Latest fare hike attempt fails

Only eight days after launching a fare hike, Delta Air Lines has initiated another price increase for flights booked within seven days of the trip.

But the good news for travelers is that Delta rescinded the latest fare hike over the weekend after few other airlines matched the increase.

Delta initiated a raise of $4 to $10 per flights for flights booked within seven days of departure on Feb. 20, according to the website Farecompare.com, which tracks air fare trends.

The hike, which targeted last-minute bookings made primarily by business travelers, was matched by all of Delta’s major competitors. JetBlue Airways even extended the hike to travelers who book beyond the seven-day window.

But after Delta tried to tack on a similar $4-to-$10 hike last week, the increase was not matched by other airlines and Delta rolled it back over the weekend, Farecompare reported.

A Delta spokesman confirmed the hike has been rescinded but declined to comment further.

So far, the $4-to-$10 hike is the first increase to be adopted in 2013. Last year, various airlines attempted a total of 15 fare hikes but only seven were matched by all the major carriers.

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