UA/US 3-Way DL, NW, CO (Reaction) Alliance Review Extended 3rd Time

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Delta, Northwest, Continental Alliance Review Extended 3rd Time
Washington, Nov. 18 (Bloomberg) - Delta Air Lines Inc., Northwest Airlines Corp. and Continental Airlines Inc. must wait another 30 days for U.S. regulators to rule on their plan to sell tickets on each other''s flights.
The Department of Transportation extended the review for a third time, saying it needs to consider comments from competitors and the public about the alliance.
``We hope to make a final decision by December 21,'''' Read Van de Water, an assistant department secretary, said in a filing.
Delta, the third-biggest U.S. airline, No. 4 Northwest and No. 5 Continental sought approval in August to share passengers and coordinate routes and schedules. The three-way alliance is intended to boost sales that haven''t recovered from a decline in travel after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Continental and Northwest already have a link. The Department of Transportation decided last month to allow a similar alliance for UAL Corp.''s United Airlines, the second biggest airline, and US Airways Group Inc., the seventh largest.