Stay classy, Delta...

[frapjap]

Though Delta is contracted by the military, they still haven't got the respect for those who have provided service to the country and charged each soldier personally. Granted, the soldiers would be reimbursed at some point, but really Delta, REALLY?!?


http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/ ... ?GT1=43001

Delta charges returning soldiers $2,800 in bag feesDelta increased its free checked baggage allotment for U.S. military traveling back from active duty after troops say they paid nearly $3,000 in excess luggage fees on a flight home from Afghanistan. KUSA's Will Ripley reports.
By Harriet Baskas, msnbc.com contributor


Delta Air Lines announced Wednesday that it will now allow active duty soldiers traveling under orders to check four bags for free when flying coach.

The carrier changed its policy after being widely criticized for charging a unit of U.S. soldiers returning from Afghanistan $2,800 in extra bag fees.

The soldiers' military orders authorize them to travel with up to four bags. But at the check-in counter at the Baltimore airport on Tuesday, they discovered that while Delta allows active duty military personnel traveling on orders to check up to four bags for free if they are traveling in first/business class, the limit is only three bags for soldiers traveling in coach.

Several of the 34 soldiers who had an extra bag were forced to pay $200 of their own money in fees in order to make their connecting flight to Atlanta. They then posted a video of their experience on YouTube, which has now been viewed more than 200,000 times. One soldier said his fourth bag was a weapons case containing "the tools that I used to protect myself and Afghan citizens while I was deployed."

Former Congressman and Iraq War veteran Patrick Murphy, D-Pa., called Delta's fee "outrageous." "Here you have these heroes who have fought for our country overseas ... to come home to the $200 charge per soldier? It’s outrageous.”

Dozens of veterans returning home from Afghanistan via a Delta flight through Baltimore were forced to spend thousands of dollars on excess baggage fees. Former Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Pa., shares his reaction.
It's not unusual for returning soldiers to check weapons on a commercial flight if the weapons have been certified as unloaded, Joe Davis, a spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars' Washington office, told the Associated Press.

"A $200 bill for extra baggage by a government-contracted airline is the worst welcome home any soldier could receive," Davis said. "We know this is a business issue and that the troops will be reimbursed if they are authorized additional baggage in their orders, but the shock of even being charged is enough to make most servicemen and women simply shake their heads and wonder who or what it is they are protecting."

In response, Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines also apologized to the soldiers.

[Encryptshun]

I wonder how much the government is charging Delta to make sure their airplanes don't get blown up.

[Dattebayo]

4 bags is nothing for a soldier. Baggage fees are crap anyway. It's not like the plane will fly much different or use any less fuel without luggage.

[Bubba1]

"In response, Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines also apologized to the soldiers."

Since the video went viral, if the folks at Delta were at all smart, they'd cut checks to those guys today along with free trip vouchers rather than having them wait months to get it from the military. Delta FTL

[Razi]

Delta....

Don't
Expect
Luggage
To
Arrive

[frapjap]

Delta....

Don't
Expect
Luggage
To
Arrive

My co-workers and I say these two from personal experiences:
Don't
Ever
Leave
The
Airport

and

Departing
Even
Later
Than
Anticipated

[frapjap]

"In response, Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines also apologized to the soldiers."

Since the video went viral, if the folks at Delta were at all smart, they'd cut checks to those guys today along with free trip vouchers rather than having them wait months to get it from the military. Delta FTL

You're right- its definitely pathetic that they wouldn't do anything more about it until they were posted on teh intrawebz.

[skydragoness]

The soldiers' military orders authorize them to travel with up to four bags. But at the check-in counter at the Baltimore airport on Tuesday, they discovered that while Delta allows active duty military personnel traveling on orders to check up to four bags for free if they are traveling in first/business class, the limit is only three bags for soldiers traveling in coach.

Sure, that makes perfect sense.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Lol, do people even still fly Delta? When I was booking a flight, their prices were WAY higher than others. Same with AA.

I guess the govt. is their only customer. They need to rake in as much money as they can I guess.

Pretty embarrassing on their part. I'm sure whoever made the call on those fees isn't around anymore..

[93coupe]

I'm not seeing a problem. Its a policy and soldiers get reimbursed.

[ADDirishboy]

HA! 200 bucks each? Really? When I worked at Air Canada, checking 4 bags would cost $375. And yes, we charged soldiers. Well, other employee's did, I always let it go.

[carloslebaron]

Why such a special treatment after all? We have heroes everywhere in the city, from the policeman to the preacher, from a teacher to the bus driver...

