United to Impose Booking Fees

Just days after American Airlines imposed a per-segment booking fee on agents using certain GDSs, United Airlines announced that it is following suit. United informed agents through a mass letter that those using select GDSs must pay a $3.50 per segment booking fee for all U.S.-point-of-sale bookings, beginning Sept. 1. Only those using Sabre's Efficient Access Solution; Galileo's Content Continuity Program; Worldspan's Super Access Product; Amadeus's U.S., U.S. Virgin Island and Puerto Rican products; and all G2 Switch works products are exempt from the fee. Agents using those products are also ensured full United content, the company said. Agents using any other Sabre, Galileo, and Worldspan products, as well as any other GDS not in the above list are subject to the $3.50 fee and not guaranteed full content. In fact, it is on this latter point where United's new policy differs from that of American. American was going to charge agents using some GDSs the fee, but it would guarantee them full content. United, in its letter to agents, said it would not. Meanwhile, the $3.50 amount is the same as the fee imposed by American.