Short Take: Delta Airlines offers better deals on Net

began offering better deals on tickets purchased via the Internet. The move, which adds a $2 surcharge to non-Net purchases, is intended to pay for the rising cost of conventional booking methods, according to the Associated Press. The price hike was immediataely criticized by the American Society of Travel Agents, which said that Delta was "blaming and punishing" customers who purchase tickets through non-Internet channels. Delta is said to be the first to make such an offer.