[dustballs1]

I would like to suggest that airlines consider waiving baggage fees to disaster volunteers such as Red Cross workers.

Consider that Red Cross workers are sent out solely on the good graces of the donated dollar to areas affected by serious disaster conditions. They are expected to survive on the barest of subsistence amounts to provide absolute stewardship of the cash provided for their means.

The last time I travelled, I was forced to pay $25 in cash to check my bag. In 2008, the fee was waived because I was Red Cross. This time it was not. As a result I only had $8 left to provide for my food and other incidentals for the rest of the day.

That bag I checked contained only items that would benefit my Red Cross work: clothes, toiletries, Red Cross “GO Kit” items unique to the affected disaster area, and emergency snacks and water. I knew I was going to arrive somewhere that might not have running water, electricity, heating, air conditioning, or a bed to sleep on (in six years, I have rarely slept on a bed). The first day I may not get anything to eat other than the on-board meal, if any, due to the time crunch. Sometimes we go straight to work into a 12 hour shift, for which we are well trained and prepared to serve.

Consider that Red Cross volunteers must take unpaid leave to answer the call of duty. The organization’s charter requires them to stand up whenever requested by our government during specific disasters. Volunteers face risks associated with bad air and water quality. They buy extra flashlights and batteries, radios. Their “incidentals” allowances often goes for laundry detergent, first aid items, trail bars, hygiene supplies, meals on the go, and everything else that is not provided to them. When they return, they pay for their own medical care for injuries or hazardous exposures that occurred on their trip. And in 2011, there have been an unprecedented number of natural disasters. If I had gone out every time I were called, the baggage fees alone would have been in the hundreds of dollars.

There is no requirement, NONE, that airlines provide a fee waiver like many do for the military. But it would certainly make it far easier on those of us that answer the call of our country in times of need.

[BKK_FLYER]

Hi,

Many airlines do so.. However, to prevent abuses many airlines require that the local, regional or national chapter of the IRC make these arrangements directly with the airline versus having/allowing the individual travel show up at the airport and try to negotiate it.

This way there is a consistent policy applied to all who travel under similar circumstances, and the IRC/ICRC can then better plan for what will be their baggage allowance and what, if any, surcharges will be applied.

[dustballs1]

What a thoughtful response. It sounds like the International Red Cross has a planned response.

Now if only the National Red Cross organizations had such arrangements domestically. We obtain our tickets through a Red Cross designated travel agency, and the volunteers are informed that they are entitled to the same waivers as the military because we all respond under similar charter to domestic incidents. The volunteers come from cities all over the country, so it would have to be a nationwide policy of some kind.

However the reality is that the domestic airline check in employees have no knowledge or training, no matter what the volunteer has been told. So we mostly have to pay up or just not go. We do not deal with the back office. We just show up at the airport with Red Cross travel orders, Red Cross purchased tickets, Red Cross ID, Red Cross charge cards, etc.

My experience in six years in the U.S. : If the incident is big enough and the airline employee knows why you are going on travel, they waive the charge. Otherwise you pay. On the way home from the affected city, the airlines do not charge, because they know what you did for their city. (Or maybe its the look of absolute fatigue on our faces, LOL).

[BKK_FLYER]

Originally Posted by dustballs1

However the reality is that the domestic airline check in employees have no knowledge or training, no matter what the volunteer has been told. So we mostly have to pay up or just not go. We do not deal with the back office.

This is the exact reason why the national, regional or local offices commonly handle this with the airlines head office.. That way the airlines head office can enter or amend the reservation to reflect the passengers unique travel status and to effectively 'authorize' the waiving of bag fees to the level that was agreed.

Not every agent across the system will know of the disaster, be that domestic or international, that the IRC passenger is responding to, so by centralizing it, the head office makes this information available to the station agent by way of some notation or similar in your reservation, or PNR.

This way the waiver is consistent and in line with what the IRC expects and authorizes for travel under their program.