Delta Airlines Charges Soldiers Coming Home

Update: Delta: "After careful consideration, effective immediately, U.S. military personnel traveling on orders in First and Business Class can check up to five bags at no charge and 4 bags in economy class."*

How is it possible that Delta Airlines doesn't see the correlation between soldiers fighting in this War on Terror and their ability to fly safely in domestic and international skies? Just recently, a unit going home to Ft Polk (after being deployed for 1 year to Afghanistan) was charged $2800 for "excess baggage." Read the comments in the link, they are quite detailed.

But Delta was not correct. The military has a contract with Delta that allows soldiers on orders to travel with four bags. Those showing up with a fourth bag were charged $200. Soldiers, most of whom are enlisted, had to pay out of pocket. That $200 is grocery, gasoline, even diaper money for their families. While it has been rumored everyone will be reimbursed eventually, soldiers returning from war shouldn't be met at the airport by a dead-eyed bureaucrat upholding bad policy. Delta Airlines owes its ability to pursue commerce because of people who defend our country.

The items in the bags were tools they used to defend our country, and the Afghan citizens. If you are disgusted with the airlines policy write to your congressman and Delta Airlines. They have a handy form to use.

*Note: on orders, soldiers travel coach, never First or Business Class. Furthermore, any service member traveling in uniform must only fly coach, and never First or Business Class.