United Airlines has quietly resumed charging single passengers more than those traveling in pairs or groups.
The controversial policy, dubbed the ‘single tax’ by its critics, was exposed by a consumer rights website earlier this year.
An investigation by Thrifty Traveler found that United, Delta and American were all charging solo fliers higher fares for the same route than those who booked two tickets or more together.
After the report sparked backlash, United and Delta promised to scrap the pricing model and charge the same rates for singles and couples. American Airlines, however, kept the policy.
Now United — the US’s largest airline — has reneged, according to an analysis by The Economist.
It is once again charging weekday solo travelers a premium on at least 8 percent of its flights.
The data also showed that American Airlines applies the ‘single tax’ far more aggressively, charging solo travelers more on 57 percent of its routes.
Critics say the system unfairly punishes passengers who travel alone, especially those flying midweek for work, while group travelers often enjoy lower per-ticket fares.
CEO Scott Kirby has had to deal with months of issues at the airline
Meanwhile, United has faced a string of controversies in recent months — from slashing flights to selling customer data.
The legacy airline announced earlier this summer that it would cut four in every 100 domestic flights this year — blaming Americans not wanting to travel as much.
The cuts are centered on late night and early morning flights following a drop in demand for off-peak travel.
The reductions came as United rolled out a new business class experience, offering perks such as Ossetra caviar, Laurent‑Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne, plasma face masks and designer hoodie pajamas for premium passengers.
In April, a 90‑second air traffic control blackout at United’s Newark hub caused weeks of delays and forced the airline to to cut 35 daily flights.
Adding to the backlash, an investigation revealed United was among the airlines that had sold sensitive passenger data to the federal government.
United, Delta and American collectively own a data broker – the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) – that collects their passenger’s flight record information including their names, full flight itineraries and financial details.
This broker then sold passenger data on to Customs and Border Protection in a contract that asked the agency not to reveal where the data had come from.
United passengers were thrown into chaos due to a air traffic control blackout in April
Despite cutting flights United just introduced a luxury new business class experience
The CBP, part of the Department of Homeland Security, claims the data is necessary to help authorities track people of interest.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement also purchased the data, the publication reported.
‘The big airlines — through a shady data broker that they own called ARC — are selling the government bulk access to Americans’ sensitive information, revealing where they fly and the credit card they used,’ Democrat Senator Ron Wyden told 404 Media.
Southwest is also dealing with the ire of its customers after ditching its 50-year policy of free checked baggage.
It come shortly after the budget airline also cut its first-come, first-serve seating in a bid to boost profits by offering flyers the chance to pay extra to pick their seats early or get coveted extra-legroom.
