AIRLINES

A court has approved a settlement ending a 1988 class-action suit against Delta Air Lines Inc.’s frequent-flier program, attorneys representing passengers said. The settlement, approved by a circuit court in Cook County, Ill., ends a lawsuit accusing Atlanta-based Delta of violating its frequent-flier agreement and sets discounts and extra miles for certain passengers who joined the Delta program before July 1988. Gil Gordon, an attorney representing Delta passengers, said the pact affects 580,000 people who had at least 40,000 miles before July 1, 1988, the date Delta raised the number of miles passengers had to fly in exchange for a free ticket. Gordon said affected passengers would have the choice of earning double miles for a year, discounts on fares or mileage coupons. Delta did not immediately comment. Delta shares rose 19 cents to close at $56.06 on the NYSE.