Big Airlines Settle With Travel Agents

Major U.S. airlines agreed to settle an antitrust lawsuit with the nation’s travel agents, ending a dispute in which the agents accused the carriers of conspiring to cap commissions on tickets.

Chris Privett, a spokesman for the American Society of Travel Agents, an industry association in Alexandria, Va., confirmed a settlement was reached. Details of the settlement weren’t immediately available.

The settlement came on the opening day of the trial in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis.

AMR Corp.’s American Airlines, UAL Corp.’s United Airlines, Delta Air Lines Inc., USAir Group Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. were the last airlines to settle with the travel agents.