United Airlines is walking back a brief internal policy that gave passengers a free way out of the newly renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach.
After a story from Live and Let Fly broke on July 16 that United had quietly authorized no-cost rebookings away from the airport formerly known as Palm Beach International, the airline pulled the language from its internal memo and went on the record to dispute it.
"That internal message was poorly worded and not accurate," United said in a statement. "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 original memo, dated July 8 and titled "West Palm Beach, Florida Airport Name and Code Change," instructed reservation agents to offer Miami International Airport or Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport as free alternatives to any customer who no longer wished to fly into the renamed facility, according to CBS12. Agents were scripted to say: "I understand that you'd rather not fly to this airport anymore. We can look at nearby airports like Fort Lauderdale or Miami instead. Is that an acceptable alternative?"
The policy went further than a standard fee waiver. Agents were directed to process rebookings as an "even exchange," meaning no fare difference would be collected even if the replacement itinerary to MIA or FLL cost more than the original booking.
United did not deny the memo was real, only that its wording was off. After the story spread widely, the airline updated the document to remove the free-swap authorization while leaving the rest of the name-change guidance intact.
The renaming itself was driven by Florida state law. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation on March 30 requiring the airport's new name; the Florida Legislature had passed it 81-30 in the House and 25-11 in the Senate in February. The FAA officially approved the change on May 15, and the airport formally became President Donald J. Trump International Airport on July 9, the first time in U.S. history a commercial airport has been named after a sitting president.
The airport received hundreds of complaints through its online contact form following the rename, and some travelers threatened boycotts. Passenger reactions ranged from support to dismissal; one traveler told CBS12, "I think it's silly. If people can't handle the name of an airport, then they should fly into a different airport," while another framed the original United offer simply: "It's business right? They want to keep their customers."
Passengers booked on United still have options. All domestic fares except Basic Economy allow changes, but any difference in price to MIA or FLL will now come out of pocket.
