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American, Delta Join United Airlines To Eliminating Change Fees For Domestic Flights

August 31, 2020 / 2:06 PM PDT / KCAL News

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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — American and Delta are joining United Airlines in getting rid of change fee for most domestic tickets, effective immediately.

An aircraft on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport on May 12, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. - The airline and travel industries have been devasted by the coronavirus pandemic as Stay-at-Home orders in Los Angeles, due to end in mid-May, have been extended to July. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

United Airlines first announced it would stop charging its passengers $200 to change their tickets Sunday. The airline's competitors, American Airlines and Delta Airlines, followed suit with their own announcements Monday.

The change is effective immediately for all of the carriers' domestic flights. Passengers must still pay any fare difference, however.

United says that passengers who would like to take an earlier United flight the same day will also be able to join the standby list for free, starting in January. American Airlines is also giving its passengers the ability to fly standby on earlier flights for free on Oct. 1.

The airline industry continues to struggle amid the continuing COVID-1 pandemic, with passenger traffic still down even as the Labor Day holiday approaches.