Besides, they went to another country to fight for freedom, democracy, and the other souvenirs of propaganda created by the government, and they didn't go as tourists who bought -or confiscated- goods to -or from- people of that country. What was the overweight about?

If Delta retracted itself, for sure there is now an under the table agreement with the army, because Delta still is a business company, and heroes or not, this company won't concede to lose money to keep good standing...Delta is not own by a sole person but by lots of investors, and they won't agree to see their income be diminished a sole cent by patriotic reasons...on the contrary, all this fake about fighting terrorism overseas is to foment business, specially the arms production...

[Ace2cool]

HA! 200 bucks each? Really? When I worked at Air Canada, checking 4 bags would cost $375. And yes, we charged soldiers. Well, other employee's did, I always let it go.

Read it again, Gheyler. That's $200 for ONE EFFING BAG. They were allotted 3, and the ones who brought 4 (because their orders told them they could) had to pay an extra $200 for their one bag, even though it said they were allotted 4 bags in their orders.

[Ace2cool]

Why such a special treatment after all? We have heroes everywhere in the city, from the policeman to the preacher, from a teacher to the bus driver...

Besides, they went to another country to fight for freedom, democracy, and the other souvenirs of propaganda created by the government, and they didn't go as tourists who bought -or confiscated- goods to -or from- people of that country. What was the overweight about?

If Delta retracted itself, for sure there is now an under the table agreement with the army, because Delta still is a business company, and heroes or not, this company won't concede to lose money to keep good standing...Delta is not own by a sole person but by lots of investors, and they won't agree to see their income be diminished a sole cent by patriotic reasons...on the contrary, all this fake about fighting terrorism overseas is to foment business, specially the arms production...

And guess what? Firefighters, policemen, even preachers, get discounts along with the military. All kinds of restaurants and businesses offer a civil service discount alongside their military discount. Guess what? That's lost money. They're not paying full price.

And the reason this is such a big deal is that they are REQUIRED to go to that country to perform their job. They are REQUIRED to have all their gear, which often times, will end up as being MORE than 4 bags. They can get NJP and put on report if they don't have all their gear. They were allotted 4 bags in their orders, but Delta told them they could only have 3, and charged them a ridiculous baggage fee for the extra bag.

I'm disregarding your propaganda statement, as you calling the government out on propaganda is downright propaganda in itself. Your statement regarding that holds no weight IMHO. But as far as "overweight," news flash, you make money while on deployment. You buy things when you live somewhere for 2 years. You accumulate random goods. I used to be able to fit everything I owned in my Sea Bag and a suitcase, but now, I have to make 3 trips in my 2+2 in order to move everything I have. People buy things on a 2 year long deployment. That's just common sense.

And you must underestimate how big the "patriot effect" is in this country. If Delta had let this go unanswered, some people would downright refuse to fly with them. That's MILLIONS in losses, as opposed to the $2800 baggage fees that weren't supposed to be charged anyways. Simple US economics. They are doing what any large public business would do and SHOULD do.

[OriginalWheelman]

Why such a special treatment after all? We have heroes everywhere in the city, from the policeman to the preacher, from a teacher to the bus driver...

None of these people get shot at for a living. The police officer might get shot at. And even then, no on duty cop has ever paid for anything at any restaurant I've ever worked at. And that adds up to a hell of a lot more then $200.

[LocAL_anarchy]

Why such a special treatment after all? We have heroes everywhere in the city, from the policeman to the preacher, from a teacher to the bus driver...

And these people make way more money than the majority of enlisted personel traveling home from their deployments. $200 is a LOT of money to them, especially considering the military only reimburses them the minimum amount of airfare. So odds are they are already spending out of pocket. Been there, done that. And it sux...

[carloslebaron]

And guess what? Firefighters, policemen, even preachers, get discounts along with the military. All kinds of restaurants and businesses offer a civil service discount alongside their military discount. Guess what? That's lost money. They're not paying full price.

And the reason this is such a big deal is that they are REQUIRED to go to that country to perform their job. They are REQUIRED to have all their gear, which often times, will end up as being MORE than 4 bags. They can get NJP and put on report if they don't have all their gear. They were allotted 4 bags in their orders, but Delta told them they could only have 3, and charged them a ridiculous baggage fee for the extra bag.

I'm disregarding your propaganda statement, as you calling the government out on propaganda is downright propaganda in itself. Your statement regarding that holds no weight IMHO. But as far as "overweight," news flash, you make money while on deployment. You buy things when you live somewhere for 2 years. You accumulate random goods. I used to be able to fit everything I owned in my Sea Bag and a suitcase, but now, I have to make 3 trips in my 2+2 in order to move everything I have. People buy things on a 2 year long deployment. That's just common sense.

