
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 17, 1990                   TAG: 9003172162
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DEBORAH EVANS BUSINESS WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

HIGHER FARES A MISTAKE, USAIR SAYS

USAir says a computer glitch caused it to charge higher fares for flights originating in Roanoke than were being charged in Greensboro.

The error was discovered in February after a complaint from Lynn Nystrom of Christiansburg appeared in the Letters section of the Roanoke Times & World-News.

Nystrom said while a roundtrip flight from Roanoke to Newark would have cost her $247.50, driving to Greensboro saved her $89.50.

USAir spokesman David Shipley said in a letter to the editor that the airline is "grateful to this woman" for pointing out the error.

Shipley said the problem occurred when USAir adjusted fares downward to match another airline's rate cut. The reduced fare for Greensboro was put in the computer, while Roanoke was inadvertently omitted.

Customers can be reimbursed by contacting USAir's customer service division or local sales agents, Shipley said.

The company doesn't know how many people, like Nystrom, opted to drive to Greensboro to take advantage of the savings.

Before it merged with USAir, Piedmont Airlines had guaranteed its Greensboro fares would not be lower than Roanoke fares.

USAir has promised to uphold that guarantee and will continue doing so, Shipley said.

Because other airlines have done so, USAir is reviewing a fare increase and could make a decision in the next few days.

Shipley said he did not know how much of an increase, if any, would be implemented or which flights would be involved.

by CNB