3 More Airlines Cut Commissions

Delta Air Lines Inc., Northwest Airlines Corp. and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines on Monday cut travel agent commissions to 5% from 8%, following rivals United Airlines and American Airlines.

Commissions will be capped at $50 on tickets bought in the U.S. for round-trip U.S. flights and $100 on international round-trip flights.

The carriers want to cut costs and are encouraging travelers to book flights on their respective Web sites, bypassing agents altogether.

Meanwhile, Atlanta-based Delta said it will log a $150-million charge in its fiscal first quarter on the sale of aircraft parts and a write-down of some assets. The airline said it will still meet analysts’ estimates.