=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/2003/02/06/f= inancial2121EST0368.DTL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, February 6, 2003 (AP) Alaska Airlines cuts business fares to spur traffic (02-06) 18:21 PST SEATTLE (AP) -- Alaska Airlines is the latest carrier to test lowering fares for business travelers as a way to spark sluggish corporate travel. The Seattle-based carrier on Thursday cut some of its highest fares by nearly 50 percent in specific markets to see if it attracts more business travelers. "Were going to test the theory that the convoluted nature of airline pricing is a major deterrent to flying," Gregg Saretsky, Alaska Airlines' executive vice president of marketing and planning, said in a statement. "Many business travelers are no longer flying and those who are flying often modify their itineraries in order to qualify for the lowest possible fare." The changes affect business fares requiring little or no advance purchase or minimum stay on flights between: Seattle-Boston; Seattle-Las Vegas; Seattle-Miami; Seattle-Ontario, Calif.; Portland, Ore.-San Francisco; Anchorage, Alaska-Chicago; and Vancouver, British Columbia-San Francisco. Led by Northwest Airlines three years ago, carriers have been restructuring business fares -- traditionally the most profitable -- to retain travelers who fly on short notice and do not spend Saturday nights at their destinations. =20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2003 AP