USAir Cuts Orange County-Sacramento Fares

USAir said Wednesday that it has slashed unrestricted one-way fares between Sacramento and four Southern California destinations including the county’s John Wayne Airport--to $129 from $189.

The move came just days after American Airlines said it would cancel its nonstop flights from John Wayne to the state capital on July 1.

Although the fare reductions appeared in part to be a bid to woo Orange County-to-Sacramento commuters away from American even before the nonstop service is eliminated, the cuts also apply to USAir flights to Sacramento from Los Angeles, Burbank and San Diego.

Virginia-based USAir said it has also cut its fare for advance-purchase, seven-day, round-trip tickets between Sacramento and the four Southland airports to $128 and has added a new one-day, advance-purchase, round-trip ticket on the same routes for $148.

A spokesman for American Airlines said the Dallas-based company is studying the USAir fares and will probably match them.

A fare war broke out in late April among carriers with Southern California-Bay Area routes after price-slashing Southwest Airlines announced a $29 one-way fare on two routes. American, United and USAir all countered with round-trip, advance-purchase fares of less than $100. Sacramento fares, however, were not discounted.