United Airlines has been forced to clarify its ticket change policy after reports suggested passengers unwilling to fly into the newly renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport could switch to another Florida airport free of charge.
The confusion followed an internal airline memo, first reported by aviation website Live and Let’s Fly and later detailed by The Independent, which claimed reservation agents had been given discretion to move customers to nearby airports if they objected to flying into the newly named airport.
According to the reported memo, agents were told that if a customer did not want to travel through the airport, they could offer alternatives including Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) or Miami International Airport (MIA) as an “even exchange”.
However, United quickly poured cold water on the reports. In a statement to The Independent, the airline said the internal communication had been “poorly worded and not accurate”.
“United customers are able to make changes to a ticket without a fee for many reasons. However, our policy doesn’t allow for changes because of an airport’s name or three-letter code,” the airline said.
The airport, formerly known as Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), was officially renamed last week after President Donald Trump. While its name has changed, its airport code will remain PBI until 18 August, when it will switch to the new identifier DJT.
Airport management has sought to reassure travellers that the change is largely cosmetic.
“Our name is changing, but our focus stays on you,” the airport said on social media, adding that airline operations, routes, schedules and customer services remain unaffected.
That message has done little to calm some travellers. Social media was flooded with comments from passengers declaring they would instead fly into Fort Lauderdale or Miami, with one writing, “Good thing FLL and MIA are alternatives!”, while another posted, “I’m flyin into Miami and taking an Uber bruh.”
Others welcomed the name change, highlighting how politically divisive the move has become.
According to previous reporting by NOTUS, obtained through public records requests, the airport received hundreds of submissions earlier this year opposing the proposal, with some travellers pledging to avoid the airport altogether if the renaming proceeded.
The Trump Organization has previously said neither President Trump nor his family will receive royalties, licensing fees or any financial benefit from the airport carrying the Trump name.
For now, despite the online protests, travellers hoping to avoid flying into DJT simply because of its new branding won’t be getting a free switch from United.
Source: The Independent, with additional reporting from Live and Let’s Fly and NOTUS.
