By RANDY TUCKER
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A blow to consumers.

That's how some local travel agents and Delta Air Lines travelers described the carrier's new $2 charge on all round-trip domestic reservations not booked over its Web site.

Delta said it instituted the charge this week to help offset rising distribution costs.

“All businesses are required to make prudent business decisions based on how they view their business, and I would say that this falls clearly within that area,” said Dave Anderson, a spokesman for Delta in Cincinnati — Delta's second-largest hub.

But travel industry experts say Delta is simply trying to thwart competition by penalizing customers who don't book reservations online.

“This isn't about escalating costs on the distribution end because Delta's making money hand-over-fist,” said James Ashurst, a spokesman for the American Society of Travel Agents in Alexandria, Va. “This is a move by Delta to try to get travelers away from accessing the information of their competitors through travel agents.”

Mr. Ashurst said about 80 percent of all airline travelers last year used travel agents to book airline reservations.

Travel agents typically search for the lowest fare for customers, regardless of the airline, Mr. Ashurst said.

But Delta's charge for booking tickets by any means other than its Web site effectively penalizes consumers for trying to get the lowest fare on a plane ticket, he said.

He said Delta is also sending a message to consumers who don't own or have ready access to a computer.

Several people booking flights Thursday at downtown Cincinnati travel agencies said they weren't aware of Delta's new charge on domestic reservations.

One Delta flier said the surcharge ruffled his feathers because he views it as an attempt to try to force him to book reservations online.

“I have a computer, but I've never bought anything online before because, frankly, I'm a little reluctant to give out my credit card number and personal information over the Internet,” said Michael Lilly of Hyde Park.

Bob Burns, an Orlando, Fla., businessman waiting for assistance Thursday at Delta's downtown ticket office, said the airline's charge “isn't a big deal” to him.

Lila Gantz, president and owner of the Travel Exchange Group in Norwood, said Delta's surcharge could mark the beginning of an industrywide trend that could leave consumers with less choice.

“This could be just the beginning,” Ms. Gantz said. “Delta is the first airline to charge an extra fee for tickets not purchased through the Internet, but once one airline does it, usually the other big ones follow.”

Ms. Gantz pointed out Delta was one of the first airlines to cut and cap the commissions paid to travel agents a few years ago. Now, most airlines have capped commissions, costing the travel industry about 40 percent of its revenue, Ms. Gantz said.

To compensate, many agencies add service fees to ticket cost.

Still, most local agents aren't worried the extra fees and surcharges will drive customers away.

“Now that air fares are so incredibly complicated to book, I don't think clients mind paying the fees to use a travel agent,” said Vicky Mary, president of Victoria Travel in Hyde Park.

• Delta: Buy tickets online or pay more (Jan. 14)