By Steve Karnowski
The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS - America's major airlines will make it easier for passengers to change tickets if the United States goes to war in Iraq, in hopes of assuring nervous travelers they can book their tickets with confidence.

Changes announced this month by American, United, Delta, Northwest, Continental, US Airways and other airlines generally would allow travelers, in the event of war, to avoid paying penalties if they want to reschedule their flights or even pick new destinations.

The contingency plans are a "wise move" by the airlines and should reassure potential travelers who've been holding back, said Terry Trippler, an airline expert with CheapSeats.com.

"Go ahead and make your plans," Trippler advised travelers Wednesday. "You're going to find some very good deals out there, particularly on international travel."

George Wozniak, president of Minneapolis-based Hobbit Travel, said consumers have been reluctant to book trips because of the uncertainty. While he praised the airlines' new policies, he said they probably should have loosened their restrictions three weeks ago when tour operators started doing so.

The specific terms and windows for making changes vary from airline to airline, but restricted tickets would generally remain nonrefundable, and passengers who switch to higher-priced flights would have to pay the difference.

United, American, Continental and US Airways would allow changes to international and domestic flights. Delta's and Northwest's new policies apply only to international flights so far. American, Continental and US Airways would also allow flight changes without penalty if the Homeland Security Department issues a "Code Red" terrorism alert.

"It's a nice reassurance," said Claudia Swanson of St. Paul, who booked a ticket Wednesday for her college student son on American Airlines so he could join her and her adult daughter on a weeklong trip to Aruba.

Swanson said Aruba sounds like "a very safe and very friendly little island," so she doesn't expect any trouble.

"I'm looking forward to some sunshine and sandy beaches," she said.

Wozniak said that even passengers who are going ahead with their travel plans have been waiting longer than usual to book the tickets.

"Obviously the consumer is very concerned about where they might or might not be when this war might or might not take place," he said.

The airlines' moves come at a time when they are asking the government for $9 billion in tax cuts to withstand the decline in air travel and rising fuel costs that could result from a war in Iraq. United and US Airways already are in bankruptcy, American is reported to be lining up financing in case it files for bankruptcy, and all other major carriers except Southwest Airlines are losing money.

War fears were having an effect on air travel as far back as January. Even though domestic fares declined that month by an average of nearly 4 percent, the growth in travel on U.S. airlines, still struggling to recover from the Sept. 11 attacks, was stunted at 6 percent - just half that of December, according to the Air Transport Association in Washington.

Other segments of the travel industry are also dropping restrictions in hopes of overcoming war jitters. For example, Royal Caribbean Cruises has relaxed its cancellation policies for Mediterranean sailings. And rival Carnival has cut prices to lure travelers. Some hotels and ski areas have also taken similar steps to keep travelers coming if war breaks out.

"This is a great time to travel, a great time to go because the crowds are light and the prices are low," Trippler said.

Chris Keller, an agent with Campus Travel Center in Minneapolis, said he's surprised at how few of his customers are commenting about the unsettled situation.

He suspects those who are afraid to fly have simply stopped calling, leaving only those who intend to travel regardless of what happens in Iraq.

Wozniak said calls to his agency are up slightly overall, but there's been a marked change in destinations.

He said Hobbit took more than 10,000 calls last week from people asking about or booking flights to U.S. cities - nearly double the number in the same week a year ago. But calls about European destinations dropped from about 1,400 to about 300, and inquiries for other international flights were about half what they were a year ago.