Delta partners with Continental, Northwest

ATLANTA - The nation&#39;s third biggest airline -- Atlanta-based Delta -- plans to join Continental and Northwest in a broad new partnership aimed at protecting revenue from a proposed rival alliance. <br> <br> The plan announced Friday expands an existing partnership between Number Four carrier Northwest and Number Five Continental by bringing Delta Air Lines into the mix. <br> <br> The airlines plan to sell seats on each other&#39;s flights and coordinate schedules and frequent-flier benefits under a ``code-share&#39;&#39; agreement. The term comes from the practice of putting an airline&#39;s two-letter industry code onto another&#39;s flights. <br> <br> Federal regulators and pilots&#39; unions still must approve the proposal -- which is not a merger. All three airlines remain competitors in pricing and scheduling.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/8/190982