United, Continental Raise Fares

United Airlines said Friday it boosted its ticket prices by as much as much as $50 roundtrip, raising the stakes in the airline industry’s battle against rapidly rising fuel costs.

Continental Airlines Inc. matched the increase Friday. At least one other carrier, US Airways Group Inc., said it was studying the move but hadn’t yet decided if it would follow suit, a spokesman said.

It was the fourth week in a row that carriers have raised ticket prices, and the second round of increases led by Chicago-based United, the second-largest U.S. airline, in as many weeks, according to a tally by airline ticket pricing Web site FareCompare.com.

United’s higher fares went into effect late Thursday, hours after crude oil prices surged to a new record of $111 a barrel. The increase is unusual for its size. Most recent fare increases have been limited to about $10 roundtrip.

The move comes just a week after United raised its domestic fuel surcharge by an additional $6 to $10 per round trip, effectively raising fares. United’s fuel surcharge now stands at $50 roundtrip in markets where the airline does not compete against low-cost carriers.

As the price of oil has risen, carriers have tried to push more of their fuel costs onto consumers. Some of those increases have stuck, but stiff competition from low-cost airlines such as Southwest Airlines Co. and JetBlue Airways Corp. means many others have been rolled back after competing airlines failed to follow suit.