American Airlines baggage fee's stick it to the military

JJ_BPK · 07-31-2008, 04:48

Someone needs to wirte their Congress Person(s) and complain...

Quote:

Airline baggage fees hit soldier flying out of El Paso for training Military re-evaluating policies because of charges, By Chris Roberts / El Paso Times, 07/30/2008

After adding all the extra equipment - boots, foul weather gear, uniforms and the like - required for training before he deploys to Iraq, Staff Sgt. Ashley Serrano had filled three bags. That was one more than American Airlines was willing to let fly without an extra baggage charge of $100.
Many airlines, faced with the rising price of jet fuel and other costs, have instituted luggage fees. And now military officials are having to re-evaluate policy as soldiers, many of whom are at the lower pay grades, are faced with significant charges to haul equipment that is required by their jobs.

Serrano said he was confronted Friday at the El Paso International Airport with a demand for $100 for his third bag, and when he mentioned he was headed for Camp Bowie - where Texas Army National Guard soldiers train before deployment - he said they told him, without a smile, that the Army should have given him a voucher. Serrano's fellow soldier and traveling companion had three extra bags and was charged $300, he said.

"I have flown Southwest, Continental, and when they saw me in uniform, they didn't even ask," Serrano said. "I flew American a couple of times before, but I never had this problem."

continue reading:
http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_10044818

**The Reaper** · 07-31-2008, 08:07

I do not see what the gripe is.

He should have had "Excess Baggage Authorized" on his orders. If not, he should have made arrangements to ship the rest of it.

If he had, it was a reimburseable expense, just put it on his government travel card.

He got two freebies on the first two bags. The third one has always been charged, IMHO.

TR

JJ_BPK · 07-31-2008, 17:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

I do not see what the gripe is.

He should have had "Excess Baggage Authorized" on his orders. If not, he should have made arrangements to ship the rest of it.

If he had, it was a reimbursable expense, just put it on his government travel card.

He got two freebies on the first two bags. The third one has always been charged, IMHO.

TR

TR

My gripe is the fact that the airline charged him anything.

Should he have had his shiite together yes,,

but American Airlines should get their Shiite together also...

Echoing Echoes remarks,,(is that acoustically possible??)

When I was a business traveler I turned in my expense account weekly,, no problem, it was the costs of doing business.. I had a job that payed well and dropping a C-note here & there was not a problem. The process worked and I was reimbursed..

That's not the case here, A c-note is a big deal to most of these kids under E6,, probably under E7..

OK I know they're not kids,, but I'm an FOG,, and they're under 30'ty,, & look like kids...

They and all our serving forces need to get some perks, Can't make them millionaires,, but I can and will pick fights that stand a chance of winning...

My $00.000002

**Dan** · 07-31-2008, 18:24

TR's post is the only one in this chain that is the voice of reason. Yes, businesses can be patriotic, but they still have a business to run. Like TR said the soldiers can claim it on their travel voucher if it's authorized in the first place. I wouldn't contact my congress person and look stupid over something like this; save your chip for when that congress person could do something about a problem.

SF_BHT · 07-31-2008, 19:01

For about 30 years I have been a road warrior in the Military and working for DOJ. As TR said 2 free (Been the norm) and the extra has to be paid for. I can not get mad about this as this has always been the SOP of the Airlines.

The JFTR covers it and I have always had Excess Baggage Authorized. The the 2 baggs are for your personnal items "Personnal" Your gear/equipment is the Excess Baggage.

Having said that I have on many ocasions had the courter at many airlines waive soem or all of my weight/Bag's. It all depends on the day and people working.

It is a buisness and I have never expected them to give anything free. Now on the 4 Funnerals that I have to Travel on the Airlines have bent over backwards and never chanrged anything extra.

The trip I did a week ago cost me $700+ each way for my gera and I did not bat an eye while pulling out the plastic to pay. It is better to plan for it and not have to pay for it than No Plan and taking it in the shorts. Tell your friend to request an ammendment to his Orders. As the JFTR states his personnel items are covered by his 2 checked bags and equipment is extra. In all my years I have never had a problem getting this payed for.

HardRoad · 08-01-2008, 07:22

If I had all the facts, I might be mad about this, but not at American Airlines. Like people have said, they have a business to run.

From the article, the person in question is a Guard soldier. I feel for the guy - for a lot of Guard soldiers, orders, travel and pay can be a nightmare that active duty soldiers wouldn't believe. This kind of problem seems to happen in the Guard a lot more than it does on AD, I think because of the disconnected way that the Guard works, both in time and distance.

The article said that the military was looking into amending his orders, which makes me think that he didn't have Excess Baggage Authorized on his orders.

I can construct two plausible scenarios, both based on things I've seen happen in the past:

1) The company and battalion had their wires crossed - the company never requested excess baggage, or battalion didn't respond to the request, and the company didn't catch it - which is a lot easier when the CoC is part time, and the admin people are full time, and company and battalion are 100 miles apart. In theory the full time staff is accountable to the part time CoC, but in reality not so much.

2) The company didn't forecast the need for excess baggage, because they planned to line haul all the gear - but at the last minute, the line haul got moved to before the load out drill, or, also at the last minute, soldiers got issued a whole bunch of equipment they had to transport to the training site.

