Amadeus will raise booking fees to airlines 2% on Jan. 1, scaling back an earlier plan for a 5.4% hike.

The increase could be upped to that amount on or after May 1, or it could stay the same, the company said.

The move by Amadeus, which hiked fees around 6.9% in 2001, could be the first sign that CRS fees are moderating, perhaps in response to the economic downturn and years of airline complaints about rising prices.

Amadeus` 2% hike represents an average booking fee of $3.28 worldwide. A 5.4% hike would bring that figure to around $3.40.

When you`re dealing with about millions of transactions, that 12 cents “makes a tremendous difference to the airlines,” said Amadeus spokesman Bill Spears.

Amadeus indicated it will give airlines at least 30 days` notice if it decides on a mid-year increase.

“I don`t know if it will happen at all. It depends on industry conditions,” Spears said.

Following Sept. 11, the CRS offered agent-relief packages, including dropping segment shortfall penalties; some instituted supplier concessions.

Galileo, for instance, credited airlines for some change transactions, and gave leisure suppliers 5% credit for September segment fees.

www.amadeus.com

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