Aviation Competition: International Aviation Alliances and the Influence of Airline Marketing Practices

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the United States' aviation relations with the United Kingdom, focusing on the: (1) status of the various reviews of the proposed American Airlines/British Airways (AA/BA) alliance being undertaken by the European regulatory agencies and the Departments of Transportation and Justice; (2) competitive impact of the proposed alliance; and (3) extent to which sales and marketing practices of American Airlines and British Airways should be considered in reviewing the alliance.