Airlines Revamp Ticket Exchange Rules
The nation's major airlines will make it easier to change tickets if the United States goes to war with Iraq, a concession meant to assure nervous travelers they can book travel with confidence.
Changes announced this month by American, United, Delta, Northwest, Continental, US Airways and others generally would allow travelers, in the event of war, to avoid paying penalties if they want to reschedule their flights or even pick new destinations.
The airlines' plan is a "wise move" that should reassure potential travelers who've been holding back, said Terry Trippler, an airline expert with CheapSeats.com.
"Go ahead and make your plans," Trippler said Wednesday. "You're going to find some very good deals out there, particularly on international travel."
The specific terms for making changes vary from airline to airline, but restricted tickets would generally remain nonrefundable, and passengers who switch to higher-priced flights would have to pay the difference.
United, American, Continental and U.S. Airways would allow changes to both international and domestic flights. Policies at Delta and Northwest apply only to international flights so far. American, Continental and US Airways would also allow flight changes without penalty if the Homeland Security Department issues a "Code Red" terrorism alert.
"It's a nice reassurance," said Claudia Swanson of St. Paul, who booked a ticket Wednesday for her son to join her and her adult daughter on a trip to Aruba.
"I'm looking forward to some sunshine and sandy beaches," she said.
The changes come at a time when airlines are asking the government for $9 billion in tax cuts to withstand the decline in air travel and rising fuel costs that could result from a war. United and US Airways already are in bankruptcy, American is reportedly preparing in case it needs to file, and all other major carriers except Southwest Airlines are losing money.
War fears were having an effect on air travel as far back as January. Even though domestic fares declined that month by an average of nearly 4 percent, the growth in travel on U.S. airlines, still struggling to recover from the Sept. 11 attacks, was stunted at 6 percent — just half that of December, according to the Air Transport Association in Washington.
Other segments of the travel industry are also dropping restrictions. Royal Caribbean Cruises has relaxed its cancellation policies for Mediterranean sailings, and rival Carnival has cut prices to lure travelers. Some hotels and ski areas have also taken similar steps to keep travelers coming if war breaks out.
"This is a great time to travel, a great time to go because the crowds are light and the prices are low," Trippler said.
George Wozniak, president of Minneapolis-based Hobbit Travel, said calls to his agency are up slightly overall, but there's been a marked change in destinations. He said Hobbit took more than 10,000 calls last week from people asking about or booking flights to U.S. cities — nearly double the number in the same week a year ago.
But calls about European destinations dropped from about 1,400 to about 300, and inquiries for other international flights were about half what they were a year ago.
By Steve Karnowski