One small step for a website, one giant leap backward for transparency.
In an age when online travel agencies are taking steps to improve price transparency by increasingly quoting the total price for airfare, rather than the deceptively-low price prior to taxes and fees, United Airlines is going the other way. This is particularly frustrating because their site used to quote fares more honestly.
Last week, United’s fare display shifted from quoting fares with all-in pricing to the new pre-tax/fee rates. At left, you’ll see a screenshot of a fare as it’s now quoted on the first results page. Yes, there’s a mention of additional fees and taxes to be added, but these used to be included in that box.
(One improvement in that display is the number of seats available at that price. This is something the major online travel agencies like Orbitz and Expedia have been offering for a while now, but it’s nice to see United offering it, too.)
Below, you’ll see what happens when you click through to the next page, and taxes are added in.
This change is raising the hackles of a number of United frequent fliers. Here’s an excerpt from a letter forwarded to me by reader Antonio:
Dear United,
I must say, I’m shocked at how bad the new online booking system is. It has all of the telltale signs of a “cheap discount” carrier, and I mean that in the worst possible way. To quote the price not including taxes and fees is misleading, and leaves a really bad impression on United once a user clicks on an itinerary and sees the price jump by a significant amount. And saying “Hurry, purchase today” at the top of a potential itinerary is just tacky.
If United wants to become Allegiant, then by all means continue down this path. But if United want to retain the status of being America’s premium flying option, then please retain an elegant website that treats the customers with respect and doesn’t try to pull a fast one in terms if pricing.
Though I would question the use of the term “retain” in referring to United in the same breath as “America’s premium flying option,” Antonio is absolutely right on other counts: United should treat customers with dignity and show the public the full price, like it did just one week earlier.
Related:
- Hotels will be forced to disclose fees and charges up front… but not to US customers
- Will airlines start unbundling fuel entirely from the fare?
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September 21st, 2009 at 11:39 am
Twitter Comment
(this is probably illegal)
September 21st, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I, too, hate the change. On the other hand, Allegiant is profitable and UA isn’t, so maybe UA’s shareholders do want it to become Allegiant.
I think if you visit the UK site, you’ll find that they still (probably mandated by EU law) show the full price there. Another example of those darn big-government EU bureaucrats messing with business
September 21st, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Twitter Comment
@elliottdotorg As we understand DOT ad regs, they are not required to unless the fee is airline imposed, ie fuel surcharge.
September 21st, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I’m very annoyed that United has cheapened themselves further and is behaving like terrible US Airways now and I wish this practice were illegal. What they now need to do is add a search option “Omit regional jets from search” and customers will find no flight options remain.
September 21st, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Twitter Comment
@UnitedAirlines less transparent RT @upgradetravel United.com no longer quotes fares with taxes and fees up front [link to post]
September 22nd, 2009 at 10:19 am
One more reason to support a government mandate for transparency in pricing.
United is taking the Fuel Surcharge thing way to far (though it is not alone in doing so). Only government mandated taxes and fees should be allowed to be listed separate from airfares.
If United refuses to treat its customers with dignity and respect, we should demand that the government step in and require transparency in pricing.
September 22nd, 2009 at 11:40 am
Twitter Comment
filed under thanks for nuthing – @UnitedAirlines no longer quotes fares with taxes & fees up front – [link to post]
September 22nd, 2009 at 11:48 am
Oh hey, anything to better listings with services like Kayak, etc …
For example, United Airlines also doesn’t mention some of the impossible-to-make layovers they offer with their bargain fares.
Try landing at IAD from an international fight and see how UAL can ‘optimize’ a 32 hour trip into a 6 hour flight (made especially more fun when standby’s get bumped by deadheading pilots).
As I see it, UnitedAirlines is in the people cargo business, not the people service business.
September 22nd, 2009 at 11:50 am
That should read Try landing at IAD from an international fight and see how UAL can ‘optimize’ a 32 hour trip into a 38 hour trip by converting a 1 hour flight into 6.
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Twitter Comment
United Airlines, now with deception! No longer quoting fares on their website with taxes included. [link to post]
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Twitter Comment
Another bummer
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Twitter Comment
Two thumbs down.
September 23rd, 2009 at 8:14 am
Isn’t this what Continental and AA also do on their website? Full cost not revealed until just before purchase…..
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:07 am
Tom,
You’re right that AA and CO do this too, but UA used to be better. UA would give you the full-price on the search results page, which was better (and more honest). Now they’ve dumbed it down.
And before someone corrects me: AA search-by-schedule doesn’t show the price at all until you select flights. Then it shows the full price. AA “enhanced” search-by-fare-and-schedule shows base fares in a matrix, and only shows total fares at the end.