United drops a Sunday surprise, ends change and standby fees

Yeah, and it might turn out to be a negative for Southwest.

Right now, the big differentiation WN has pushed in their advertising has been no change fees/no bag fees.

This change neuters the biggest cost/risk differentiation, and arguably, bag fees aren't an issue for anyone except the once-or-twice-a-year flyers because they're waived for people who fly frequently enough or have an airline's co-branded credit card.

Assuming AA or DL follow suit (which history says will probably happen...), there's not a lot left for WN to pitch as an advantage for flying on them.
 
Yeah, and it might turn out to be a negative for Southwest.

Right now, the big differentiation WN has pushed in their advertising has been no change fees/no bag fees.

This change neuters the biggest cost/risk differentiation, and arguably, bag fees aren't an issue for anyone except the once-or-twice-a-year flyers because they're waived for people who fly frequently enough or have an airline's co-branded credit card.

Assuming AA or DL follow suit (which history says will probably happen...), there's not a lot left for WN to pitch as an advantage for flying on them.

Yes. It will affect SWA, and yes, just as predicted D and A followed suit. Kinda knew that was coming, but now with all three biggies doing it it will be felt. Southwest is still looking for other ways to stick out and now that they all copied what SWA has done forever they will have to find something.
Here's the article with Delta and AA following United's lead:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/delta-american-drop-domestic-change-025446505.html
 
So now there's nothing differentiating WN from all of the other majors... Customers who want cheap fares will buy the various basic economy offerings that don't allow much, and everyone else will buy-up to a slightly higher fare to get their ability to change with only a fare difference if applicable...

Levels the paying field quite a bit.

BTW, you're right that WN hasn't ever played the change fee game, but this is how things were prior to 1991, so for those of us old enough to have issuing hand-written or red-carbon backed tickets, it's yet another deja vu moment...
 

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So now there's nothing differentiating WN from all of the other majors... Customers who want cheap fares will buy the various basic economy offerings that don't allow much, and everyone else will buy-up to a slightly higher fare to get their ability to change with only a fare difference if applicable...

Levels the paying field quite a bit.

BTW, you're right that WN hasn't ever played the change fee game, but this is how things were prior to 1991, so for those of us old enough to have issuing hand-written or red-carbon backed tickets, it's yet another deja vu moment...

That's not true at all E. Southwest still flies bags for free, first two plus carry ons. That is still a big difference to a bunch of penny pinchers, especially right now. Also Southwest still has the top earning rewards programs as well for flight credits. And trust me, they will come up with something to keep them differentiated from the pack, it's just the Southwest way.
Also, you got Southwest's legendary customer service, which is hands down at the top as well as our F/A's treating all the customers the best out of them all too. There is plenty that still differentiates SWA from the majors, but they all a bit minor to the bags free and no change fees that's all.
 
E, that ticket brings back so many memories. Obviously not that particular one but an actual paper ticket. The price of of the ticket adjusted for inflation is $917.00 in today's money. I just did a quick search on aa.com and found several flights on AA nonstop from DFW to LAX in F for 469.00. Adjust that to 1989 dollars and the F ticket is 195.00. You're not going to get a meal like you did in 1989 but meals on planes in 1989 were the laugh lines of many comedians.

As to the topic, I think a lot of regular flyers are going to remember and wonder why they've been paying these fee's when the times are good. Back in 2008 and the financial crisis, I was able to accumulate tons of miles and status on DL. I was given letters, emails etc thanking me for my business. As times changed and the economy improved, slowly the perks that drew me to DL quickly changed and I really felt that I was being taken to the cleaners. I had several F tickets and was Platinum but since I didn't purchase the non-nonrefundable F ticket, the Change Fee went from 50, then 100, then 200 and no longer was it worth my time. swamt is correct in saying that WN has always been more pro-Customer and they've been able to draw more clients from other carriers because of the hassle free way of conducting business.
 
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That's not true at all E. Southwest still flies bags for free, first two plus carry ons. That is still a big difference to a bunch of penny pinchers, especially right now. Also Southwest still has the top earning rewards programs as well for flight credits. And trust me, they will come up with something to keep them differentiated from the pack, it's just the Southwest way.
Also, you got Southwest's legendary customer service, which is hands down at the top as well as our F/A's treating all the customers the best out of them all too. There is plenty that still differentiates SWA from the majors, but they all a bit minor to the bags free and no change fees that's all.

I'll give you points for pitching customer service, but honestly what I've experienced on United and Delta as a paying customer is on par with that on Southwest. AA's been a dumpster fire since the merger (which is when I started flying only United and Southwest). Even my wife (who also worked at AA for 14 years in customer service) was appalled by how bad it's become when she flew them a couple years ago, and now when we buy tickets, we fly United.

I just don't see bag fees as that big of an issue. It's universal that the 20,000 miles/points tier in most FF programs get free checked bags with status, and last time I saw a stat, less than half of all customers check a bag domestically. You might sway a couple of the infrequent fliers, but that's about it.

I know that most majors also offer a co-branded credit card which includes two checked bags for free, so even the infrequent fliers have access to free bags....
 
I'll give you points for pitching customer service, but honestly what I've experienced on United and Delta as a paying customer is on par with that on Southwest. AA's been a dumpster fire since the merger (which is when I started flying only United and Southwest). Even my wife (who also worked at AA for 14 years in customer service) was appalled by how bad it's become when she flew them a couple years ago, and now when we buy tickets, we fly United.

I just don't see bag fees as that big of an issue. It's universal that the 20,000 miles/points tier in most FF programs get free checked bags with status, and last time I saw a stat, less than half of all customers check a bag domestically. You might sway a couple of the infrequent fliers, but that's about it.

