I have some mixed emotions on this topic...

Being active duty, I'm all for a discount, but at the same time I don't believe in passing a law directing a discount. Military discounts have been around for a long time, and in my eyes are about a company extending their thanks and appreciation.

dzervit - Yes we have internet access (most of the time), and probably 90% of the airline tickets i've purchased have been through priceline, but that's not the point that was trying to be made. When you have plenty of notice you can get decent rates on a ticket... but, as mentioned earlier when you don't have the advanced approval to take leave, you will be stuck paying high rates. Now i'm not bitchin at you for having to pay high rates, I just want you to understand what it's like.

Try looking online at plane tickets a month before you want to go on leave. The average ticket is $300 round trip. You go talk to your supervisor about taking leave and he tells you to submit your paperwork 14 duty days prior to the leave date as directed in the regulations. You submit your leave paperwork 14 duty days exactly like you were told and then have to wait for the supervisor to approve. For one reason or another he doesn't get around to approving your paperwork until 3 days before you have to leave. Now you go and book that ticket you were looking at, only now it's $1100 and not $300. Oh, by the way... you're only making $1300 a month. This is a real senario, and it happens all the time. I try at all times to treat my troops better than that if the situation permits, but the mission does come first.

I do agree with you on the credit card statement - anybody can get one and abuse it... and it's their problem. That's one of our biggest problems lately is people with debt over their heads. Unfortunately, now that i've moved up in the ranks a bit it now becomes my problem because I have to do everything I can to help the young guys/gals out, and if they get in too far I have to work with the proper agencies to get them one last (free) plane ticket home... permanently.

BTW - I love my job, and I did freely sign the contract. I don't expect hand outs from anybody.

 

Not sure how to take that

BREW

 

I salute you sir. Common sense and serving your country.

 

D thanked you for your logic....I did too.

 

Ditto....its that outlook that deserves free flights.

 

Wrong. It deserves my respect and admiration, that's about it.

 

Listen you ole grump...the airlines could comp this guy...travel agents get free comps all the time...

I'm not talking about gov't handouts....I'm completely against that.

 

Well you should have specified that you young whippersnapper. My old *** isn't a mindreader.

 

Don't pull that old crap on me....Blue can get away with that but you ain't that old yet.

 

Someone mention BlueJay?

 

Yes, that is exactly what happens.

The way most guys go to where they are going is flying commercial on the Gov's dollar. You fly from the airport closest to your base to BWI (the central hub) and then get dispersed from there. Usually, the plane will be full of people from the same unit. Once they get to the general locale, they usually finish the trip on military airlift.

Yes we do have them, 100's every single day. Problem is, most of them are going to places no one wants to go. Then there is the problem of allowable cabin load. We certainly aren't kicking off cargo so some guys get to go on leave. Most of the military airlift is being tied up in the middle east. It's really hot there and heat is the #1 enemy of aircraft performance. Since the desired outcome is the most cargo moved in the least amount of flights, unless they are duty passengers on orders, it's next to impossible to get space a anywhere lately.

I was just in Canada yesterday. We had the jet configured for 75 seats and 15 pallets. We realeased 65 "Space A" seats. There were no takers. Why? Who the hell wants to go to CFB Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada? There isn't a freaking thing for 100 miles in any direction. Now, when we fly from McGuire AFB or Travis AFB to Hickam AFB in sunny Honolulu, HI, there are usually fights in the passenger terminal.

Last year, I flew space a to Germany to see my inlaws. We flew out of Dover AFB to Ramstein AB. I had no problem at all getting over there. I had to buy a ticket to get home since there were no flight available before my leave ended. Since I bought the ticket last minute, the prices were double. I spent $1600 to go from Frankfurt Int to JFK. If I would have booked the tickets in advance, round trip, I would have been able to fly from Philly (closer to my house) to Frankfurt & back for $750 for 2 people. For me, using space a is not worth the headache anymore.

KC-10 FE out...