G.I. billed $5,000 for flight home

[UpInArms]

Source: The Greeley Tribune (Colorado newspaper)

Compounding a family tragedy, a soldier who was in Iraq has been charged more than $5,000 for his family's flight home to Greeley for his father's funeral.

The soldier, Matthew Eurich, is in his second tour of duty in Iraq, and he will return to the battlefront next week. When his father, Matt Eurich of Greeley, died on April 26, Matthew was flown from Iraq to Raleigh, N.C., where he picked up his wife and four children from Fort Bragg. They flew Delta Airlines to Denver, then drove to Greeley for his father's funeral.

After the family returned to Fort Bragg and Matthew prepared to return to Iraq, he received a bill from the airline for $5,222.

Under the nonprofit organization Army Emergency Relief, the military apparently will fly a soldier from Iraq to his home base, then it's the soldier's responsibility to pay for the flight to the funeral. Matthew Eurich on Tuesday said he knew he'd get a bill for the flight.

<snip>

"To me, this is outrageous," said Pastor Bruce Hoppe of Greeley. "Especially for a man whose family is already experiencing financial hardship as the result of his second tour of duty serving our country."

Read more: http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070525/NEWS/105240110

[Zywiec]

1. Who do you think should pay for this?

He knew he'd get a bill for the flight. Should Delta offer free flights to Soldiers and their families attending funerals?

[UpInArms]

3. it just seems that the cost is exorbitant

and the airlines are supposed to have "bereavement" costs for things like this - it was not a vacation flight - but a funeral flight.

:shrug:

[Zywiec]

5. I just did a quick check on Orbitz

$5000 seems like more than double what a family of four could fly last-minute from Raleigh to Denver round-trip without taking a bereavement fare into consideration.

I wonder who booked his flights?

[bleedingheart]

15. 6 people on a short notice flight to Denver.....it seems about right

I just checked...from Charlotte to Denver...if I had to get there tomorrow and fly home in a few days...

$776 per person...

He flew himself, his wife and his four kids...
It comes to $4656...

The car rental would be around another $500...

[melm00se]

8. when my mother died

I found out that there are no bereavement fairs....in fact due to the short notice the rates, with the sole exception of Southwest, which are absolutely staggering. it would have cost for my wife and I north of $1500 on the "big" airlines. Southwest? $59 each way, open ended ticket, just call and they'll put us on the next available flight home after the funeral.

[bleedingheart]

18. you were lucky that Southwest could do that..

if flights are booked...or overbooked as they are sometimes...it is far worse...

[melm00se]

19. its funny....

southwest does overbook but their passengers are lightning fast to take them up on their offer for compensation far faster than othre carriers. I have been on flights where you had to RUN to get their 1st.

My flight was fairly full but a 645a flight on a Sunday morning is not exactly a "prime time" flight.

[ShortnFiery]

21. "Should Delta offer free flights to Soldiers and their families attending funerals?"

For SOLDIERS (MARINES, AIRMEN, SAILORS)? Hell yes!!! :thumbsup:

[babylonsister]

2. While I can sympathize, I don't think it's the military's responsibility

to pay for travel for a soldier's family. I'd be more inclined to question Delta's policies and ask for a bereavement discount if nothing else.
I hope that doesn't make me bad.:hide:

[UpInArms]

4. see my post #3

:hi:

[acmavm]

7. I sympathize myself but you hope you're not a bad person,

listen to my opinion. While I say pay the son's friggin' air fare for the entire trip, and that's it. I understand he's on his second tour in Iraq. But I say so what. He signed up. He knew the army wasn't a health spa/ski resort. It is the friggin' army. And therefore he shouldn't expect the taxpayers to foot the expenses for his family to fly, even if it is for a sad occasion. No one would pay our way, or our families way.

I think that whereas these guys should be able to expect decent meals, armor and ammo, and only one tour in the sandbox, and decent healthcare, the rest of it is their problem. We don't owe them everything and they shouldn't expect it.

[crikkett]

9. You're right. When I read the excerpt I thought it was the pastor's appeal for donations to help...

...it was just my first impression.

I agree though, that the pricing of tickets is not fair at all. It costs an airline just as much to transport a person who bought a ticket three weeks in advance as it does to transport a person who needs to go home for an emergency.

And if a seat is empty at the last minute, the airline should be happy to recoup some of the cost..

I just don't understand how current pricing schedules are fair.

:shrug:

[JVS]

23. maybe the high price is designed to keep the seat empty for people...

who really are in a time-bind

[Benhurst]

6. The Bush Crime Family ought to pay for it.

Maybe they could set aside $5,000 from Barbara's allotment for anti-wrinkle cream.

[CrispyQ]

10. Yeah, that cream isn't working anyway! --nt

[saigon68]

20. Yes it is--Her picture is on the $1.00 Bill

[Javaman]

11. The slow dismantelment of the US military only to be replaced by

the fundie merc company blackwater.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

12. This looks ugly for Delta Airlines

Perhaps they'll cut the rates now that the press has a hand in the matter. If nothing else it appears they're either gouging a mourning family, and a military one at that, or insanely over priced.

I hope the bad press makes Delta Airlines uncomfortable enough to act accordingly.

[revkat]

13. But Delta loves the military

But Delta loves the military. The last time I flew them they made everyone on the plane wait while the military guys got off first (oh, except for some guy from first class, they let him off, then the soldiers). I had a broken arm and an airsick kid, but no, I had to wait while young healthy people exited.

[aquart]

16. Delta is obviously not participating in the war effort.

What war effort, you say? The one in which we are all called upon to make sacrifices, of course.

I don't see Halliburton setting up a fund to help our soldiers fly. Or Blackwater or any of the others who have enriched themselves with American and Iraqi blood. What about Exxon. They have profits out the wazoo. Where's their generous donation to the cause?

[bleedingheart]

17. anytime you have to travel short notice...it costs way more

now whether that is right or wrong is another point...

However...in this case...the prices are about average he flew 6 people to Denver and I just checked to see if I took about the same flight what it would cost...and it comes to...$776 per person...and that is not a direct flight...(I put in like I needed to travel tomorrow and come back in a few days)

Now...I just happen to be flying to Denver in a few weeks...but because we were planning a family visit we planned it 3 months ago...so...I am paying $330 per person...from Pittsburgh to Denver on a direct flight....the same flight would cost me $1128/per person if I wanted to fly tomorrow and come back in a week.

[bleedingheart]

14. I value what our soldiers are doing, but the military flew him home

however he chose to take himself and 5 family members to his father's funeral and on short notice...flights are very expensive and to be honest there are loads of people serving or not serving in the military that just can't afford to take time off work or pay for the transportation to the funeral of a loved one. He could have just flown himself to his father's funeral...and that would have saved him a bundle.

When he put that flight on his credit card...surely he understood what he was doing???

My husband and I missed his grandparents funerals because we could not get the time off work to travel there and back and it was cost prohibitive....it sucked but we could not afford to go at that time...

[JVS]

22. "Matthew Eurich on Tuesday said he knew he'd get a bill for the flight."

So, how is this news?

[AnneD]

24. Why don't they ask for

frequent flier mile donations? I can't imagine anyone NOT donating to the guy.