ROANOKE TIMES 

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

DATE: TUESDAY, September 14, 1993                   TAG: 9309140101
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

AIR FARES TAKE QUICK NOSE DIVE

Major U.S. airlines Monday executed a midflight change in the course of their fares, canceling proposed increases and substituting discounts of up to 45 percent for certain advance-reservation tickets bought by midnight Friday.

The turnaround came after Northwest Airlines, which had not gone along with the earlier fare increases, announced the discount for travel through Dec. 16. Airlines often cut fares for fall and early winter, the industry's weakest period.

American Airlines, United Air Lines, Delta Air Lines and USAir Group, which earlier said they would raise their fares $10 per flight, quickly reversed direction and also offered markdowns. Delta and USAir limited their discounts to corridors where they compete head-to-head against Northwest.

Separately, Continental Airlines announced a cut-rate air service starting Oct. 1 on about 50 routes connecting Atlanta; Baltimore; Cleveland; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Tampa, Fla.; Greensboro, N.C.; New Orleans; Newark, N.J.; and Norfolk, Va. - Boston Globe 


 by CNB