Tips on Tipping

I’ve read many articles on tipping at hotels, but today’s USA Today article is one of the best summaries I’ve seen. Even I, the experienced travel expert, learned a tip or two.

To wit, I’ve always been confused about when and how much to tip the parking valet at a hotel. Here’s the deal, according to the six etiquette and hospitality industry experts polled in the article. When a valet opens the car door for you--no tip. When said valet takes your car to park it, no tip necessary (although half the experts say one could tip about $2). However, when said valet returns the car to you from the parking lot, our experts say you owe $2 to $5. I imagine if you have a clunker, $2 is acceptable, while Porsche owners should pony up $5. (Although perhaps there should be a reverse correlation between compensation and the value of the car. After all, the experience of propelling a Porsche is priceless, while prodding a Pacer is not so valuable to the valet).

But we digress. Back to tipping, this time inside the house.

The rules of tipping housekeepers are rather blurry. Many people don’t realize that maids are part of the tipping landscape. Most of the experts in the USA Today survey say $1 to $2 a night is fine, with higher daily amounts for luxury hotels. Instead of leaving one tip at the end of the stay, tip every day to ensure the person who is doing the work gets the reward. Plus, since one interpretation of the word “tip” is “to insure prompt service” (although methinks insure should be replaced with ensure or assure), a daily tip may result in a cleaner room or an extra bottle of skin lotion.

Most of the other basics are well-known: A bellman gets a buck or two per bag; the concierge is only tipped for special services (hard-to-get reservations at restaurants or the theater; filling out-of-the-ordinary requests); waiters get 15% to 20% of the pre-tip bill (unless they are working a buffet, when only 10% to 15% is necessary).

Who doesn’t get a tip? Generally, the front desk staff, the room service deliverer (assuming service is included in the bill), and the Maytag repairman. After all, if something is wrong with a guestroom, the occupant should hardly be required to compensate Mr. Fix-It.

Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum? No, Free-Wi-Fi-Fo-Fum!

It may cost you an arm and a leg to buy a ticket for holiday travel, and you may have to pay up to $100 more per trip for baggage check-in, in-flight food and a blanket, but Yes, Virginia, there is a skyward Santa Claus. Instead of riding with Vixen and Dasher, though, he’s Wi-Flying Virgin and Delta, courtesy of EBay and Google.

Right now, EBay is only playing Kris Kringle to fliers on select Delta flights during Thanksgiving week. Still, the free Wi-Fi by EBay means fliers can get an early start on holiday shopping. Meantime, Virgin America is teaming up with Google to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi to all passengers on all of its planes from now through January 15. Ho, ho, ho.

But the Google gift-giving doesn’t stop there. The Internet giant is truly getting into the holiday spirit by providing free Wi-Fi at 47 airports across the country through January 15. While most of the airports on the list are located in medium-sized cities (Baltimore, Nashville, Oklahoma City), travelers venturing through Seattle, Boston, Houston, and San Diego will also be recipients of Google’s magnanimity. However, if you’re traveling through JFK, Newark, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Washington, DC, there's no Google for the frugal. Still, the airports that Google is covering handle more than a third of all U.S. air travelers.

Travelers can pay the holiday cheer forward by making an optional donation to select non-profits while on line in the airport. Google will match donations up to a maximum of $250,000.

Laura Talks Travel Deals on TV

As promised, here's this week's appearance on DC's NewsChannel8. Please note that after the segment ran, several airlines, including United, American, Delta and Northwest, raised their "bah humbug fees" (for travel on holidates) from $10 up to $20 one-way.

Like a Virgin? For 25¢, What's Not to Like?

Who knew that the term guest quarters could become a double entendre? Well, it is now, thanks to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In celebration of the release of the U.S.V.I.'s freshly minted U.S. quarter, some hotel rooms on St. Thomas and St. Croix are selling for 25 cents a night. The centsational (sic) deal is available for travel up through December 15, but it has to be booked by Monday, November 2.

Aside from 25¢ guest quarters (for a maximum of three nights), visitors will also receive a $25 per person dining credit and a $25 per person activities credit at participating resorts. Those, by the way, include Marriott Frenchman's Reef & Morning Star Beach Resort, Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort & Spa, Club St. Croix, and Sapphire Beach Resort. They'll also get a U.S. Virgin Islands quarter, which, I suppose, can be used to pay for one room night.

The fine print: the 25¢ rate does not include taxes or resort fees; bookings must be part of an air/hotel package; and quarter quarters are subject to availability.

And remember, folks, the U.S. Virgin Islands is an American territory. That's why it has a special quarter...and that's why you don't need a passport to visit.

Laura Talks Travel & Historic Hotels on the Radio

For those who heard my segment about historic hotels on Around the World Radio today, here's a bit more information.

If you are interested in finding out more about The Jefferson Hotel, visit http://www.jeffersondc.com/.

