Continental raises US airfares, blames fuel costs = = = = Friday February 27, 9:35 AM EST = NEW YORK, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Continental Airlines Inc. (CAL), the fifth-l= argest U.S. carrier, on Friday said it increased fares on tickets for fli= ght in the 48 contiguous U.S. states, citing "persistently high" fuel pri= ces. The Houston-based company said it raised fares $5 on one-way tickets and = $10 on round-trip tickets. It said the increases apply to restricted and = unrestricted fares. "Fuel prices, which we can't control, are the highest we have ever seen,"= said Chief Financial Officer Jeff Misner in a statement. "This fare incr= ease is a step toward matching fares with the cost of providing air trave= l." It was not immediately clear whether other carriers would match the price= increase. = =A92003 Reuters Limited. = Roger EWROPS