There has been little positive news from the airline sector lately but United Airlines, Inc. has an idea it hopes will get some of its customers back on board its flights - no more change fees on flights within the U.S.
United Airlines said Sunday it would start offering same-day flight changes to passengers starting January next year - all free of charge - for good, CNN Business reported.
For flyers who bought tickets before Dec. 31, the airline said it would extend a waiver that will allow them to change flight schedules for an unlimited number of times at no cost.
The new policy is permanent for all of United's economy and premium cabin seats - which means the hated $200-change fees are now history for United.
The Chicago-headquartered airline is one of the big U.S. carriers this year that started imposing temporary waivers for change fees to provide customers more leg-room on trips considering the uncertainty brought on by the continuing worldwide health emergency. United's latest move matches its rival Southwest Airlines' long-standing regulation of zero fees for travel changes.
The carrier hopes to emerge from the current crisis without sticking to "the same playbook" and look at new ways to better serve its clients, United Airlines' chief executive officer Scott Kirby said.
Airlines are scrambling for solutions to save their struggling businesses that have been at the mercy of the coronavirus.
Based on latest figures from Transportation Security Administration screenings at main U.S. airports are at about 30 percent of 2019 levels as carriers suffer a continued drop in sales during the peak summer season. Though air travel has normalized to an extent the business is still a fraction only of what it was before the pandemic.
According to Kirby, eliminating the change fee is what customers want - among other concerns. Change, he said, is unavoidable these days "but it is how we respond to it that matters most."
Airline companies are losing millions of dollars every day as a result of the pandemic but they believe offering travel flexibility will re-attract customers and set back in motion profitability and consumer confidence.
