Will Waive Fees For Third Piece Of Checked Luggage

What a difference a couple days -- and highly-focused public outrage -- can make. On Thursday, American Airlines bowed to recent outcry surrounding the Fort Worth-based airline's practice of charging active military personnel a fee to check their baggage when shipping out.

As ANN reported, the Veterans of Foreign Wars -- and practically everyone else -- slammed American this week, after news surfaced two soldiers shipping out from Texas were charged $400 between them to check their duffel bags. American spokesman Tim Wagner's explanation -- "Because the soldiers don't pay a dime, our waiver of the fees amounts to a discount to the military, not a discount to soldiers" -- fell flat.

American says it will now waive fees for a third checked bag for active service members. Fees for first and second checked bags have always been waived, according to the airline.

"The previous policy allowed active military personnel, traveling on duty, to travel with up to 190 pounds of luggage at no charge, including a 100 pound checked bag, a 50 pound checked bag, and a 40 pound carry-on bag," the airline tersely noted. "Only one other airline waives first and second bag fees for off-duty, active service members, and no airline allows as much free baggage by weight as American Airlines."

The new waiver policy for military personnel begins immediately... and American says in the future it will work closely with the Department of Defense on similar issues, presumably to keep its corporate brand out of the public's bullseye.

"We always understood that soldiers traveling on duty were reimbursed by the military for the fees on required excess baggage. However, after recently hearing of the burden the military reimbursement process put on soldiers traveling to war zones, the choice for us to forgo payment for a third checked bag from the Department of Defense was clear," said Tom Del Valle, American's Senior Vice President -- Airport Services.

"We appreciate and marvel at the bravery and sacrifice our military personnel exhibit daily," Del Valle added. "Anything we can do to support them and honor them is a top priority for American Airlines."

Incidentally, its release announcing the change, American billed itself as "the leading airline in supporting active service members..." without a trace of irony.

FMI: www.aa.com/