Tipping again allowed for Boston skycaps

BOSTON, May 30 (UPI) -- Skycaps at Boston's Logan Airport have agreed to drop a court claim against American Airlines now that American has ended its ban on tipping.

The airline also scrapped its $2-per bag fee for curbside check-in, the Boston Globe said Friday.

The check-in fee, which was implemented in 2005, resulted in a lawsuit in which nine skycaps were awarded $325,000 for tips they said they lost as a result of passengers being less generous. The skycaps filed a claim this spring alleging that American had slapped the tip ban on them in retaliation for the lawsuit.

The Globe said lawyers for the two sides reached an agreement just before a hearing on the matter in federal court.

Some skycaps, however, said American could afford to scrap the $2 curbside fee because it will soon implement a $15-per bag fee for luggage checked in either at the curb or the inside ticket counter.

"It makes no sense, if you're having a separate distinct fee that happens to be higher, to have a separate additional smaller fee," said American spokesman Tim Smith.