Major US airlines cancel flight replacement fees

United Airlines and Delta Air Lines are joining American Airlines and Alaska Airlines in the final elimination of costly flight change fees on international flights. USA Today.

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The new rules, which were announced on Wednesday, December 9, will be a boon for travelers who need to change their plans. When flexible airline rules were lifted due to the pandemic, traditional fees for changing international tickets on some routes run as high as $ 500 per person.

But there is a serious snag here.

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Economy class tickets (the cheapest) will remain non-refundable and unchanged. And for all tickets there is a difference in fares. So if you need to replace a cheap ticket at the last minute, but the new one is more expensive, you will have to pay the difference.

Airlines made all tickets, including basic economy class, flexible during the pandemic, but this was a temporary policy. Airlines are now saying that the abolition of replacement fees will become permanent for all ticket categories except Basic Economy.

Delta was thinking about changing the replacement fee even before the coronavirus pandemic. In a January interview with USA TODAY, CEO Ed Bastian said, "People see the system of fees for changing flights as punishment."

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Replacement fees, baggage allowance and seat selection have become big business for airlines. In 2019, US carriers raised $ 2,8 billion in replacements alone, according to the Federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics. They received $ 2020 million in the first nine months of 799,7, up from $ 2,1 billion in the same period in 2019, given the waiver of replacement fees and fewer travelers.

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