And you must underestimate how big the "patriot effect" is in this country. If Delta had let this go unanswered, some people would downright refuse to fly with them. That's MILLIONS in losses, as opposed to the $2800 baggage fees that weren't supposed to be charged anyways. Simple US economics. They are doing what any large public business would do and SHOULD do.

I don't think so, that a "boycott" will occur if Delta do nothing in favor of the soldiers, you must be dreaming, watching too many movies, or perhaps making things looking extremely perfect. Look, deals are made, and several investors of Delta are not even Americans, they just won't care...Delta will be paid to the last cent after this incident...with your tax money...

Lets go to the root of this patriotic events...a country that invades another country has no other purpose but to subject, conquer and take advantage of the invaded...this is found since the beginning of human culture...and only big empires were successful invading smaller countries to posses their goods...today, you and I enjoy three four, or more cars in our garages, food from everywhere in the market, gasoline less than $5.00 a gallon...while in the rest of the world the price per gallon is %7.00 and above...why? because empires take it all... Do you think that there is a fight "for freedom"?...that the US government is looking for the liberation of other countries? ...ha, ha, ha... look, no government in this world, neither in the past, not today and less in the future will "help" another country for free...get it?

Lets go to recent history so you will see the parallel...

In Germany when Hitler was in power, the Germans used to support their troops because they were fighting for their country...they also have emblems and similar to stimulate the symphaty for their "soldiers' sacrifice"... This "trick" of "support our troops" was invented by some ancient culture, but Hitler originated the emblems, like the emblems used today by many in their car's bumper...

So, what we see today in US is not new but a copy of the tactics made by the German government...lets see another one...you saw the US army delivering pamphlets from airplanes to the Iraqui cities to desist any resistance, and guess what...this idea was also originated by the Germans, yes, Hitler again...

But, ignorance is also found everywhere, and there is an international article about wars, that it says that no soldier of a first country is obligated to fight against another (second) country if the other country has not attacked/invaded/threatened the first one.

This article came out after the WWII when several German soldiers and officers were under investigation for charges as abuses and crimes against humanity, but they were found "not guilty" because as soldiers they were just "obeying orders", and even when they knew that they were invading other countries without provocation, they had to obey and attack and kill soldiers and civilians...because those were the orders...

So, in front of this contradictory situation, because they -as army men- must obey orders of their superiors, and can't disobey them without court martial, the article was approved to avoid a similar scenario like WWII.

In other words, as Iraq was never a real enemy of US, that never attacked US, never invaded US, was never a threat for US, the US soldiers could easily avoided going to war against a country that wasn't an enemy by any means, and they were protected by international laws...of course, ignorance of these international agreements are never taught around the US military bases...

The same as well with Afghanistan, a country with sporadic tribes who wrere living so healthy -look at their teeth...no American dentist can imitate such a perfection in alignment with natural look- ...and now they will start to be victims of drinking sodas, watching Jay Leno and even been imposed to accept homosexuals living openly in their clans...come on! You are not liberating them...you are destroying them...

Thanks to these invasions, US is sucking the goods from everywhere, so, it is not your fault, not even mine, we are not the ones in power, but we surely enjoy the benefits of the invader... for this reason, I'm conscious that when I fill up my car's tank, that this gasoline is bloody oil, and that I enjoy cheaper gasoline than in other countries because innocent children, women, elder, etc in some country of the world have been murdered and pay the difference...

I respect your position, because the way you have been taught is different, but I prefer to review and ask questions, I prefer to analyze the both sides of the coin... of course that I will never do anything against the government, such should be stupid because you always lose, but at the same time I maintain the skepticism about their faked intentions when it is said that the invasions are made to "help" others...when is ourselves only...

So, "heroes" because you invade another country...well...that is your idea and definition of it...I just don't agree with that... I call heroes to the WWII veterans...about the rest... I think they should review the international laws before going to fight wars around...against countries that weren't a threat to US... this is my opinion.

Peace.

[Razi]

watching Jay Leno and even been imposed to accept homosexuals living openly in their clans...come on! You are not liberating them...you are destroying them...

OH THE HUMANITY

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Locked because pretty much everyone is in agreement except Carlos... and arguing further probably won't get us anywhere.
I guess if you guys want to keep it going we can move it to the politics forum or something.

[Ace2cool]

Carlos, never once in my argument did I say anything about the word "Hero." You brought it upon yourself to assume that was the route I was going. I said they were just following orders as commanded.

James, I'm gonna move this to politics just so a thread doesn't get prematurely ended while other parties may have other opinions to interject.