Delta Spanks Servicemen!

[densoo]

What a PR disaster?

Lead story on the major network newscast saying a company is insensitive to soldiers. It may be overblown, inaccurate, and sensationalistic, but nobody knows or cares about that.

We can only hope the media will eventually do a story like this on the FAA dragging their feet on rest rules.

 

[miles otoole]

Yes. Lead story on the major network newscast saying a company is insensitive to soldiers. It may be overblown, inaccurate, and sensationalistic, but nobody knows or cares about that.

And people will go on buying the cheapest fare and then watch the "Dancing with the stars" finale as they skip over the story about the days rpg attack killing 3 more servicemen.

 

[IBNAV8R]

Kinda reminds me of Obama's remark about having Guard/Reservists' private insurance pay for injuries incurred while on military duty.

 

[densoo]

And people will go on buying the cheapest fare and then watch the "Dancing with the stars" finale as they skip over the story about the days rpg attack killing 3 more servicemen.

Totally agree. A lot of the patriotic talk, especially in the media, is selling product or just guilt over the fact that 99% have never served nor have any family member serving. Like the story (urban legend?) of the captain announcing "there are remains on board please remain seated while the family gets off" and everyone starts clapping or crying. If you handed a DD Form 4 to every person as they leave and said "great, please give this to your son, daughter, husband, wife, sister, brother, yourself, sign it, and see you in basic training" how many takers will there be?

http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/infomgt/forms/eforms/dd0004.pdf

 

[GOULET!]

PR disaster? Please. The general public is so retarded and has such a short memory they will be flying Delta if the fare is 50 cents cheaper and has a 8 hour layover. Guaranteed.

 

[Jim]

Yea....you make money...200 dollars a pop to our service members. Unfreakingbelievable. That is a PR nightmare. No question.

Wait, I stand corrected...it was over 3000 dollars for the group of men that defend this country.

I'm glad Delta can make money off the backs of our heros.

The servicemembers will get reimbursed. It will cost them nothing. Delta has not made any money off the "backs of our heros". Paying misc expenses and being reimbursed later has always been a fact of life for servicemembers when traveling. It will never change.

Reminds me of a thread I once read about a huge high school sports complex. Most people thought it was a waste of taxpayer dollars. One guy stepped in to remind everyone that the complex was paid for through bonds, not taxpayer dollars. Not the brightest bulb.

So, yeah, let's stick the cost to the government. At least it isn't costing us!

Why shouldn't the government pay the cost of the service provided to them? You going to take a pay cut so the government can get free service?

This whole thing is ridiculous and just another example of the out of control media sensationalizing everything for a headline.

 

[huronip]

This is overblown. The servicemen will be rembursed when they file their travel claims. Servicemen typically pay out of their pockets for misc. items when traveling and are rembursed later. So in the long run, Delta wasn't charging the Soldiers, they were charging the government. The government collects enough taxes from the airlines and airline tickets that I have no problem with the government paying for the cost of the service they are purchasing.

Only if their orders allowed for excess baggage.

 

[cfd130]

The goverment pays full refundable fares as well. For what the goverment pays for a ticket on ANY airline-they should get free bags anyway.

 

[Penguin46]

Excess Baggage Policy

http://www.gadling.com/2011/06/07/d...s/?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl1|sec1_lnk3|69018

Having returned from AFG last month - If your orders authorize the bags, you will be reimbursed when you settle your travel claim. US Air has similar policies too- but my charge was 125USD. The servicemen (or women) may not have been informed or may have had an error on their orders? Couple that will perhaps not sleeping in a day or so, throw in a bit of operations in AFG for 6 mo's or a year and you may have an issue.

Interesting antidotal sidebar: Our rotator was over an hour late into BWI from Kuwait. SWA had an employee escort a connecting serviceman.

 

[BILL LUMBERG]

This really spins me up quick....

I really take most criticisms of my company as a joke.....we do some effed up stuff but one thing that really chaps my A$$ about this is how little credit WE DO GET FOR BENDING OVER BACKWARDS for our military servicemen and women.

We let them board first, SIT IN FIRST (Does SWA do that GUP?), use the medallion lines for security, free skyclub entry amongst other things. We fly them all over the world on military charters and CRAF flights. I have seen our Flight Attendants decorate the plane and bake cookies and brownies for our troops who are 12 hours out of an FOB as a thank you. I saw one girl bring a BOX of cards from her child's 4th grade class thanking the troops....

I have stood in the snow while we provided an honor guard for remains returning home. I have told the passengers to remain seated so that he could deplane first. ....In ATL, we have a dedicated baggage cart painted and segregated and secured only for our Troop remains, blessed by all denominations and sanctioned by the Chaplian command to return these heroes home with DIGNITY. People did this on their own time and yet we are the bad guys.

This is just some of the things Delta people do, not because we want a pat on the back, just so we can honor those who put it on the line for our country.

What's great is all the SWA types chiming in.....as if you wear a Flag tie and you are the ultimate Patriot. Unless we invade Texas, SWA won't be taking our troops to or from the battlefield, so throttle back and tell your marketing department to quit making this go viral because you should worry about keeping your planes intact and flying rather than piling on one STUPID gate agent.....

Rant over.....