As a retired paralegal in the medical field, a travel consultant, a recipient of a cadaver kidney transplant, a cancer survivor–I personally do not have any problem in allowing uniformed military personnel and their family members to board first/early onto a plane. My opinion is that I feel that our uniformed military personnel could be afforded some perks their way for serving voluntarily for our country. What if they are retired and not in uniform, should they be afforded the perk? For those dissenters, how about the airlines adding additional frequent flyer points or a free soda on board for the inconvenience. In the cruise industry there are cruise lines that support the men and women who serve in the armed forces by offering military discounts on select excursions as well as on-board credit. Some are available to all branches of the armed forces including active military personnel, to reserves, members of the National Guard, and retired personnel. Should they board the ship first and disembark first?
Excerpts from:
http://current.newsweek.com/budgettravel/2011/06/should_the_military_board_plan.html
In mid-May, United began early boarding for uniformed military personnel. Soldiers board before all other passengers, including first-class passengers, the disabled, and families with infants. The decision copies a longstanding policy of United’s merger partner, Continental. Since the policy change, the FlyerTalk discussion boards for frequent fliers have been hot with a debate about whether this policy is the right one.
Read more: http://current.newsweek.com/budgettravel/2011/06/should_the_military_board_plan.html#ixzz1P10yUOR3
This post first appeared on Memorable Journeys That Last A Lifetime… | The M, please read the originial post: here
