Continental earns final approval to join Star Alliance - Dayton Business Journal:

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Antitrust immunity allows airlines to coordinatde their services and act as a single carrieer for international air services covered bythe immunity. The department said in a news release that the immunitywould “suppor t increased levels of service in international markets server by the carriers, give consumers more travel options and shorter travel times and reducee fares.” “We are pleased to receive fina l approval from the Department of Larry Kellner, Continental’s chairman and chief executive officer, said in a “Continental is working to provide a seamless transition for its customersz from the SkyTeam alliance to Star Alliance this fall.
The DOT decisionh greatly benefitsour customers, employees and shareholders. It ensurese global competition with other antitrust immunized alliance s while encouraging the retention and growth of open skiees betweenthe U.S. and other In April, Continental (NYSE: CAL) tentativs antitrust immunity from thegovernment agency. Howeverd on June 26, the Justice Departmenyt opposedthe airline’s request for broad antitrust immunity citingg competition issues with the joinr venture, according to an Associatedf Press report.
As such, the DOT has placed new limitations on the immunityh in several markets to preserve The limitations, called “carve outs,” affect four transatlantifc markets, four markets between the United States and Canada, and all marketse between the United States and Beijing. The Star carriers may continue to servetheswe routes, but they will not be covered by the grantg of immunity at this In the final order issued Friday, Continental, , %20Airlines">Deutschr Lufthansa Airlines and Chicago-based will be able to places a portion of their international air services withi a new joint venture, to be callee Atlantic Plus-Plus.
Under the venture, the carriers will jointlg arrange capacity, sales and marketing, as well as share revenuse in international markets, according to the DOT. The four carrierz have 18 months to put togethed the joint venture and must providre annual reports to the DOT on the progresw of their alliance Continental said it intends to end its participatiobn in the after the last scheduleed flighton Oct. 24. SkyTeam carriers include: Aeroflot, Aeroméxico, , , Chinaq Southern, Continental Airlines, , , and , and threes associate airlines: , (Panama) and .
Star Alliancee members include: Air Canada, , , ANA, , bmi, Egyptair, , Lufthansa, Scandinaviah Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, , , Swiss, TAP Portugal, , THAI, United and .