Effective immediately: UA domestic change fee now $150
Apr 19, 2008, 10:41 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: VA Platinum / QF Platinum
Posts: 179
Effective immediately: UA domestic change fee now $150
Overnight (4/19), United raised their domestic change fee from $100 to $150. Apparently there was memo that came in this morning and it was "effective immediately". I am not sure what other fees have been increased.
I do not believe this is posted to their website yet.
Nice of them to sneak this one in at midnight on a Friday night. Isn't this an old White House tactic to announce bad news after the press has gone home for the weekend?
Sabe a verga!
I do not believe this is posted to their website yet.
Nice of them to sneak this one in at midnight on a Friday night. Isn't this an old White House tactic to announce bad news after the press has gone home for the weekend?
Sabe a verga!
Last edited by marinersdave; Apr 19, 2008 at 11:29 am
Apr 19, 2008, 10:49 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Los Angeles & Orange County, CA
Programs: Wouldn't you like to know?!
Posts: 23,822
This is utter BS 
UA, if you keep pulling these stunts
with AA double EQM RDM and PLAT
I might just g over.
UA, if you keep pulling these stunts
with AA double EQM RDM and PLAT
I might just g
over.
Apr 19, 2008, 10:51 am
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Ravens Country
Programs: UA-1K, Marriott-Gold, SPG-Gold, IC RA/Plat, Amtrak Select
Posts: 3,887
I agree,
I dont know what UA is thinking. Do they not pay attention to the competition??
If this is the case I will make 1K and UA and then head over to DL/NW. I am sure they will love to offer me a status comp and would love my business.
I am not sure UA will learn untill they lose and lose more customers.
I dont know what UA is thinking. Do they not pay attention to the competition??
If this is the case I will make 1K and UA and then head over to DL/NW. I am sure they will love to offer me a status comp and would love my business.
I am not sure UA will learn untill they lose and lose more customers.
Apr 19, 2008, 10:54 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: VA Platinum / QF Platinum
Posts: 179
I'm wondering if this is another scenario in which United is being an "industry leader" and testing the waters similar to the $25 second bag charge and perhaps the other airlines will follow suit? 
and testing the waters similar to the $25 second bag charge and perhaps the other airlines will follow suit?
Apr 19, 2008, 10:54 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: AA GLD (1MM), DL GLD, Marriott Plat, RCL D+, X Elite
Posts: 3,229
I just did a fake domestic booking to read the fare rules, and sure enough.... $150 bucks was the change fee. Of all the various fees airlines charge now, the change fee, and the 15 dollar fee to ticket with a real person are among the most annoying. The change fee is one that I find the absolutely most annoying....well, at the hundred dollar and up level, at least.
We'll see if others follow suit.
We'll see if others follow suit.
Apr 19, 2008, 11:11 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,330
The bag fees are for 'everyone else', not elites. This new fee, as their current change fee, excludes no one. If this comes to pass, I am out like Harvey Firestein.
I move to SMF in August, and if they keep this crap up, I am defecting to OneWorld and (biting my quivering bottom lip as I type this) Southwest!
Last edited by iluv2fly; Apr 19, 2008 at 12:36 pm Reason: language
Apr 19, 2008, 11:13 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2004
Programs: Nah.
Posts: 13,967
Wow, surprising! If the other legacies match, this will be the new standard... If they don't expect this to be reversed within a week.
Apr 19, 2008, 11:14 am
#8
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 44
If United is going to charge me $150 for making changes, then they should pay me $150 every time they make a schedule change. Absolutely ridiculous...
Apr 19, 2008, 11:17 am
#9
In memoriam
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Danville, CA
Programs: AA EXP - UA *G MM - HH Diamond - Hertz PC
Posts: 3,242
I just did a fake domestic booking to read the fare rules, and sure enough.... $150 bucks was the change fee. Of all the various fees airlines charge now, the change fee, and the 15 dollar fee to ticket with a real person are among the most annoying. The change fee is one that I find the absolutely most annoying....well, at the hundred dollar and up level, at least.
We'll see if others follow suit.
We'll see if others follow suit.
PenaltyCXL BY FLT DATE OR NOVALUE
NONREF/CHG100PLUSFAREDIF/
I suggest if you're booking tickets today you save a screen shot of your reservation in case you need to change your ticket and want to dispute the fee.
Apr 19, 2008, 11:19 am
#10
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: YYC
Programs: UA 1K, PC Plat
Posts: 762
Wirelessly posted (xx: BlackBerry8100/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100 UP.Browser/5.0.3.3)
The thing I don't understand is that with fuel prices being what they are why not just price tickets accordingly rather than nickel and diming their way around it. No airline will escape the fuel costs so prices have to go up. That makes sense stupid fees don't.
The thing I don't understand is that with fuel prices being what they are why not just price tickets accordingly rather than nickel and diming their way around it. No airline will escape the fuel costs so prices have to go up. That makes sense stupid fees don't.
Apr 19, 2008, 11:21 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: LAS
Programs: UA 1MM, Marriott Lifetime Plat, Southwest A-List Preferred
Posts: 2,846
My company won't like this at all. I must change 2 or 3 tix a week!
Apr 19, 2008, 11:22 am
#12
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: UA
Posts: 216
Are US carriers moving towards the European LCC model where they nickel and dime the passengers for everything?
Perhaps UA is trying encourage people to be 1K!
Perhaps UA is trying encourage people to be 1K!
Apr 19, 2008, 11:22 am
#13
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,330
What galls me most, is that it's not even incremental. Just a full on $50 jump! Are they high? It was $50 in 1999 when I worked at the UA RES Center. It was going up to $75 in 2000. Not sure when it increased to $100. This is just another example of how nickel/dime UA has become. Next up, expect ads on the tray tables, F/A's hawking Chase credit cards during flights, and 7 minute 'commercials' played in the entire cabin after take-off a la US Scareways.
United...how low will you go??? (or should I ask, how high?)
United...how low will you go??? (or should I ask, how high?)
Apr 19, 2008, 11:24 am
#14
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE, BA silver
Posts: 2,906
Apr 19, 2008, 11:25 am
#15
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,330
The more I think about this, the angrier I get.
