Northwest Airlines adds $80 fuel surcharge

Northwest Airlines Corp. confirmed on Thursday that it will add fuel surcharges of up to $80 for many domestic round-trip tickets.

The surcharge will apply to travel to about 7,000 city pairs beginning Jan. 10, Northwest spokeswoman Michelle Aguayo-Shannon said. She said Northwest is matching surcharges added by competitors in those markets. Northwest already has fuel surcharges in other markets, she said.

Rick Seaney of farecompare.com wrote in a newsletter that by his count, there have been 21 fare increases this year. He did not count Northwest's surcharge as the 22nd hike because it covered less than two-thirds of Northwest's city pairs. But he said Northwest's surcharge was noteworthy because the carrier generally has not initiated fare increases. Aguayo-Shannon said Northwest did not initiate this one, either.