Just one pound is more than sufficient, especially when you think that's a days wages for most Goans. Not bad for carrying a case less than 100 metres

You can get luggage trolleys for free, or if your case has wheels you wont need any help, a few pound coins is far too much, I travelled alone and didn't require any help to pull my cases 100 yards, unless you really need help tell them NO firmly.

As LinB says...BE FIRM! One guy followed us right out to the taxi...wouldn't let us shut the door!!! We kept saying No! He kept indicating the pocket in my husbands shorts because he could hear coins jingling!!! PRRRF! No way was he getting anything!

Don't pay them! It all seems a bit overwhelming when you first arrive in the excitement of the airport but just laugh to yourselves about it and grin resolutely at the porter types. I just laugh and signal that I have no money. I think they can sense if you are faltering and will carry on hassling you. I have never had a problem getting out with my case for free and would rather give someone more deserving my money.

gentlemen at the airport

don't give any money to airport gentlemen, there is no need.

Do you mean the porters here Vegasone....or in the Gentlemens loos??? We did neither!

When we first went to Goa, the boys at the airport understood if you didn't have rupees and left you alone, next time we saved rps 10 and they were quite happy, now they turn their noses up at rupees and want £'s they have just got very greedy, western tourists have spoilt it for everyone. A pound is a lot of money to most Goans. The last time we went a boy came up to me and held a handful of pound coins up to me to change into a note, I gave him a £20 note and he still had loads left, that was just from 1 flight, on average the wage is around £15/£20 per month,so they are making a months wage or more on 1 flight.

Ok, this is kind of lazy but what the heck, you're on holiday.

We have matching luggage. One big case, one small case and a small hand held thing the wife uses.

When we got to the carousel it was pandemonium as usual.

We thought we'd hang back and wait for the crowd to die down a bit before looking for our cases when a porter took us aside, asked if the cases looked the same as the wifes hand luggage, which it did, sat us down and disappeared into the crowd to find our bags for us. 2 minutes later, there he is with all our bags, carried them all the way to the taxi for us.

He was chuffed to bits with the £ 1 coin we gave him and in my book £ 1 for someone to collect my bags and carry them to the taxi is money very well spent regardless of what the average monthly wage is.

These guys are extremely pushy and rather crafty with it. I just had to laugh at the whole experience, telling myself it was part of the fun. But talk about chaos!

Managed to get my luggage to the Airtours coach, the next thing I know one of them snatches my case, lifts it all of a few feet in the air onto the coach, and demands £1 for the privilege.

I refused, but thank god I checked the luggage before the coach left...the so-and-so had removed my case and left it on the pavement! Almost lost it altogether.

On the way back, we carried our own luggage to the airport and one of them demands £1 even though he hadn't even touched our cases!

I agree with Fritz, you're on holiday!!
does it really matter if the guys there are making more than all the other workers? After all they are just guys making a living like the rest of us.
It is definately worth a quid to avoid the carousel.
Anyway, seeing as they all seem to wear a uniform of some description I would imagine that they have to "buy" the right to be a porter.
As far as paying in the gents, the only time I have done this was to buy a cigarette lighter from the toilet wallah as mine had been confiscated at check in. the one I bought was also confiscated prior to boarding so I imagine it went back to the loos for another sale.
I was told that there is a smoking room at dabolim now and the guy who opens the door into it expects a tip also.
del949

dabolim airport has two smoking rooms both before check in and i was never asked or charged for the use did not see one after pasport control but i only used the domestic departure think the smoking rooms were call white smoke or somthing like that

from what i was told, the new smoking room is the area to the left of the departure lounge where all the smokers went and hid before. Evidently it has now been partitioned off and painted white. The guy on the door isn't charging for going in but is for holding the door open!!! (or so i am told).
del949

I took immense pleasure in giving any spare change to crippled beggars and people who actually seemed to be in need. Those pushy conmen at the airport can whistle for it!

Agree totally!! I don't mind what I give to the elderly, infirm/lepers etc ... but couldn't agree more with what you say about the porters at the airport!