flyer89

How can they forged the dates? Just grab a pen, cross it out and write it on? Like some agent does it with seat change?

Things like forging do happen, but to say it out loud to a customer...

brad9696

+1

And....worse yet - we owe so much to our US Military for the sacrifices they make for us. These are the last people we need to have DL Agents messing with.

rwoman

It's unforutnate to see this happen. In my travels on orders, I've never had DL (most of my travels) or any other airline give me grief about the validity of my military orders. And if, like this past month on BA, I did have to pay baggage fees, the government does reimburse me for them once I file my travel claim. It is definitely unprofessional of the agent to have impled the orders had been doctored or forged...sadly, some military members do that garbage...but in this case, no one (regardless of rank) should have been accused of it.

DiverDave

"wrecking peoples lives" - are you serious?

Perhaps if you owned a business, you would feel differently about people cheating your business.

Scan, edit, and print. Easy as pie.

David

jetta2.0t

Why can't they pay it and then just get reimbursed? I don't understand the big deal. As far as forging goes...please, wearing a uniform doesn't equate to being honest.

andrewpartyman

The responses people have made in this thread only reinforce why FlyerTalk is hardly a sound place to air legitimate grievances. People on here would defend Delta if they were slaughtering infants on board. The reality is quite simple: even if you are stupid enough to assume a member of the armed forces is "forging" orders, let it slide anyway. Who cares about a stupid baggage fee that didn't even exist a few years ago. These people are risking their lives in the biggest crap holes on earth, so you don't have to.

Not to get too far off the issue, but this is what is wrong with America. The sacrifices made by our armed forces are felt by too few people. Without a draft, a war conjured up in DC by a bunch of chicken hawks, gets the go-ahead. Perhaps if everyone stood an equal chance of having their son, brother, daughter or even themselves in harm's way, we might sit back and debate a war before we decide to blow hundreds of billions of dollars and lose countless lives.

We enjoy our way of life because of people serving in uniform. You are free to sit back and watch Jersey Shore, go out to the bar with friends, and be the ignorant .... you are because there are people who volunteer to serve this country so you don't have to. (In 2005 surveys showed 83% of American voters couldn't even find Iraq on a map. Need another reason to start learning Mandarin? America is doomed because of our own ignorance, displayed so poignantly by some people on here.)

Cut the members of the armed services a break. Even if they are flying on their own time, they should fly with free bags if they have a military ID. It's the least Delta, or any company could do for them. We all owe them.

Pigeye01

Companies are wise to strictly follow their policies. If a Y passenger moved themselves to an empty J seat, would you still "not understand the big deal?" Policies protect both the company and the consumer.

You're right, everyone's guilty.

I think most companies have better success with assuming their customers are honest until proven otherwise. Eventually the passenger was not charged the baggage fee, so either the orders were legit, or the agent compromised not only Delta policy, but federal law by allowing the passenger to use forged government documents.

DLFan2

Sorry Andrew...the preponderance of the comments in this thread is critical of DL and the TA. Don't know how you justify your statement about people defending DL no matter what.

Cellisttoo

Because then the govenment, which is funded by money from my paycheck and yours is paying for something they shouldn't have to. If they pay it, it is waste.

MikeMpls

A customer who is compliant with the rules should not have to hassle with this crap, period.

It's not the ticket agent's job to make such decisions. If she feels that documents are forged, she should refer the matter to a supervisor or to law enforcement.

BearX220

As is the case in most FT forums, where loyalists rationalize the most astonishing failures and abuses from the airline they love. That is a gutsy thing to call out here on FT and I salute you.

If wasting $25 on a baggage fee infuriates you, how do you feel about TARP?

TheMoose

Or the very thing these military members are traveling overseas to participate in? $25 of a mischarged baggage fee is less than a drop in the bucket compared to what we already spend on our military activities in Iraq and Afghanistan.

RSSrsvp

The OP's point has been made. As this thread has now gone totally OT I am closing it to any further discussion.

RSSrsvp - Moderator

berlinflyer

I was on LAX-ATL this week and while waiting for the boarding to start, I noticed that the UG list had over 35 medallion members waiting for an U/G. 2 seats were available.

In the end, the seat next to me remained empty and the FA's decided to move a soldier in uniform into the seat, rather then moving the next passenger on the UG list up to FC. I just returned from the lav when I heared the GA in the gally talking to the FA, telling her that it was "up to the crew to upgrade the soldier or 21A".

to the FA's for ignoring their most loyal customers.

gt_croz

I have a hard time getting outraged over something like this. Yeah, protocol was broken, but it wasn't like they upgraded a non-rev over a FF; it was a soldier. Those guys go through unimaginable hell every day they are deployed. Four hours up front is a real treat to them, and a very nice gesture from Delta.

Plus, it's been stated that anyone who boards the plane before they've been upgraded is basically surrendering their upgrade chances.

Obviously, upgrading soldiers over elites shouldn't be policy, but in a situation like this I give it a big ^