I know that most majors also offer a co-branded credit card which includes two checked bags for free, so even the infrequent fliers have access to free bags....

The leisure travelers way out weigh the bus. especially now. Bag fees are bigger than you think. Most travelers have more than two bags while on retreats, especially when kids are also in the equation. Just go and look at Delta, United and AA's bag fees collected for one year up to and including 2019.
The reason your last stat check only saw less than half of passengers taking bags is because of the bag charges, think about it. On Southwest with their free bags, to this day, we still pick up a many passengers that are sick and tired of the nickel and diming with fees, and yes they do check 3-6 bags per family with kids. The only reason your last stat check is so low at the other airlines is because of their bag fees are so outrageous so folks pack less when using the other airlines, or they send their bags by way of fed ex, or other private means and usually their bags beat them there.
As much as you don't want to admit the bag fees being free (still) at Southwest is huge in retaining and gaining new customers. It is so huge that SWA is willing to over look the $$$ they could make in order to keep and keep attracting customers.
 
I'll give you points for pitching customer service, but honestly what I've experienced on United and Delta as a paying customer is on par with that on Southwest. AA's been a dumpster fire since the merger (which is when I started flying only United and Southwest). Even my wife (who also worked at AA for 14 years in customer service) was appalled by how bad it's become when she flew them a couple years ago, and now when we buy tickets, we fly United.

I just don't see bag fees as that big of an issue. It's universal that the 20,000 miles/points tier in most FF programs get free checked bags with status, and last time I saw a stat, less than half of all customers check a bag domestically. You might sway a couple of the infrequent fliers, but that's about it.

I know that most majors also offer a co-branded credit card which includes two checked bags for free, so even the infrequent fliers have access to free bags....
And right on cue, here is a perfect example of the customer service differences. Hands down in this case AA representatives completely blew this one out of the water, unbelievable treatment by AA to these passengers/customers...

The black whole that is American Airlines: Sadly, Saturday August 31 we go word that my wife Leah's Dad had died.

We were not schocked, it had been a long illness, but the grief has been deep and real. We did research on what was required, preparing the needed paperwork as explained by Clark International AIrport's website. We called the American consulate, but were not able to get rhrough.

We were able to book a flight for yesterday, Monday, August 31, so we could get to the Phillipines in time for the funeral. Monday morning we arrived at Baltimore International Airport to check in our bags.
We were told by the agent at the baggage check-in we needed to book a round trip ticket to the Philippines in order to be allowed to board. WIth just 25 minutes before baggage stopped being accepted we huddled and booked a return flight.

We took the three hour flight to Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. At Dallas we walked toward the gate to the connecting flight to South Korea (where we would pickup the last leg of the trip to Clark in the Philippines) We were paged before we arrived at American Airlines Gate D23.

At the Gate at 10:23 we spoke to Claire. The agent denied us passage on the flight to South Korea. She gave us multiple reasons why we couldn't get on board to say goodbye to Dad.
Inititally she presented us with a printout from something labeled the IATA. She said the printout showed we could not be let on board. The printout does not appear to require anything but a passport. (see image)

At one point my wife who was extremely distressed and under durress explained that she had lost her father and wanted her to reconsider. Claire declined asking Leah --How do I know your father really died?--I talked to Claire myself and she blamed COVID-19, at one point turning the dialogue toward how difficult her job was.

I reminded Claire that she was the customer service agent in the conversation. At the end of the conversation Claire told me that she found dialogue threatening. Exasperated, I said "Thank you" and walked back to Leah who was sobbing against the wall.
We did our best to meet Clare's demands. At first she told me she required us to have a Filipino passport.

Then she required us to get other documentation that proved Leah was born in the Philippines. Leah was inconsolable.

But through the miracle of good friends and family we were able to get the asked for documentation. Yet American Airlines continued to deny us boarding.

Eventually the gate agents just disappeared. After about an hour we went to go to an adjoining gate to get a representative to talk too.

At that gate an agent who called herself Wanda (AA agents did not provide last names or even Associate numbers which we asked for). Wanda said we could not get another flight to the Philippines through them.
She said the flight back to BWI would be the exchange for the trip we didn't get to take for the funeral. (I documented the priced difference. The trip to the Phillipines was 2K, a flight back to BWI was valued at $500)

When we went to board from Dallas for the plane back to BWI we were told the documents we were given by Wanda were not boarding passes at all. But they let us on board anyway without explanation.
We found seats and thankfully safely got home. I called American Airlines today and talked to Marla. She heard my story with profuse apologies and then without me requesting, connected me to her supervisor, Becky Furr.

Becky said Marla said I had requested to talk to a supervisor which i had not.
Becky referred me to the American Airlines website and with a "I'm very sorry sir there's nothing we can do from here." eventually hung up on me.

Leah and I are in grief from the loss of her Dad.Nothing American Airlines can do will change that. The treatment we received increased her pain, as well as cost us thousands of dollars. The treatment by their customer service borders on the inhumane, not from physical mistreatment but from an apparent gross negligence to the spirit of good customer service and any sense of sincerity or responsibility.

I wanted to make this experience public, to let people know what we experienced when working with American Airlines, A painful life event was turned almost into a traumatic event by a lack of professionalism, compassion and any sense of responsibility toward us as customers.

I
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View attachment 15440 f you want to share this post please do, What happened to us was unjust and we wouldn't want the same to happen to other human beings. Prayers would also be appreciated. God bless.
 
The reason your last stat check only saw less than half of passengers taking bags is because of the bag charges, think about it.

Nah, I've been tracking this since well before bag fees, i.e. back as far as 2003, and it's been pretty consistent for bags checked at the lobby. Business travelers don't typically check bags domestically, which keeps the ratio down.