Delta-- The Worst Airline In America... Reason Number 299

If you follow my travel blog, you may have noticed that over the past 5 years we've been talking about the shocking inadequacies of Delta as an airline. Just last week, we saw that their frequent flyer miles are only usable 12.9% of the time-- as opposed to Southwest (99.3%) or American Airlines (57.9%). It turns out that they are also a right-wing, anti-union operation that has been working behind the scenes to undermine American democracy. As I learn more and more about Delta, I realize they're coming from the exact same tradition as the American corporations that were pushing fascism and opposing democracy even while we were fighting World War II. And, ironically, Delta has been exposed this week ripping off American military servicemembers returning from the Afghanistan war. This is the real spitting in the face of returning warriors:

Delta Airlines was caught this week charging troops returning from Afghanistan an extra $200 each to bring a fourth bag home, forcing one unit to pay more than $2,800 in baggage fees. Evidently, Delta’s policy is to allow troops only three free checked bags, while the soldiers said that their military orders allow them to carry up to four bags free of charge. In a video, Staff Sergeant Robert O’Hair explained what occurred:

"We had four bags, and Delta Air Lines only allows three bags. Anything over three bags you have to pay for, even though there’s a contract between the United States government and Delta Air Lines when returning from Afghanistan on military orders, you’re authorized up to four bags. [...] We actually had to end up paying, out of pocket, our own money, to allow that fourth bag to be taken on the plane. [...] For me [the fourth bag] was a weapons case…the tools that I use to protect myself and Afghan citizens while I was deployed in the country."

In 2010 Delta soaked its passengers for $3.7 billion in money they were about to squeeze out of passengers by charging for food, drinks and extra baggage, the most of any U.S. airline.

"A $200 bill for extra baggage by a government-contracted airline is the worst welcome home any soldier could receive," said Joe Davis, director of public affairs for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, in a statement. "We know this is a business issue and that the troops will be reimbursed if they are authorized additional baggage in their orders, but the shock of even being charged is enough to make most servicemen and women simply shake their heads and wonder who or what it is they are protecting."

VetVoice issued a statement about Delta yesterday demanding that Delta stop charging returning troops for checking their bags and refunding the charges to those already victimized.

"Our troops are deployed to war for months at a time-- they aren't packing light for a weekend on the beach. Delta shouldn't be sending the signal that it puts profits ahead of the men and women in uniform. They need to immediately stop charging returning troops for bag checks, and fully reimburse those who already have been charged," said Ashwin Madia, an Iraq War Veteran, and Chairman of VoteVets.org.

There are a lot of reasons to look for alternatives to flying on Delta. Add the way they treat our servicemen and women to that list. I bet Darrell Issa's fake investigation committee won't be looking into this one.

Delta backed down and changed their policy because of adverse publicity: The video (below) was removed from YouTube:



So there's this instead [UPDATE-- and someone rescued the original]