U.S. airlines let customers change Mexico travel plans

Security guards wear masks as they inspect luggage from passengers heading to Mexico City at Mariano Escobedo international airport in Monterrey, northern Mexico April 26, 2009. Governments around the world rushed on Sunday to check the spread of a new type of swine flu that has killed up to 81 people in Mexico and infected around a dozen in the United States.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Several major U.S. airlines are allowing customers to change travel plans to Mexico without any fee or penalty after a swine flu outbreak, but they said

on Sunday there had been no flight cancellations so far.

AMR Corp's American Airlines, Continental Airlines Inc and US Airways Group Inc all said they had received some inquiries and were letting customers change travel plans.

"We have had a few calls from customers but not huge numbers of them seeking changes or information so far," said American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith. "We are told that authorities in Mexico are closely monitoring passengers who are leaving as they go through security as well."

In Detroit, cargo carrier FedEx Corp said it will adhere to any guidelines or restrictions put in place by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

"We are watching this situation very closely and our first priority is the safety of our employees and the general public," said FedEx spokeswoman Sandra Munoz.

Fears of a global swine flu pandemic have grown with new infections in the United States and Canada, and millions of Mexicans stayed indoors to avoid a virus that has already killed up to 81 people.

While the only deaths have been in Mexico, the flu is spreading with 20 cases in the United States, six in Canada, and possible cases in Europe and New Zealand.

(Reporting by Paritosh Bansal)