United Airlines is reportedly preparing to allow passengers free flight changes if they’d rather not pass through President Donald J. Trump International Airport.
The airport formerly known as Palm Beach International was officially renamed in honor of the 80-year-old president last week, the latest in a string of landmarks to bear Trump’s name since his return to the White House for a second term in January 2025.
For travelers who’d prefer to steer clear of the newly rebranded airport, United plans to offer complimentary flight changes to nearby Fort Lauderdale or Miami, according to an internal memo obtained by Live And Let’s Fly.
The airline would allow eligible passengers to switch airports without paying typical change fees, giving anti-Trump flyers an easy off-ramp.
While airlines don’t normally let passengers change destinations for free just because they dislike an airport’s name, United Airlines appears to see this renaming as controversial enough to make an exception, according to Live And Let’s Fly.
“If a customer does not want to fly to the airport, use your empowerment to offer acceptable alternatives such as Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) or Miami International Airport (MIA),” the memo circulated to reservation agents reportedly reads.
The internal memo gives reservation agents a suggested response that they can send to frustrated passengers.
“I understand that you’d rather not fly to this airport anymore. We can look at nearby airports like Fort Lauderdale or Miami instead. Is that an acceptable alternative?”
According to Live And Let’s Fly, “Agents are then instructed to process the change as an even exchange.”
The Daily Beast has contacted United Airlines and the White House for comment.
Since returning to office, Trump has been determined to immortalize himself through buildings, institutions, and government symbols, branding everything from federal buildings and monuments to limited-edition passports and even commemorative U.S. coins with his name and likeness.
The airport said the rebrand to President Donald J. Trump International Airport came with a $5.5 million price tag. The move is a tribute to Trump’s adopted home state of Florida, home to the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
Since the rebrand, the airport’s social media pages have been flooded with negative comments, and many furious flyers have suggested they will boycott the airport altogether.
“FYI: I will never ever in 100,000 million years use this airport ever again,” one Instagram commenter wrote last week, responding to the page’s announcement that a brand transition was in progress.
One person wrote: “Flying out of Fort Lauderdale next week! Thanks!” while another warned: “Watch the dip in passenger numbers.”
NOTUS obtained complaints directed to the airport’s online contact form during the first five days after the rebranding, via a Florida Public Records Act request. A recurring theme in the messages was a vow to boycott the airport entirely, the Daily Beast previously reported.
“It’s truly entertaining that you had to add a disclaimer to this form explaining the renaming of your airport after our racist, xenophobic, misogynistic 47th president,” one person wrote. Another quipped, “Hopefully you’ll have plenty of airbags to catch the barfs from people as they drive up.”
A woman identifying herself as Dawn asked, “How do we continue to get on our knees for such a narcissistic criminal so-called president?”
“President Trump is focused on saving our country—not garnering recognition,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement to the Daily Beast last week.
“However, given his vast accomplishments, including signing the largest tax cut in history, securing the border, restoring peace through strength, and more, it is natural that local officials and other great patriots want to recognize the president’s incredible work on behalf of the American people.”
