Lots of Class

Alas, the poor airline passenger. He has to choose from a bewildering array of fares that on New York to Miami flights alone spread out to hundreds of different price possibilities, including piston day coach, jet night coach (rear end), businessman's special and economy prop. Last week it became evident that the fare confusion would get cloudier before it gets clearer.

United Air Lines, which last year made a gallant try to bring order out of chaos by introducing "one-class," one-fare flights on many runs, reversed its thrust, asked the Civil Aeronautics Board for permission to begin three-class service in August. Should the CAB approve, as expected, United will become the first airline to offer first-class, "standard," and coach seats on transcontinental runs, will join TWA, American, and Continental Air Lines in three-class service on shorter flights.

United's one-class, which offered almost as much comfort but not as many frills as first-class, flew high at the start. But it leveled off after American and TWA were allowed to lower their first-class fares this year. From New York to Los Angeles, for example, the first-class fare including taxes dropped from $196.25 to $168.95 one-way, very close to the one-class $160.65.* On that coast-to-coast route in the future, the first-class fare will remain the same, United's one-class will become "standard," and coach will cost $152.36. With all that and many other fares to choose from, buying can be trying even if jetting is not upsetting.

*Despite some fare cuts, or more probably because they helped stimulate business, U.S. domestic trunk airlines earned $19 million in the first four months this year, v. a $10.5 million loss in the same span last year.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.