U.S. extends review of three-way air codeshare plan = = = = Thursday December 19, 12:56 PM EST = (Adds details of plan, airline comment) WASHINGTON, Dec 19 (Reuters) - The Bush administration on Thursday extend= ed its review of a proposed code-share alliance between Delta, Continenta= l and Northwest airlines, citing concerns about the impact on competition= =2E The Transportation Department said in a regulatory filing that smaller ca= rriers and the attorney generals of several states, including Iowa and Co= nnecticut, had requested it again delay making a decision on the plan. "While we have not made any final decision, we have advised the three air= lines that we believe the agreements as presented to us raise competitive= issues," said Read Van de Water, the assistant transportation secretary = for aviation. "We have discussed our concerns in detail with the three ai= rlines." = The department did not detail the objections against the plan, but indust= ry consultants have said the agreement between Delta Air Lines (DAL), Con= tinental Airlines (CAL) and Northwest Airlines (NWAC) would hurt smaller = airlines. Codesharing allows airlines to tie together their frequent flier programs= , ticketing and route networks to expand their businesses and make it eas= ier for travelers to book tickets on more than one carrier. The three-way proposal was in response to a similar alliance reached by n= ow bankrupt rivals United Airlines (UAL) and US Airways (UAWGQ). Regulato= rs approved that deal. A senior Transportation Department official also said the government has = received complaints that Delta, Continental, and Northwest recently engag= ed in "anti-competitive conduct." He gave no explanation of the alleged c= onduct. The extension to Jan. 20, 2003, is the fourth since the proposal was subm= itted for review in August. The deal does not require approval from regul= ators, but the department can decide to seek to block the proposal from t= aking effect. The Transportation Department could make a decision in January or issue a= nother 30-day extension, which would be the last one permitted. = =A92002 Reuters Limited. = Roger EWROPS