United, American and Continental Airlines have decided not to impose new fees to fly standby that were scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, but Delta and US Airways are sticking with earlier plans to change standby rules for non-refundable tickets.
Among the major carriers, Northwest never announced a plan to charge passengers to fly standby, nor did many smaller carriers. But since Oct. 10, US Airways has charged passengers using non-refundable tickets $100 to fly standby on another flight on the same day as their original reservation, though the airline did amend that policy on Dec. 18.
US Airways passengers can now obtain a confirmed seat on an earlier or later flight on the same day of travel as their original reservation for a $100 fee. The new itinerary cannot be confirmed more than four hours before the departure of the new flight, and if the desired flight is sold out, passengers can still stand by for a last-minute seat for a $100 fee.
Starting March 1, Delta Air Lines customers traveling on most restricted fares will be able to confirm travel for a flight departing within three hours of their originally ticketed flight for a $25 fee. Delta will no longer offer the option to stand by for an alternative flight, according to Catherine Stengel, a company spokeswoman, but passengers can get a confirmed seat on a flight outside the three-hour window for a $100 change fee, plus any fare difference.
United, American, Continental and Northwest all allow passengers on non-refundable tickets to fly standby on an earlier or later flight on the same day as their scheduled departure without paying a fee.
Some kid discounts cut
If you’re planning a family trip across the pond, be aware that five of the six major U.S. carriers–American, Continental, Delta, Northwest and United–have eliminated kids’ discounts to Europe. The airlines have kept the 25 percent discounts for kids through age 11 to most other overseas destinations.
The good news is that US Airways is keeping kids’ discounts to Europe, a spokeswoman said, as are some foreign carriers. The British carrier bmi said it typically discounts kids’ fares 33 percent and about 20 percent on its deeply discounted fares.
Air France is keeping its 25 percent kid discounts on non-sale fares to France; to destinations outside France, it copies the policy of each nation’s dominant carrier. Swiss will keep 25 percent discounts on regular, but not sale, fares. British Airways doesn’t offer child fares; Lufthansa has discounts on its higher fare levels.
New UK cities guide
Everyone knows London, but what about the United Kingdom’s other big cities? The British Tourist Authority has published a pocket-size guide to two dozen other urban centers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
It’s available from the BTA by calling 877-899-8391. It’s also online at www.ukcityculture.com.
