Dad2142Dad 6,559 Posted October 2, 2013 Report Share Posted October 2, 2013 Way to step up, even though your service sucks http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/united-airlines-offers-to-fly-air-force-to-navy-game-100213 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Remek 771 Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 (edited) f-in amazing. I remember when any airforce member could hop a government plane anywhere for $10. Is that still possible? I am betting not. That's gotta be embarrassing, though. The Air Force has to use freebies to do what they are supposed to do. Laughable really, but this is Mao's military. I bet the Department of Harrassment and Shitheads is flying their own C5A to the same event. Edited October 3, 2013 by Remek Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matthew Hopkins 1,065 Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 (edited) I remember when any airforce member could hop a government plane anywhere for $10. Is that still possible? I am betting not. any military personnel, and that includes retirees issued a ID card, and dependents issued a ID card can "hop" on any flight on any base, as space available. the sucky thing is that you maybe sacked out in the terminal for days, get bumped. depending on where you want to go. the popular destinations are the worst on getting a flight out, and if you do, you may have to zig zag east and west north and south. and use up a lot of time waiting at other military terminals when I was stationed in korea, in 85, I got a "hop" out of Kimpo AB to Bangkok Thailand on my mid-tour leave, real fast, like the next day. granted it was a C141, but it flew that's all I cared. the main reason I was able to get out fast is that everybody there at the terminal wanted to go to states to see their wives, or Australia which suited me fine. I don't think I even paid anything. showed them my leave paper, ID so they could put me on the manifest and boarded with my bag and we went rolling down the runway. Edited October 3, 2013 by Matthew Hopkins Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MT Predator 2,294 Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Good on AA to offer the ride. With all the budget constraints, the AF isn't flying like they used to back in the day where you could catch a hop just about anywhere. The heavy cargo aircraft are strapped moving troops and equipment back and forth to deployment locations. Even the rotator flights going into Europe are filled with either Active Duty and their families on PCS moves or troops moving out of or into Afghanistan and other places. Pretty much no Space Available seats. There is a chance you can hop a ride on a tanker if they are gassing up fighters going over the pond. I used to hop all the time with my family in the eight years I was stationed in Germany. Then, there really wasn't much waiting in the terminal for seats. A few years ago, I did luck out and catch a free ride on a KC-135 with my wife and boys to the UK and back to visit the wife's family. My friend who was a Boom Operator on the aircraft hooked me up with their schedule. They were flying back and forth refueling fighters from the desert. We caught a ride over, then two weeks later, caught them on a return trip. IIRC, there was never a fee, only a fee for a boxed lunch if you wanted one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
liberty -r- death 1,445 Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Hard to get space "a" at the base lodging anymore. Hardly worth the trouble of trying these days to get a "hop" or lodging. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DogMan 2,343 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 (edited) It's a good thing that it's happening, but just keep it in perspective. This is a PR move by a big greedy corporation who has calculated that any revenue lost by providing free rides will be more than made up for in the long run by the free feel good publicity they will get in return. Edited October 4, 2013 by DogMan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Remek 771 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Absolutely true, but that is capitalism in its true form. Not the socialism of bailouts and too big to fail shit. I see it as a good thing and I'd even give them a shot next time I need to fly, but they'll still have to be somewhat competitive. I also see it as a failure on the part of our government, that the Air Force cannot fly themselves somewhere. I know about budgets, but at some point, there needs to be a little room for these things. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vulcan16 971 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Good on AA to offer the ride. United Airlines offered the ride. BTW.....United already has the contract to fly the Air Force Academy and many NFL teams. This trip we are waving the charter fees. Jeff Smisek more then made up for it with all the free positive press. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MT Predator 2,294 Posted October 5, 2013 Report Share Posted October 5, 2013 Good on AA to offer the ride. United Airlines offered the ride. BTW.....United already has the contract to fly the Air Force Academy and many NFL teams. This trip we are waving the charter fees. Jeff Smisek more then made up for it with all the free positive press. United, American, Delta, whatever...It is still a contract for movement of the team then? Well, if there is a contract in place to fly them to games, why such the big fuss then? If the contract was waived and the flight was free... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vulcan16 971 Posted October 5, 2013 Report Share Posted October 5, 2013 Good on AA to offer the ride. United Airlines offered the ride. BTW.....United already has the contract to fly the Air Force Academy and many NFL teams. This trip we are waving the charter fees. Jeff Smisek more then made up for it with all the free positive press. United, American, Delta, whatever...It is still a contract for movement of the team then? Well, if there is a contract in place to fly them to games, why such the big fuss then? If the contract was waived and the flight was free... The flight will be free.....give proper credit to the company providing the service.....United Airlines. BTW.....my coworkers and I are paying part of this flight through our profit sharing plan. Still a very note worthy service the company is providing for a legendary college game. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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