DOT seeks details on airline antitrust immunity

DALLAS - Federal regulators have asked Continental Airlines Inc. and its prospective partners for more information about their request to add Continental to an alliance that already enjoys immunity from antitrust laws. Four airlines--Continental, United, Lufthansa and Air Canada--are also seeking approval to operate a trans-Atlantic joint venture. The Department of Transportation said in a notice dated Wednesday that it wanted updated documents, clarification about when Continental would join the Star Alliance, and how the move would help consumers. Many of the world's largest airlines are divided into three alliances--teams in which partner airlines sell seats on each other's flights and offer reciprocal frequent-flier benefits. Continental wants to jump from SkyTeam to the Star Alliance, which includes UAL Corp.'s United... [read full story]