United Drops Last-Minute Award Ticket Booking Fee

Few things airlines do in the fee department gall me more than charging $50 or $75 because I request an award ticket less than three weeks before I want to fly.  It costs an airline nothing more to book an award ticket for four days from now than it does for four weeks from now.

Yesterday, United Airlines became the first major airline to eliminate that fee. 

And so it's time to give a thumbs up to United while keeping our other fingers crossed that United's rivals can see their way clear to doing the same.  In a time when airlines(well, 'cept for Southwest) are slapping fees on everything they can, it's nice to see the good guys win.  After all, those award tickets were supposed to be free, not "free except for a $75 booking fee."