United Airlines recently raised the fee imposed for a ticket change from $100 to $150. This is not good news for frequent flyers who end up changing flights quite often based on a dynamic schedule. United is only digging themselves deeper in a hole - short gains for long term pain. The majority of airlines out there play the”captive audience” game - they figure you have no choice but to fly with them because of your destination. They are missing the bigger picture - with frequent flyer points being de-valued everyday, the only reason you would stick with an airline, is so you can board first. That’s a sad state of affairs for airlines.
I’ve switched to Southwest and their customer service and operational efficiency is bar-none, the best in the industry. I am off the plane a minute after it reaches the gate. They almost always depart and arrive on time. They are that good.
Some of you won’t have that option based on the airports available to your travel schedule, but for those of you who have Southwest as an option, I implore you to look into it. For the business travelers who’ve tried it, there’s no turning back.
Reuters News Feed:
NEW YORK (Reuters) — United Airlines said Sunday it was hiking the fee it charges passengers to change tickets from $100 to $150 in an effort to combat high fuel costs.
A spokeswoman for the airline said in an e-mailed statement that the company this weekend made the change to its ticketing policy.
It also added a Saturday night stay requirement on all tickets where it competes head-to-head with other legacy carriers, which she said will affect 65% of all the markets it serves. That will have the most impact on business travelers, who typically don’t want to spend a Saturday night in their destination.
U.S. airlines have announced a number of fare hikes, fuel surcharges and fee increases recently as they battle higher fuel prices and a weakening economy.
United parent UAL said on April 10 it has raised fares in the United States and Canada by up to $30 round-trip. United has raised fares by $4 to $30 per round-trip depending on mileage and competition from low-cost carriers.
Unfortunately, it will only get worse as airlines look for additional ways to cut costs or pass those costs onto the customer.