skycap

[ skahy-kap ]

noun

1. a porter who carries passenger baggage at an airport or airline terminal.

Word History and Origins

Origin of skycap¹

First recorded in 1940–45; sky + (red)cap

Example Sentences

Desmond Taylor, 64, is a skycap who has worked at LAX for 33 years.

From Los Angeles Times

Airport skycaps and the bell people at a hotel should get a few dollars a bag, based on service, and perhaps more if the task is onerous, like handling golf or ski bags.

From New York Times

Forgotten tipped workers like hotel maids and airport skycaps were already hit hard by a cashless economy.

From Washington Post

These often-overlooked workers — hotel housekeepers, bellhops, carwash jockeys, airport skycaps and wheelchair escorts among them — have been hit hard by an increasingly cashless economy and new pandemic work rules that chip away at tipping opportunities.

From Washington Post

In the 1970s, he lugged bags for travelers as a skycap at Washington National Airport, where Fox said he saw celebrities including James Brown and the Pointer Sisters pass by.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• hostess
• stewardess