Northwest, pilots agree on proposed alliance with Delta

EAGAN, MINNESOTA - Northwest Airlines and its pilots said Friday that they have reached an agreement that will enable Northwest to proceed with its proposed alliance with Delta Air Lines. <br> <br> Captain Mark McClain, who leads the Northwest unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, said the agreement ``provides necessary job protections and addresses other concerns of Northwest pilots without creating an economic burden on our company.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Delta pilots in November approved the proposed marketing agreement that would enable each partner to act as an extension of other members&#39; networks, selling seats on each others&#39; planes. <br> <br> The proposed alliance with Delta, which is under review by the U.S. Department of Transportation, builds on the partnership in place with Continental Airlines since 1998. <br> <br> In August, Northwest, Continental and Delta announced the agreement, which would connect the three carriers&#39; domestic and international networks, and include code sharing, frequent flyer program reciprocity and a reciprocal airport lounge program. <br> <br> The agreement would provide travelers with a broad network connecting hundreds of cities, enabling seamless ticketing, check-in and luggage handling for travel on two or more of the carriers.