ATLANTA, GA (WIS) - Reacting to public outcry, Delta says it will allow members of the military to check four bags for free.
The news came after two Army soldiers returning from Afghanistan complained in an online video that Delta charged their unit a total of $2,800 when some of them checked a fourth bag.
In a YouTube video viewed at least 200,000 times on the Internet, Staff Sgt's Frederick Hilliker and Robert O'Hair explain why their unit was charged the baggage fees for the Baltimore to Atlanta flight.
Hilliker opens the video by saying that he and 33 other members of his unit ran into some problems while checking in at the Baltimore airport. "Just returned from Afghanistan yesterday," Hilliker says from his seat on the plane. "We're on our way to Atlanta after an 18-hour layover... we had a little issue with the bags this morning."
Hilliker turns the camera to O'Hair who explains what happened in the airport. "We got to the airport this morning to start boarding the plane," says O'Hair. "We found out we had too many bags."
O'Hair explains that several members of the unit had four bags, but Delta Airlines only allows three bags. Despite travel orders and a contract between the government and Delta, O'Hair says each member with an extra bag had to pay $200 out of his or her own pocket.
"How much did our unit end up paying out of pocket?" asked Hilliker. "Over $2800," O'Hair responded, "and there's only 34 of us soldiers."
O'Hair said his fourth bag was a weapons case holding tools that he used to protect himself and Afghan citizens while he was deployed. "It was a weapons case, holding my M4, 203 grenade launcher and 9 millimeter," said O'Hair.
The GIs, however, were misinformed about Delta's policy and the government contract. In a blog post on Delta's website, a spokesperson wrote:
We realize many of you have questions regarding members of the United States Military traveling with us on active duty today from BWI, and we want to take this opportunity to answer some of the recurring questions we've been hearing in our social media channels, as well as share some insight into our policies and procedures.
First and foremost we want you, our customers, to know how deeply Delta respects and admires the men and women who fight every day for our country. On a personal level, we as a company have very strong ties to the armed forces, with countless employees, family, friends and loved ones serving actively or on reserve, and many more who are retired from military service. I myself am the proud wife of an Army reservist here in Georgia. We at Delta understand what it takes to travel as an active duty member of the military, which is why we worked hard to ensure our policies allow active duty U.S. Military Personnel traveling with us additional flexibility.
Currently, Active Duty U.S. Military Personnel traveling on orders may check up to 4 bags in First/Business class and 3 bags in Coach for free both domestically and internationally. Additionally, to help with the travel process, we allow each bag to weight an extra 20 pounds over the standard allowance. You can read more on this policy on delta.com.
In the case of today's situation, we would like to publicly apologize to those service men and women for any miscommunication regarding our current policies as well as any inconvenience we may have caused. We are currently looking further into the situation, and will be reaching out to each of them personally to address their concerns and work to correct any issues they have faced.
We thank you for your questions and remain happy to answer any additional questions you may have. We'll also be sharing updates along the way to keep you informed.
Rachael R.
Manager, Delta Social Media
On Wednesday afternoon, the same spokesperson posted this entry:
Update:
Thank you to everyone who has participated in the recent conversations on baggage allowances for active duty U.S. military personnel. We appreciate all of your thoughts and insight, and want to share an update on the soldiers involved as well as changes to our official policies.
First and foremost, we want you to know we're continuing to work with the soldiers individually to make this situation right for each of them. We regret that this experience caused these soldiers to feel anything but welcome on their return home. We honor their service and are grateful for the sacrifices of our military service members and their families.
After careful consideration, effective immediately, U.S. military personnel traveling on orders in First Class and BusinessElite can check up to five bags at no charge and 4 bags in economy class. This change also adds dependents traveling with active military on orders. Each bag may weigh up to 70 lbs. (32 kg) and measure up to 80 linear inches (203 cm), which offers added flexibility over the standard 50 lbs. and 62 linear inches (157 cm) allotment. Because of weight, balance and space constraints, Delta Connection carriers will accept up to four bags at no charge. You can read the updates to the travel policy on delta.com.
We hope these changes to our policies reflect the true respect we hold for our service men and women and again demonstrate our appreciation as both a company and as individuals who benefit from the freedom our troops defend. We also hope this echoes our commitment to listening, learning, and our continued dedication to constant improvement.
As an Army wife and 12 year Delta employee I also want to take this opportunity to shed some light on the additional ways we work to support U.S. Military personnel and their families throughout the travel process as well as in the community. We are a longstanding supporter military support organizations such as the Fisher House Foundation and United Service Organization.
At the airport, our employees are also committed to providing comfort to our military travelers on the plane, at the gates and in our Sky Clubs. We actively carry thousands of military personnel and equipment every week. I'm also proud to say that Delta is comprised of thousands of military service men and women—actively serving, retired, reserve, National Guard and more—and it's another reason I'm passionate in Delta's efforts to support our soldiers.
I want to again personally thank you for your passion and for participating in the discussions on our social media channels and beyond, and look forward to continuing the dialogue.
Rachael R.
Manager, Delta Social Media
Hilliker and O'Hair are deployed with the 95th Infantry Division, a Reserve unit in Georgia, according to an Army database. In the video, they said their final destination would be Fort Polk, Louisiana.
Copyright 2011 WIS. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Staff Sgt. Frederick Hilliker speaks to the camera. (Source: YouTube)
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