United Airlines was accused of price gouging for flights out of airports along Florida’s west coast as locals and tourists looked to flee Hurricane Milton before the monster storm made landfall on Wednesday.
An X user who identified himself as Jeremy posted screenshots on Monday showing the price of a one-way United flight from Tampa to St. Louis, scheduled to leave at 10 a.m. Tuesday, that ranged from $1,174 to $2,531.
He compared that fare to those from rivals American Airlines and Southwest out of Tampa. The Southwest flight was just $400, while an American flight to Chicago cost around $600, according to the screenshots that were posted.
Meanwhile, a one-way ticket on United from Tampa to St. Louis slated for next Tuesday, usually one of the cheaper travel days of the week, cost only $341, according to the carrier’s website.
The Tampa airport was closed Tuesday as the city prepares for a possibly 15-foot high storm surge from the Category 5 hurricane.
A United spokesperson told The Post that the screenshot posted online was “not a valid itinerary” because the airport was slated to close at 8 a.m.
The spokesperson said that the company was adding additional flights at other Florida airports while utilizing larger aircraft to accommodate the passenger load.
“We are closely monitoring Hurricane Milton and adjusting our schedule accordingly,” the spokesperson told The Post.
However, a search by The Post for flights out of nearby Sarasota-Bradenton Airport showed that a one-way ticket to St. Louis on United costs $2,118 for an economy ticket. The same route on Delta was priced at $614.
Another X user who goes by the name Erin posted a screenshot of United ticket prices for a flight departing Fort Myers for Newark on Tuesday.
Erin’s screenshot showed that the cheapest ticket for the flight, which would have required a layover either in Chicago or Houston, was $1,023 per traveler.
“United is price gouging tickets for people fleeing Florida trying to get out of Hurricane Milton’s path. This is ONE WAY for two people. How is this allowed to happen?”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg took to his official account on the X social media platform, writing: “The Department takes all allegations of airline price-gouging seriously. We are keeping a close eye on flights in and out of areas affected by Hurricane Milton to make sure airlines are not charging excessively increasing fares.”
State law prohibits gouging, or excessive increases in the price of essential commodities during an emergency.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency over the weekend as authorities urged residents of the Tampa area to flee their homes in anticipation of Hurricane Milton.
As evacuation orders were issued, forecasters warned of a possible 10-to-15-foot storm surge in Tampa Bay.
That’s the highest ever predicted for the region and nearly double the levels reached two weeks ago during Helene, said National Hurricane Center spokesperson Maria Torres.
