New Fare War: Delta Cuts Its Price to Europe : Transportation: But this 45%-off sale is less sweeping than the last offer. It mainly benefits the carrier’s highest-paying customers--business travelers who fly on short notice.

Before the nation’s airlines had time to catch their breath after the big fare war for domestic tickets, Delta Air Lines said Monday evening that it was cutting prices on summer fares to Europe by up to 45%.

The sale, while not as sweeping as the fare war that ended Friday, will allow Delta’s highest-paying customers, business travelers who fly on little notice, to save money.

Continental Airlines immediately matched the sale in most markets. Other rivals, including American Airlines, United Airlines, Northwest Airlines and Trans World Airlines, said they are studying the move. USAir had no immediate comment.

Delta said the new fares, which require government approval, are intended to lure more business travelers and to promote itself as the U.S. carrier with the most transatlantic destinations. Last year, Delta purchased most of the assets of now-defunct Pan American World Airways.

As a sample of the savings offered by Delta’s new sale, first-class fares from Los Angeles to Frankfurt, Germany, will drop from $6,480 round-trip to $4,600; business class fares from $3,696 to $2,800, and full coach fares from $3,214 to $2,400.

Between Los Angeles and Prague, Czechoslovakia, round-trip fares will drop from $7,040 to $5,000 in first class, from $3,802 to $3,200 in business class and from $2,860 to $2,400 in coach.

Delta, which had been critical of the just-ended domestic fare sale, said the transatlantic sale is different.

“These are . . . obviously targeted at the business travelers, the last-minute, walk-up-type traffic,” Delta spokesman Neil Monroe said.

Delta’s sale begins today and has no minimum stay requirements and no advance time for purchase of the tickets, though there is a maximum stay of 14 days. Delta will block out travel between the United States and Spain from July 19 to Aug. 9 because of the summer Olympic games.