Voluntary Bumps to help Troops on Leave
Nov 6, 2003, 7:28 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 6,790
Voluntary Bumps to help Troops on Leave
A Day at Baltimore Airport
The writer and his wife live in LA and both work for Uncle Sam.
Dear Friends and Family,
I hope that you will spare me a few minutes of your time to tell you about something that I saw on Monday, October 27.
I had been attending a conference in Annapolis and was coming home on Sunday. As you may recall, Los Angeles International Airport was closed on Sunday, October 26, because of the fires that affected air traffic control. Accordingly, my flight and many others were canceled and I wound up spending a night in Baltimore.
My story begins the next day. When I went to check in at the United counter Monday morning I saw a lot of soldiers home from Iraq. Most were very young and all had on their desert camouflage uniforms. This was a change from earlier, when they had to buy civilian clothes in Kuwait to fly home. It was a visible reminder that we are in a war. It probably was pretty close to what train terminals were like in World War II.
Many people were stopping the troops to talk to them, asking them questions in the Starbucks line or just saying "Welcome Home." In addition to all the flights that had been canceled on Sunday, the weather was terrible in Baltimore and the flights were backed up. So, there were a lot of unhappy people in the terminal trying to get home, but nobody that I saw gave the soldiers a bad time.
By the afternoon, one plane to Denver had been delayed several hours. United personnel kept asking for volunteers to give up their seats and take another flight. They weren't getting many takers. Finally, a United spokeswoman got on the PA and said this, "Folks. As you can see, there are a lot of soldiers in the waiting area. They only have 14 days of leave and we're trying to get them where they need to go without spending any more time in an airport then they have to. We sold them all tickets, knowing we would oversell the flight. If we can, we want to get them all on this flight. We want all the soldiers to know that we respect what you're doing, we are here for you and we love you."
At that, the entire terminal of cranky, tired, travel-weary people, a cross-section of America, broke into sustained and heartfelt applause. The soldiers looked surprised and very modest. Most of them just looked at their boots. Many of us were wiping away tears.
And, yes, people lined up to take the later flight and all the soldiers went to Denver on that flight.
That little moment made me proud to be an American, and also told me why we will win this war.
If you want to send my little story on to your friends and family, feel free. This is not some urban legend. I was there, I was part of it, I saw it happen.
Will Ross
Administrative Judge
United States Department of Defense
Two addenda:
1. This is not an urban legend; it's true (click here)
2. It is so in the proper forum - we've had lots of threads here on VDB
The writer and his wife live in LA and both work for Uncle Sam.
Dear Friends and Family,
I hope that you will spare me a few minutes of your time to tell you about something that I saw on Monday, October 27.
I had been attending a conference in Annapolis and was coming home on Sunday. As you may recall, Los Angeles International Airport was closed on Sunday, October 26, because of the fires that affected air traffic control. Accordingly, my flight and many others were canceled and I wound up spending a night in Baltimore.
My story begins the next day. When I went to check in at the United counter Monday morning I saw a lot of soldiers home from Iraq. Most were very young and all had on their desert camouflage uniforms. This was a change from earlier, when they had to buy civilian clothes in Kuwait to fly home. It was a visible reminder that we are in a war. It probably was pretty close to what train terminals were like in World War II.
Many people were stopping the troops to talk to them, asking them questions in the Starbucks line or just saying "Welcome Home." In addition to all the flights that had been canceled on Sunday, the weather was terrible in Baltimore and the flights were backed up. So, there were a lot of unhappy people in the terminal trying to get home, but nobody that I saw gave the soldiers a bad time.
By the afternoon, one plane to Denver had been delayed several hours. United personnel kept asking for volunteers to give up their seats and take another flight. They weren't getting many takers. Finally, a United spokeswoman got on the PA and said this, "Folks. As you can see, there are a lot of soldiers in the waiting area. They only have 14 days of leave and we're trying to get them where they need to go without spending any more time in an airport then they have to. We sold them all tickets, knowing we would oversell the flight. If we can, we want to get them all on this flight. We want all the soldiers to know that we respect what you're doing, we are here for you and we love you."
At that, the entire terminal of cranky, tired, travel-weary people, a cross-section of America, broke into sustained and heartfelt applause. The soldiers looked surprised and very modest. Most of them just looked at their boots. Many of us were wiping away tears.
And, yes, people lined up to take the later flight and all the soldiers went to Denver on that flight.
That little moment made me proud to be an American, and also told me why we will win this war.
If you want to send my little story on to your friends and family, feel free. This is not some urban legend. I was there, I was part of it, I saw it happen.
Will Ross
Administrative Judge
United States Department of Defense
Two addenda:
1. This is not an urban legend; it's true (click here)
2. It is so in the proper forum - we've had lots of threads here on VDB
Nov 6, 2003, 9:33 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 6,484
dear Counsellor,
by this reply, I don't wish to detract from the kind sentiments you expressed in your interesting post. (I actually would have prefered to post after some more standard replies had appeared, but I am not online for long) I am glad to hear about stories like this, and I find it very heartwarming that strangers would reach out to returning troops in this way and am happy to see it happen.
But I have to disagree with one thing you've said: "... [these acts of kindness] also told me why we will win this war."
