This article from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by psa188@juno.com. Some Grim Numbers for the Airlines March 4, 2003 By JOE SHARKEY How bad are things in the airline business? Consider some numbers. A new Boeing 737, the single-aisle, medium-size airliner that's a domestic workhorse for most carriers, costs about $50 million. Yesterday, United Airlines had a market capitalization - the current value of all outstanding stock - of about $71 million, or enough to buy a single new 737 and just about enough left over to buy and outfit a new Cessna Citation X business jet. The market capitalization of US Airways yesterday was $11.6 million, barely enough to buy a small corporate jet. Yesterday's market capitalization for the other major carriers: Delta Air Lines, $1.1 billion; Northwest Airlines, $533.6 million; American Airlines, $410.3 million; and Continental Airlines, $352.2 million. Different Directions on Flight Changes> Effective this week, it costs $25 to change a flight on Delta Air Lines on the same day of travel for most restricted fares. Delta says the extra fee provides confirmed seats and eliminates the uncertainty of standby travel - which did not incur a charge - in the same situations. Virgin Atlantic, though, has gone in the other direction, introducing a temporary new policy allowing passengers on certain international flights to cancel an existing booking and rebook later with no penalty. The policy applies to bookings through March 17, for travel between the United States and Britain and between Britain and Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Virgin cites the "current uncertainty in the international marketplace" for the relaxation of the penalty fees. New Fares Help United; American Offers Bonus United Airlines said yesterday that it was making an extra $20 million to $25 million a month in revenue thanks to increased travel on the discounted, no-advance-purchase business fares it introduced in January on flights to, from and through its Chicago and Denver hubs. American Airlines passengers who check in for flights on the airline Web site (www.aa.com/checkin) get a one-time bonus of 500 frequent-flier miles through June 30. The flight check-in feature is available starting 12 hours before departure, and allows passengers to print out their own boarding passes. Southwest Airlines said it flew 6.6 percent more revenue passenger miles - the number of paying passengers carried one mile - and increased capacity 4.4 percent in February from February 2002. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/04/business/04MEMO.html?ex=1047786799&ei=1&en=6ccd80aaa6f90be5 HOW TO ADVERTISE --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact onlinesales@nytimes.com or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company