Continental, Delta and Northwest Will Implement Alliance Agreement

[BillLumbergh]

[SPAN class=headline][A href=http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030121/datu031_1.html]Continental, Delta and Northwest Will Implement Alliance Agreement[/A][BR][BR][SPAN class=headline][A href=http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/030121/1126000718_1.html]Airlines Balk at DOT Restrictions on Code-Share Pact[/A][BR][BR][SPAN class=headline][A href=http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/030121/airlines_codeshare_1.html]Three Airlines Oppose Codeshare Limits[/A][/SPAN][/SPAN][/SPAN]

 

[luv2fly]

Damn the torpedo's... full speed ahead!!!

 

[RowUnderDCA]

It seems to me that demanding to pursue corporate accounts as a three-airline unit, but then saying that you'll compete with each other is talking out of both (or should I say 6) sides of your mouths.

 

[Tango-Bravo]

[blockquote]
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On 1/21/2003 331 PM RowUnderDCA wrote:

It seems to me that demanding to pursue corporate accounts as a three-airline unit, but then saying that you'll compete with each other is talking out of both (or should I say 6) sides of your mouths.
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[/blockquote]


Right you are. It's also known as airline-speak, which could be defined in this way: the self-proclaimed license to speak in obvious non-sequiturs to the point of contradicting one's self in the same sentence -- without being questioned.

 

[Art at ISP]

Here's a question--

What recourse does the government have in the face of these airlines' open defiance of the restrictions placed on the approval?

This is going to be interesting!

 

[luv2fly]

[blockquote]
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On 1/22/2003 618 AM Art at ISP wrote:

Here's a question--

What recourse does the government have in the face of these airlines' open defiance of the restrictions placed on the approval?

This is going to be interesting!
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[/blockquote]
None if they lose. In addition, if the DOT were to rescind any routes prior to federal proceedings, it would only serve to demonstrate the hypocracy in the airline industry.
While the DOT may view the reaction of the alliance as "open defiance", the DOJ's view did not contain such restrictions.
The DOJ is the primary agency responsible for the enforcement of US competition laws, not the DOT.

 

[RowUnderDCA]

It is true that DoJ's antitrust laws are more long standing and therefore their authority, scope and power is clearer and has been tested over 100 years by courts.

However, it is not specific to the airline industry.

I think that the very reason that Congress gave the DoT the power that it has to review code-shares (untested and vague as it may be) is precisely because the DoJ's antitrust analysis tools were inadequate to address the airline industry. (I'd agree with that)

So, DoT definitely has authority.... how they can enforce it, what are its limits I do not know.... even more important, I don't know how much this stuff has already been determined.

I'll do some more research.... slowly.

The fact that they are going before an administrative law judge is interesting. It would appear to me that there is an administrative procedure for the agency to make a determination... so there must be something of administrative action to 'determine' Why go to an adminstrative law judge to determine a meaningless point? THAT'S WHAT COURTS ARE FOR! : )

But stranger things have happened.

 

[Steiner]

I hope the Alliance wins. Heck (dang, golly, gee), even Alfred Kahn thought the Alliance was a good idea and an excellent competitive response that was pro-consumer.