USAirways to let military board first

[ChockJockey]

i am disagreeing with what i feel is a breach of CUSTOM , and if you can't see that , then YOU are the peice of work ...

Of the many, many things on this planet that concern me, the order in which uniformed military personnel board an aircraft is very, very far down on the list. As others have mentioned, this is a practice that's been going on at other airlines and at ours unofficially for quite some time, if not decades. As such, who's to say what is the custom and what is the breach of it? Sending them off to get blown up or traumatized or permanently damaged in some pointless war on the other side of the planet, letting them board first is the least we can do. I've seen, and have personally handled, the boxed remains of more servicemen than I've ever wanted to; more than once I've seen the families brought to the ramp planeside to welcome home what's left of their father, son or brother. I think about my dad, who most nights still wakes up from nightmares of the things he experienced in Vietnam over forty years ago.

So yeah, screw your custom.

 

[freedom]

Of the many, many things on this planet that concern me, the order in which uniformed military personnel board an aircraft is very, very far down on the list. As others have mentioned, this is a practice that's been going on at other airlines and at ours unofficially for quite some time, if not decades. As such, who's to say what is the custom and what is the breach of it? Sending them off to get blown up or traumatized or permanently damaged in some pointless war on the other side of the planet, letting them board first is the least we can do. I've seen, and have personally handled, the boxed remains of more servicemen than I've ever wanted to; more than once I've seen the families brought to the ramp planeside to welcome home what's left of their father, son or brother. I think about my dad, who most nights still wakes up from nightmares of the things he experienced in Vietnam over forty years ago.

So yeah, screw your custom.

once again ... i'm not denying their sacrifice , this isn't a question of who's more patrotic ... i feel as deeply for them as any person at US airways ...... This goes back to what is apporiate for civilian life ... In this country there is a special and deep divide between military and civlian ... In general we do not operate as a military society ,BTW, i've had close family memebers in the military as well ... i'm one who worries because i see a growing military creep into our civlian society and i find it distressing ...

 

[FA Mikey]

Don't mean to brag, but I believe my airline, AA, started the practice of allowing uniformed military to board with (not before) the F/C and frequent flyers. We've done it for several years, but even with us it was because of pressure from our frequent flyers!

http://youtu.be/x6iAMiJUu5g


It should be standard on every airline.

 

[etops1]

i'll gripe right now ... no WAY should the military be allowed to board before first class and familes , absoutely NOT .... Do we honor and respect our men and women in uniform , yes .... should we put them before the civilian population ? no way no how ...

I think this is a horrible move by US Airways ... :angry:

Your an idiot to even post such a thing. I liked you before but your forget that .

 

[etops1]

I was thinking of a different word than"work".

I will say it .
You are a piece of ####!! .. <_<

 

[freedom]

Your an idiot to even post such a thing. I liked you before but your forget that .

if you don't understand what i'm saying , and i'll make sure to defend myself each and every time when it think someone doesn't get it , i'll say it again ...

i have the utmost respect for our men and women in our armed forces ... i however also belive in what i guess you could call the seperation of military and civilian life ... it's been a long and proud tradition in this country , that while we honor our nations men and women who fight to keep us safe ,within our own borders we accord them measured respect ....

Take for example a civilian bus stop ... if we had a soldier and we had a group of civilians , if the civilians wanted to let the soldier board first , then by all means , i think that's great , and the right thing to do .... if on the other hand we had say , an old lady in that group who wants to board first because she's been waiting there the longest ... then i don't feel that the "bus company " should enact policy that means she should be forced to wait ...civilians should not be FORCED to show deferemntial treatment to our military ... if they CHOSE , then that is absolutely fine ... if they have no choice , then i don't think that's right ...

 

[ChockJockey]

once again ... i'm not denying their sacrifice , this isn't a question of who's more patrotic ... i feel as deeply for them as any person at US airways ...... This goes back to what is apporiate for civilian life ... In this country there is a special and deep divide between military and civlian ... In general we do not operate as a military society ,BTW, i've had close family memebers in the military as well ... i'm one who worries because i see a growing military creep into our civlian society and i find it distressing ...

I'd agree with you if it were the Pentagon or government telling airlines they have to do this, but it isn't. All it is is a change the sequence that certain people board an aircraft, as a courtesy, as decided by the airline. The military has used civilian modes of transport in the U.S. for a very long time, it's been a stable source of revenue all the while I share a lot of your concerns in regards to the encroachment of civil liberties but I don't think this case is symptomatic of them; I'd advise putting more thought into where you decide to take a stand...

 

[freedom]

I'd agree with you if it were the Pentagon or government telling airlines they have to do this, but it isn't. All it is is a change the sequence that certain people board an aircraft, as a courtesy, as decided by the airline. The military has used civilian modes of transport in the U.S. for a very long time, it's been a stable source of revenue all the while I share a lot of your concerns in regards to the encroachment of civil liberties but I don't think this case is symptomatic of them; I'd advise putting more thought into where you decide to take a stand...

it's been a stable source of revenue

if we're doing this as a gimmic , then i didn't get the memo , and if this is "for the good of the company " so that we can make more money , FINE ... but we should at least be upfront about it ...

