Time trouble and expense have nothing to do with this. They charge because they can and because some people will pay it. They also often open up seats at the last minute that will not sell and otherwise not be full. It's all about separating you from your money.

Here's the other kicker, in another recent call to USAIR regarding my possible FUTURE trip using award travel (to avoid last min. fees):

I want to take my wife possibly to ASPEN, CO. in the winter. That's enough plan-time, right?

UAL goes there. If the two airlines have the partner gig in place then I may be able to use USAIR awards to fly to ASPEN and not just DENVER (from BOS). The plans for the partnership would include UAL and UAL Express flights which Aspen does involve, so it should work--when the partnership is ON.

We would go in the mid winter, say Feb Vaca, a rather busy period. Because it is busy, one would probably have to start thinking about booking that award one right about now. It may even already be too late.

BUT, I find that I cannot even set aside the booking and get any dates yet because the two airlines have not yet solidified all things and so I cannot book a flight to ASPEN using these USAIR award tickets.

So, the CS lady said they think it will all take affect early next quarter. Based on the idea of trying to plan ahead with award tickets, there is little or no chance there will even be any seats ON the plane if I try to use an award IN Feb and have to wait to use it til Jan, Feb or whatever just to set it all up.

She actually suggested that I book the BOS-DEN portion now and then opt to pay the fees that exist for restocking the miles and re-issuing the award if and when an ASPEN itin does open up for the airline or its partner where iI'd be using the awards!
I dont think so. Again, I will have to try another carrier. Many go just BOS-DEN.

And then, even though this period is still within the 20k low-season, we do not yet know if flying on a UAL plane with a US AIR award will then require 25k...

Oh well!
Next?!?

I had that experience with AA, with a twist. I knew I was going to be stuck in Chicago over the weekend, so I decided to cash in some AA miles and fly my wife out for an early anniversary. I did it completely on-line, and there was no mention of a $75 fee, only a $10 airport fee. I even have a printout of my confirmation saying "total fees: $10" I get a call from my wife at check-in telling me they want $75. The CSm was no help. I have sent a letter to CS asking for my $75 back since they didn't inform me when I booked the award. We'll see what happens...

it is, to put it mildly , a let down. particulary for people who have paid more to fly aa for perceived future benefits. perhaps i should have concentrated on delta dawn!

That's about the best explanation that I've seen so far. "In the olden days" prior to electronic ticketing, it made sense to charge extra for short-notice reservations. Not only did the back office have to issue the paper tickets in a timely manner, but they had to be sent out express mail.

When electronic ticketing came on the scene, many carriers dropped the short-notice booking fees for e-tickets as a way to encourage passengers to use e-tickets. For some reason, AA kept the fee. It's probably no coincidence that AAdvantage is considered to be one of the most profitable mileage programs out there. They continued to charge because of the perceived value of last-minute booking. Many passengers just accept the fact that there is a rush fee of some sort. In sort, they do so because they can.

A couple of months ago, when many carriers were changing their fee structure, several added an AA-like expidite fee even for e-tickets. Again, just because they can, and because they need the money. It's really not any more complicated than that.

since the original writer asked if there was an airline that allowed him to just get a ticket without a charge, I assume from your answer that you say Delta allows it.

Wrong. They in fact do charge for tickets inside the 7 day window.

I think there are always deals out there. You have to be willing to take the time to find them.

Good Luck!

That's news to me. I thought they had free seat inventory controls. I have been told that there were no free seats on a flight (with cupon in hand) and that I would have to buy a ticket if I wanted to fly.

On the other hand, WN has no free seat inventory controls, just a few black out dates.

To summarize the thread thus far . . .

For last-minute award travel, the following carriers charge additional fees (beyond taxes, etc.) for issuing such e-tickets, while the latter do not:

Fees Imposed
AA, CO, DL (<7 days), US

NO Fees Imposed
AS (online), NW, WN, UA


[Added CO based on subsequent comments.]


[This message has been edited by SPN Lifer (edited 11-28-2002).]

I pondered this question carefully and my take on this is why only $75 fee. I suspect that all award seats are usually taken up when it nears flight time, since they allocate so few for award seating-something like 6 to 12 per flight. Then they raise the prices for the few seats that are left, hoping that business passengers pay the 1,2 or 3ks for the remainder of unfilled seats. If an award ticketer is able to snag a last minute seat, then the business traveler's money goes elsewhere. The US business model for airlines seems to be that a unfilled seat is better left unfilled if the alternative is to sell it for less than full-fare. If that is how the rules are, then $75 is a bargain.

This past Friday I booked a flight to LAX on NWA, oh yeah, and I left Friday too, I booked and left the same day, WOW. It cost me $5. I think in the old days this would have cost me some outrageous amount, but not sure what. The only thing that comes to mind is in the old days you had to call to get an award ticket, I think. This time I used the internet to book it, no customer service help for me, so it much cheaper for them to process. Could this be the ultimate difference.

Folks, if you're American Executive Platinum you get reward inventory unavailable to others and no fees for redeeming such.

Well, folks, worth the fee or not (and I obviously do not think it is worth it) my concern is that there has been no one to explain WHY there is a fee. There are some excellent theories in here and I've read them all. Thank you!

But I hoped a real US AIRWAYS airline person might enlighten us, and yet I guess they are too scared to get on this board?...

I am not platinum and do not justify fees of this nature. If I start to--if we all let them charge them, then as someone in here said, they WILL just continue to do it! "oh, it's only $75...it's only 100, 200, whatever! We don't care, take my money, please!"

NOPE: Free is free! There should be no fine print, no restrictions, no stupid changes. It is an *award ticket.* Hello!

I will fight for my right to party!

Who's with me. C'mon, was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!

So as you can clearly see, I will keep trying to find out WHY there is a fee AND I will keep trying to use these awards. I think I will simply plan a new trip, use the awards up and then be done with an airline that has aweful policies... And policy is not always right. Policy is THEIR right, not THE right. There's a difference in this world and so this particular airline's policy maker just lost my business after I somehow get to redeem my honest and true free award trips-(until I hear of one day when they change their policies, that is)!

If you have to become executive platinum double secret elite (and tell US about it) just to redeem that which you earned as a mere non-status dude, then what's the point?

Of course, if you wish to gimme some of those AA awards you have laying around, I will GIVE away these 2 US Air ones!

THAT is how one choses an airline (or which ones not to take).
thanks!

There was a thread a month or two ago in which someone posted a response from AA on why they had expedite fees. They basically said that it cost them to be able to ensure that awards could be processed quickly when needed. Presumably the payroll of extra staff to handle the fluctuations in award demand.

It's a load of horse hooey, IMO, but that was their spin.

As a practical matter, I think they're paranoid you could be a business traveler who's trying to dodge having to buy an exorbitantly priced paid ticket. Even a Saturday night stay restriction doesn't seem to calm their fears there (CO is an example).

"Expedite" fees are no longer necessary because they can't claim you owe them for having to drop everything, print a ticket and send it out overnight like in the old days.

This is a classic case of airlines trying to artificially block consumers from receving benefit from new technology and systems. They deserve the bad P.R. over it.

Next up: Reinstating "lost ticket fees" for e-tickets if you can't present a hardcopy receipt at the ticket counter!