UNITED Continental Holdings (UAL) has announced the start of a transpacific joint venture with Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA), which allows UAL and Continental to coordinate sales and marketing with its Star Alliance partner.

    It said the joint venture was enabled by the US-Japan Open Skies agreement and antitrust immunity granted by regulators from both nations. "The airlines can align schedules, fares, and terms and conditions for itineraries beginning April 1," a statement said.

    The transpacific joint venture combines US flight segments on United or Continental services, transpacific segments on all three carriers, and flights within Japan on ANA.

    Applicable transpacific routes within the JV are: Los Angeles-Tokyo Narita (ANA/UA), Los Angeles-Tokyo Haneda (ANA), San Francisco-Narita (ANA/UA), San Francisco- Osaka Kansai (UA), Seattle-Narita (UA), Houston-Narita (CO), New York-Narita (ANA/CO), Washington, D.C.-Narita (ANA/UA), Honolulu-Narita (ANA/UA) and Honolulu-Haneda (ANA).

    It connects 295 US cities, 43 Japanese cities, and 11 routes between the two countries with nearly 120 flights per week. The carriers also are looking at developing similar arrangements for other parts of Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

(Source:http://www.schednet.com)