A senior United Airlines executive has confirmed to the Senate president and the House speaker of the Northern Mariana Islands Legislature the prices the airline are charging on the Guam-Saipan route.
Daniel Weiss, managing director for Global Government and Regulatory Affairs at United Airlines, wrote to Sen. Edith DeLeon Guerrero, president of the Senate and Rep. Edmund Villagomez, speaker of the House on April 10, regarding “resident fares” on the Guam-Saipan route.
In the letter — viewed by the Journal — Weiss reiterated that “United provides residents of the islands a reduced ticket price via our resident fares,” quoting from an April 2 letter on the same subject. “Resident fares are intended for local residents and require the traveler to input their island location in the United website or app prior to starting a flight search,” he said.
Weiss said the reason for a second letter to the NMI Legislature was to “advise that United has lowered our resident fares to $299 for Basic Economy and $399 for Standard Economy …"
Those fares are inclusive of taxes and fees, he said, but “allow travelers to purchase air travel that excludes the cost of … advanced seat assignments and/or checked bags.” The fares took effect April 8, Weiss wrote.
United has adjusted the mileage required on the route, he said, to 15,000 miles per flight or 30,000 miles round trip, effective April 9.
A petition on www.change.org addressed to United, the U.S. Department of Transport, the U.S. Department of Justice and Edward E. Manibusan, the NMI attorney general; on the cost of the flight gathered 4,102 signatures. The petition was launched by Glen Hunter, the NMI’s special assistant for broadband policy. mbj