Nine people injured in engine fire on jet at Tokyo airport
     TOKYO - May 12, 1998 10:20 a.m. EDT -- A fire broke out in an
 engine of a United Airlines jet preparing to take off at Tokyo's
 international airport Tuesday, an airport official said. At least
 nine people were hurt.
     One person on the Hong-Kong-bound Boeing B-747 Flight 801 was
 taken to a nearby hospital, said Akira Kojima, spokesman for the
 Narita Airport Authority. The United spokesman in Tokyo, Kai
 Takamasa, said he had no information and no comment.
     The jet, with 385 people aboard, including 20 crew members, was
 making its way toward the runway, when the blaze broke out, forcing
 the plane to stop, said Chinami Watanuki, an airport spokeswoman.
     The plane lowered its evacuation slides, which allowed the
 passengers and crew escape, she said.
     Some of the people were injured while going down the slides.
 Eight of those hurt were taken to the airport clinic, mostly for
 minor injuries, officials said.
     The fire went out in a few minutes, just as fire trucks were
 arriving, said Haruo Yoshida, a Transport Ministry official at the
 airport.
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             TWA caps commissions to travel agents
     ST. LOUIS - May 12, 1998 10:08 a.m. EDT -- Trans World Airlines
 said this week it will pay travel agents a maximum of $50 for domes-
 tic round-trip tickets, following an industry trend toward trimming
 commissions.
     TWA used to pay agents 8 percent of ticket prices with no maxi-
 mum. The airline lowered its commission rate in October but had held
 out on the maximum cap until now.
     The move comes eight months after many major airlines cut com-
 mission rates to 8 percent from 10 percent and imposed $50 caps.
     Pat Benson, president of Action Travel in St. Louis, where TWA
 is based, said the new cap could hurt agents more because it affects
 mostly higher-priced business fare tickets. For example, an agent
 would earn $50, instead of $80, on a $1,000 ticket.
     TWA also has cut the commission on international tickets to 8
 percent from 10 percent. There is no commission cap on those tickets.
 For ticket vendors on the Internet, TWA will pay a 5 percent
 commission with a maximum payment of $10.
     Joe Vilmain, TWA's vice president of sales and reservations, said
 TWA had resisted cutting agents' fees in hopes that it would make
 them more likely to sell tickets on TWA.
     The airline has been trying to lure back business travelers with
 easier cabin upgrades, more generous frequent flier awards and other
 incentives. Vilmain said TWA's success in doing that prompted it to
 cap its commission.
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