Fares

Airlines are responding to oil's latest surge by pushing up ticket prices. Roundtrip domestic fares began rising $10 to $20 as crude futures crossed the once-unthinkable $100-a-barrel mark. The widespread increases follow nearly two dozen attempted systemwide fare hikes in 2007, or about double the number during the previous year, according to data from FareCompare.com, which tracks airfare changes. UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, the second-largest U.S. carrier, led with the biggest round of increases Thursday night.

American Airlines, United Airlines, Northwest Airlines and other major U.S. carriers matched a $10 round-trip boost in ticket prices started last week by Delta Air Lines, according to a fare-tracking website. Discount carriers JetBlue Airways and AirTran Airways also raised fares by $10 on certain routes, FareCompare.com said. U.S. Airways raised fares the same day as Delta.

One-way fares for the LAX FlyAway bus will increase today by $1 or $2 for travelers boarding in Westwood, Van Nuys and at Union Station, and will double for senior citizens and people with disabilities. The fare to Los Angeles International Airport will be raised from $4 to $6 one way for those boarding in Van Nuys and at Union Station downtown. The rate for people traveling from Westwood will increase from $4 to $5. Discounted fares for the disabled and those 65 years and older will jump from $2 to $4. Children under age 2 will continue to ride free.

It wasn't that long ago that Orange County's public transit system was named best in the country. Just 2005, in fact. The Orange County Transportation Authority was lauded for its service to the nation's fifth most populous county, logging a record number of bus trips and ridership growth. The agency was leading the way in green technology, the economy was booming and sales-tax revenue was pouring in. OCTA officials celebrated the honor by plastering a gold-medal logo, with their new bragging rights printed across it, onto the agency's 947 buses.

Record fuel prices and weakening demand for air travel are taking a toll on profits of major U.S. airlines, raising prospects of a consolidation in the industry this year. Recent merger talks and Thursday's announcement by American Airlines Inc. that it would double its fuel surcharge to $40 on round-trip tickets signaled that passengers could soon see higher fares industrywide.

Flying to Tokyo this spring? United Airlines last week offered a round-trip flight for as little as $400 -- plus $300 in fuel charges. With oil prices high, fuel surcharges on many international flights have climbed in recent months to nearly half the price of a ticket. U.S. visitors to Spain can expect to pay up to $390 in fuel surcharges for a round-trip flight. Air New Zealand imposes up to $360 in fuel fees. There doesn't seem to be any relief in sight as fares surge with the price of fuel.

G'Day travelers, air fares to Down Under are on their way down. Travel between Sydney, Australia, and Los Angeles, considered one of the more popular but most expensive routes in the world, may be soon be getting more competitive for airlines and cheaper for passengers. After a decade of wrangling, Australian and U.S. negotiators agreed to a landmark aviation pact to open their skies to each other's airlines, and Los Angeles International Airport may become the big winner.

The five largest U.S. air carriers raised fares $10 round-trip on most domestic routes as fuel prices climbed to record highs, airlines and fare monitors said Monday. Airlines boosted prices on both advance-purchase tickets and those bought just before travel. There was no increase on fares in direct competition with low-cost carriers like Southwest Airlines Co., Tom Parsons of Bestfares.com said. U.S.

For years, JetBlue Airways Corp. turned up its nose at flying out of Los Angeles International Airport, saying that LAX was too big, too crowded and, well, that it just preferred to operate out of smaller hubs. Then out of the blue last month, the low-cost carrier stunned LAX officials by asking for gates there. Moreover, it wanted them in Terminal 6 next to Virgin America, the airline started by eccentric British billionaire Richard Branson. It was no surprise to industry observers.

United Airlines increased its fuel surcharge on domestic U.S. flights Friday by as much as $10 round-trip, a move quickly matched by Delta Air Lines Inc. as oil hit a new record again this week. United, the No. 2 U.S. airline, said it increased its domestic U.S. fuel surcharge by $3 to $5 each way. Delta matched United's move, said Rick Seaney, chief executive of fare tracker FareCompare. Delta said earlier in the day that it had not yet raised fares again.