1.   American, which is based in Fort Worth, is also seeking government approval for its plan to form a marketing alliance with British Airways.

2.   Analyst Ramzan, however, said a marketing alliance is more likely than a full-fledged combination of the hotels.

3.   And the U.S. is adamant in its insistence that an open skies agreement is a precondition for U.S. antitrust immunity for a Delta-Air France marketing alliance.

4.   At issue are pay and marketing alliances with other carriers.

5.   BA effectively ended its three-year marketing alliance with US Airways, then called USAir, in January.

6.   Both of those companies have built marketing alliances with Lotus, and Oracle also was rumored to be interested in acquiring the company last year.

7.   A deal with Continental, however, could be complicated because Northwest, as a byproduct of a marketing alliance with Continental, could block a merger.

8.   Air Canada and Chicago-based United Airlines last week were granted antitrust immunity by the U.S. government, allowing the carriers to proceed with their proposed marketing alliance.

9.   Airlines also got into the consolidation act, with American Airlines and US Airways announcing a marketing alliance.

10.   British Airways Plc and American Airlines would be better off narrowing their planned partnership to a marketing alliance to avoid European Union regulatory demands, Dresdner Kleinwort Benson said.