United to Raise Ticket Change Fees as Fuel Prices Soar
United Airlines is increasing the fee it charges passengers to change domestic travel tickets from $100 to $150 in an effort to combat high fuel costs.

A spokeswoman for the airline said in an e-mailed statement that the company this weekend made the change to its ticketing policy.

It also added a Saturday night stay requirement on all tickets where it competes head-to-head with other carriers, which she said will affect 65 percent of all the markets it serves. that will have the most impact on business travelers, who typically don't want to spend a Saturday night in their destination.

Many U.S. carriers have announced a number of fare hikes, fuel surcharges and fee increases recently as they battle higher fuel prices and a weakening economy.

United Airlines said on April 10 it has raised fares in the United States and Canada by up to $30 round-trip. United Airlines has raised fares by $4 to $30 per round-trip depending on mileage and competition from low-cost carriers.

"In an environment where fuel prices are averaging almost $120 a barrel, we are facing a cost increase of more than $2 billion this year and that is more than twice the operating earnings we generated last year," the spokeswoman said in the statement on Sunday. "Making these changes is another example of how we need to continue to adapt to today's tough market realitites and find new ways to generate revenue."

Increased/Change Cancel Fees EFFECTIVE April 19, 2008

The new domestic itinerary change/cancel fees increased from $100 USD to $150 USD for tickets sold in the United States or Canada.

The new international itinerary cancel/change fees vary for tickets issued in the United States and Canada.

Tickets issued prior to this policy may not be affected by the increase and are subject to the change/cancel fees stated in the fare rules on the date the ticket was originally issued.

The following quick reference chart outlines how the new change fee will be applied for tickets issued in the United States.

US Point of Sale Domestic Tickets	Purchased Prior to April 19, 2008	Purchased on or after April 19, 2008
Wholly Unused Ticket (travel has not started)	$100 is applied to the first change/exchange; subsequent charges are $150 each	$150 change fee applies to each change/exchange
Partially Used Ticket (travel has started)	$100 is applied to each change/exchange	$150 change fee applies to each change/exchange

Customers may be automatically notified of flight changes at MontroseTravel.com or they can check their flight status at Flight Status, the newest addition of services provided by Montrose Travel. One of Montrose Travel's dedicated agents is available to determine flight status.

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