US Airways Follows United's Lead and Increases Domestic Ticket-Change Fee to $200

If you didn't believe that the airline industry is a serve-us enterprise rather than a service business, Wednesday's announcement by US Airways that they are following United and upping their fees to change a non-refundable ticket by $50 to $200 for domestic flights is the proof.

If you still require more evidence, just read the follow quote from United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson:

"We carefully manage our seat inventory and incur costs when a traveler elects not to fly in a reserved seat," Johnson said. "We adjusted this fee to better compensate us for those costs," according to USA Today.

However, American and Delta, the nation's two other big traditional carriers, have not raised their $150 change fee, at least not yet and if history is any kind of an indicator, airline fare hikes and fee changes only stick when rivals decide to match.

Brett Snyder, author of The Cranky Flier blog and a proprietor of the Cranky Concierge travel service, while speaking to USA Today, said, "the move by US Airways increased the likelihood that Delta and American may follow, though it wasn't inevitable."

He added, "since the change fees won't affect the way customers see fares..United and US Airways may have more patience to test the water with the increase than airlines typically do when they attempt fare hikes."

As for airlines who are actual sticking to their guns and taking service seriously, Southwest,the largest carrier of domestic passengers, has no fee to change itineraries.

But, Southwest's model is completely different than other airlines. The self-proclaimed "no-fee" airline doesn't have fix-seating tickets, it allows its passengers to pick their seat upon boarding. They also pride themselves on not having a bag fee (one bag weighting under a certain amount of weight).

If Southwest doesn't follow suit, all the disgruntled passengers of US Airways and United, could jump ship. Meaning, this $200 fee could blow up in the faces of two of the four major-domestic-traditional airlines?