American, Delta end change fees for most U.S. flights

Sept. 1 (UPI) -- After one of their rivals did the same thing, American and Delta airlines have announced they also will no longer charge travelers to change their itineraries for most U.S. flights.

American said change fees will disappear permanently for all domestic and short-haul international flights on every premium cabin fare and most main cabin fares.

Also, there will be no charge for ticketed passengers who wish to fly standby later.

"Giving customers an opportunity to get where they want to go faster ... we're giving customers the freedom to make their own choices," American Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja said in a statement Monday.

Delta similarly ended change fees for travel inside the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for all seats except basic economy class.

"We've said before that we need to approach flexibility differently than this industry has in the past, and today's announcement builds on that promise," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement.

"We want our customers to book and travel with peace of mind."

The moves came one day after United Airlines was the first to cancel change fees for domestic travel.

There has been significant change in the U.S. and global aviation markets since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions and depressed demand have led to severe fiscal losses for carriers worldwide and have been catalysts for change for many carriers that are now looking to bring back travelers.