United Permanently Drops $200 Ticket Change Fee

CNBC reports:

It’s time to say goodbye to the $200 ticket-change fee. United Airlines on Sunday said that it will permanently scrap fees to change domestic flights, a big bet that more flexible policies will win over much-needed customers as the pain from the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on air travel continue to mount.

It’s a page from the playbook of rival Southwest Airlines, which doesn’t charge customers fees to change their flights. “Following previous tough times, airlines made difficult decisions to survive, sometimes at the expense of customer service,” said United CEO Scott Kirby in a news release.

“United Airlines won’t be following that same playbook as we come out of this crisis. Instead, we’re taking a completely different approach – and looking at new ways to serve our customers better.”