Six Airlines Raise Some Fares

Six of the largest U.S. airlines Thursday raised some one-way fares by $50, renewing their effort to offset record spending on jet fuel and return the industry to profitability.

AMR Corp.’s American Airlines, UAL Corp.’s United Airlines, Delta Air Lines Inc., Continental Airlines Inc., Northwest Airlines Corp. and US Airways Group Inc. increased prices for U.S. first-class and last-minute coach tickets.

Southwest Airlines Co. was the only one among the seven largest U.S. carriers that didn’t go along.

The airlines are raising fares at the fastest pace since 2001 to offset fuel prices that have more than doubled. They’re also dropping unprofitable routes and shrinking fleets to try to end more than $40 billion in losses in the last five years.

Airlines have raised prices across their networks at least seven times in 2006, said Susan Donofrio, an analyst at New York-based Cathay Financial. Fares through April, the latest data available, are up 11% from a year ago, the fastest increase since 2001, according to the Air Transport Assn., the airlines’ Washington-based trade group.

With fewer seats available across the industry, the larger carriers say they now can keep raising fares that had been held down by competition from low-cost airlines.