This article from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by psa188@xxxxxxxxx KLM Seeks to Join Rivals' Alliances March 24, 2003 By BLOOMBERG NEWS LONDON, March 23 - KLM Royal Dutch Airlines said today that it did not plan to merge with British Airways, Europe's biggest airline, but that it was in talks with British Airways and Air France to join one of their alliances. "We are talking to both airlines, but not about merging," said a spokesman, Bart Koster. KLM is seeking to join either the SkyTeam alliance of Air France or the Oneworld grouping led by British Airways, he said. KLM has the industry's oldest revenue-sharing partnership with Northwest Airlines. British Airways officials were not immediately available to comment. British Airways and KLM considered plans to merge in 2000, abandoning talks because the deal would not have produced the needed savings, the companies then said. Since the merger talks failed, British Airways shares have dropped almost 60 percent, valuing the company at £1.35 billion ($2.1 billion), while KLM shares have shed 75 percent, valuing the airline at 308 million euros ($324 million). http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/24/business/24KLM.html?ex=1049518297&ei=1&en=b30c97ddbf9e10bc HOW TO ADVERTISE --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact onlinesales@xxxxxxxxxxx or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@xxxxxxxxxxxx Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company