United Airlines Shakes Down Soldier Returning Home

And the hits just keep on coming for United Airlines. Or, in truth, self-inflicted wounds. In the latest moronic gaffe, United Airlines reportedly charged a United States National Guard officer $200 because his government issued duffel bag, filled with his government issued gear, was overweight. The soldier was on the final leg of his trip, returning home after an almost two year deployment in Afghanistan.

The contents of the bag, in case anyone is wondering, reportedly consisted of two helmets, a Kevlar vest and boots. Heavy things a soldier would need defending our country. Coming straight from the battlefield, he didn’t have another bag handy to split up the contents so he could avoid the fees. Nonetheless, United Airlines showed no gratitude, no empathy, and in fact, no class, and just told him to pay up or leave the bag behind. Of course, once this story hit the press, United offered to refund the $200.

A wise person once said that the truest measure of a person is what that person does when no one is looking and no one will find out. What does that say about United Airlines when they continue to act like this knowing (or at least reasonably suspecting) that all the world will find out? It has to be colossal arrogance, colossal foolishness or a desperate need to adopt an acceptable corporate character and then hire and train employees that will follow it.