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United Airlines Hidden Charge For Minor - $200 Chicago Illinois
We recently had our eight year old grand daughter visit us from Las Vegas. She flew to LAX (Los Angeles) non-stop. The stated charge for her ticket round trip was $237.30 which is over $100 more than we'd normally pay for an adult for the same flight.
When our daughter dropped the grand daughter off at Las Vegas she was told that there would be an additional charge of $100 or our grand daughter could not board the flight. This seemed pretty exhorbitant but what could she do?
When we took our grand daughter to United Airlines (LAX) to send her home we were also informed that it would cost $100 more or we could not put her on the plane.
So, bottom line:
Ticket: $237.30
Undisclosed chg 200.00
Total $437.30
We could have flown our daughter too for that price.
I believe United Airlines ripped us off for $200 AND over charged us for the minor's ticket to begin with (they DO ask up front if the ticket holder is a minor, but they DO NOT tell you up front that you will be forced, coerced, extorted to the tune of $100 each way.)
David l
Channel Islands Harbor, California
U.S.A.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Mike
Olney,Maryland,
U.S.A.
UA fee
#5Consumer Comment
Mon, April 30, 2007
Was the reservation made online at UA or one of the other web sites (Orbitz, etc.)?
I'll bet they didn't change the passenger type from adult to child.
From UA's website regarding children:
http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,1052,00.html
Cory
San Antonio,Texas,
U.S.A.
My Experience
#5Consumer Comment
Mon, April 30, 2007
In the years past, SW use to charge $25 per leg for unattended minors. I don't know what it is now. It was payable in advance. An agent, at the gate, had to take all the paperwork, on a form, attached to the child. Then you had to hand the child over to one of the stews who gathered all the kids and put them in a group onto the aircraft. At the end of the flight, she/he had to release each child to the responsible party. Often, the "responsible" party didn't show up for a while, if at all and they had to babysit the child, until they did. $100 sounds a little stiff. I should know, with seven grandkids and another on the way. It isn't hidden, you just didn't know or ask.
Mike
River Edge,New Jersey,
U.S.A.
Unaccompanied minor fees
#5Consumer Suggestion
Mon, April 30, 2007
You were hit with an unaccompanied minor charge, which usually they include within the costof the ticket. If you didn't inform them of your granddaughters age, they probably didn't realize she was 8 years old. I don't know about United, but when my son comes to see me on Continental the rules are under 15 yrs old is an addition $75 each way. They charge you this because they assign someone to stay with the children and to ensure that when they are dropped off at either end of the trip, they are given to the person who is supposed to pick them up and not simply leave them in the airport. You are paying for these additional services and security in knowing your granddaughter is safe.
Robert
Wallingford,Connecticut,
U.S.A.
Just a thought.
#5Consumer Comment
Mon, April 30, 2007
Could the additional charge have been for an unattended minor, since they would have to provide someone to keep an eye on her.