Major Carriers

American Airlines, United Airlines and other major carriers matched Southwest Airlines Co. in raising some U.S. round-trip fares by as much as $6 because of higher jet fuel costs. Delta Air Lines Inc., Continental Airlines Inc., Northwest Airlines Corp. and US Airways Group Inc. also followed Southwest in boosting one-way ticket prices by $2 for flights of less than 400 miles, $3 for flights of 400 to 750 miles and $3 on some longer flights. Southwest is the largest low-fare airline.

Only eight days after launching a fare hike, Delta Air Lines has initiated another price increase for flights booked within seven days of the trip. But the good news for travelers is that Delta rescinded the latest fare hike over the weekend after few other airlines matched the increase. Delta initiated a raise of $4 to $10 per flights for flights booked within seven days of departure on Feb. 20, according to the website Farecompare.com, which tracks air fare trends. The hike, which targeted last-minute bookings made primarily by business travelers, was matched by all of Delta's major competitors.

Several major U.S. airlines on Tuesday cut fall fares by 15% to 30% as peak summer travel tapers off. The sale, introduced by UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, the nation's largest airline, offers discounts on most routes in the U.S. and Canada and applies to flights between Sept. 7 and Dec. 17. Continental Airlines, AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and US Airways were among the major carriers that matched the sale.

When a trade group for corporate travel managers recently predicted airfares would rise in 2013, the group probably didn't expect the hikes to be launched so quickly. Domestic airfares are expected to jump 4.6% in 2013, while international rates will probably rise 8.3%, according to a survey of travel managers by the GBTA Foundation, an arm of the Global Business Travel Assn. The group attributed the increase to rising demand from companies ready to take advantage of new business opportunities in a strengthening economy.

JetBlue. Frontier. Southwest. For many travelers, such names are synonymous with savings. It's reasonable to expect low-cost carriers such as these to offer the lowest fares. Reasonable but wrong. You need to shop around. "Low cost" no longer always means "low fare," experts say.

Only eight days after launching a fare hike, Delta Air Lines has initiated another price increase for flights booked within seven days of the trip. But the good news for travelers is that Delta rescinded the latest fare hike over the weekend after few other airlines matched the increase. Delta initiated a raise of $4 to $10 per flights for flights booked within seven days of departure on Feb. 20, according to the website Farecompare.com, which tracks air fare trends. The hike, which targeted last-minute bookings made primarily by business travelers, was matched by all of Delta's major competitors.

PUC Acts on Cellular Matters: The California Public Utilities Commission said it will apply to the Federal Communications Commission to continue its regulatory authority over the cellular telephone business. In a victory for cellular resellers, who buy circuits in bulk from the major carriers such as McCaw Cellular and AirTouch Communications and resell them to customers, the commission also ruled that the carriers must now resell bulk circuits with less onerous conditions.

Airfares have inched up again. Six of the nation's largest airlines on Thursday raised their fares $10 per round trip on many routes. The fare hike was initiated the day before by Southwest Airlines, the nation's largest domestic carrier. Southwest raised its prices on about 400 of its routes, or 10% of its flights. A Southwest spokesman said the increase was "due to the challenging environment of volatile fuel prices. " American, Delta, US Airways, JetBlue and Virgin America all matched the hike on a limited number of flights.

The 1978 deregulation of U.S. airlines took hold during the 1980s, having an impact at least equal to the introduction of the jet plane during the 1950s and changing the shape of the industry forever. No longer were airlines shielded by the government with franchised routes and fares. Any carrier could fly anywhere--and charge as much as the traffic would bear. A myriad of new carriers started up on shoestrings. The second half of the decade was the consolidation period. The industry's new entries (remember People Express?

A fare war broke out Thursday among airlines serving major California cities, giving consumers discount air fares not seen since the days before PSA and AirCal were bought by major carriers. The intensified competition in the nation's busiest air corridor between Southern and Northern California came as American Airlines slashed fares and other big carriers said they will match them. American's new discount fares--as low as $29 one-way between Northern California and Ontario Airport in San Bernardino County--spurred other big carriers, including USAir and United Airlines, to say they will match them.

