American Airlines has been the subject of lots of bad press over charging Army reservists going to active duty additional baggage fees. The airline, through its company spokesman, said it was only following procedure and that eventually the reservists would be reimbursed by the Army for their third bag. American newspapers and blogs roared.
American Airlines is charging troops for their extra baggage, a practice that forces soldiers heading for a war zone in Iraq to try to get reimbursement from the military. One of the country’s largest veterans groups is asking the aviation industry to drop the practice immediately.
Some newspapers claimed that the incident was a rumor. I’m not sure whose payroll they are on, but the reporters got it all wrong or at least the headline writer got it wrong. Obviously the incident took place — no rumor about it. American immediately went into full PR defense mode with the “only following rules” claims.
Eventually, the airline decided to change their policy and not charge our servicemen reporting for duty any excess baggage fees. Bravo! But a bit late.
The carrier’s decision comes more than a week after controversy arose at El Paso International Airport, when a sergeant complained that the airline forced him to pay an excess baggage charge of $100 because he had three bags. A few days later, Joe Davis, spokesman at the Veterans of Foreign Wars, wrote a letter to the Air Transport Association of America, an industry trade group, arguing that the baggage charges were unfair.
The American stance brings into focus how much the airlines take for granted the billions of dollars that the government (taxpayers) have shelled out for their survival.
The other nightmare scenario for American Airlines is that this incident brings the media focus on their overall baggage policies. As long as the population in general is confused about the American first-checked-bag policy and other new excess baggage fees, the airline can continue to sell their tickets with the appearance of similar prices to Continental, Delta and Southwest instead of the real price (for around 50 percent of their passengers) that is $30 more.
