United permanently eliminates some change fees

Effective immediately, United will permanently eliminate change fees for all standard economy and premium tickets for travel within the US, the carrier announced Sunday. In making the announcement, the airline joins rival Southwest Airlines, which also does not charge change fees. During the pandemic, other carriers also have waived change fees, but only on a temporary basis. Beginning Jan. 1, United also will allow customers to fly standby free on flights leaving the day of their scheduled travel, regardless of the type of ticket or class of service. The announcements come as the industry faces an unprecedented drop in air travel in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and carriers around the world are struggling to stay afloat. US carriers have reported billions of dollars in losses, and hopes for a quick recovery have been thwarted by a resurgence of the virus. Come Oct. 1, thousands of airline employees face the possibility that they could lose their jobs when the payroll support program created as part of the Cares Act expires. “Change is inevitable these days — but it’s how we respond to it that matters most,” United CE Scott Kirby said. “When we hear from customers about where we can improve, getting rid of fees is often the top request. Following previous tough times, airlines made difficult decisions to survive, sometimes at the expense of customer service. 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.”<br/>