Airfares have inched up again. Six of the nation's largest airlines on Thursday raised their fares $10 per round trip on many routes. The fare hike was initiated the day before by Southwest Airlines, the nation's largest domestic carrier. Southwest raised its prices on about 400 of its routes, or 10% of its flights. A Southwest spokesman said the increase was "due to the challenging environment of volatile fuel prices. " American, Delta, US Airways, JetBlue and Virgin America all matched the hike on a limited number of flights.

United Airlines has initiated its second fare hike in less than a month, and several other carriers are beginning to match the increase. United began to increase the price of domestic round-trip flights by $10 Tuesday, according to Rick Seaney, who keeps track of fare hikes through his travel website Farecompare.com. By Thursday, he said, Delta, US Airways and American Airlines began increasing fares by the same amount on most of their domestic routes. But so far, the biggest domestic carrier in the nation, Southwest Airlines, has yet to match the increase.

For all the protest and controversy that arose during Thanksgiving weekend over enhanced pat-down searches and full-body image scans at airports, the Homeland Security Department is celebrating the addition of a security measure that did not draw public outcry. The department announced last week that 100% of passengers flying within or bound for the U.S. are now checked against government watch lists that are updated regularly based on the latest intelligence. The measure was recommended in 2004 by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 commission.

Chances are you've never heard of Larry Doyle. I had no idea who he was until last week, when the news division at CBS let him go after 40 years. Yes, CBS had another round of firings, and the loss of Doyle, the network's top war news producer, showed how deep these cuts really were. Dan Rather told the New York Observer that Doyle was "the soul of the place." Everyone was told this purge was a response to the devastating ad market of 2009. TV news layoffs are often spun as cyclic when, in fact, they are secular, part of the retrenching of a still-powerful but no longer influential media sector.

In this tough economy, does it make more sense for airlines to lower fares to draw in budget-conscious travelers or to raise rates and fees to boost revenues? There seems to be no consensus, judging by the airline news of the last week or so. V Australia, the international airline that launched last year, is offering one-way fares from Los Angeles to Sydney or Brisbane starting at $359, plus security fees, taxes and other charges.

Delta Air Lines Inc., American Airlines and United Airlines raised most U.S. fares by as much as $20 for a round trip, the second increase in as many weeks, as they try to take advantage of peak summer travel demand. AMR Corp.'s American boosted most route prices by $10 to $20 Wednesday, and Delta, UAL Corp.'s United and Continental Airlines Inc. matched those fares, FareCompare.com said. Delta and Southwest Airlines Co. led carriers in a $20 round-trip increase earlier this month.

United Airlines has initiated its second fare hike in less than a month, and several other carriers are beginning to match the increase. United began to increase the price of domestic round-trip flights by $10 Tuesday, according to Rick Seaney, who keeps track of fare hikes through his travel website Farecompare.com. By Thursday, he said, Delta, US Airways and American Airlines began increasing fares by the same amount on most of their domestic routes. But so far, the biggest domestic carrier in the nation, Southwest Airlines, has yet to match the increase.

The third small airline in a week shut down Friday as Skybus Airlines, a carrier that offered $10 fares from Burbank to Columbus, Ohio, called it quits. All three carriers -- Skybus, ATA Airlines Inc. and Aloha Airgroup Inc., parent of Aloha Airlines -- blamed high fuel costs and the slowing economy for their demise. Friday's announcement culminated one of the more tumultuous weeks for the airline industry in recent times.

AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, UAL Corp.'s United Airlines and Delta Air Lines Inc. all increased fuel surcharges by $20 per round trip. It's the 15th attempt by major U.S. carriers to boost fares or surcharges this year, said Rick Seaney of FareCompare.com.

The third small airline in a week shut down Friday as Skybus Airlines, a carrier that offered $10 fares from Burbank to Columbus, Ohio, called it quits. All three carriers -- Skybus, ATA Airlines Inc. and Aloha Airgroup Inc., parent of Aloha Airlines -- blamed high fuel costs and the slowing economy for their demise. Friday's announcement culminated one of the more tumultuous weeks for the airline industry in recent times.