United Joins in Grounded Dreamliners’ Return to the Skies

After being grounded by battery problems since mid-January, Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner returned to service in the United States on Monday with a nearly full flight of passengers from Houston to Chicago.  With the flight, United Airlines became at least the fourth of eight airlines using the planes to return them to the air. It is the only American carrier flying the high-tech jets so far.

LAN Airlines of Chile said last week that it was about to start flying the 787 again. Three other airlines plan to return the planes to service in the first week of June. The flights are a big moment for Boeing as it tries to realize the potential of the revolutionary plane, a substantial portion of which is made with lightweight plastic composites to save fuel. Production problems delayed construction of the first jets by several years before they eventually went into commercial use in late 2011. Then, within nine days in January of this year, smoke or fire erupted from the new lithium-ion batteries on two of the first 50 planes, prompting authorities worldwide to ground the jets until Boeing could come up with a fix.

United has increased the change and cancelation fees for most non-refundable international tickets issued on or after May 15, 2013 for the markets indicated below. 

*The examples above are for most economy class bookings and some fee exceptions may apply. For complete information and additional detail on premium cabins, please see the fare rules of the ticket. Tickets issued prior to May 15, 2013 will follow the fare rules that applied at the time of ticket purchase. United offers a range of fare types, including select booking classes that allow for changes at no additional charge. MileagePlus Premier^® Gold, Premier Platinum and Premier 1K^® members may request fee-waived same-day flight changes.

In a related story, New York Sen. Charles Schumer is urging airlines to reverse flight change fee increases. The Democrat said Sunday that the additional charge makes it difficult for families on fixed budgets.  Four major airlines — Delta Air Lines Inc., AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, U.S. Airways, and United Continental Holdings' United Airlines — recently increased fees on ticket changes from $150 to $200.  He said most families plan their trips in advance and get non-refundable tickets to save money. But he said plans can change due to sick children or work demands.  He said "I am asking, really demanding" that the four airlines "put the brakes on these out-of-control changes of flight fees."

American Airlines: Roller bags to the back of the line  AP FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- If you're traveling light, you can board earlier on American Airlines. The airline said Thursday that people carrying just a personal item that fits under the seat -- no rolling suitcases -- will be allowed to board before most other passengers.  American said that the change will speed up the boarding process and allow flights to take off sooner, helping the airline improve its on-time performance.  Airlines have been seeing a buildup in boarding times since they began charging fees for checked baggage as more people fight for limited space in overhead bins.

American tested the new boarding procedure at several airports earlier this year and began applying it to all flights Thursday. Passengers carrying just a personal item -- a purse, backpack or computer bag that will fit under the seat -- will board right after Group 1 premium passengers and before boarding groups 2, 3 and 4.  The airline said that it will let passengers check a carry-on bag at the gate at no charge. That means savvy travelers will be able to move up in the boarding order and avoid checked-bag fees -- $25 for the first bag, $35 for a second on flights within the U.S. -- although they'll have to retrieve their bag at baggage claim after they land.  Kevin Doeksen, director of customer planning for American, said the change speeds up boarding, because fewer passengers stop in the aisle to hoist a bag into the overhead bins. The difference is about two minutes per flight, "which doesn't sound like much, but it adds up throughout the day," he said.

If the change results in fewer big bags being rolled on the plane, it could reduce the number of flights on which the overhead bins fill up. When the bins are stuffed, gate agents or flight attendants must ask passengers in the last boarding group to surrender their bag for gate-checking -- an awkward situation all around. Competition for bin space has also made travel more stressful. Passengers in the last boarding groups often creep forward and jockey for position to be the first in their group on the plane. "They're anxious because they've got a big roll-aboard (bag with wheels) and they're worried about having no space in the bin," Doeksen said.