For more on the Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa, which is located just 2 1/2 hours northwest of Washington, DC, visit http://www.omnibedfordsprings.com/.

For those of you who were hanging on my every word, you were probably quite disappointed when the host cut me off. So, let me add in print what I didn't get to express verbally. If you visit the Omni Bedford Springs Resort, be sure to find out what's cooking in the kitchen. Guests can enjoy Cooking With Chef (that would be Konrad Meier), which is a 45-minute midday instruction session during which participants get to eat the fruits and vegetables and meats of their labor. The cost--just $20 per person. For something a bit more extensive and expensive, the Chef's Table dinner experience includes a lengthy cooking lesson; a multi-course meal; wine, wine, and more wine; and plenty of personal attention from Chef Konrad and his staff. The cost--$220.50.

If you didn't hear the travel segment live, click on http://www.aroundtheworldradio.com/, go to the archives section, and search for the October 22 show.

Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum: Part X

Hallo, ladies and gents: Did you hear the one about British Airways charging a fee for reserving a seat? Yep, in a new twist to the fee-for-all frenzy, BA is saying that if you "want to have more control" over the seat you get, you have to pay for the privilege. To reserve a specific seat more than 24 hours in advance, international business class passengers have to pay $90, while international coach passengers have to fork over a minimum of $30. If one opts for an especially desirable seat in coach, say, the emergency row aisle, the price is $75. If you wait to reserve your seat within the 24-hour window prior to the flight, it's free (woo-hoo), but it's unlikely you'll get a window...or an aisle.

Since it's been awhile since I've fee-fi-fo-fummed, let me catch you up on other recent developments. For a mere $249, United is now offering an annual pass allowing a customer to check up to two bags per flight for "free." This deal might make sense for frequent travelers, except for the fact these types often have elite status in the airline's frequent flyer program. That means they already get to check bags for free.

Then, of course, are the recently-announced Bah Humbug fees. Delta, American, United, Continental, and US Airways are charging $10 extra for those who choose to fly on the weekend after Thanksgiving; on December 19, 26 and 27; on January 2 and 3 (Happy New Year, indeed); and on assorted other key post-holidates (March 14, 20-21, 28; April 11; May 28). Why don't the airlines just increase the cost of tickets on high-demand days instead of tacking on a fee? Partly it's a matter of accounting and partly it's a matter of appearances. Fees are not subject to the same government tax structure as fares, which means the airlines can keep a greater share of the fee revenue. And, of course, doesn't it look better to charge the passenger $199 (plus $10, plus $30 for the bag, plus God knows what else for what else), than to charge a one-size-fits-all ticket fare? Maybe the fare-plus-fees strategy made sense a year ago. But now that consumers understand the system, my belief is that most would prefer to pay a comprehensive fare upfront rather than be nickel and dimed along the way.

My Kind of Town

So, Chicago isn't getting the 2016 Olympics. The IOC's loss is Chicago's win. Many locals weren't exactly thrilled with the idea of millions of taxpayer dollars being spent to subsidize the Games. Plus, there was widespread fear about how the construction would impact the city's lakefront.

So, forget about the Olympics. There are still Da Bears, the hapless Cubbies, the White Sox, the Bulls, and the Blackhawks (and The Storm, The Sky, The Fire, the Windy City Rollers and others).

Even lengthier than the city's list of sports teams is the roster of museums. There are 70 in The Windy City. The Art Institute of Chicago, the country's second largest museum, is sporting a new modern wing, designed by Renzo Piano. Just opened in May, the wing features 20th and 21th century European art. If you are drawn to older masterpieces, you'll find plenty in the "old wing." To wit, there are 3,500 European works dating from the 12th through the mid-20th century. Holdings include a rare group of 15th-century Spanish, Italian and Northern European paintings, an important collection of French Impressionist paintings, and European sculpture. For those who favor American art, stop by American Gothic by Grant Wood and Nighthawks by Edward Hopper. Museum admission is $18. Art is free on Thursday evenings between 5 and 8 PM.

Opening this Thursday at the Museum of Science & Industry is YOU! The Experience. The exhibit is an interactive tour of the human body. Having attended a preview, I can tell you it's very cool, very fun and very educational for kids and adults alike. Allow at least one hour to explore YOU! Other museum highlights to take in: a 700-ton German submarine, the only one captured during World War II; The Smart Home--showcasing the latest in green living; and the Genetics & Baby Chick Hatchery section. The museum normally costs $13 for adults and $9 for kids (entrance into the submarine is extra, although the surrounding exhibit is complimentary). However, to celebrate the opening of YOU!, general admission during October is FREE!

For more on Chicago, visit http://www.choosechicago.com/. Or listen to my report on Around the World Radio, airing live on October 8 at 1:14 EDT. If you miss it, go to http://www.aroundtheworldradio.com/aarchives.jsp and click on the October 8 show.