In Business This Week

A UNITED COUP AT THE PAN AM AUCTION

United had the last laugh in the Pan Am sweepstakes. At a bankruptcy court auction held on Dec. 9, United won Pan Am's lucrative Latin American routes with a bid of $135 million. American and Delta had teamed up for a joint bid, but Delta got only a New York-Mexico City route for $25 million. United had offered Pan Am's creditors as much as $235 million for the same routes in August.EDITED BY G. DAVID WALLACE