Good news to those of us who bank thousands of frequent flyer miles each year: Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines announced that frequent flyer members of the three airlines will be able to redeem miles for itineraries that include the combination of any Continental, Delta and Northwest-operated flight by using just one award to any of the 374 destinations worldwide served by the three carriers. Customers will be able to book and redeem award travel beginning July 15, 2003.

Delta’s Song and Delta Connection flights operated by American Eagle are not included in these new redemption benefits. For a complete list of terms and conditions related to award travel, customers are encouraged to visit each carrier’s respective Web site.

Northwest and Continental customers have enjoyed reciprocal frequent flyer award redemption benefits since 1998.

Yesterday, customers of the three carriers began taking advantage of the opportunity to earn miles while traveling on any of the three airlines’ worldwide route networks, including flights operated by Continental, Continental Express, Continental Micronesia; Delta, Delta Express, Delta Shuttle and Delta Connection Carriers including ASA, Comair, ACA, SkyWest and Chautauqua; Northwest, and Northwest Airlink partner airlines Pinnacle Airlines and Mesaba Airlines. (Delta’s Song and Delta Connection flights operated by American Eagle are not included under the terms of this program, but remain eligible for Delta SkyMiles accrual.)

In addition, elite members of Continental, Delta and Northwest’s frequent flyer programs began enjoying additional benefits on all three airlines yesterday, including early flight boarding, elite check-in and elite mileage qualification. Please visit the respective carriers’ Web sites to learn more about elite member benefits and qualifying for elite status.

Also yesterday, members of the airlines’ airport lounge programs - Continental’s Presidents Club, Delta’s Crown Room Club, and Northwest’s WorldClubs - began enjoying access to each other’s worldwide facilities. The three carriers offer customers 94 lounges in 49 cities around the world. Members of the airlines’ airport lounge programs will have access to each of the carriers’ worldwide facilities, provided they travel same-day on the carrier whose lounge is being accessed.

Delta Crown Room Club members entering any of the Continental Presidents Clubs and Northwest WorldClubs lounges will need to present their same-day ticket or boarding pass on the carrier whose lounge is being accessed, their club membership card and government issued identification at the front desk. The same provisions apply to Continental and Northwest lounge members entering a Delta Crown Room Club. Presidents Club and WorldClubs members will continue to have full access to each other’s club facilities without restriction. Admission to any of the lounges is valid for up to two guests or a spouse, and children under 21 years of age.

While Continental, Delta and Northwest continue to operate independently and compete vigorously with each other for customers, the alliance will enable each carrier to serve a greater number of customers and, in this weak economic environment, will preserve service to small communities and those communities' access to broad route networks.

For more information, please go to www.continental.com; www.delta.com; or www.nwa.com.