Bold step could mean an industry-wide overhaul of fee structures
-
United said it has permanently ended change fees on domestic flights.
Photo: UnitedUnited said it has permanently ended change fees on domestic flights.
United said it has permanently ended change fees on domestic flights.
United said it has permanently ended change fees on domestic flights.
United Airlines could be ushering in a new era of consumer-friendly pricing policies with its announcement that it is getting rid those irritating and expensive $200 change fees on domestic trips.
And not just for the next month or two – but for good, according to the airline.
Late Sunday afternoon United said it is “permanently getting rid of change fees on all standard Economy and Premium cabin tickets for travel within the U.S., effective immediately.” The fees will remain on the airline's cheapest, most restricted "basic economy" fares, however.
The announcement goes beyond just change fees – starting Jan. 1, United said, any passenger can fly standby for no fee on an alternate flight departing the same day as their booked travel, regardless of fare type or class of service, assuming that space is available. (This move is especially attractive to business travelers who frequently must make flight changes at the last minute.) Customers can use United’s mobile app to get on the standby list or can do so at the airport no later than 30 minutes before departure for domestic flights, or one hour for international trips.
“MileagePlus Premier members can confirm a seat on a different flight on the same day with the same departure and arrival cities as their original ticket if a seat in the same ticket fare class is available,” United added.
And there's even more: The airline is waiving redeposit fees for all MileagePlus members on award travel flights that are cancelled or changed more than 30 days before departure.
And it is extending its change fee waiver for new tickets issued through December 31, 2020, to permit unlimited changes with no fee. This policy applies to all ticket types issued after March 3, 2020 and is valid for domestic and international travel.
Don't miss a shred of important travel news! Sign up for our FREE weekly email alerts.
Years ago, U.S. airlines started laying on various new fees for services that used to be included in the ticket price, and one of the most disliked was the change fee. which crept up over the years from just $25 in the 1990s. Major carriers have raked in billions of dollars in change fees and kept increasing them over the years. The last big fee hike was about five years ago, when the standard domestic change fee hit $200 and stayed there.
Southwest is the only major carrier that has never charged ticket change fees.
The only big airline that never imposed change fees, and still doesn’t charge them, is Southwest. (Southwest does not charge for the first two checked bags, either.) Wall Street types have roundly criticized Southwest in recent years for ignoring what could be a lucrative revenue source, but now United’s announcement could mean that Southwest’s policy will soon become the new industry standard. That’s because the major airlines tend to match any innovative pricing or marketing initiative by a competitor that could give it an advantage in attracting customers.
As the coronavirus pandemic caused widespread panic about air travel, most airlines started to waive their change fees for limited periods – generally a month or two at a time – to convince wary travelers that they could still book a ticket and not have to worry about shelling out $200 if they changed their minds. As the months rolled by and bookings didn’t recover as much as expected, some airlines started to extend their waivers for longer periods. For example, JetBlue said a few weeks ago it would waive change fees through mid-October, and Delta recently extended the policy into early January. But with United’s announcement, change fees could be on their way out for the foreseeable future.
Will the elimination of these fees last forever? Probably not. But it's sure nice to enjoy the change while we can...for those who are still flying through the pandemic. Now, if COVID-19 could take care of equally irritating hotel "resort" fees, we could truly be seeing silver linings.
Read all recent TravelSkills posts here
Chris McGinnis is SFGATE's senior travel correspondent. You can reach him via email or follow him on Twitter or Facebook. Don't miss a shred of important travel news by signing up for his FREE weekly email updates!
SFGATE participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.
"expensive" - Google News
August 31, 2020 at 05:33AM
https://ift.tt/3bbAqlO
United ends irritating, expensive change, standby fees for good - SF Gate
"expensive" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2GwwnlN
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "United ends irritating, expensive change, standby fees for good - SF Gate"
Post a Comment