Big U.S. Airlines Reduce Fares Further : Competition: Analysts say the latest round of cuts, which were triggered by British Airlines, will stop for a while.

Major U.S. airlines slashed their ticket prices even further Tuesday in the latest round of a fare war sparked by British carriers just over a week ago.

The newest reductions prompted analysts to speculate that the fare cutting would halt for a while.

“I think today’s newly introduced fares are as low as they are going to get,” said Samuel Buttrick, an analyst with Kidder, Peabody & Co.

American Airlines slashed its domestic fares Tuesday up to 25%, matching similar reductions announced by USAir over the weekend.

Delta Air Lines cut some overseas fares to as little as half price and said it was cutting domestic fares by up to 25%. Trans World Airlines said it would reduce fares on some domestic and international flights by 25% to 50%.

British Airways sparked the transatlantic fare war Aug. 11 when it cut some ticket prices between the United States and Britain by 15%. Most major U.S. carriers quickly followed suit.

Britain’s Virgin Atlantic Airways then cut its fares on the same routes by 25%.

Analysts have since said Virgin’s reductions were a creative restructuring of British Airways’ new ticket prices and may have been misinterpreted as an escalation in fare competition.

During the weekend, Northwest Airlines lowered its prices to Europe and USAir reduced its domestic rates. United Airlines on Monday announced similar domestic and international cuts.

“My guess is that it would end here,” said Geoffrey Dann, an airline analyst with Smith Barney, Harris Upham & Co. “If the economic recovery continues at this pace, I think the fare cuts are over.”

For travelers, the new fares probably will stir confusion.

The TWA reductions apply to travel between the United States and London, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt between Oct. 8 and March 31.

The airline also said it will offer 25% off between selected domestic and international cities, but it did not specify.

American’s lower-priced fares to destinations in the United States are available between Sept. 4 and Dec. 15, except for Thanksgiving weekend.

American’s passengers must buy the tickets before Oct 31.