Some travelers are choosing flights based on price. Others are choosing them for political reasons, and we’re entering a new kind of no-fly list.
Just days after Palm Beach International Airport was officially renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport, not everyone is feeling patriotic.
Flyers are already attempting to boycott the airport, and United Airlines is allegedly offering rerouting options for disgruntled travelers, according to internal documents released by Live And Let’s Fly.
But the carrier told The Post those reports stemmed from a “poorly worded” internal message and do not reflect its official policy. It kind of feels like damage control for an airline that is already facing a lawsuit for charging passengers for a window seat with no window.
The controversy erupted after the airport officially adopted its new name on July 9 under a Florida law. Airport officials stressed that the change would only affect the airport cosmetically, not operationally, despite fueling political backlash online, according to a PBI news release.
The South Florida airport said that while travelers will begin to see signs of the transition progressing, the overall experience will remain the same. The airport code would also remain PBI until August 18th, after which it would be changed to DJT.
But according to the leaked internal documents, United allegedly told reservation agents they could offer rerouting options to customers, many of whom oppose the current President.
“If a customer does not want to fly to the airport, use your empowerment to offer acceptable alternatives such as Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) or Miami International Airport (MIA).”
The memo even provides a suggested response:
“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?”
Currently, United allows many customers to change eligible tickets without a change fee under its broader flexible-booking policy. But the airline told The Post that its rules “don’t allow for changes because of an airport’s name or three-letter code,” pushing back on claims that it was making special accommodations for travelers seeking to avoid the airport.
According to reports, the airport’s rebrand came with a $5.5 million price tag, which feels like pocket change for the gilded Sunshine State. The move is said to be a tribute to Trump’s adopted home state of Florida, home to the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
The President took to Instagram to gloat over the renamed airport, where he called it a “very big day in Palm Beach and a GREAT honor.”
“The Area is HOT, the Location is GREAT, and the Renovation will be SPECTACULAR,” the post read. “This will soon be one of the Greatest and Most Spectacular Airports anywhere in the world.”
Eric Trump also reveled in the name change, saying on Twitter he will forever be proud to see the initials “DJT” on my boarding pass.
But other users had different thoughts, which is not unusual for the President.
“I’d love to see if the name change actually affects consumer behavior. It sucks that our closest other option is over an hour away in Ft. Lauderdale or Miami,” wrote one user on Reddit,
To which another user said, “changed my behavior, I’m in Boca so I’m basically equidistant from fll or pbi, I will not fly pbi anymore and I was flying out of there 2-4 times per month.”
However, some travelers were embracing this as a scheme for cheap travel.
“This is a massive hidden travel hack,” boasted another Reddit user. “If you see dirt-cheap flights to Palm Beach (DJT) but actually want to go to Miami or Fort Lauderdale, just book the DJT flight and call United to change it to MIA or FLL for free. Insane loophole!”
Whether travelers are trying to make a political statement or simply enjoy a cheap flight, one thing is clear: even the airport on your boarding pass is becoming another front in America’s culture wars.
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