militarymoms

So, today I drop my husband off at the airport for yet another exciting TAD adventure (that’s TDY for you Army and Air Force folks).  An hour later, he calls.  Besides the bizarre problems he’s discovered with his government travel card (grrr, I hate those things), he mentioned that US Airways charged him $25 for checked bag #2, per their new policy.

“Wait!” I said, “They can’t do that!  You’re active duty military!” 

“I told them that,” said my husband, “but they said that policy applied only to active duty military returning from a combat zone.”

 ”Oh, no, their Web site does not say that at all!” I practically screamed.  I marched downstairs and recited the US Airways baggage policy to him.  It says, in part:

The following passengers are exempt** from the first and second checked bag fee:

Active military personnel with ID and government issued travel orders/on active duty status (luggage up to 99 lbs/45 kg free of charge)

Apparently the counter agent at our local airport was not properly briefed on US Airways’ policies.  My husband is planning to request that the airline credit him back for this charge; we’ll see what happens.

Meanwhile, I suggest that anyone traveling (on orders or otherwise) should print out a copy of his or her airline’s contract of carriage, which spells out the airline’s policies and obligations to its ticketed passengers, read it thoroughly and bring it along.  Know your airline’s policies; in this time of rapidly-changing fees and policies, you might just know more than the person on the other side of the counter.

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