I work for a start-up and always travel on non-refundable tickets (Platinum on AA). My schedule changes constantly, so I fly standby quite often. I am completely aggravated about the new policy requiring you to pay $100 to go standby on another flight after January 1st. I have to pay $$$ to see my family sooner if I get done early? What happens if a meeting runs late or traffic is really bad that day? I'm sure the airlines will stop overbooking their flights now (yeah right)...
Has anyone heard if the airlines plan to hold "elite" flyers to the same set of standards? Any ideas how to convince the airlines that this will be another incentive to fly Southwest, Jet Blue etc.? Anybody have an idea how to minimize the impact of these new rules if they are enacted on Jan.1?

I wouldn't count on that, it would totally undermine the rationale for making the change in the first place, which was to make business travelers (who are often a majority of the elites flying) buy higher priced tickets if they needed or desired such flexibility.

In fact, United's top two tiers of flyers used to be able to confirm same-day changes without a fee (as opposed to just flying standby). That perk has been eliminated.

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So long as the company is buying the ticket, the company chooses the airline (United, Jetblue, Britishair, etc.).

The company has the choice of paying the change fee, scheduling flights that fit the meeting schedule, or have people dash out of the meeting to catch the plane.

"My carpool is leaving" is pretty much an inviolate excuse for leaving a meeting early. "My plane is leaving" ougjt to be too.

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Hi I am new to this group, but being a travel agent, I can really relate to the frustation...(we weren't even told about this or the paper ticket fee) but we keep ahead of it in our res system. My daughter works for WN (that is who we fly on) and they have seen a definite increase in traffic. However, after 10-1-02 tickets will have to be used (or changed with the 100 fee prior to departure or bye bye). It is equated to buying something on sale-no refund no return...hoep this helps....

No, it's more like buying something with the clearance sale no refund/no return rules, but at the regular price. These restrictions aren't being applied to super-low web fares, they are applying to all but the outrageously high full coach fare.