I do not believe that kindness of heart or good intentions mean that we will win a war. To believe these things is to deceive onesself about the seriousness of the situation and leads to a blindness of the true cost of war.
A belief in the righteousness of a cause alone does not guarantee success. In fact, even military superiority does not guarantee that you will win a war. I think we have learned this before.
In the current situation, it is becoming increasingly clear that the obstacles faced by the US (and its military) are going to require significant re-evaluation by this administration. The admininistration's unwavering belief that success will be gained by "staying the course" and having an unquestioning American people is going to cost more lives and cause us all to see more honorable soldiers traveling home in our airports -- not fewer, which is what we'd all like to see.
by this reply, I don't wish to detract from the kind sentiments you expressed in your interesting post. (I actually would have prefered to post after some more standard replies had appeared, but I am not online for long) I am glad to hear about stories like this, and I find it very heartwarming that strangers would reach out to returning troops in this way and am happy to see it happen.
But I have to disagree with one thing you've said: "... [these acts of kindness] also told me why we will win this war."
I do not believe that kindness of heart or good intentions mean that we will win a war. To believe these things is to deceive onesself about the seriousness of the situation and leads to a blindness of the true cost of war.
A belief in the righteousness of a cause alone does not guarantee success. In fact, even military superiority does not guarantee that you will win a war. I think we have learned this before.
In the current situation, it is becoming increasingly clear that the obstacles faced by the US (and its military) are going to require significant re-evaluation by this administration. The admininistration's unwavering belief that success will be gained by "staying the course" and having an unquestioning American people is going to cost more lives and cause us all to see more honorable soldiers traveling home in our airports -- not fewer, which is what we'd all like to see.
Nov 6, 2003, 9:50 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 852
Probably I missed something, but it seems that the airline was willing to ask its customers to make sacrifices, through an appeal to emotion (or guilt?), while at the same time intentionally overbooking. Wondering why the airline wasn't willing to also make a sacrifice- like giving free tickets to returning military.
The airline gets to seem like a good guy, and it wins twice- fills up a plane with revenue seats, and does not have to pay the federally mandated involuntary bumping fees. A good business move, says overly cynical I.
The airline gets to seem like a good guy, and it wins twice- fills up a plane with revenue seats, and does not have to pay the federally mandated involuntary bumping fees. A good business move, says overly cynical I.
Nov 6, 2003, 9:58 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum
Posts: 362
Ronin,
I did not read in the original post that the airline did not offer "Voluntary bump" vouchers to the passengers. This appeal merely pursuaded passengers to volunteer.
I did not read in the original post that the airline did not offer "Voluntary bump" vouchers to the passengers. This appeal merely pursuaded passengers to volunteer.
Nov 6, 2003, 10:17 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Sacramento, CA, USA
Posts: 27
Great to read this happening. I feel the same way and have on several occasions upgraded soldiers to first class. Most recently it was at BWI (last weekend) when my flight seemed to be overflowing with service men and women coming back from Iraq.
I only wish I could have upgraded more people. The look on this young soldier's face when he was handed a new boarding pass in first was priceless. It was the least I could do.
I only wish I could have upgraded more people. The look on this young soldier's face when he was handed a new boarding pass in first was priceless. It was the least I could do.
Nov 6, 2003, 11:02 am
#6
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Escondido CA USA
Programs: AS, UA, HY, Hil, Merr
Posts: 3,207
This is NOT posted in the right forum. Please explain the direct link to mileage!?
The airlines could have upped their compensation to encourage more people to step down, making room for the military... They created the problem and expected their customers to "pay" for it.
American soldiers from Vietnam are still walking the streets, being disrespected and having the VA turn many away because of "unaccepted" illness.
Other Americans are still marching against this "war". Many in the Congress and the Senate, no longer support the efforts in this conflict. Several Presidential want-to-bes would bring home the troops and leave the situation in a mess, discarding the efforts of so many that have lost so much.
If Judge Ross believes this represents an attitude that will help us win, he may find that his observation was tainted by his being tired.
The airlines could have upped their compensation to encourage more people to step down, making room for the military... They created the problem and expected their customers to "pay" for it.
American soldiers from Vietnam are still walking the streets, being disrespected and having the VA turn many away because of "unaccepted" illness.
Other Americans are still marching against this "war". Many in the Congress and the Senate, no longer support the efforts in this conflict. Several Presidential want-to-bes would bring home the troops and leave the situation in a mess, discarding the efforts of so many that have lost so much.
If Judge Ross believes this represents an attitude that will help us win, he may find that his observation was tainted by his being tired.
Nov 6, 2003, 11:12 am
#7
Join Date: May 2001
Location: is everything...but...
Programs: dont matter anymore...
Posts: 3,019
In my opinion, this is definitely not posted in the right forum. This story has nothing to do with miles or points or The Latest Frequent Flyer Program Buzz...
And right now it's turning into a political debate. I have a feeling I'm going to get a tremendous amount of heat over this, but I'm going to move it over to Travel Buzz!
And lets leave the politics out of it.
Flipside
And right now it's turning into a political debate. I have a feeling I'm going to get a tremendous amount of heat over this, but I'm going to move it over to Travel Buzz!
And lets leave the politics out of it.
Flipside