Sometime last night United began loading new fare rules with $150 change fees for domestic tickets, up from in most cases $100 (some specific markets had and still have lower fees, but this applies to better than 90% of fares).

I don’t see any announcements or news stories on this yet, but here’s the thread on Flyertalk.

A dozen years ago the change fee was $25, ten years ago it was $50, eight years ago $75…

Now most airlines charge $100, although as with baggage fees etc. the low-cost ‘no frills’ carriers frequently charge lower change fees. JetBlue charges $50 (or $40 if the change is made online). Southwest has no change fee, they apply the full value of a ticket towards new ticket purchases, but a same-day change involves buying up to full fare.

United is the first to cross the $100 barrier. We’ll see whether other airlines match, as that’ll determine whether or not this lasts. But it sure made my eyes pop a bit.