Northwest Resists Fare Increase; Rivals Cancel

UAL Corp.’s United Airlines, Delta Air Lines Inc. and other U.S. carriers retreated from last week’s fare increases, which were designed to offset rising fuel costs, after Northwest Airlines Corp. refused to join. Continental Airlines Inc. and US Airways Group Inc. also rolled back their increases, said Tom Parsons, editor of Best Fares magazine. Fifth-largest carrier Continental initiated the increase Friday, boosting U.S. round-trip fares as much as $30. Airlines generally roll back any increases that rivals don’t match. Northwest, the No. 4 carrier and a frequent spoiler of fare increases, never joined. The plan would have been the second fare increase of the year and the sixth since the start of 1999. Airlines last month also tacked on a fuel surcharge on domestic tickets. Jet fuel prices more than doubled in the last 12 months as the price of crude oil climbed to nine-year highs.