The cost of Leave

[mgc1961]

My wife came home from the airport yesterday and told me a story that infuriates this military offspring.

A woman was there to buy a ticket for her son to get from his U.S. entry point in Baltimore to home. Cost: about $500. Is it just me or is this an outrageous burden to be borne by this kid and his family so he can go home for a two week leave? The guy is risking life and limb to do the bidding of * and he has to provide his own transportation home?! Argghhh!

I wonder if he's also short one flak jacket like many of the soldiers are? I'll wager a truck load could be purchased with the money used for that Thanksgiving photo-opaganda.

:grr:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Wonder if there isn't

some organization that can help families with the cost of the plane tickets? Might be a good project for a peace group to get involved in, to show that we really DO care for the troops!

[eyesroll]

2. You can donate frequent-flyer miles

http://www.heromiles.org/

[mgc1961]

7. I'd love to donate miles.

But, I don't have any. You see, I work for the airline so I don't accumulate miles.

I always help the soldiers. I always do everything I can to make their fare a cheap as possible, often lowering the price they're given over the phone. Sometimes it's all I can do not to cry seeing these kids and thinking about the trials my parents endured raising me and my two siblings.

[mgc1961]

5. There may be.

I don't know how wide spead it is though. It's like the USO. Those offices aren't as wide-spead as they once were.

[DS1]

14. You can donate money for plane tickets right here

http://www.lbeh.org/

[AwareOne]

3. Well, whats the alternative

door to door transport for all servicemen? How many more millions would that cost us tax payers?
These guys joined the service voluntarily and receive good pay and excellent benefits. Free housing on base, free meals, free medical and dental for themselves and their families, life insurance, great retirement, free education, dicount shopping on base along with many other benefits of being in the service. I dont think its to much to ask them to buy a plane ticket.

[mgc1961]

4. I don't recall...

saying give them door-to-door service.

Who do think are these soldiers are? Like my father and his five brothers who come from a very depressed part of the country, this is often the only way for underprivileged kids to get out of grinding poverty. These are not Harvard educated, silver-spoon fed, frat boys. Do you think they or their families have money for that? I can tell from experience they don't. Gees, you must think a non-com in the service is some kind of country club experience.

Furthermore, I was trying to make a point with the flak jackets. The AF1 turkey cost thousands of dollars to operate not to mention the millions of dollars in corporate welfare that our Republican lead congress just dolled out to their favorite corporate contributors. That money could have been much better spent helping these kids get home to see their parents, spouses, and children.

[democratreformed]

13. It took me a while to understand

just what some of our military are going through. Many of them are NOT full time military. They DO NOT receive all of the benefits you just stated. Reservists and guardsmen DO NOT receive free medical care unless they are on active duty. I have often wondered if, when an injured soldier comes home, they have to start paying for their care.

Also, many of them had jobs that they had to leave to go on active duty. Their military pay does not measure up to what they were making and their families are having difficulty.

Now, I know that they chose to do what they are doing. I just think we should show some appreciation and NOT say, "So what."

[JNelson6563]

6. no, not just you

this is outrageous.

Julie

[Corgigal]

8. I'm going to post this so

if anyone needs this information they can use it. When my son was visiting us several years ago he became ill. I didn't want him to fly alone so I had to buy another ticket so he could escorted home.

I called Delta and asked if they had a humanitarian flight. They gave me a good rate, think of the price with the 2 week waiting period. The 24 hour price was nuts, around 600 or so. I also understand USAir does it also. You have to call the 800 number and only certain people in the phone centers can offer them. I only asked for it once and was lucky that it worked out for me.

Call the airlines first.

[mgc1961]

9. That's a good idea.

Ask for a supvervisor if you must. If that doesn't work be sure to ask at the airport counter "before" you purchase. I'm not the only who will do this. Mind you, not everyone is as understanding as I am, but you might be surprised at the reception.

Ouch, I think I just broke my arm patting myself on the back.

:hi:

[trof]

11. No more, I think.

No more "bereavement" fares if you need to attend a funeral on short notice, either.
Last Christmas my daughter and son-in-law came down with a virus while visiting us. Had to change their return reservations. Told customer service (what a joke THAT term is) we could supply a doctor's certification. USAir: T. effing S. No cost breaks for illness any more. $300 EACH to change reservations.
:grr:

[TahitiNut]

10. Such 'hardship' is not new.

When I was in the service (late 60's), we flew military stand-by. IIRC, that was the highest priority stand-by class. We also had the option of flying military, even domestic flights. When my father and uncles were in the service during WW2, leave back to the states was extremely rare. Even then, family who wished to see the GI on leave would often travel to the port of debarkation - and the GI had the option, even then, of traveling stand-by (mostly by rail in those days). As a Vietnam Vet, I see nothing either unusual or extraordinary about this 'hardship' - except perhaps that it's regarded as a 'hardship' in a war that's not even a year old. In no way do I demean the burdens that're placed on people in the service - they are there and have been there for as long as I've known. (Wait until the R&R centers are established. During Vietnam, spouses got discount fares to travel to an R&R center to meet their serviceperson. My <former> wife did, to meet me in Hawaii. It was taxpayer subsidized, IIRC.)

[mgc1961]

12. Agreed.

The hardship is not new. I do however take issue with where our tax dollars have been spent. I would much rather see them spent on these kids transportation and field needs rather than corporate welfare.

:toast:

[leftofthedial]

15. this program was hatched by the GOP and lobbyists for the airlines

These people should have had the foresight to have saved their tax refunds to pay for the tickets.

</sarcasm>

[SheilaT]

16. It might be nice to revive the old

military stand by fare, except that these days nearly every flight is packed full so standbys would rarely get on. They could offer a reserved seat military fare, which did used to exist in the 70's. I'm a former airline ticket agent myself, and I recall it quite well.

Last month my father-in-law passed away (age 94) and while I didn't exactly get a bereavement fare, I was able to get a quite reasonable fare from Northwest who also made it fully refundable and fully changeable, which was nice because I was able to rebook the return so we could travel home at a more convenient time.

[yankeedem]

17. How about the airlines "donating"

seats to returning soldiers, just like we "donated" $20 billion dollars to them so that they could lay employees off in the aftermath of 9/11?

[proud patriot]

18. Well 8.5 million of Iraq war funds had to go to Florida

Sorry