Many government employees now face airline baggage fees

[unhappycamper]

Many government employees now face airline baggage fees
By Bryce S. Dubee, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Monday, January 5, 2009

Flying got a little more expensive for some government personnel as Delta Air Lines recently changed its baggage fee policy.

"Effective December 5, 2008, government travelers on Delta domestic flights will no longer be exempt from the fee to check a first bag," said Cedric M. Green, chief of military pay for the Defense Military Pay Office at Camp Zama, Japan, in an e-mail last week.

Delta joins a growing list of airlines including AirTran, Midwest, United and US Airways that no longer exempt government employees from first bag check fees, according to the U.S. General Services Administration Web site.

The fee for checking a bag on Delta is $15 for the first bag and $25 for the second. Prior to the Dec. 5 change, Delta allowed customers to check one bag free of charge. However, the airline modified its baggage fee policy to align with Northwest Airlines ahead of the airlines’ upcoming merger, according to Delta’s Web site.

Other airlines listed on the GSA Web site that charge for checking a first bag are also in the $10 to $15 range, with prices for an additional bag ranging between $17 and $50.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=59788

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. You know this policy will be changing, double quick

The government doesn't give a rat's tail about stuff like this, until it starts biting them in their own tail.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. Not a big deal

It goes on your travel voucher and gets paid like any other expense