Airlines Delay Fare Increases Until Saturday

Major airlines have delayed for two days a domestic air fare increase scheduled to take effect today.

Continental Airlines of Houston originally announced systemwide increases of up to $70 each way on unrestricted domestic fares two weeks ago.

American Airlines later said it would increase unrestricted fares between $10 and $30 each way, and would hike domestic excursion fares by $5 to $15 each way. But those rates affected only connecting markets and did not include any nonstop travel.

United Airlines and Northwest Airlines then said they would match American’s increases, but would apply them systemwide.

Delta matched American and some of the United Airlines and Northwest markets.

On Wednesday, all five airlines said they would not begin the increases until Saturday. At the same time, Continental backed off its original projection, matching American’s systemwide increases of $10 to $30 each way on unrestricted fares and $5 to $15 on excursion fares.