Travel Agents Fighting Commission Cuts

The 27,000-member American Society of Travel Agents is urging consumers to complain about United Airlines’ decision to cut travel agent commissions back to 8% from 10%. Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, US Airways Group Inc., Northwest Airlines Corp. and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines followed suit with their own cuts, sparking a war of words between major airlines and travel agents. Airline executives say the cuts are needed to give travelers cheaper fares and to sate Wall Street demand for continued earnings growth.