing their history back to the tradition of the Pullman porters during the railroad era, skycaps used to be decent-income jobs for African Americans who supplemented their meager wages with tips – enough to buy their own homes and send their children to college.
Today, that reality is becoming more like a dream for skycaps across the country, according to a Los Angeles Times article.
“This used to be a solid job where guys could make a decent living,” said Howard Mcgee, 64, of Los Angeles who has been a skycap at LAX for eight years. “But with rising ticket prices, more baggage fees and increased security, it is getting harder and harder to make the kind of money we used to make.”
…Skycaps and union officials who represent airport service workers estimate that the earnings of the typical skycap have dropped 35% to 50% during the last several years.
Meanwhile, they say, the hours some skycaps work per week have been cut from 40 to less than 25, forcing many to take second jobs. In addition, US Airways plans to phase out the use of skycaps at LAX and other airports.
In California, local and state elected officials are stepping in to protect the income of the skycaps.
The Los Angeles City Council and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors have directed their attorneys to research measures that would protect the incomes of skycaps and other airport service workers, such as wheelchair attendants. No action has been taken yet.Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who requested one of the studies, said the effort could result in ideas similar to the city’s protections for wages and tips earned by hotel workers.
“The airlines are nickel-and-diming passengers, and the people who try to make a person’s trip convenient and pleasurable are losing out,” Hahn said.
Click HERE to read the full article.
You would think that airlines would be embarrassed. Skycap services are one of the few positive experiences that passengers have with airline travel these days and now it looks like the airlines are intent on destroying that as well.
This sucks. But great that the LA Times is paying attention. The idea that some airlines are actually outright banning tips to skycaps is outrageous.
The thing I don’t understand here is what is the end game – at some point the airlines are going to have an entirely McDonalds type workforce, with even higher turnover, horrible wages and even worse service. Is that really where we want to be headed in an industry that flies giant machines at 30,000 feet?
Don’t worry, soon there will hardly be any airlines left!
I saw a notice the other day at LAX for US Airways where they weren’t even allowing skycaps to get tips. Why? It just seems mean-spirited and short sighted.
Wow, you know it has to be serious when politicians have to step in and do something about it. I hope they’re able to do something about it – it makes our airport and our city look uninviting and cold-hearted when airlines put up signs telling visitors that workers aren’t allowed to accept tips.
shameful. just shameful.
But what is their hourly wage?