- Many airlines charge extra fees to purchase or rebook a ticket with an agent over the phone.
- As the summer's flight chaos continues, people are pushing back against the extra charges.
- JetBlue and United charge a $25 call-center fee, while Spirit Airlines and Frontier charge $35.
In the era of automation and chat bots, talking to a real-life human can cost you extra. For travelers unable to use airlines' online booking systems, be warned — many companies charge between $15 and $35 to purchase, cancel, or modify a ticket over the phone.
While it's not an entirely new concept, the service fees are frustrating some passengers struggling to navigate this summer's travel chaos.
"JetBlue please help me. I'm trying to book online but I'm having technical difficulties," one customer tweeted last week. "Is there a phone number I can speak to an actual person to book this flight that doesn't cost $25?"
JetBlue and United both charge $25 to purchase or rebook a ticket with an agent on the phone, while Allegiant charges $15. Spirit Airlines and Frontier both charge $35 per ticket.
Delta stopped charging its $25 phone service fee in 2016, according to its website. Southwest does not charge for over-the-phone reservations. American Airlines' fee for "tickets issued by American Airlines travel centers" is currently suspended until further notice.
JetBlue will waive the phone service fee for customers who encounter technical issues while attempting to modify their flights online, a spokesperson for the airline told Insider on Monday.
"To keep our phone hold times as short as possible and to allow our crewmembers time to assist those customers who cannot utilize our self-service tools, JetBlue charges a $25 nonrefundable fee per-person on a reservation when you change, cancel, or complete a new booking over the phone," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Spirit Airlines said it charges a $35 fee because a "live agent is more expensive than self-service online."
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