=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SF Gate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/news/archive/2003/09/23/i= nternational0427EDT0455.DTL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, September 23, 2003 (AP) Swiss carrier to join British Airways, American Airlines, in OneWorld allia= nce (09-23) 01:27 PDT ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) -- Switzerland's struggling national airline said Tuesday that it has reach= ed a deal to join British Airways and American Airlines in the OneWorld alliance. Swiss International Air Lines -- also known as Swiss -- said it also had negotiated a separate agreement with British Airways for a "strategic alliance." "Swiss' customers will benefit from this development in the form of a substantially expanded range of services. Swiss' passengers will also enjoy the benefits of the frequent flyer programs of all the OneWorld partners and of better connections and easier transfer service," the company said. Trading in the airline's shares was suspended Monday, amid mounting speculation that the company would announce a lifesaving deal with another carrier. Lufthansa was also thought to be in the bidding. The company's board met Monday afternoon, but Swiss spokesman Jean-Claude Donzel declined to give details. The board postponed its announcement until Tuesday. Swiss has faced massive financial problems since it was created out of t= he defunct Swissair in March 2002, losing $706 million in its first year of business. Swiss brought together the remnants of Swissair, which collapsed in October 2001, and Swissair's profitable former subsidiary Crossair, a regional carrier. Swiss has blamed its money woes on continuing global economic instabilit= y, the SARS crisis in Asia, the Iraq war, and major changes in European air travel due to the increasing influence of low-cost carriers. Two months ago, Swiss said that in late October it would eliminate a quarter of its destinations -- including New Delhi, Rio de Janeiro and Beijing -- in the latest in a series of moneysaving plans. It added Washington to the list last week. The destination cuts followed the airline's decision to ax nearly one-third of its workforce and aircraft. =20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2003 AP