(03-19) 04:00 PDT Dallas --

Airline executives say worries about recession, high fuel prices and tighter credit seem to have cooled the consolidation fever that gripped the industry a few weeks ago.

Instead, they turned their comments Tuesday toward cutting costs and reducing flights, which could give them more power to raise fares.

Delta Air Lines Inc. set the tone by offering buyouts to 30,000 employees - more than half its workforce - as the likelihood of a deal with Northwest Airlines Corp. faded.

Executives at other carriers also talked about controlling costs and raising fares while planes are still very full.

"Demand is still pretty good," said Jeff Misner, the chief financial officer of Continental Airlines Inc. "The problem we've got is we're not covering the cost of fuel right now ... we can't get the prices up fast enough to cover that."

Continental expects its 2008 fuel bill to be $1.5 billion or more higher than last year, or about three times its profit for all of 2007.

United Airlines says it faces a $1.2 billion increase in fuel costs, Delta expects to pay $900 million more, and Northwest is budgeting an extra $800 million.

In response, the carriers are considering reducing flights to save money and perhaps drive up fares. Led by United, part of UAL Corp., the carriers raised fares by up to $50 per round trip last week and some now charge $25 extra for checking a second piece of luggage.

JetBlue Airways Corp., meanwhile, hopes to boost revenue by rolling out a program to charge passengers extra for additional legroom, Chief Executive Officer David Barger said.

Delta said Tuesday that it would reduce its flying by 5 percent.

United plans to ground about 4 percent of its fleet, or up to 20 older Boeing 737s that get poor mileage, Chief Financial Officer Jake Brace said at a JPMorgan conference in New York. He said it didn't make sense to fly those jets at current fuel prices.

Executives from Northwest and American Airlines, the nation's largest carrier, said they too were considering cutting capacity, with announcements possible next month.

"The silver lining of oil at a high price: It's stripping capacity out," Barger said.

Even Southwest Airlines Co. might reduce flying. And it is better insulated from high fuel prices than other U.S. carriers because of financial transactions made several years ago that will let it buy 70 percent of its fuel this year at the equivalent price of $51 per barrel of oil - less than half the current rate.

Southwest values those hedges at more than $3 billion over the next few years.

Several executives said industry consolidation now appeared less likely than a few weeks ago. They were speaking a day after Delta pilots created fresh doubt about a possible Delta hookup with Northwest.

Union leaders at Delta said talks on combining workforces with another carrier had failed. They didn't mention Northwest by name, but people close to the talks have said Northwest was the other player in deal talks.

This article appeared on page C - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Tinnitus could be cured by cutting back on coffee, researchers say

Comments

A mighty wind: Tinnitus, which affects 10 to 20 per cent of people at some time, can have alarming effects

Most popular stories

1. 1,300 women have had at least FIVE abortions

2. I felt pins and needles in my breast...then discovered I had cancer

3. I was awake and could feel everything - but I was paralysed and couldn't speak. 'Pass the scalpel', said the surgeon ...

4. Tired? Don't assume it's your lifestyle - you could be diabetic

5. Owning a cat 'cuts stroke risk by a third'

More detailed results ?

Have your say

Do you suffer from back pain?

• Yes - frequently
• Yes - occasionally
• No

More polls » 

Boards & chat

Can magnets ease shoulder pain?

Join the debate » 

Email newsletter

Cutting back on coffee could help tinnitus sufferers.

Previous research has shown that caffeine can aggravate tinnitus - characterised by a ringing or buzzing noise in the ear.

This month, a clinical trial will investigate this further, with sufferers cutting back on caffeine for 30 days to assess its impact.

It is thought that the drug, found in coffee, tea, cola and chocolate, could make symptoms appear worse because it acts as a stimulant.

Tinnitus is a relatively common problem, affecting 10 to 20 per cent of the population at some time. It is more common with increasing age.

In one study, up to one in three people over 65 had tinnitus.

The clinical trial, at the University of Valencia in Spain, involves people who have had tinnitus for more than six months and who usually have more than three caffeine drinks a day.

Participants will be monitored as they reduce their intake for a month, to see how much their condition improves.

ADVERTISEMENT

Iconocast is about learning and teaching without borders; we offer eMarketing, Internet Advertising, Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, Online Branding, and eMarketing News Services.

Iconocast Home Page

Contact Iconocast

Iconocast Health Articles

© 2003-07. ICONOCAST is a trademark of iconocast.com.