CHICAGO, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Struggling United Airlines is adding a $10 fee to tickets purchased at airport counters and a $5 fee for tickets purchased at reservations offices.
The Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based, carrier is the latest airline to impose ticket fees as it seeks to lower distribution costs amid skyrocketing fuel prices. Tickets bought on United's Internet Web site will not be subject to the fees, which are effective Thursday.
The fees apply only to new tickets and there is no fee to change existing reservations.
Northwest Airlines began charging the $5 and $10 ticketing fees on domestic flights Aug. 24, but backed off a $7.50 fee it charged travel agents on round-trip tickets issued in the United States and a $3.75 fee on one-way tickets.
"The industry continues to face extremely difficult conditions that are only made more challenging by record fuel prices and a weakening revenue environment," said John Tague, United's executive vice president-customer.
