Whether or not you want to tip the service staff while traveling is entirely beside the point. You’d better do it, especially if you use the facilities often and don’t want to find yourself wandering why the doorman can’t seem to find a vacant taxi when they’re lined up and down the sidewalk; or why it was your suitcase that got mashed repeatedly between the elevator doors on the way down to the lobby? As a swanky Jetsetter, it is certainly your right to disagree that proper tipping is necessary but be prepared to suffer the consequences. Think service staff at high-priced hotels and restaurants aren’t as petty as the rest of us? Think again. The following is the going rate for a nice dinner out: 1. Waiter - 15%, Captain 5%. If you add the tip on your credit card, specify the breakdown between the two or the waiter gets it all. 2. Headwaiter who seats you - Give him $5 if it’s a one time visit or $10 at regular intervals if you’re a regular patron. Always make it cash. Never tip the headwaiter if you like long waits and lousy tables. 3. Sommelier - 10% or 5% if the wine is very expensive. Come on, what are you doing ordering expensive wine if you can’t cough up a little something for the wine dude? In most places, $2 or $3 is a decent tip. 4. Bartender gets a buck minimum or 15% of your drinking bill. 5. Hatcheck, restroom attendant, and doorman should get fifty cents to a dollar. Opt for the latter if he has to flag a taxi for you in the rain. Other random tipping advice. The limo driver expects about a 15% tip. Hotel valets, room service, and bartenders get fifty cents to a dollar. The bellman need fifty cents a bag and the chambermaid a dollar a day. The headwaiter at your favorite nightclub should get $5 to $10, depending upon the level of service you’d like (and how much you want to impress your friends). That about covers it for tipping. Remember, ignore the "little" people at your own peril.