By Sandy Fitzgerald From Newsmax

United Airlines and Delta Airlines on Saturday both tweeted notices that they will no longer offer discount programs for members of the National Rifle Association, and asked that the organization remove the airline’s information from its website.

Delta was the first to pull out, tweeting at about 8:30 a.m. that it was “reaching out to the NRA to let them know we will be ending their contract for discounted rates through our group travel program,” the airline said in its message. “We will be requesting that the NRA remove our information from their website.”

At about 10:30 a.m., United followed suit, tweeting in a similar message that it was “notifying the NRA that we will no longer offer a discounted rate to their annual meeting and we are asking that the NRA remove our information from their website.”

Both Delta and United Airlines had been providing the discounts for NRA members to fly to the organization’s annual NRA convention, being held this May in Dallas, reports ThinkProgress. United commented that it does not have an affiliation with the NRA, but it does offer discounts through its “standard meeting agreement process.”

Delta at first defended its discounts to ThinkProgress, saying such offers are routinely made for any group with more than 10 people traveling from more than two departure cities, except for weddings or family reunions.

The move makes the two major airlines the latest companies to pull back from the NRA after it came under fire for its political influence following the Valentine’s Day school shootings in Parkland, Florida, which claimed 17 lives.

The NRA, which with 5 million members is one of the largest organizations in the country, has partnerships with dozens of businesses, including discounts for car rentals, hotels, and a branded credit card, but many companies are rethinking that relationship in the wake of the shootings.

National Car Rental, Enterprise, and Alamo all announced this past week that they will end their car rental discounts for NRA members, and TrueCar, a car pricing company, said it is ending a discount program that allowed members to save an average of almost $3,400 from the retail prices of new or pre-owned vehicles.

In addition, First National Bank of Omaha said Thursday it plans to end its business relationship with the organization, and would no longer offer NRA-branded credit cards. Also, anti-virus software maker Symantec said it will no longer offer discounts to NRA members.

The city of Dallas, meanwhile, is concerned about the upcoming convention. Mayor pro tem Dwaine Caraway told ABC News on Tuesday that members of the NRA will likely be met with “marches and demonstrations, and he has asked the organization to hold its convention somewhere else.

Image: Delta, United Airlines Join Growing List Of Companies Boycotting NRA (AP)

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