Alaska Airlines has adopted a fee change that may affect passengers flying on some round-trip tickets who decide mid-trip to change their return date.
In an e-mail, spokeswoman Bobbie Egan said that when customers decide to change their travel dates on tickets purchased on or after March 24, "Alaska Airlines will take the original value of the customer's ticket and apply that to the lowest fare available at the time of the change."
Such customers will be required to pay the difference in fare plus the standard $75 change fee already in effect.
"In these instances, voluntary changes to tickets will likely increase costs for customers," Egan said.
How big an increase? Alaska Travel Source, an Anchorage travel agency, sent an e-mail to clients this week used the example of a 14-day advance round-trip ticket between Anchorage and Chicago and calculated that "when making a change ... (the) end result is $554 plus tax to change this ticket."
However, the airline is eliminating the $75 change fee for intra-Alaska travel.
"We'll continue to waive change fees for MVP Golds and passengers with first-class, full flex, or full flex award tickets," Egan said.
The new policy does not affect travel changes to another flight on the same day when seats are available, Egan said. "In that case, the flat fee for same-day confirmed travel remains $25."
Find Mike Dunham online at adn.com/contact/mdunham or call 257-4332.
By MIKE DUNHAM
mdunham@adn.com