U.S. airlines shares rise as fares go up in July

Shares of U.S. airlines rose after Consumer Price Index data showed rising airfare in July

Data shows airline fares rose 4% in July vs 0.1% fall last month

Jetblue Airways JBLU.O, American Airlines AAL.O up nearly 6%; United Airlines UAL.O, Delta Air Lines DAL.N up about 5%; Southwest Airlines LUV.N up 2.5%

Airlines have been focusing on sales of premium seats amid an overall travel demand slump in the U.S.

High margins and strong demand for premium seats are helping offset pullback in spending by price-sensitive customers

YTD, Dow Jones U.S. airlines index fell 9.32%