Airlines. Old Dogs. New Tricks?

Southwest and JetBlue may have forced the Big Six US airlines (American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United and US Airways) to radically change their ways. Delta is announcing low pricing policy nationwide, removing irritating ticketing rules like required Saturday-night stays, halving ticket-change fees to $50 from $100 and slashing fares on everything from first class to last-minute tickets, the Time Magazine reports.

A test in Cincinnati in August 2004 offered the highest ticket price to anywhere at $499 ($599 in first class). Analyst Vaughn Cordle of Airline Forecasts says,"It’s the beginning of the end of ‘gotcha’ pricing by the legacy carriers."

Time Magazine via Agenda Inc