[Spridgets] Delta vs. luggage charges

[corvallis at peoplepc.com]

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:06:11 -0400 
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. soldiers returning from Afghanistan posted a YouTube
video complaining that they had to pay Delta Air Lines $2,800 out of pocket
to check extra bags, prompting an onslaught of online comments critical of
Delta and at least one boycott effort

The video went online late Tuesday. By Wednesday afternoon - nearly 200,000
views later - Delta had posted a blog message saying it had revised its bag
fee policy for troops. The airline had been allowing troops traveling coach
class three free bags, but was imposing a $200 fee on a fourth bag. Now the
Delta - in a statement attributed to an anonymous customer representative -
says fourth bags will be free.

In the video, entitled "Delta airlines welcomes Soldiers home," two soldiers
who identified themselves as staff sergeants said their Army orders
authorized them to bring up to four bags with them. After an 18-hour
layover, they said they learned of the bag fees when they checked in at
Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport Tuesday for a
7:15 a.m. flight to Atlanta.

One sergeant said his fourth bag was a weapons case containing an M4 carbine
rifle, a grenade launcher and a 9 millimeter pistol that he had used in
Afghanistan. The grenade launcher attaches to the rifle.

It's not unusual for returning soldiers to check weapons when flying on a
commercial airline if the weapons have been certified as unloaded, said Joe
Davis, a spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars' Washington office.

"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."

Army officials said Wednesday they were trying to identify the soldiers in
the video and their unit. One sergeant in the video said the unit was
returning from Afghanistan to Fort Polk in Louisiana.
===========================================================================
-----Original Message-----
From: spridgets-bounces at autox.team.net
[mailto:spridgets-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Larry Daniels
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 4:55 PM
To: Brad Fornal; Spridget list; Yahoo Spridget list
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] Bitchers and Whiners please delete this Off Topic
Post- NOW!!

Brad, you and I don't agree on much, but I'm 100% with you on this.  If 
those idiots at Delta don't get their sh_t together and reverse those 
charges, I have no problem with writing a check to cover a share of them.

LAD

=========================================================================

-----Original Message----- 
From: Brad Fornal
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 5:56 PM
To: Spridget list ; Yahoo Spridget list
Subject: [Spridgets] Bitchers and Whiners please delete this Off Topic Post-

NOW!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-ezzapu6pY&feature=share

-- 
DON JULIO 1942

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