Airlines Revise Policies for Troops’ Checked Baggage

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 9, 2011 – Military members traveling on orders on several major U.S. air carriers can check four, and in some cases five, bags without charge based on new policies the airlines instituted in recent days.

Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines and Continental Airlines announced the new policies after Army reservists returning from Afghanistan had to pay more than $2,800 to cover the costs of their fourth checked bags on a Delta flight. Two members of the unit en route to Fort Polk, La., complained of their plight on a YouTube video that went viral.

Delta apologized for the situation and is working with the soldiers individually “to make this situation right for each of them,” a Delta spokeswoman said. “We regret that this experience caused these soldiers to feel anything but welcome on their return home,” she said. “We honor their service and are grateful for the sacrifices of our military service members and their families.”

Delta’s new policy allows U.S. servicemembers traveling on orders to check up to four bags in economy class and five bags in first and business class at no charge, she said. Each bag can weigh up to 70 pounds and measure up to 80 linear inches.

Due to weight and space constraints, travelers on Delta Connection carriers, regardless of their seating class, can check up to four bags without charge.

“We hope these changes to our policies reflect the true respect we hold for our servicemen and women and again demonstrate our appreciation as both a company and as individuals who benefit from the freedom our troops defend,” the spokeswoman said.

Other airlines are following Delta’s lead.

American Airlines is in the process of increasing its baggage policy for military members to check five bags without cost, spokesman Tim Smith reported. “Full implementation of that policy, and further details, should be completed in the next few days,” he said.

One of the checked bags can weigh up to 100 pounds and measure up to 26 linear inches, but others are subject to the regular 50-pound, 62-linear-inch restrictions.

The previous American policy allowed servicemembers to check three bags without cost. “But given the potential confusion, with different military units carrying different amounts of bags depending on their mission, we have elected to proceed with our five-free-bag limit,” Smith said. “We think it just makes good sense and eliminates possible confusion.”

The new policy will apply whether the military members are traveling on official orders or on personal travel, Smith said.

United Airlines and Continental Airlines, which merged last fall, also announced that they will now waive the fee for military personnel traveling on orders to check a fourth bag.

The decision was made, according to spokeswoman Christen David, “in recognition of their sacrifice and service to our country.”

Southwest Airlines has no limit on the number of checked bags it will accept at no cost for military members on permanent-change-of-station orders, spokesman Chris Mainz reported. The only condition is that none of the bags exceeds 100 pounds or 80 inches.

However, beyond its two-free-bag policy for all Southwest Airlines passengers, Southwest has no specific policies for other servicemembers traveling on official orders, including for deployments, he said.  

Servicemembers traveling for official business, including deployments, are entitled to receive full reimbursement for reasonable, authorized excess baggage fees, defense officials said.

Airlines Ask Frequent Flyers to be Heroes

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

May 22, 2007 – Ten airlines are stepping up to the plate for families of injured servicemembers and encouraging their passengers to do the same. "The president of CNN challenged his staff to do something over Memorial Day weekend," Jim Weiskopf, vice president of communications for the Fisher House Foundation, said. "They looked around at a couple options and they decided that they would like to do a drive to get us more 'Hero Miles.'"

The Fisher House Foundation is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad. It also administers the Defense Department's Hero Miles program, which provides free airline tickets to servicemembers injured during their service in Iraq or Afghanistan and their families.

To get the ball rolling, CNN contacted all 10 of the Hero Miles program's airline partners and asked if they would agree to a challenge. The airlines agreed to match every frequent flyer mile their passengers donate to the program between 6 a.m. May 25 and 11:59 p.m. May 28, Weiskopf said.

"As you might imagine, most of the ticketing we do is all at the last minute because it's all connected to medical emergencies," Weiskopf said. "Normally, the tickets we're getting today are for flights leaving tomorrow and the day after."

If servicemembers' families had to pay out of pocket, those tickets average more than $1,300 each. Considering Hero Miles has provided about 9,800 tickets, that's more than $12 million the program has been able to save servicemembers and their families, Weiskopf said. That's the equivalent of about 450 million miles in the three and a half years since the program began.

While Hero Miles makes sure any family member who wants to be at their servicemember's side can be, it also covers what Weiskopf terms "close friends."

"I use the terminology 'close friends' because if you're young and single, it's nice to have your mother and father there, but you probably really want your boyfriend or girlfriend," he said. "If that will help you recover, we'll bring them in."

The same is true for any other person -- pastor or former coach, for example -- in a servicemember's life who might inspire a speedy recovery, he said. He emphasized, however, that the tickets Hero Miles provides are for medically necessary travel only. Tickets for regular leave requests cannot be accommodated.

Though Hero Miles accepts donations of frequent flyer miles year-round, those who would like to make donations during this weekend when they'll count twice as much can find links on each of the participating airlines' Web sites. AirTran, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta, Frontier, Midwest Airlines, Northwest Airlines, United, and U.S. Airways are participating.

Links to these airlines also can be found on the Fisher House Foundation's "Hero Miles" Web page, www.fisherhouse.org/programs/heroMiles.shtml.

"We are so deeply appreciative for the generosity of the American flying public," Weiskopf said. "Individually, (the airlines) have all told us that this is perhaps the most meaningful frequent flyer program that they have been associated with in the history of the airline because (the miles) are going right to the people who need them most.

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