"Tizzy this!"
Posted on 06/20/2008 3:51:09 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
U.S. military personnel and Defense Department employees won’t have to pay new fees for checked baggage as long as they’re traveling on official government orders in most instances, according to military officials.
The fee exemption applies to permanent-change-of-station and temporary-duty travel, according to Staff Sgt. Erica Hix, Transportation Management Office passenger travel specialist at Yokota Air Base, Japan.
"As long as you have a set of orders and present it at the counter, they’ll waive the baggage charges," she said.
Several U.S. carriers charge or will soon charge a fee for checked bags.
This month, American and United airlines began charging domestic travelers $15 for the first piece of checked luggage and $25 for the second, each way. US Airways will begin collecting $15 for the first checked bag starting July 9. The airline, according to its Web site, already charges $25 for a second checked bag and $100 for a third. The new fees apply to all flights to and from Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as flights within the United States.
The airlines will waive the baggage fee for flights that are booked using government contract fares, Hix said, noting that applies to nearly all official travel.
People traveling on emergency leave orders also should be able to get the checked baggage fees waived, said Staff Sgt. Hon Mac, TMO passenger travel supervisor at Misawa Air Base, Japan.
Family members also don’t have to pay the fee, whether they travel with the servicemember or separately, as long as their names are listed on the PCS orders, Hix said.
A few airlines don’t offer any baggage fee waivers. JetBlue and Midwest do not exempt any government travelers from their $20 fee for the second checked bag, according to information from the General Services Administration.
Mac advised passengers to check airline Web sites for information about baggage fees. Airlines also are charging for excess luggage weight. The government will reimburse those fees only if reimbursement is specified on one’s official orders.
Active-duty servicemembers and government employees must pay the checked baggage fee for commercial air travel while on leave.
Some airlines cite rising fuel costs for implementing the new baggage fees.
American, for example, expects to increase revenue by more than $350 million annually with the fee, according to the Wall Street Journal, but also expects to pay $2.6 billion more for fuel this year than in 2007.
and I’ll bet those obama-worshipping male stewardesses are gonna be all in a tizzy about that.
So troops coming home on leave after a 15 month deployment in hell,
"Thanks for you sacrifice and service - now pay up."
I hope their commanding officers give them papers ='s "orders" saying they are hereby ordered to come stateside on duty-leave pursuant to returning to base afterward, on "orders" -
That would legally comply with "temporary-duty travel" would it not?
My nephew is not an Obama worshipper and he isn’t a stewardess.
He’s a flight attendant for Southwest and he works 60 hours a week.
He’s a vet who served in the first Gulf war and loves his country almost as much as he loves your freedom.
Lighten up a little.
I don't mind it either, for me or for you.
But I think our troops have already PAID THEIR FEE - bad enough they have to pay full airline fare to even get home on leave and return to overseas duty....(Used to be, military could hop military flights to get home.
Bet if you had to fly overseas to 'work', you'd expect your 'employer' to pay the fees AND the fare.
I remember when they started secondary screening at the gate after 9/11. Constantly flying on one way government fares meant getting the third degree every time I flew, even after the TSA exempted military on orders.
Guess I wasn't talking about your nephew then, was I?
"Tizzy this!"
Same here.
Are you serious? There aren’t hops anymore!? What a bummer!!
Used to be able to save SO much money using the hops... Is this because of the fuel costs too?
Nope - my son-law, Navy pilot 10 years (flew P3's until last year) - they just flew their P3 over and back to overseas deployments.
My grandson, AIRBORNE, fighting in Afghanistan, home base of 173rd, Italy - has to pay civilian airlines to come home for leave.
However, when he flew back to Afghanistan last time, while waiting in line at airport, the airport head honchos told him to get out to line and come with them.
He asked: "Is there a problem?"
"Yes," they said. "Young man, you come with us."
He followed them as they said: "YOU do NOT stand in line. Follow us."
And they put him straight on the plane - into first class.
Because many of them are homosexual? You might try asking you nephew if any of his co-workers are. Or, if you dare, Google: southwest flight.attendant gay
Gotta love LUV
However, when he flew back to Afghanistan last time, while waiting in line at airport, the airport head honchos told him to get out to line and come with them. He asked: "Is there a problem?" "Yes," they said. "Young man, you come with us." He followed them as they said: "YOU do NOT stand in line. Follow us." And they put him straight on the plane - into first class.Well, there is a good side to it then (not always, I'm sure) then... but he still had to pay :/
I actually thought about that, but it's not practical.
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