Taesa amassed the debt as part of an effort to offer cut-rate fares.

Not only are the airlines offering cut-rate fares but they have blanketed members of their frequent-flier programs with free-ticket deals.

Mr. Leach asked if National ever had cut-rate fares.

If the fare has cut-rate fare available in midweek, it may save $25 or more each way.

Northwest Airlines is going to let the cut-rate fares "drift out of the system as the expirations come up," a spokesman said.

Many visitors were attracted here by cut-rate fares, as much as 90 percent below usual.

The cut-rate fares are available through Jan. 15 for travel by Feb. 15.

No longer were the cut-rate advance-purchase fares well-below the major carriers.

Adding to the confusion were the offers of cut-rate fares for flights between the United States and Britain.

Last summer, customers flooded airline phone lines in search of cut-rate fares.