There are problems with companies not co-located with their battalions, and more problems with fulltime unit admin leadership not being the actual chain of command, and more problems with timing - if something changes after the drill weekend, its too bad - there's no good way to task the soldier to react to it, because he's not there. For example, if they packed out on their June drill for a line haul, equipment arrived before the line haul left but after the load out drill, there wouldn't be any one around to issue it to, and the full time staff might not think they had the manpower to load it and issue it at the training site.

Its easier in Guard SF, because we have more experience with travel (for deployments, schools and JCETS) than most guard units, and we've ironed out most of the kinks. (And our guys are used to a good bit more than one weekend a month, two weeks a year, so we can usually get people to go in and work if we need to respond to changes between drills.)

If you want to write your congressman, write him and tell him that if the Guard is going to be an operational reserve and not a strategic reserve, they need to fund more AGR slots, more RMAs for M-day soldiers, and more training dollars, so that the Guard has the resources they need to be ready to go, without putting an undue burden on its members. Even if they increase funding, its still a bargain to be able to stand up a BCT or an SF Battalion for a tour out of part-timers

lksteve · 08-02-2008, 19:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan

TR's post is the only one in this chain that is the voice of reason.

I concur...and truth be told, I've rarely been treated poorly by folks working for the airlines...when we stood up the JPOTF for Southern Watch, my seats for the trips back and forth to SA were routinely upgraded to Business or First Class...I didn't ask for it, but the folks who were doing the seating told me that the seats were unsold and they'd rather let a soldier fly there than someone else...and since the end of the Vietnam era, I have never had issues flying in uniform...other than Hari Krishnas....

greenberetTFS · 08-16-2008, 10:00

Hillary Clinton is pushing to get the airlines to charge the goverment to pay for the extra baggage U.S. service personnal may have to carry while on official business. It's hard to believe.....It stated that the airlines have reconsidered and will no longer charge for extra baggage.....Hard to believe.......

greenberetTFS · 08-01-2008, 13:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJ_BPK

TR

My gripe is the fact that the airline charged him anything.

Should he have had his shiite together yes,,

but American Airlines should get their Shiite together also...

Echoing Echoes remarks,,(is that acoustically possible??)

When I was a business traveler I turned in my expense account weekly,, no problem, it was the costs of doing business.. I had a job that payed well and dropping a C-note here & there was not a problem. The process worked and I was reimbursed..

That's not the case here, A c-note is a big deal to most of these kids under E6,, probably under E7..

OK I know they're not kids,, but I'm an FOG,, and they're under 30'ty,, & look like kids...

They and all our serving forces need to get some perks, Can't make them millionaires,, but I can and will pick fights that stand a chance of winning...

My $00.000002

JJ BPK is right! Our serving forces deserve some perks.....

tom kelly · 08-01-2008, 17:52

Is American Airlines one of the many US Carriers in the Airline Industry that receives millions of taxpayer dollars to remain in business? The same industry that pays its top executives hundreds of thousands of dollars to run a business that is always seeking concessions from its pilots,mechanics,and other employees and still does not run a profitible business? I guess that the flying public will have to pay twice, first by being charged a tax on the ticket and second by having the airline charge you for everything from a third bag, an oversize bag, an overweight bag, a glass of water,a cup of coffee. What is next, A surcharge for the stale, recycled air you get to breathe in the cabin of the aircraft?...Regard's, tom kelly

JCasp · 08-02-2008, 11:45

I'm going to agree with the posts that AA is not at fault here. Second, this is a NG Joe who more than likely doesn't have a Gov't CC, and his orders probably say nothing about excess baggage (mine never have, might be more common for the QPs). Either way, just get a receipt and put it on your travel voucher when you file it, or take it up with your command.

Had the person at the counter given him a free pass because he's in the service, cool good for them, but I don't think any soldier has the right to expect special treatment over other customers. That entitlement mentality bothers me when I see or hear it, because I interpret it as a shitbag attitude. I've had flights where I got moved into business because I was in the service (even first class on United from London to Detroit!) but I don't ask or expect it. Just strikes me as wrong.

Richard · 08-16-2008, 11:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

I do not see what the gripe is.

He should have had "Excess Baggage Authorized" on his orders. If not, he should have made arrangements to ship the rest of it.

If he had, it was a reimburseable expense, just put it on his government travel card.

He got two freebies on the first two bags. The third one has always been charged, IMHO.

TR

Das stimmt! Ich bin mit TR einverstanden.

Richard's $.02

greenberetTFS · 08-19-2008, 12:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard

Das stimmt! Ich bin mit TR einverstanden.

Richard's $.02

Richard,Don't know what you said but I'm sure it's a positive response to the above

echoes · 07-31-2008, 16:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJ_BPK

Someone needs to wirte their Congress Person(s) and complain...

Sir, I am mad!

As just a civilian, but resident of the USoA, I am angry that you guys have to "pay" to serve Our Country. And I don't care about all the waivers, or whatever the hell the airlines say You Guys are supposed to have.

IMHO, reinbursements are for stock-broker expenses at strip-clubs. (Been there...)

The United States Military should not have to suffer the indignity of paying for "their gear", especially when shipping off to denfend the pocketbooks of American Airlines.

Have somewhat of a personal stake in this, as my grandfather worked on the first 747 engine to enter the Tulsa Maintenence facility in the 60's. He worked there for 25+ years, and he would be ashamed at this.

Thank you Sir, for posting this, as I have a few letters to write to a few folks at AA.

Holly

ZonieDiver · 07-31-2008, 17:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by echoes

IMHO, reinbursements are for stock-broker expenses at strip-clubs. (Been there...)
Holly

Is there a story here!?!?!