NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Lila Wylie’s age is such that she struggles to get around in airports.
The Bella Vista woman seeks advice about all sorts of age-related travel matters.
“I’m now 83 years, and as my legs get weaker, the airports are getting larger,” Wylie writes. “There used to be carts where one could hitch a ride. Now you wait for the agent to call one.
“I need more and more help and need some guidelines on tipping. My last trip I tipped the shuttle bus driver for getting my bag, tipped the curbside attendant who checked my bag and got my boarding passes, and tipped the attendant who pushed a wheelchair as fast as he could to a faraway gate.”
The Guru thinks tips should be left to the discretion of the person who’s giving up the money, but hethinks some monetary exchange is appropriate in every event Wylie describes.
More on that later.
Kelly Johnson, Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport’s director, suggests Wylie let her airline know when she buys her ticket that she’ll need extra help.
When Wylie reaches a large airport, someone will be ready for her arrival.
Airlines at large airports have people to push wheelchairs and drive motorized carts. For instance, American Airlines pays for those services at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. There’s no fee for such help, American Airlines spokesman Andrea Huguely said.
American’s skycaps can accept tips, but the folks who push wheelchairs and help passengers in other ways aren’t allowed to accept tips, Huguely said.
At XNA, Wylie’s salvation isn’t an airline employee. It’s Chuck Burkhalter, a former bull rider from Beaumont, Texas.
Burkhalter, 38, is one of three skycaps working for Flight Services and Systems. XNA pays the company for skycap service.
XNA skycaps push wheelchairs, help passengers get boarding passes and then ensure that bags are tagged properly, carried inside and that they don’t exceed weight limits.
For that work, Burkhalter makes $2.63 an hour plus tips.
He arrives at work at 4:30 a.m. Yep, 4:30 a.m.
Rumors persist that the sun isn’t visible then.
He greets everyone who walks past him, and many don’t return the greeting.
Mom said not to talk to strangers, but Burkhalter is no stranger.
“I go out of my way to make people laugh and to cheer them up,” Burkhalter said. “I try to help them.”
His tips once topped $250 a day, but the amount fell to $80 to $100 a day after the airlines started charging a fee for checked bags.
A family traveling with five or six bags normally tips $8 to $10. A Northwest Arkansas woman regularly gives him $100 when she travels.
“A dollar a bag is too little of a tip, but if it’s an older woman, I don’t expect much,” Burkhalter said.
“When I get that age, I want someone to take care of me.
“If you’re in a wheelchair, I’ll do everything for you.” Robert J. Smith’s column about people on the move in Northwest Arkansas appears each Monday. He can be reached at [email protected].
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7 on 07/26/2010