US clears airlines in pricing probe tied to Amtrak crash

US regulators closed a probe of five of the largest airlines after finding no price gouging or unfair service changes following a deadly Amtrak crash in 2015 that shut down trains in the Northeast. Investigators found that fares increased on some routes and decreased on others after the derailment and that there were “no unconscionable increases” of prices beyond normal levels, the Transportation Department said in a letter to the airlines posted on its website Wednesday. American Airlines, Delta, United Continental, Southwest and JetBlue were part of the probe. The Transportation Department’s investigation covered 76 flight segments on 62 routes. The inquiry is separate from a broader Justice Department probe into possible price collusion by American, Delta, United and Southwest, the four largest US airlines. There have been no updates about the status of that effort, which began in July 2015 to examine whether airlines were cooperating on capacity decisions to maintain pricing power.<br/>