I see no reason why we should have changed our policy which was geared toward the civilian population to now change it toward our military personel ... we have been fighting wars now for almost ten years , so tell me , what's brought on the change ....

as far as civil liberties go , it's best to stop things before they go too far ...look at some of these posters , they are barely able to restrain themselves from calling me a tratior to our nations men and women ...i'm fearfull that many of them can't even comprehend what i'm saying .. this isn't a football game with my side against your side .... This is about how our civilian life is and should be structured ... i don't think some people on here can comrpehend that i can have every respect for our nations men and women who fight in the armed services , and yet still strongly defend our civilian customs ...

 

[28L_or_10R?]

Freedom, for several years you have used this forum as a soap box for your inane psycho-babble and we have shown great patience in reading your intolerable drivel. You have proven yourself in this latest thread to be an insufferable bore and an ass. Every time you come to this list you throw these incendiary grenades at us and then you act the victim when you get flamed.

 

[necigrad]

From what my active duty friends have told me, and this spans the various services, they aren't "supposed" to travel in uniform, except for actual deployments, which usually has them traveling as a unit, so this policy (in theory) wouldn't make a difference. Reality, however, says otherwise, and I fully support it.

I also say shame on everyone that's chastised Freedom they way they have on this topic. I'm appalled that when talking about courtesies given to those that are willing to give their lives to ensure our freedoms would so harshly criticize one whose opinion differs. Disagree with him if you like, I don't agree with him either. But don't slander him because he disagrees with you, not on this topic.

 

[CapnCockroach]

I think we should go to the airport and stand around until they exit, then spit at them and call them "Baby Killers". It's what you democrats do. Time honored since 1965.

 

[Phoenix]

i'll gripe right now ... no WAY should the military be allowed to board before first class and familes , absoutely NOT .... Do we honor and respect our men and women in uniform , yes .... should we put them before the civilian population ? no way no how ...

I think this is a horrible move by US Airways ... :angry:

Most military will be embarrassed to get special attention. Many folks traveling in uniform have not sacrificed nearly as much as the public thinks (the public has visions of every soldier being shot at or being half blown up in a HUMV while using camel dung for fuel and licking dessert beetles for water.. it does happen.) There are some military that should be honored with early boarding and even a first class seat but even the most deserving of those would be embarrassed to be placed ahead of those they serve. But again most of the many military personnel we see in the airports know they have fellow solders who have sacrificed far more and would be embarrassed to board early while their fellow soldiers are oversees being shot at or comforting another fellow soldier as they bleed.

Its well intentioned, and I would never complain one bit about it, but I do sympathize for the the military folks who will feel awkward at the dilemma of refusing the kind gesture on the one hand, or being honest that they are public servants, and of all folks wearing the uniform deserve it far less than others who have given far more.

 

[xUT]

I think we should go to the airport and stand around until they exit, then spit at them and call them "Baby Killers". It's what you democrats do. Time honored since 1965.

Now Now, republirats did the same thing...

 

[SS255]

No kidding. Give them enough time and many will gripe about the soldiers going to the front of the line.

Let's hope that US elites show more class than that.

CO has been boarding uniformed military before F for a while. When UA and CO standardized their boarding process back in the spring, UA adopted the policy. The complaints from the UA folks were that the lower elite levels now get to board via the red (changed to blue) carpet, whereas before, only F, UGS & 1K's got board via the red carpet. No complaints about the uniformed military pre-boarding. I guess the 1K's had bigger fish to fry.

I'm flying to PHX the day the new boarding procedure goes into effect. I can't wait to see what happens when boarding is called for my flight.

 

[N965VJ]

i'm one who worries because i see a growing military creep into our civlian society and i find it distressing ...

Really, how is this happening?

Most military will be embarrassed to get special attention. Many folks traveling in uniform have not sacrificed nearly as much as the public thinks (the public has visions of every soldier being shot at or being half blown up in a HUMV while using camel dung for fuel and licking dessert beetles for water.. it does happen.) There are some military that should be honored with early boarding and even a first class seat but even the most deserving of those would be embarrassed to be placed ahead of those they serve. But again most of the many military personnel we see in the airports know they have fellow solders who have sacrificed far more and would be embarrassed to board early while their fellow soldiers are oversees being shot at or comforting another fellow soldier as they bleed.

Its well intentioned, and I would never complain one bit about it, but I do sympathize for the the military folks who will feel awkward at the dilemma of refusing the kind gesture on the one hand, or being honest that they are public servants, and of all folks wearing the uniform deserve it far less than others who have given far more.

I wish I could remember his name (I believe he had written a book), but I caught part of an interview of an Army officer recently that said basically the same thing when he was asked if people in the military sometimes feel awkward when they are thanked for their service.