( CNN ) -- In the wake of an online video in which soldiers returning from Afghanistan complained that Delta Air Lines charged their unit more than $ 2,800 in bag-check fees , two rival carriers on Thursday said they will loosen their checked-bag restrictions for active-duty military members . American Airlines announced it will allow military personnel to check an extra two bags with no out-of-pocket expense , and AirTran Airways said later Thursday it will waive baggage charges for `` members of the military who are traveling on active duty orders . '' The airline 's policy is identical to that of Southwest Airlines , which acquired AirTran in a merger last September , AirTran spokesman Christopher White told CNN . American Airlines airline will have policy fully implemented `` in the next few days , '' spokeswoman Dori Robau Alvarez said in a statement released Thursday . The airlines were the latest of the major U.S. carriers to change their policies . Delta and Continental/United announced Wednesday they were loosening their checked-bag policies for military personnel . Previously , American Airlines allowed three bags to be checked free , `` with full government reimbursement to military personnel on any bags above that number , '' but the carrier decided to increase the free-bag limit to five , `` given the potential confusion with different military units carrying different amounts of bags depending on their mission , '' according to the statement . The statement continued : `` Both our revised 5-bag policy as well as the previous policy allowed active military personnel traveling either on orders or on personal travel to utilize our military bag policy . In addition , American also allows military personnel traveling on orders to have one of their free bags weigh up to 100 pounds and ( to be ) 126 linear inches in size without penalty . ... This greatly helps with the typical , large military duffel bags . '' Its limits on other bags are 50 pounds and 62 linear inches , it said . AirTran 's fee waiver also comes with some size and weight restrictions : `` As long as each piece of baggage does not exceed 100 pounds in weight and 80 inches in size ( length plus width plus height ) , you will be exempt from baggage charges , and will not be subject to excess , oversized , or overweight baggage charges , '' White said in an e-mail to CNN . The Delta incident got instant notoriety after servicemen spoke out about their experience in a video posted on YouTube . In the clip , which the men say was recorded on board a Delta flight from Baltimore to Atlanta on Tuesday , a day after they returned from Afghanistan , the soldiers explain they had `` a little issue with the bags . '' CNN affiliate WXIA in Atlanta identified the soldiers as U.S. Army Staff Sgts . Fred Hilliker and Robert O'Hair . The men , who were bound for Fort Polk , Louisiana , said their military travel orders allowed them to carry up to four bags , but when they arrived at the airport in Baltimore , Delta told them it allowed military personnel to check only three bags for free . Members of the unit who were traveling with four bags ended up paying out of pocket for their extra luggage , the soldiers said in the video . They were charged $ 200 per extra bag , so the 34-member unit ended up paying more than $ 2,800 in bag fees , the soldiers said . Any extra bag fees charged by an airline will be reimbursed by the government , a military spokeswoman told CNN affiliate WGCL in Atlanta . One of the soldiers in the video said the bag he had to pay for was a weapons case that contained `` the tools that I used to protect myself and Afghan citizens while I was deployed in the country . '' The other man then looked into the camera , exasperated . `` Good business model , Delta , '' he said sarcastically . `` Not happy . Not happy at all , '' he added , shaking his head . On Wednesday , Delta changed its policy : Effective immediately , U.S. military personnel traveling on orders are now allowed to check up to four bags for free in coach and five bags in first class and business class . Delta spokeswoman Susan Elliot on Thursday said the airline will reimburse the complaining soldiers for any fourth-bag fees that the military will not cover , and is giving them travel vouchers good for future trips . United/Continental also announced Wednesday it will allow more bags . `` United and Continental are waiving the fourth checked bag fee for military personnel traveling on orders in recognition of their sacrifice and service to our country , '' Christen David , a spokeswoman for United/Continental Airlines , said in an e-mail . The two airlines closed a merger deal in October . Delta said it deeply respects and admires men and women in uniform and added that it has worked hard to ensure that U.S. military personnel get `` additional flexibility '' when they travel on the carrier . The carrier said it 's `` continuing to work with the soldiers individually to make this situation right for each of them . '' The soldiers may have been misinformed about how many bags traveling active duty military personnel can check for free , according to Stars and Stripes , the independent news organization focusing on the military . CNN 's A. Pawlowski and Aaron Cooper contributed to this report .
NEW : AirTran Airways waives bag fees for active-duty military . Soldiers back from Louisiana said AirTran Airways charged their unit $ more than $ 2,800 to check extra bags . American will go to five free checked bags for military personnel , up from five . Delta and AirTran Airways announced bag-check policy changes on Wednesday .