Under the deal, the two airlines will share facilities so as to improve passenger transfer services in Madrid, Barcelona and London.

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Critical data was lost during electronic transfer of United passenger information to Continental computer systems, leading to lost reservations, long phone wait times, late and cancelled flights and angry customers.

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Besides the two Carnival vessels that have come to transfer supplies -- and, in one case, take on a passenger with a pre-existing medical condition, said Gulliksen -- the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Vigorous is on-site to aid the stranded ship.

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