Airlines Waiving 'Change' Fees

Not only are a host of airlines canceling scheduled service to the Middle East, there is an increasingly-full bandwagon of airlines that are responding to the inevitable necessity of customers' changing needs. Among the majors, United started the ball rolling, waiving its 'change' fees, even before the war was to start.

Most other airlines have said they'd waive the fees, but only after the war were to start, or if the country went to "Code Red."

United's policy covers tickets issued before March 31, for travel before April 19 (the tenth anniversary of the fire at Waco, and eighth anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing). If the new ticket's price is lower than the original ticket's United is also going to give the traveler a voucher for the difference. (If the new ticket is more-expensive, the traveler would, of course, pay the difference.)

Midwest Airlines was, we understand, the first US airline to invoke such a 'waive change fees' policy, announced Tuesday morning.

Continental climbs on...

Wednesday, Continental implemented a new policy allowing customers to immediately change their domestic and international travel plans without the standard change fee.

The new Flexible Travel Policy, announced on March 10, was to go into effect in the event of military action against Iraq or the issuance of a "Level Red" advisory by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. While the United States is not at war and has not gone to a Level Red Alert, Continental said she felt it was, "appropriate to implement this policy now."

Continental customers who have purchased tickets for U.S. domestic and international travel through May 18 may make a one-time change to their travel plans without paying the standard change fee. To take advantage of the new policy, customers must make the change by the earlier of April 19 or their originally scheduled date of travel. Travel may be rescheduled for any date through Dec. 31, 2003.

FMI: www.united.com; www.midwestexpress.com; www.continental.com