Report: United Airlines increases ticket prices for solo travelers
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. 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.
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.
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