That'll Be $100 For That Bag, Soldier

When soldiers deploy to Iraq, they need to bring a lot of gear -- uniforms, boots and other equipment. When Staff Sgt. Ashley Serrano, an Army National Guard reservist, left El Paso recently to head to a Guard facility in Texas for training before deployment, his stuff took up three bags.

The El Paso Times reports that American Airlines was happy to accommodate Serrano's gear -- for an extra charge of $100. Rules are rules after all, and American's policy is that military passengers are allowed to check only two bags without incurring an additional charge. (Since June 15, civilian passengers pay for every bag they check on American, starting at $15 and working up to $100 by the third bag.)