Online travel agencies drop ticket booking fees

Several major online travel agencies are permanently waiving the $7 to $12 fees they charge to book an airline ticket in an effort to lure travelers amid lackluster demand and increasing competition from the airlines themselves.

Orbitz (OWW), CheapTickets and Travelocity said this week that they have extended spring-time promotions that let customers book flights on their sites for free until May 31. Expedia (EXPE) last week permanently removed the fees it charged.

Agencies "want to hang on to customers, and hope that by waiving fees for airline tickets, they'll come back for something else," says travel analyst Henry Harteveldt of Forrester Research.

Get the full story at: USAToday