=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SF Gate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/news/archive/2002/03/18/f= inancial0009EST0003.DTL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, March 18, 2002 (AP) Airlines mix it up over business fares KARREN MILLS, AP Business Writer (03-18) 21:09 PST MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Major airlines are going at it in a battle of strategically-chosen fare cuts. Airlines are selling round-trip tickets with merely a three-day advance purchase for as low as $198. Such fares are particularly attractive to business travelers. But they're usually on one-stop flights in markets where rivals offer nonstop flights. The skirmish is rooted in American's attempt earlier this month to restructure its rules for business travelers, airline analyst Terry Trippler of Minneapolis said Monday. The airline temporarily increased the three-day advance purchase requirement to seven days and hiked the seven-day advance purchase to 14 days. Continental Airlines matched American's move, but the other airlines didn't. And American withdrew the change. Trippler said American subsequently dropped fares in nonstop markets of Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Northwest and US Airways. On Monday, American offered a $260 round-trip fare between Detroit and Minneapolis with a stop in Chicago or St. Louis. On the same route, Northwest offered nonstop service at $1,100 round trip for a three-day advance purchase ticket. American also offered the same fare between Atlanta and Seattle, a Delta nonstop market. Northwest, meanwhile, was offering a $286 round-trip between Chicago and New York, with a stop in Detroit, on just three day's notice. American flies nonstop on that route and was selling it for about $1,000 with three day's notice. A spokesman for Northwest confirmed the fares and said the company didn't agree with American's rule changes because it viewed them as a fare increase for business travelers. A spokesman for American didn't return a call for comment. =20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2002 AP