Continuation of Airlines Have a Change of Heart

The sea change in ticket policies comes after airlines last year instituted draconian measures designed to make expensive refundable tickets more attractive to business travelers, who were using cheap Web-only deals for business trips. Under the old policies, a customer with a last-minute change in travel plans would not only have to pay $100 to change the ticket but also would have to immediately rebook travel plans or lose the entire value of the fare.

"Basically, this is directly in response to our customers," said Tim Wagner, a spokesman for American Airlines. "It became obvious that they were not enamored of the previous policy, because they didn't know right away when they were traveling again. For example, if someone fell ill, it was not easy for them to immediately say they would be traveling next Friday. This gives them the opportunity to change plans without incurring a second or third change fee."

Indeed, the strict policies made network carriers look bad at a time when low-cost carriers were profitable and gaining market share. Generally speaking, low-cost carriers have historically been more customer-friendly, charging little to change tickets. Indeed, on Southwest travelers pay nothing to change a flight, and they don't have to call ahead and cancel. See the airline policy shift chart below.

 
 
The Airlines' Policy Shift
In most cases, if you call ahead and cancel, you'll get a full year to use the value of a ticket without penalty -- if you pay a fee.
Carrier How much is the change fee? When should you cancel? When does the grace period start? What about Web fares?
American $25 to $100 domestic, up to $200 international. Before the flight takes off. A year from when ticket was first bought. Yes, covers all tickets except opaque fares.
Continental $100 domestic, up to $200 international. Before the flight takes off. A year from when ticket was first bought. Yes, most fares covered, except certain Web-only deals. Best to double check.
Delta $100 domestic, up to $200 international, $25 for Song flights. No need to call. A year from when ticket was first bought. No. Policy only good on tickets bought through one of Delta's websites.
Northwest $100 domestic, up to $200 international.RT No need to call. A year from the original ticket's departure time. Yes, most fares covered, except certain Web-only deals. Best to double check.
United $100 domestic, $150 international. Before midnight on day of departure. A year from when ticket was first bought. Yes, applies to all tickets.
U.S. Airways $100 domestic, up to $200 international. Before midnight on day of departure. No grace period. You need to rebook immediately or lose the ticket's value. Yes, applies to all tickets.
Southwest None, save for the difference between the new and old fares. No need to call. A year from when ticket was first bought. Yes, applies to all tickets.
JetBlue $25. Before the flight takes off. A year from the original ticket's departure time. Yes, applies to all tickets.