Daily News from New York, New York • 401

DOW Down If FV 6.07 jf JONES LXlLl New SEC chief has look of a deregulates Page 3 Drexel tries the pay-as-you-go plan Page 3 Money Pages: Business by the numbers Page 4 "Our members are still strong, very much so." -Jim O'Hare, Local 1118, Communications Workers of America KSI 1 mi By RICKI FULMAN tickets cannot be changed after purchase. "TWA wants to stimulate traffic during the historically weak fall travel period, and passengers who act now will be getting a great deal," said Robert Cozzi, TWA's senior vice president of marketing. Spokesmen for the carriers said that if fares are cut again after passengers bought their tickets, they will receive refunds for the differences. Miami, $188, reduced from $258; and to Chicago, $148, from $218. International fares are also going down.

Midweek international fares from New York to Paris will cost $464 round-trip in October. In November, some airlines are reducing this route again to $398. Tickets must be purchased by Sept 1 for domestic travel from Sept 9 through Dec. 15, United and American airlines yesterday announced that they will match TWA's fares in markets where they compete. Delta said it will decide today whether to match the new fares.

For example, travelers flying Tuesdays and Wednesdays from New York to Los Angeles or San Francisco will pay as low as $198, reduced by $160 from $358 round-trip; from New York to and for international travel from Oct 1 through May 21, 1990. Holiday periods such as Thanksgiving aren't included in these rates. Airlines are also easing their restrictions a bit on these special fares. Under the latest round of offers, passengers can lock in their fares now, but make one change in their travel dates later without being penalized. Usually, discounted Daily News Business Writer Up, up and away! In a move to woo passengers during the typically slow autumn before the holiday season boom, major airlines yesterday slashed round-trip fares by as much as 50 on international and domestic routes.

TWA started the latest round of price cuts on Sunday. Northwest, Continental, Gloom service as biz travelers are staying away Regent Hotel- 400 units Journeys Inn-110 units Marriott Financial Dlstrict- 500 units Hotel Macklowe- 637 units Broadway Crown Plaza (Holiday Inn)- 785 units Royal Concordia- 500 units By ROXANNE TAMARKIN Daily News Business writer Embassy Suites- 460 units Days Inn- Rehabilitation of Marflnlniii Hntftl Century Paramount- 600 unitslSl Hilton- (Brklyn) 356 units Power suits, raincoats and briefcases are still in vogue at New York's airports, but recent studies show that fewer and fewer American business travelers are destined to arrive in New York City where an additional 4,700 hotel rooms and suites will be added to today's stock Crowne PlazaLaGuardta Alrport-Queens)356 units 50th Stjj rinwrn i hJ ml il i ftftmm I- a 7i A I GJIck Development- 250 unitsflS Rlverwalk Hotel Dover Hotel-90 units Battery Park City Novotel- 600 units Kallkow Hotel (j) Astor Building Hotel 2 Hartz Assoc. Hotel- 230 unitsfsS Times Square Hotel-500 units of approximately 50,000 units by 1991. "Business travel is down around the country," said Marshall Murdoch of the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau, "but there is a perception that New York is especially expensive. So, people are cutting back on trips to the city where they can." Although a drop in business travel to New York is just one byproduct of a slowing economy, it is the main reason hotel occupancy rates are off this year, Murdoch said.

Occupancy rates are down about 3, or 500,000 room nights sold, during the first half of '89, compared with the same period last year, Murdoch added. "This trend is appearing just before a lot of new rooms open up, so there will be a little bit of a shakeout when they all come on line," said Stephen Brener of Stephen Brener Associates, a New York consulting firm. "Still, we haven't added any rooms to the market in some time, so the city needs the new construction. We believe the market is healthy and will continue to be healthy despite the downturn in business travel." The Port Authority of New Hampton Inn Ramada Renalssance-300 units Hudson River Center Hotel-1600 units American Standard Building Hotel- 200 units Corporate is spending less and less time traveling here, according to hotel occupancy figures and airplane arrival patterns. Despite the decline, city spokesmen say they haven't noticed any drop in either restaurant or taxi business.

Reasons for decreased travel range from cost to convenience. "Corporation-wide, we are really watching our travel expenses and trips to New York don't come cheap," said Richard Judy, a spokesman for Amoco in Chicago. "We do have a group that travels regularly to New York, but we've cut down on the number of trips made." Judy and other executives said the increased at-See TRIPS Page 3 TRINE OuCVER MILT NEWS time you are above 65 for citywide occupancy, you're doing well. Today, we're near 75, which is great Hotels in New York charging an average $130 a night are making a lot of money." Of the more than 10 new city hotels and their 4,700 rooms scheduled for use by 19S1, many arc being -geared specifically to profit from the See BIZ Page 3 York and New Jersey reports domestic commercial passenger traffic into the city was down about 7 in the first half of '89, compared with figures for the first half of '88. International traffic, on the other hand, has enjoyed a 3 increase so far this year.

And convention attendance is up nearly 30 so far this year at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. "International leisure and business travel is stronger than ever," Murdoch said. "Convention business is up and domestic leisure traffic is very heavy, so a drop in domestic business travel is certainly to blame for the decrease in hotel room nights sold." Brener said that though occu- pancy rates are down, they are still very healthy. "Any.