Veteran’s Day was celebrated earlier this month in the United States in honor of men and women who proudly served their country in the armed forces — and many businesses offered discounts and special deals to present and past members of the military as a small token of thanks for their service.
FlyerTalk members based in the United States have long discussed and debated about passengers who are military personnel receiving special treatment and benefits when traveling on domestic airlines — such as a complimentary upgrade to a seat in the premium class cabin or priority boarding — leading to the question of whether or not they should receive these perks simply because they are military personnel.
Should Military Personnel Receive Special Treatment as Airline Passengers?
Some FlyerTalk members believe that because military personnel sacrifice their lives defending their country while deployed in some war-torn area for months at a time away from their families in spartan conditions, they should be thanked by civilians and airline employees with gestures of appreciation — such as relinquishing their seats to military personnel when upgraded whether during the holidays or other times of the year, for example.
Other FlyerTalk members, however, believe that life in the military is a chosen profession paid by collecting taxes from civilians and companies such as airlines where the risks and living conditions are known. They argue further as to why military personnel should warrant special treatment when people in professions where they risk their lives — such as police officers and firefighters — do not. The argument has even been extended to include passengers whose professions are in fields where lives are saved every day, such as doctors and nurses.
Still other FlyerTalk members argue that when a person actively serving in the military is given an upgrade by a fellow passenger, their own upgrades have supposedly been taken away from them. This, of course, leads to a separate argument as to whether or not passengers have the right to give away their upgrades once awarded to them — but that is an issue for another time.
Military personnel have been recognized in numerous ways aboard aircraft. They have not been charged for beverages, where passengers applauded after hearing an announcement to that effect. They have enjoyed priority boarding — in some cases, even before passengers seated in the premium class cabin. There are cases where military personnel pay special airfares when they book their flights in appreciation for their service…
…but some airlines have a policy not to upgrade uniformed members of the military — even if there are seats available in the first class cabin aboard the airplane. One possible reason could be an incentive to dress as an impostor pretending to be a member of the military or worse: commit a practice known as stolen valor — I wrote this article addressing how stolen valor could affect you as a traveler — which is a violation of federal law in the United States subject to a fine; imprisonment for not more than one year; or both.
Although Delta Air Lines does not offer free access of its Sky Club lounges — whose annual fees are due to increase next year — to members of the military, this workaround of how to get that access for free for members of the military was posted 28 months ago. Extensive additional information pertaining to credit card benefits for members of the military have been posted at The Military Frequent Flier over the years — especially with articles such as Additional Help on Getting Your Credit Card Fees Waived and Credit Card Benefits for servicemembers – A master summary!
By the way, you might have noticed that some of the aforementioned links in this article are for discussions on FlyerTalk which have been closed and locked. The reason is because the debate pertaining to perks and benefits for military personnel can be rather contentious…
Is Appreciation For Military Personnel Greater in the United States?
…but I noticed something else in my research for this article: most of the discussions regarding the debate over perks and benefits for military personnel are primarily in the forums on FlyerTalk dedicated to domestic airlines in the United States.
Why is that the case?
Could the reason be the patriotism many Americans feel with regard to everything that has to do with the United States? Is there something about saluting a red, white and blue flag with stars and stripes as opposed to saluting flags with a red maple leaf, three colored bars or a red circle?
I am proud to be an American; but I do not adorn my car with American flags or attend Independence Day parades. That is simply my choice, which does not mean I like or appreciate the United States any less than those who do those things — nor do I disparage them in any way. That is part of the beauty of living in the United States: the supposed freedom to celebrate or commemorate any holiday or milestone of significance any way that you choose.
All right — for those of you who bring up airport security checkpoints and the Transportation Security Administration, the “loss of freedom” and “illusion of security” arguments and debates are for a different discussion on a different day.
Summary
So, as I asked before: is the passionate debate about perks and benefits for military personnel rooted in patriotism? A love for a country which is arguably one of the best in which to live? A pride which swells to the point of being perceived as pompous, perhaps? Is it about showing an appreciation and respect for a special group of people who sacrifice themselves to protect the freedoms and the ways of life in the United States? Is the debate steeped in politics?
What about military personnel themselves — should they accept the gift of a free upgrade, whether by a fellow passenger or a flight attendant? Are they violating any rules or breaching any ethics or morals when they do so?
Why is it that you do not see people based outside of the United States embroiled in a debate over whether or not military personnel should be given an upgraded seat in the premium class cabin aboard an airplane simply because they are in the armed forces?
I am not sure of the answers to these questions — nor have I taken any sides in this debate. Believe me when I say I am definitely not passionate either way about this issue, despite the contrary for many FlyerTalk members based in the United States. However, I am interested in your thoughts…
All photographs ©2016 by Brian Cohen.
