Summary
- USDOT Secretary Buttigieg urges US airlines to improve military travel benefits for active-duty service members and families.
- Airlines currently offer benefits like extra baggage, discounted fares, and priority boarding for military personnel.
- The USDOT will launch a Support Our Troops dashboard in May 2024 to provide transparent information on airline travel benefits.
US Department of Transport (USDOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg has called on airlines to improve military travel benefits for active-duty service members and their families. The Department will roll out a new dashboard to help military personnel understand their benefits when flying with US carriers.
Buttigieg calls for better military travel benefits
In a letter addressed to the CEOs of the top 10 US carriers, Buttigieg noted that current benefits are “not consistently detailed” by US carriers in their Customer Service Plans, leaving many service members unaware of their benefits. Additionally, the benefits “often do not fully address the needs” of service members who might have to cancel or rebook their flight due to military commitments, with the DOT pushing for airlines to commit to issuing full refunds in such cases.
Photo: cunaplus | Shutterstock
US airlines offer various benefits for active military personnel, including extra baggage allowances, discounted airfares, and priority boarding. Trade association Airlines for America, representing most of the major carriers in the US, said that airlines are transparent about benefits on their websites and are “proud to offer a variety of travel benefits.”
Support Our Troops resource
The USDOT will establish a “Support Our Troops” dashboard, an accessible resource for military and families to find information on each carrier’s travel benefits. This tool will be going live in May 2024 and can be accessed via the Department’s Aviation Consumer Protection website.
According to Buttigieg,
“It will be based on commitments that airlines have made to service members and their families in their Customer Service Plans, such as a full refund to service members and their families who cancel travel plans due to military directives and allowances for free baggage.”
The Department will also put links to each airline’s official website detailing its benefits for service members. Buttigieg was an officer in the US Navy Reserve and flew as a military service member.
What are the US military travel benefits?
With most of the major airlines, service members traveling under military directives can check up to five bags free of charge or two or three bags during personal travel. Other perks include priority boarding, lounge access, pet travel, and even cabin class upgrades on occasion for lucky travelers.
Photo: RYO Alexandre | Shutterstock
Delta Air Lines, keeping up its reputation for top customer service, offers some of the best military travel benefits, including complimentary Silver Medallion SkyMiles status, cheaper fares, and special Delta Vacations discounts.
The US has made steady progress in improving customer service for air passengers in recent years. In 2022, most carriers committed to guaranteeing food vouchers and overnight accommodation for delayed passengers. The US is also considering a cash compensation scheme for severely delayed or canceled journeys, similar to the EU 261 scheme that preserves European air passenger rights.
The US Is Looking At EU261 Style Passenger Compensation Rules
The new guidelines are expected to bring major relief for air passengers in the US.
Do you think US airlines should provide better travel benefits for active service members? Let us know in the comment section.
This article was originally published by a simpleflying.com . Read the Original article here. .