Delta Cuts $100 Fee for Standby Flights

Delta Air Lines Inc. backed off a plan to charge $100 to leisure travelers who fly standby on the same day for which they booked tickets as the struggling airline industry tries to hold on to customers.

The third-biggest U.S. carrier cut the fee to $25 for most leisure travelers who show up for a flight other than the one for which they’re booked effective March 1. In September, Delta said it would charge $100 for passengers wanting to fly standby.

Carriers such as Delta and UAL Corp.’s United Airlines are scaling back stringent ticket policies put in place in recent months because customers objected, said David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Assn.

Shares of Atlanta-based Delta rose 15 cents to $11.39 on the NYSE.